BARNSLEY AND WAPENTAKE OF STAIN CROSS.-At the monthly meeting held at Dodworth, the Rev. Joseph Hudson read a paper on "Mental cultivation;" "Life assurance" and "Corporal punishment" were also subjects of discussion. The prevailing opinion was, that corporal punishment could not be entirely dispensed with, but should be resorted to as little as possible.

EAST KENT.-At the quarterly meeting, a Bible lesson was given to a class of children on 1 Cor. x. 4, by Miss Twysden, of Christ Church School, Ramsgate; and a paper on "School-prizes" was read by Mr. Sales, of Broadstairs, followed by a conversation on the method of giving the lesson, and the views propounded by Mr. Sales.

GLANDFORD BRIGG.-At the annual meeting the members dined together. From the report it appeared that there is no diminution in the number of members or subscriptions. Several books recommended in the Minutes of the Committee of Council for teachers to study were ordered for the library.

TESTIMONIALS.-To Miss H. RAVENHILL, on her resigning the charge of the National InfantSchool, Ponder's End, Enfield, a Reference-Bible, by the Rev. John Harman, Incumbent of St. James's. To Mr. FRANCIS HARRIS, on resigning the charge of Melksham National School for St. Luke's School, Birmingham, Four Guineas, by the Vicar; Smile's Life of George Stephenson, Life of Alexander the Great, and Campbell's Poems, by other Friends.

To Mr. and Mrs. HUMPHRIES, Gwersyllt Schools, Denbighshire, on their leaving for Harleston Boys' School, a Time-piece upon a Papier-mâché Stand, and an Inkstand of the same material; presented by the Children and others connected with the Schools.

To Miss MARY ANNE LAWLER, on her resigning the charge of the Leeds Parish Church Girls' School, Seven Volumes of Plain Commentaries on the Gospels, a Furnished Rosewood Workbox, and a Papier-mâché Inkstand, by the Friends. Teachers, and Children of the School.

To Mr. CowCHER, on leaving the Fareham National Schools, of which he had been Master for upwards of fourteen years, by the Teachers and Boys, The Poets of the Nineteenth Century. Also, by the Members of the Trinity Benefit Society, of which he held the office of Secretary for nearly thirteen years, a handsome Silver Inkstand, suitably inscribed.

To Mr. J. CROUCH, on leaving the Parochial Schools at Deal, a Silver Fish-slice and Fork, in a Morocco Case, having a Silver Plate with a suitable Inscription, from the Pupil-teachers and Scholars. To Miss HARRIET PAYNE, a Writing-desk, from Parents of Children in Sittingbourne National School, also a Silver Watch (Lever), from Trustees and Ladies' Committee, on her leaving the School. To J. T. F. TURNER, on completing his Apprenticeship as Pupil-teacher in the Stackpole National School, Pembrokeshire, a superior Box of Mathematical Instruments, by the Countess of Cawdor. To Miss E. A. HARRIS, of Stalbridge National School, on the expiration of her Apprenticeship, a Rosewood Writing-desk suitably Furnished, a Church-Service, and several Volumes of Books, from the Children and Friends of the above School.

To Miss JOHNS, by the Girls of the Free School, Dulwich, a Papier-mâché Blotting-case to correspond with an Inkstand presented by the Rev. R. T. Whish, Vicar of Monkton, Thanet, Kent. Also, by the Rev. C. Howes, late First Fellow of Dulwich College, a handsomely-bound large Prayer-Book. APPOINTMENTS.-Mr. J. A. CowCHER, from Fareham National School, to be Head-Master of the Merchant-Seamen's Orphan Asylum, New Grove, Bow Road, London.

son.

Mr. OWEN OCKENDEN, from Longdon, Worcestershire, to Kirtling National School, Newmarket. Mr. W. T. BURGOYNE, from Clayton, Bradford, to the National School, Micklegate, York.

BIRTH.-On the 17th ult., at Wednesbury, Staffordshire, the wife of Mr. W. B. KINGSWOOD of a DEATH.-At Oakham, on August 29th, of consumption, Mr. CLARKE CLEAVER, greatly respected and lamented by all who knew him.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We cannot undertake to notice rejected communications. The name and address of a correspondent should always be given, though not necessarily for publication. Communications received before the 20th of each month are more likely to be selected for insertion than those received at that time, or at a later date.

MINUTES OF COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.-Letters are continually addressed to the Editor of this Paper asking for information of the minutes and practice of the Committee of Council. To all such inquiries the only reliable answer is to be obtained from an official source. Many of the points raised may be determined by reference to the Church Education Directory; and for others which are more doubtful, it is strongly recommended that application be made either to her Majesty's Inspector of Schools for the district, or to the Council Office. In many cases it may be desirable that such inquiries should be made through the school-managers.

"J. L. G." will find that a time-table for a mixed school of 70 children is to be obtained at the National Society's Depository.

"R. C." We do not publish your letter, but have taken steps to draw attention to the question in the proper quarter.

