ticularly to the friends of the church, to second the extended exertions of the committee, so that these schools might be placed upon that permanent and steady footing, as may, under the divine blessing, have such an influence as to operate as effectual barriers to ignorance, to false philosophy, to irreligion, and anarchy. (Great applause.)

The Rev. Dr. George Barnes, in moving that the report be adopted, printed, and circulated, said, that no public meeting had ever heard a more important report. (Applause.) There was in it, in the first place, a clear and explicit statement of what education in the principles of the church of England meant; and in the second place, there was a clear statement of the condition of the society, and what its means were for keeping and maintaining these schools. (Hear.) He regretted exceedingly that that statement should have to make known a deficiency of means. (Hear.) The names of these schools did seem rather anomalous, the one bearing that of the central, and the other the national schools. In fact, however, they were schools precisely similar, and look to the same means for support. The rev. gentleman, having entered into some circumstances connected with the origin of these schools, continued: The report they had just heard entitled him to say, that the bulk of education in this city is in the hands of the church of England; and he would ask the members of that church, whether the committee should be obliged to resign the ground they so properly and opportunely occupied, and in future confine themselves to the religious instruction of the children of the poor in one-half only of this city? (Hear, hear.) Most sincerely he hoped not. There was scarcely a week in which new buildings did not arise before the inhabitants of this city, and every year gave rise to new squares, and terraces, and places known by different names, and these must be inhabited by persons in easy and wealthy circumstances; and yet how VERY FEW of these appeared as subscribers to these institutions. (Hear.) It was the great point of national education that was now before them, that is, education in connexion with the established church. It was now said, that this education is of a lower kind than is suited to what is called the advanced state of the age. It was now said, that they could teach the enormity of vice and the goodness of virtue, and make good men, without religion, (hear, hear); that the Bible was nothing more than an ordinary class book, like the story of Robinson Crusoe, or any other class book, and was to be read or not, just as persons liked. (Hear, hear.) Yes, that sacred book was to be put on a footing with the commonest class book. But were they prepared to say, that they would exclude from their system of education those fundamental principles which taught the divinity of Christ, and the necessity and sufficiency of Christ's atonement, because others did? He was sure they never would. (Cheers.) Now he believed the instruction in these schools to be inferior; but why was it so? Why, because the means were wanting to make it higher. And then look at the classes, too, that were to be instructed; so very poor that the children were removed the moment they were able to earn were it but a single penny to aid their parents. (Hear, hear.) But yet, with all these drawbacks, having to struggle with poverty, as it were, on every hand, it was a system by which the fundamental truths of true religion were early implanted in the mind; and, according to the forms and liturgy of the established church, the children of the poor were brought to know and to value the gospel of Christ. He hoped the time was not far distant when a superior education should not only be afforded to the children of a class above that of a labourer (hear), but when schoolmasters shall be provided of a description to fully carry out this system through the various classes of society and strictly make our schools national schools. (Great applause.) The case was now, however, fairly put before the public in as plain and strong a light as possible. The society was now from 2001. to 3001. in debt, from undertaking this second school; and that was a situation from which he felt assured the public would not only relieve it, but would furnish the means for improving VOL. XIV.-Oct. 1838. 3 P

and carrying education on in the principles of the established church much further. (Great applause.)

J. H. Merivale, Esq., seconded the motion for printing the report, which was put, and, as were those which succeeded, carried unanimously.

The Rev. George Hole, in a most eloquent speech, moved the second resolution; which was seconded by the Rev. Mr. Medley. The Rev. Prebendary Oxenham moved the third resolution; seconded by the Rev. Wm. Karslake. Captain T. L. Lewis moved the thanks of the meeting to the rev. preacher, with a request that the sermon be printed. This was seconded by the Rev. C. C. Bartholomew. A vote of thanks was then passed to the rev. chairman, and the meeting separated.

Having thus given a very useful document, in reply to charges against the church, the Editor begs to subjoin an address from a committee appointed by the National Society, which will shew, in another way, how far such charges are just. (In the next number, the papers referred to in the address shall be given.)

NATIONAL EDUCATION.

Address from the Committee of Inquiry and Correspondence, specially
appointed by the National Society.

During the present year, a strong desire has been very generally manifested that some immediate and strenuous effort should be made to extend and improve popular education on right principles. The consideration of the evils which are to be traced to its deficiency, and of the greater evils which might be expected to result from some of the plans recently proposed as remedies, will suffice to stimulate the exertions of those who wish to give a right direction to the general interest which the subject has awakened. It appears that individual benevolence, though seconded by assistance furnished through the medium of a central society, has hitherto failed of accomplishing all that may be desired for the purpose. The only course likely to succeed is, that all who desire to advance education on sound principles should meet together on the broad and comprehensive ground, that they are members of the national church, and should cooperate heartily under the guidance of its constituted authorities; availing themselves of all the machinery, diocesan and parochial, which its institutions afford.

