the Exemptions of Charities from Income Tax; the Return of the Price of Oats; and of Beef and Mutton, at different times; the Returns on Savings' Banks, and other Returns. The Papers belonging to Series B., "Diplomacy and War," are, as usual, numerous and weighty. First, we have the Correspondence on the Revolution in Greece, with the consequent abdication of King Otho, and the election of Prince Christian of Denmark; and, in connection with these events, the Treaties for the union of the Ionian Islands with Greece. Further Correspondence will be found with the United States on different points in connection with the Civil War, which has been happily brought at last to a final issue. The War in the River Plate gave rise to more Correspondence. Papers are also included relating to the forced opening of the Inland Seas and Waters in Japan, and the Foreign Customs Department in China. The Slave Trade Correspondence is always interesting. And particularly so are the Reports of the Secretaries of Legation on the Finance and Commerce of Foreign Countries. These, and other Papers on Schleswig Holstein and Lauenburg, the Health of the Army and Navy, &c., are Diplomatic and State Papers of considerable importance. Under Series C, "Ecclesiastical Affairs and Education," we have the usual Report of the Commissioners of National Education for Ireland, the Report of the Science and Art Department, the Report of the Civil Service Commissioners, and that of the Inspectors of Reformatory Schools. Two documents, however, will be found belonging to this Series of a peculiar character: one gives the various Oaths and Declarations, some of which were, and some are still, required to be taken by different persons on assuming certain positions or offices; such as the usual Oath of Allegiance, Supremacy, and Abjuration, and the Oaths taken by Privy Councillors, by the Lord Chancellor, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Lord Privy Seal, Secretary of State, Income Tax Commissioners, a Recruit on enlistment, and Adjutants of Volunteers. The other consists of the Subscriptions, Articles, and Formularies required to be signed in the Established Church of Scotland, the Free Church of Scotland, and the Episcopal Church of Scotland, by Probationers and Presentees, and other officebearers before Ordination. Series D., "Railway, Shipping, and Postal Communication," includes the Report of the Emigration Commissioners, showing that during the year 208,900 persons emigrated from the United Kingdom, 147,042 of whom went to the United States. It appears also that in the fifty years from 1814 to 1864 the total number who left the United Kingdom amounted to 5,691,709, of whom as many as 3,450,531 went to the United States, and 1,255,554 to British North America, showing that America absorbs the largest proportion of our surplus population. It will be seen from the Returns of Shipping that in the United Kingdom and the British Colonies there were registered as many as 40,000 Ships of the burden of upwards of 6,000,000 tons. The Report on Wrecks and Casualties, on the other hand, shows that the number of Ships lost or damaged in 1864, on the coasts of the United Kingdom, was 1741, representing a registered tonnage of 350,000 tons; of which 1,434 Ships belonged to Great Britain and its dependencies: the number of lives lost was 533, the loss of life having been less than in any year since 1855. The Returns of Railway Accidents, Traffic, and Capital give some idea of the enormous amount of transactions involved in this means of communication, and show the comparative immunity from accidents, notwithstanding the apparent danger connected with Railway Travelling. The Reports on the Judicial Statistics of England and Wales, Ireland and Scotland, in Series E., "Justice and Crime," bring us in contact with Crime from its inception by the Criminal Classes at large to its perpetration, and with Criminals from their apprehension to their conviction and sentence. No uniformity has yet been obtained in these documents, and much remains to be done in these Statistics before we can study the many moral problems they ought to suggest. The second part relating to the Civil Jurisdiction is of great practical importance. The " "Colonial" Series, F., contains a variety of papers of interest. First, we have the Report of the Committee of the House of Commons on the British Establishments on the Western Coast of Africa, giving their history and present economic value. In another Paper we are brought into contact with the feuds and troubles among the African Tribes around Lagos. The great question of the Union of the British North American Provinces is also set forth in detail. In the Reports on the past and present State of our Colonial Possessions, we have a complete survey of the progress of each Colony; other items of information on the same, being also given in the Report on Emigration, under