Your question can only be answered by a reference to the terms of the trust-deed of

"J. O. P." the school-premises.

London: Printed by Levey, Robson, and Franklyn, Great New Street and Fetter Lane, E.C.

The Rev. A. Wilson, Chaplain and Superintendent of the Society's Central Schools, and late Principal of the Westminster Training Institutions, has been appointed Secretary to the Society's Depository for the sale of school books and materials.

This appointment has been rendered necessary by the large and continued increase of business in the Depository. Besides correspondence and general supervision, Mr. Wilson's extended experience in schools and school-books will, it is hoped, be made available in the revision of new editions of the Society's publications, and in editing any future works which the Committee may determine to bring out.

Grants.

The Treasurer has been authorised to pay the Grants voted to the Schools in the following places, the several undertakings having been reported as completed:

Subscription Associations.

During the past few weeks, sermons have been preached at Kingston-uponThames, Hampton Wick, Holy Trinity, Portsea, &c., by the Rev. Richard Chaffer, and in the two parish churches of Whittlesea by the Rev. J. H. Blunt.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has kindly consented to preach for the Society at St. Mark's, North Audley Street, on March 14th, in the morning, at 11 o'clock; and the Bishop of London at St. James's, Piccadilly, in the afternoon of May 16th, at 3 o'clock. The Committee tender their best thanks to the numerous clergymen who have kindly preached for the Society, or permitted the advocacy of its cause in their churches. They trust that the importance of supporting the Society in this manner will not be overlooked, as the sermons preached in behalf of its funds tend to make its operations and usefulness generally known, besides obtaining contributions from many who are unable to become annual subscribers.

The following Donations and new Annual Subscriptions have been contributed (to the 15th February) since the last announcement:

The following collections, or moieties of collections, have been received by the Society since the last announcement:

Training Colleges.

The following appointments have been made from the National Society's Training Colleges for Masters since the last announcement:

Battersea Training College.

Those whose names are marked thus * have held appointments before.]

Diocesan Proceedings.

DIOCESE OF WORCESTER.

Report of Organisation of Schools.

[Continued from p. 39, February Number.]

One of the great defects I have endeavoured to combat in the schools I have visited has been the reading. I regret to say, that out of the forty schools that received me on my first circuit, I could find but two in which the reading was good. Its great characteristic is the monotonous drawl that so clearly indicates a perfect want of pleasure in the performance of the task, and a total ignorance of the meaning the author intended to convey. In many schools the reading was very fluent, and came glibly from the tongue in a mechanical way; but on testing the amount of information gained by thrice perusing a lesson, I have frequently found it nil. I am happy to say, my attempts to remedy this fundamental defect have been attended with very considerable success; and during my second tour of visits I discovered that by far the greater proportion of the children not only read better mechanically, but that their intonation and expression was improved beyond my expectations. I noted with particular pleasure that the old custom of dividing a long word into syllables was fully carried out, and had been productive of the most beneficial results. The children took more care, and felt more pleasure in puzzling out a long word by themselves than they would have derived from being immediately told by the teacher, and as quickly forgetting it.

And this consideration leads me on to another. We do not exercise the minds of the children enough. We teach them too many facts, and do not try to make them think. We forget that children have inquiring minds, and that food must be found to satisfy their cravings,—food somewhat more nourishing than dry facts; we must cultivate their powers of thought, endeavour to make them feel the difference between right and wrong without being told it, elicit from them what they already know, and then proceed to store their minds with new knowledge. True, it is much easier to lecture children than to catechise them; but whoever watched a class of children sitting at their desks, listening to a fluent discourse from the lips of their teacher, without observing that vacant expression of the eye that denotes, in nine-tenths of them, utter want of interest? See the change which takes place in the same class when as skilful a catechist as the other is a lecturer takes up the subject; every ear is open, every eye bright with the excitement of emulation, and the children learn more in five minutes from the one than the other could instil into their minds in an hour. The one treats them as reasonable beings endowed with powers of thought and reflection, the other as automatons with the single human quality of memory. I am certain that, if the minds of children were more exercised in school, we should soon see the boorishness and stupidity which characterises the agricultural labourer give place to the intelligent address which is so generally found in the artisan. It would give greater self-confidence; and I know nothing more required in the schools that have come under my notice.

Again, I would urge upon all teachers the necessity for greater self-discipline in their scholars. The children attend their schools to be educated, and a very great element in education is self-control. Most schools, I think, are deficient in this; and whence does this deficiency arise? I fear from the conviction, which now appears to find place in the minds of so many, that the chief-almost the only-object in erecting schools is to supply the poor with a certain amount of instruction for the head, while the teaching of the heart may safely be neglected. I would say, let the first lessons be self-control and self-denial. Do not let all religious teaching be comprised in imparting Bible-history alone; draw lessons from it, and bring them home to the minds and the hearts of your scholars; let them feel that the Bible is something more than