So far as inquiry has hitherto extended, there has been found a general willingness among the laity to unite in support of any effort which may be made by the heads of the church for this great object; and a liberal disposition has been shewn by the clergy of all ranks to render the means and institutions under their control available for its accomplishment. The heads of the National Society, desirous that the blessing of a religious and useful education should be within the reach of every member of the community, have offered all the assistance which can be furnished by the excellent constitution and established name, as well as by the extensive connexions, of a body which has already done so much for "promoting the education of the poor in the principles of the established church."

It will be seen, by a reference to the report of the committee of the National Society for this year (p. 15), that they have appointed an auxiliary committee of inquiry and correspondence, for the purpose of stimulating local interest on the subject of education, and of bringing various orders and classes throughout the country to act together in a combined plan for extending the operations of the society. This committee of inquiry and correspondence consists partly of members of the standing committee, and partly of members of chapters and members of parliament, together with other members of the society. In the discharge of the duty which they have undertaken, they are proceeding to

place themselves (by the permission and with the countenance of his grace the primate) in communication with the several bishops, with clergymen belonging to cathedrals, with diocesan and district committees, and with other parties interested in education.

The purpose of the present communication is, to offer a short statement of the plans proposed, and of the progress which has been made; and to request the cordial cooperation of those who feel the importance of the subject.

In order to remedy the defects and evils which are experienced at present, and to extend the operations of the National Society to new wants and further purposes, it is proposed to attempt the attainment of the following objects :I. To provide a better class of teachers, by improving the education, condition, and prospects, of schoolmasters.

II. To ascertain and bring into notice such improvements in the management of schools, as might, with advantage, be introduced into those in which the national system is followed.

III. To offer to the middle classes, on moderate terms, a useful general education, based on the religious principles of the church.

With regard to the first of these objects, the improvement of schoolmasters, it is hoped that it will be practicable, at once, to connect training, schools with the cathedrals in several dioceses; and, if sufficient funds shall be raised for the purpose, to found an institution of a superior order in London, for still further improving the education and training of masters. Some plans are also in contemplation for elevating generally the situation of schoolmasters, and for holding out to them a prospect of promotion according to their merits, and of some provision in old age.

With regard to the second object, the committee are prosecuting inquiries into the methods of improved teaching which have been introduced of late years, with a view of distinguishing those which are found by experience to be really valuable, and adapted to the purposes of the National Society. The results of these inquiries will be embodied in such a form as to be accessible to those who desire information on the subject; and it is confidently hoped that the central school at Westminster will be enabled to exhibit a favourable specimen of the practical working of such improvements as it may be advisable to adopt. The selection of books has an especial bearing on this point; and the committee of inquiry and correspondence are happy in being able to communicate the following resolution, which has been passed by the standing committee of the National Society on this important subject:

"That the general committee is prepared to take into its own hands the formation of a list of books of religious and moral instruction, under the sanction of its episcopal members, for the use of schools in union with the society, and, from time to time, to make alterations in such list under the same sanction."

With reference to the third point, the education of classes somewhat higher than those to which the efforts of the National Society have hitherto been directed, the committee have reason to believe that a promise of prompt and steady exertion in this department will be welcomed by a large portion of the middle classes; who will find, in a connexion between the teachers of their schools and the clergy of the church, a better guarantee than they can at present obtain, both for the religious principles, and the intellectual attainments of those to whom they intrust their children. It is believed that, in many of the rural districts, the desired result may be attained by engrafting on existing national schools a superior department of instruction; provided there be a master competent to undertake it, aided, if necessary, by an assistant; while, in other cases, and generally in towns, the best course will be to establish commercial schools in connexion with local boards; to be conducted by masters who have been duly examined, and approved; and to be visited by the clergy of the place; or, if such schools already exist, to bring them into connexion by means of the same clerical superintendence. There

is little doubt that, in all these cases, the schools, when set on foot, may be maintained by the payments of the scholars, on the plan which it is proposed to follow in the institution which has been recently founded, "for the establishment and improvement of commercial schools in the Metropolis and its suburbs in connexion with the national church," by the bishops of London and Winchester, under the patronage of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Various degrees of progress have been made in reference to the several objects here alluded to, and it is obvious that, even if each part of the plan were more perfectly matured, the whole could not come into operation at once. But there is one measure which bears upon them all, and which seems deserving and capable of immediate and general adoption. Without it, all plans for the extension and improvement of education, by voluntary exertion within the church, are likely to result in little else than disappointment. This is, an organized system of local management, founded on well-defined general principles, and adapted, in its details, to the circumstances of various districts. Such a system was originally contemplated by the National Society, and has been partially adopted in some parts of England, in which the experiment has been attended with a success fully proportionate to the means employed in its developement. But the necessity for an organized system of local management was never so urgent as at the present moment, when the want of a system of efficient inspection is put forward in public as the main plea for transferring the superintendence of general education from the parochial clergy to civil functionaries.

