was that really good education for women was very expensive. There was a scarcity of good boarding schools which might be accessible to girls of the middle class, and the schools in London were made very expensive. He advocated a reform in those matters in which the advancement of female education was related, and he instanced the cases of Sir S. Romilly and Mr. Stuart Mill as showing the opinion of men of the highest culture on the desirableness of affording the highest education to women.

Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee of Bombay said he had been for the last thirty years a pioneer of the cause of female education in India, and one of the objects for which he attended that meeting was to gain information on that subject so as to benefit his future operations in his own country. In the two papers written by the ladies, there was a fund of information, and so highly did he think of them that he should ask permission to have them translated into the Hindoo language, and he would have them printed and circulated in his native country at his own expense. The great question as to whether boys and girls should be educated equally, had attracted a great deal of attention, and any innovation as to the education of females was looked upon with suspicion and disapprobation in India. He hoped, however, that the cause would triumph, and he urged those present to persevere in their cause, and never to be daunted. Education in his native country was still surrounded by almost insurmountable obstacles, and until thirty years ago it has lain dormant. Among the enlightened class in India, the number of which might almost be counted upon the fingers, there was but one opinion—namely, that the only way to promote the improvement of the native population morally, intellectually, and politically, was by advancing education, male and female, in every legitimate manner. The half enlightened class, by their own intercourse with Europeans, and by witnessing the progress made by native youths educated in the colleges in India, were convinced of the advantages of education, but would only allow their children to avail themselves of it to a limited When the Native Education Society of Bombay-established a quarter of a century ago, chiefly through the exertions of Mountstuart Elphinstone, who had done more for India than all the other Governors put together-began its operations, many Parsees and other influential natives, fearing that the schools would exercise undue influence over the minds of the natives in converting them to Christianity, withheld their support. On becoming a director of that society in 1838 he offered a prize for an essay, to be written by one of the head boys, upon female education, but the managers decided that the subject was not suited for general ventilation, and the money he had given for the prize remained to this day unappropriated. Since then, however, fifty essays and hundreds of articles on the question of female education had been

1

written and published in India. An impression prevailed that as children became more educated and enlightened they were more likely to embrace Christianity. The topic was a very delicate one, and perhaps he ought not to touch upon it in that assembly. He was not a Christian himself, but the more men's minds were enlightened and the more they saw of life, the better, he believed, they would be able to judge for themselves on this subject. If any of the natives thoroughly believed that Christianity was for their good, it was far better that they should declare their conversion openly than that they should remain hypocrites, thinking one thing and doing diametrically the opposite. The third class, the totally unenlightened, formed in India, as in other parts of the world, the great bulk of the community; but in India they were more ignorant than in any other quarter of the globe. In no country were people so gregarious; if one led, the rest followed like a flock of sheep. So wedded were they to their old customs and prejudices that they disliked and dreaded any innovation, however good in itself. Though he had pointed out the faults of his own countrypeople, he was by no means blind to those of the English people, or to the extent to which they were led away by fashion. Were not English ladies obliged to wear crinoline, even though they might not approve it? Knowledge, which had originally come from the East, was now being returned by the West with added interest; and from 1839 to the present day, education in India had been marching at a steady pace. Two years ago an institution was opened in Bombay for the education of a limited number of daughters of respectable native families. He had previously tried the experiment in his own family, and it had proved successful. A strong prejudice, however, still subsisted in the country against female education, and without the co-operation of their European brethren it was impossible for enlightened natives to accomplish all those changes which they were desirous of seeing carried out.

Mr. G. W. Hastings spoke of the progress of the movement in favour of the promotion of female education during the past three years. During the spring he had the opportunity of visiting the Lady's College at Cheltenham, of which Miss Beale was the principal, and could testify to the excellency of the course of instruction, and of the manner in which it was imparted. At the onset there was considerable opposition from parents, who complained that their daughters were not taught sufficient music and the like, and that they were not allowed to dance for two or three hours a day. It was not likely, however, that there could be a lady of sufficient independence and firmness, and possessing also the necessary knowledge and enthusiasm, to carry out such a system in every ladies' school. It was insisted upon that every scholar should become acquainted with at least one language, and the scheme had been successful. The great want was, an efficient test in female education,

and that the same inducements should be held out to girls that were held out to boys. Examinations ought to be held, at which women should be invited to compete. It had been objected that at the examinations that were now held, the subjects were unsuitable, but the objection would not hold good; for whilst in the compulsory questions there was nothing but what every well educated person ought to be able to answer, there was in the after questions a choice allowed, and a sufficient range was given. So that a girl might choose whichever of the subjects she was most likely to distinguish herself in, just as persons of the opposite sex could. The institution of suitable examinations and tests would act very beneficially on all classes. Those who were engaged in the pursuit of a livelihood as teachers and governesses, would have certificates to show the amount of proficiency they had attained. The benefits of the system had been shown by the examination in London last year, at which, although it was only an experiment, and comparatively little known, upwards of eighty girls presented themselves, with satisfactory results.

