on the average; six have likewise tenements rent free; and one, moreover, has his potatoes planted and gathered for him gratuitously by the neighbouring farmers; advantages by which it is sought merely to make up the subsistence of a teacher in localities where otherwise, by reason of the fewness and poverty of the people, it would scarcely be supplied. The number of female children is, under these circumstances, generally too limited to pay even the master's wife for attention to their sewing; and he has therefore no such assistance in the school, except at Holm Lane, Overton, and Seaton Bourn, where the population is but partially agricultural; and at Southport, where the labours of a mistress are superintended by a committee of ladies, who pay her 6s. a-week for half the year. At Warmfield, however, the whole school is in the hands of a mistress receiving 301. per annum, whose labours, under the superintendence of a committee, have been very successful.

"While the office of teacher is one unhappily of little consideration, and its emoluments are considerably below those of a skilled mechanic, how can we expect generally to find in it men of the energies required for a task equally arduous, responsible, and important to the deepest interests of society? Some there are who pursue its labours in a missionary spirit; nearly all are men of serious character and sincere devotion to their duties; but without greater encouragement from the friends and promoters of the schools generally, the teachers must be more than human if they are found universally equal to that amount of exertion which is required to fill their several little realms throughout with

a truly active and healthful life. An important secondary assistance would be rendered by granting them some better means of remunerating, and therefore retaining an advanced pupil or two, and a good set of monitors; the allowances to whom at present average only 17. 118. per school, and are often wholly wanting. Another not less essential is to augment the supply of books and apparatus. Nor need the burthen of all this solely fall upon the subscribers. The poorer classes themselves, especially in the towns, where these schools are commonly found, are learning to appreciate good schools and their uses; and will bear half of the expense of the improvements in the augmented attendance of their children, for which there is ample space. Unless this result were fairly to be anticipated from the endeavours of those wishing to benefit themselves, it would be an ungracious task to urge these views upon parties who have already done so much for others.

"The outline which I have now submitted, with the tabular statements annexed, will be found, I hope, to be in strict accordance with your circular Letter of Instructions of the 13th of August last. Incidentally, it shows, I think, the necessity of inspection on behalf of the Crown, as chief subscriber to and visitor of the schools raised by voluntary local efforts, and aided by grants from the Parliamentary fund; as well to ascertain that there is in each locality applying for aid a rational prospect of continuously maintaining a dayschool, as to certify the due application of the grants, and give every possible advice and assistance which may be asked by the local promoters of the schools. That the uses of inspection in this latter respect will

Y

rapidly be appreciated, the manner in which the exercise of its duties was received during my recent tour in the north of England, is sufficient guarantee.

"I have the honour to be, Sir,

"Your most obedient Servant,

"JOSEPH FLETCHER."

'J. P. Kay Shuttleworth, Esq., Secretary to the Committee of Council on Education."

CHAPTER IV.

The way in which the difficulties opposing the establishment of a great scheme of National Education may be overcome.

I Now arrive at the most difficult part of the work I have undertaken; at the part for which I am confessedly the most incompetent, it being always much easier to expatiate on existing evils and to describe what is wanted, than to show how the deficiency can be remedied. I feel that I shall lay myself open to the charge of presumption in venturing on a subject which has never yet been solved, but still I shall offer my opinion, hoping that if it indeed be worth little, yet that it may provoke discussion on a point so deeply important to the best interests of the commonwealth. And truly difficult as the solution of the question, "What shall we do?" undoubtedly is, it would be the extreme of folly to imagine, that there is no solution of it, but a revolution; and that what Germany, Holland, Austria, and Prussia, have accomplished in times of social tranquillity, cannot be undertaken here, until, as in France and Switzerland,

a social earthquake has levelled the obstructions to the settlement of this question. Still, though I do believe that we want in England nothing but the will, and though I am convinced that it would be easy to carry out this great work of social reformation did that will exist, I freely confess that I see no prospect of its being done, until the people accomplish it for themselves; as I see it opposed by the bigoted sectarianism of one party, by the ignorant hostility of a second, by the blind indifference of a third, and by the timidity of even its real friends. So that whilst I write, it is with the merest glimmerings of hope, that a discussion may be raised, which may perchance embolden the timid and arouse the indifferent, though the voice of an angel would plead in vain to our unchristian sectarianism.

Let it not be thought, in what I am going to propose, that I am at all desirous of superseding local efforts or of taking the direction of the parochial schools out of the hand of local authorities; far otherwise: I only wish to see the local efforts aided, where without aid they are confessedly deficient, and a security given to the country that some one shall provide for the wants of those localities which cannot do anything for themselves.

Nor do I wish to interfere with the educational societies further than we now do, that is, by assisting them in every possible manner; by assisting the diocesan boards to realize their present desire to establish Normal schools, and by assisting the Church and the Dissenters to educate efficient masters and mistresses for their schools, and to provide an efficient system of inspection for them all. I would have Government give every possible guarantee to the different religious bodies, that it would