Feeling, therefore, that a cordial union, on the basis of the principles and institutions of the church, is the only course which will secure to its members the control over their own schools, or preserve its teaching unmutilated, the committee of inquiry and correspondence, with the sanction and by the authority of the National Society, recommend the immediate formation of diocesan and other local boards, in connexion with the standing committee of the society, which includes by its charter the bench of bishops ex-officio.

The principles on which these boards may with advantage be constituted, without superseding existing societies, are further explained in a paper which will be forwarded to the several district committees.

The objects, to the attainment of which these local boards may, if they think fit, immediately address themselves, will be, (1) to take steps for bringing all church of England schools, within the district, into connexion with the board, and for their periodical visitation; (2) to establish at least one good commercial school in a suitable situation; (3) to take measures, in concert with the cathedral clergy, for furnishing a proportion of fit scholars to the training seminary of the diocese, and for their maintenance there.

Upon the particular bearing of these several plans, and upon any objections to which they may seem to be liable, the committee of inquiry and correspondence will most readily enter into further communications, and furnish the fullest information in their power. But they venture most respectfully to request every individual to whom this paper is addressed, to exert, with as little delay as possible, whatever influence he may possess in his neighbourhood, for the immediate formation of such local boards as have been above suggested, with a view to the speedy accomplishment of the several objects which have been pointed out. They feel deeply the paramount importance of securing, before it be too late, the united endeavours of all members of the church, under the guidance of its appointed heads, for the attainment of results which concern most nearly the best interests of the community.

For the Committee of Inquiry and Correspondence,
R. W. S. LUTWIDGE,

Central School, Sanctuary, Westminster, 1st August, 1838.

Honorary Secretary.

FRASER'S MAGAZINE AND THE REcord.

THE following extract from " The Record" deserves a place for several reasons. The italics are, it need hardly be said, not those of the "Record." A small specimen of what it kindly calls the light tone of " Fraser's Magazine" follows. But the great value of the extract is the partial light at last thrown on its opinions on the ministry. It would have been rather curious to see what the "Record" would have said of "Fraser's Magazine," had it been called on to notice that work by anything else than its praise of the "Record." A passage omitted by the "Record," it is presumed because the style was "somewhat too light," is here replaced, between brackets. It will enable the readers of the "British Magazine" to understand more of the nature of the new alliance than it appears to have been thought good to expose to " many" of the readers of the "Record," for whom the following was prepared ;

"We have occasionally been a good deal amused with our contemporary the Standard. We believe we have never happened on any occasion to speak of it in disparaging terms, while we have freely extracted from its columns, giving its name as our authority with all faithfulness. Till now, the Standard has followed our example in one part of the above description, namely, in avoiding speaking of the Record in disparaging terms; for it has most scrupulously avoided speaking of us at all, and the ingenuity it has occasionally displayed in avoiding bearing testimony to our existence has been laughably absurd.

"But why, may it be asked, does the Standard thus attempt to shut out the Record from public observation? surely the latter cannot injuriously cross its path, or injure its interests. This is very true. But the mystery is easily and satisfactorily explained. The proprietor of the Standard is likewise the proprietor of the St. James's Chronicle, an old paper, intended for circulation among the clergy; and, although the interests of the Standard cannot be supposed to be affected by the success of the Record, the very reverse is the case in respect of the St. James's Chronicle. As it respects, then, the pocket of the worthy proprietor of the two journals, it is quite immaterial whether it should be impoverished through the one or the other of his publications, while the Record, the innocent object of his aversion, may be obviously more adroitly and successfully assailed by means of the journal, which, to common observation, would appear to have no private interest in the matter.

66 Acting upon this very intelligble principle, the Standard has just now departed from its negative discouragement of the Record, and entered upon its positive disparagement.

The opportunity offered is this :-That able publication, Fraser's Magazine, has a curious article this month, entitled, The Religious Periodical Press,' confining itself in the present number to the Religious Newspapers.' The place assigned by Fraser to the Record in its enumeration and examination of this class of publications has drawn out the bile of the proprietor of the Standard, and he does what he can to give a fall to the rival of the St. James's Chronicle:-the interests of the latter not being likely to be subserved by the fresh notoriety thus given to the Record.

"Fraser's style on this occasion is somewhat too light to afford pleasure to many of our readers. We copy, however, the greater proportion of that part of the article which refers to us. He says:

"At the very head of the religious newspaper press of the day, we must place

"THE RECORD.--According to the stamp returns of last year, this paper enjoys the largest circulation by far of the religious prints. It circulates