On Monday a very interesting paper was read by Miss Carpenter of Bristol, entitled, "Our Neglected and Destitute Children; are they to be educated?" She adverted to the increasing attention paid to education in this country, which is not confined to that of the lower classes, but extends to the middle-class education, and even to that given in the great public schools which educate the élite of the nation. This indicates an increasing sense of the importance to the community that every class of society should receive an appropriate education. Paupers' children, juvenile offenders, and factory children all have specific attention paid by Government to their instruction and training. But while the Council on Education aids largely in the education of the wage class, it leaves untouched the destitute and neglected children who abound in all large cities, and are providing a constant supply for our workhouses, reformatories, and prisons. Miss Carpenter described numerous low districts in Bristol which abound with such children, utterly unable, from their degraded position, to attend day schools. She mentioned that recent statistics show that in Manchester thousands of children grow up in appalling ignorance, and that in Liverpool there are annually 25,000 apprehensions of persons without any available education. Ragged schools are the only ones which have attempted to reach these children, but they have proved utterly inadequate to remove the evil unaided. They have shown, however, that these children can be rescued from pauperism and crime, and made self-supporting by being placed in proper schools. Miss Carpenter urged an appeal to the Government on behalf of these children. One pound per annum spent for each child in education would be a wise economy; voluntary Christian effort would always be ready to second the efforts of Government in preventive as well as in reformatory action.

VOL. VI.

Miss Carpenter also read a paper on the "Consolidation of the Reformatory Schools Act," and also of the "Industrial Schools Act,” and remarked that though the first Reformatory Schools Act has been experimental, yet that the principle on which it was founded has worked admirably, and that very few alterations were now required. She quoted a striking testimony to the value of reformatory schools, given by Colonel Henderson in his last report on convict prisons; which stated that though there were 536 juvenile convicts in Parkhurst Prison in 1854, yet that prison for boys has now been given up under the influence of the Reformatory Act, and only 15 juveniles were received into convict prisons last year. Colonel Henderson congratulates the country on this result, because he says familiarity at that early age with the final resource of punishment must have a lasting and evil consequence. Miss Carpenter explained the object of the Industrial Schools Act, which is to rescue young persons who are falling into crime before they have received the prison's brand. These Acts have worked admirably whenever they have been fully tried, but schools certified under them have not yet been largely established. There could be no doubt that when a permanent Act is passed, as is anticipated next session, the success which had already attended these schools would lead to their adoption throughout the country. Then it is hoped that a short Act would be passed rendering it illegal to send any young person under 12 or 14 to prison except preliminary to a reformatory. Doing so at present inflicts on a child of tender years a brand for life.

An instructive paper on "Education, especially Female Education, among the Slavonic Christians of Turkey in Europe," was contributed jointly by Miss G. Muir Mackenzie and Miss Irby. The paper stated that the number of Slavonic Christians, more or less connected with the Ottoman empire, amounts to between 7,000,000 and 8,000,000. Whereever the Christians have a native Government public instruction is an object of solicitude; whereas the Mahomedan Government of Turkey does nothing for the education of its Christian subjects. For instance, the self-governing Principality of Servia, with 1,000,000 of inhabitants, has during the last 35 years provided itself with 318 primary schools, six gymnasia, two commercial schools, a theological seminary, a civil and military academy; while in neighbouring Bulgaria, which is administered by Mussulmans, 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 of Slavonic inhabitants have not a single Slavonic academy or higher seminary. In the smaller Slavonic districts-Old Servia, Herzegovina, and Bosnia-education stands still lower than in Bulgaria. Female education was impeded by the lack of qualified teachers, not to be obtained in Turkey, and young girls could not well be sent out of their own country to be trained. However, the native women themselves had started some schools, which, if helped forward and supplied with proper teachers, would form a most hopeful

instrument for civilising and instructing the community, and to undertake this work an association has been formed for the "promotion of education among the Slavonic Christians in Turkey." The scheme was purely educational, without any object of making proselytes from the Oriental Church, one of its patrons being the Archbishop of Canterbury, another the Metropolitan of Servia.

In the Jurisprudence Department—

Miss Sheddon read a paper "On the Necessity for the Inviolate Preservation of Trial by Jury on all great Questions of Fact." It commenced by referring to the present being a favourable opportunity of doing something to preserve and support an institution which coming from, and belonging to, the people, gave them a share in the administration of justice, and which institution had been so powerfully advocated by Lord Brougham at all periods of his career, and which Lord Erskine had illustrated so pointedly when he said that the whole machinery of the English constitution culminated in the fact of bringing twelve honest men into the box. The paper then gave an historical sketch of trial by jury, showing that it had always been an essential and popular institution, and its inevitable tendency had been to obtain and secure liberty, and to elevate the nations in which it was adopted. It was obvious that in settling a matter of fact a competent number of sensible men of the middle class formed a more impartial source of justice than the decision of any single individual; and any attempt to establish or perpetuate tribunals which were unconnected with juries was a step towards the erection of an autocracy. It was then urged that people should cling to this institution, and while improving, if need be, the details of its working, its principle should not for a moment be abandoned; and this was the more necessary because, although there was no talk of abandoning trial by jury, very serious encroachments had been made upon it as a system by recent legislation, especially in the cases of persons seeking to establish descent or nationality, with regard to which construction of statutes had been of late adopted the result of which was that questions of such vital importance to suitors in a particular court were left to the decision of a single judge.

In the Health Department

Professor Gamgee delivered a very long lecture on the "Cattle Plague, its Origin and Prevention," which gave rise to a great deal of discussion.

Dr. Lankester contended that the evidence of the importation of the disease from abroad was unimpeachable. He denied there was any power in dirt or filth to produce cattle plague, or we should always have cattle disease from the frightful state of filth in which some were mostly kept, which no doubt produced other diseases, but not the Russian cattle plague. Look at Lord Granville's farm at Golder's Green-there