Series D. Some disagreement in Jamaica, between the Governor and the Legislature, appears in the Report regarding the Tramway in Morant Bay. We have also Papers on the Affairs of New Zealand, and on the Land question in Oude. Under Series G., "Municipal Affairs and Population," we have as usual the Report on Births, Deaths and Marriages, which opens up many new social problems of great value. In Ireland, too, the Registration has now been commenced. The Report of the Poor Law Board shows the operation of the Poor Law in England and Wales since 1834; from which it appears that although the population increased from 14,372,000 in 1834, to 20,663,000 in 1864, the amount expended was nearly the same, being 6,317,000l. in 1834, and 6,423,000l. in 1864: a reduction of the rate per head from 8s. 9d. in 1834, to 6s. 24d in 1864. Great interest attaches to the Report on Christ's Hospital, commonly called the Blue Coat School: it is interesting to trace what becomes of the mass of Boys after leaving the Hospital, and particulars are given of some who became most eminent in different professions. The History of our Weights and Measures appears with minuteness in the Report on the Standards, prepared by the officers of the Exchequer Office. Under Series H., "Health," we have a report on the utilization of the Sewage in the Metropolis, and Papers on Hospitals and Lunacy, with the first Report of the Inspector of Alkali Works. Several documents of the Sessions 1863 and 1864 have been included in these two volumes, which comprise much more matter than the previous ones; but many Papers have necessarily been omitted, especially a large number of Returns. Of Diplomatic Papers, those relating to the war in Schleswig Holstein and Lauenburg, and to Brazil, and several papers on Poland, were the most important. We regret the omission of the valuable Report on the Royal Academy, and of the Correspondence respecting the Congress proposed to be held in Paris. The Correspondence respecting China and Japan has been so far taken up with the narration of subsequent events. As a bare summary of titles would be of little avail, we must be content with what has been already done to remedy the deficiency. With the Statutes for the United Kingdom we complete the survey of the documents for the Session of 1865. So various are the questions which constantly engage public attention, that it is useful to preserve at least the substance of the vast amount of information elicited with reference to them. LEONE LEVI. TEMPLE, April, 1866. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Series A.-Finance, Commerce, and Agriculture. Page 80 Correspondence on Direct Commerce with China from Rangoon Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom Average prices of Oats, Beef, and Mutton, during the years 1842, 1845, 1861-64 Revenue on the Produce of Mines worked in Scotland Number of Depositors of Savings Banks Weekly Sums paid and withdrawn by Trustees of Savings Banks Quantity of Sugar imported and retained for Home Consumption Estimated Amount of Taxes imposed in Great Britain and Ireland Report of Deep Sea and Coast Fishery Commission (Ireland) Correspondence on the Exemption of Charities from Income Tax Annual Statement of the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom 289 received by National Debt Commissioners, on account of Savings Banks Account of all Gold, Silver, and Copper Coinage, 1855-1864..... Correspondence respecting the Revolution in Greece Treaty between Great Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia, relative to the Ionian Islands. Convention respecting the Claims of British Subjects, for services in the Ionian Islands Papers on the Foreign Customs' Establishment in China North America-Papers respecting the Termination of the Reciprocity Treaty Correspondence on the Change of Form in the Consular Exequaturs Reports of Secretaries of Legation on the Commerce of Foreign Countries Inspectors of Reformatory Schools Bills which did not become Law. (Public Schools Bill.) Oaths and Declarations required to be taken in England and Wales 455 Return relating to the Augmentation of Benefices 481 Series D.-Railways, Shipping, and Postal Communication. Series F.-British India, Colonies and Dependencies. Report on British Establishments on the Western Coast of Africa Papers on the War among the Native Tribes in Lagos Correspondence on the Union of the British North American Provinces Further Papers relative to the Affairs of New Zealand Papers relating to the Administration of Oude Series G.-Municipal Affairs and Population. Report of Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in Scotland Poor Law Board for England and Wales Commissioners of Inquiry on the Borough of Belfast Tables of Marriages, Births, and Deaths (Ireland) Report of Commissioners of Poor Law (Ireland) Letter of the Comptroller of Exchequer on Standards of Weights and Measures |