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THE Meetings of the Committee of the National Society have been attended during the last month by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earls of Powis and Romney, the Bishops of London, Winchester, Gloucester and Bristol, St. David's, Lichfield, St. Asaph, Llandaff, and Bath and Wells; Lord Redesdale, Lord Robert Grosvenor, M.P.; Rev. Lord John Thynne, Rev. Sir Henry Thompson, Bart.;. Sir Thomas Phillips; C. B. Adderley, Esq., M.P.; Archdeacons Sinclair and Harrison; and Rev. John Jennings.

New Vice-Presidents,

The President and Vice-Presidents have nominated the following new VicePresidents to fill up the vacancies occasioned by the deaths of the Earls of Abingdon and Eldon, and Lord Kenyon:

His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch.

Right Hon. Lord Dynevor.

Right Hon. Spencer Walpole, M.P.

Education Bills.

The following resolution from the Canterbury Diocesan Board was submitted to the Committee of the Society, urging the continued attention of the Committee... to the Bills on Education now before Parliament:

At the Quarterly Meeting of the Canterbury Diocesan Board of Education, holdenTM at Tunbridge on Thursday the 10th May 1855, the Earl of Romney in the chair, it was unanimously resolved,

"That the Canterbury Diocesan Board request the continued attention of his Grac the Archbishop of Canterbury and of the Committee of the National Society to the Education Bills now before the House of Commons; and trust that they will use their influence with the Legislature, that no conditions of receiving public aid be enforced which would interfere with the carrying on of the religious education of the poor in the principles of the Established Church, or which would preclude schools in union with the Diocesan Board and the National Society from participating in funds raised from public. sources for the purposes of education."

Annual Meeting.

The Annual Meeting of Members of the Society was held in the Central Schools, Westminster, on Wednesday, June 6th. His Grace the President of the Society took the chair at 12 o'clock. There were present, among other Members, the Earl of Romney, the Bishops of London, Winchester, Gloucester and Bristol, St. David's, Lichfield, St. Asaph, Llandaff, and Bath and Wells; the Lords Redesdale, Radstock, Lilford, and Robert Grosvenor, M.P.; Rev. Lord John Thynne, Rev. Sir Henry Thompson, Bart.; Sir W. Stirling, Sir G. Baker, Sir John Gib

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bons, and Sir Charles Farnaby, Barts.; Sir Thomas Phillips; the Dean of Hereford; C. B. Adderley, Esq., M.P.; the Ven. Archdeacons Sinclair, Denison, and Hony; A. J. B. Hope, F. H. Dickinson, H. Tritton, A. Turner, and Richard Gosling, Esqrs.; the Revs. Canon Jennings, Canon Jacob, Dr. Hessey, Dr. Stebbing, Dr. W. J. Irons, W. D. Willis, M. W. Mayow, W. Cureton, J. E. Kempe, E. Hawkins, H. Mackenzie, T. O. Goodchild, J. H. Randolph, J. Carnegie, R. Harvey, H. J. Hastings, J. Bramston, T. B. Murray, W. Fry, and A. Pearson. His Grace having opened the Meeting with prayer, said,

That the Meeting was assembled to receive the report of the Society for the last year. There was nothing marked or peculiar in the proceedings, but he hoped they were of a useful character. At the present time the friends of education could not complain that the subject did not attract public attention. The danger seemed to be the other way— lest, in attempting too much, they should do too little. It was important, before changing any system, that they should be quite sure they knew the seat of the disorder. Undoubtedly it appeared, from some discussions that had taken place on the subject, that the real seat of the disorder was not fully understood. For instance, it was said that the uneducated population in their large towns were in a barbarous state, and that was but too true. It was proposed that the remedy should be more schools and better teaching; thus assuming that the fault at present is in the schools, and not in the population. His (the chairman's) belief was, that the first attempt should have reference to the improvement of the population generally, and that without it the increase of schools would be of no effect. He remembered passing through the streets of Manchester some years ago on a visit to one of the schools. As he went along, he saw in the streets a number of child. ren playing about who were more like the children of a wigwam than the children of a Christian population. When he arrived at the school, he found it to be in good order; but only one half or one quarter of it was filled. It appeared that nothing could persuade the parents of the children in the streets to send them to school. They were too reckless, and unwilling to raise their children above the state in which they were born and bred, to think of sending them to school; and he believed that if one half of the sum expended on the schools were employed in improving the condition of the parents, double the good

would be effected.

The ballot for Members to serve on the Committee of the Society was then proceeded with; the Rev. Alexander Wilson acting as Scrutineer. R. W. S. Lutwidge, Esq., and C. J. Sharpe, Esq. were re-elected Auditors of the Society's accounts for the ensuing year.

His Grace the Chairman then called upon the Secretary to read the Annual Report. After this had been read, and a motion that it be received and adopted had been put to the Meeting, and unanimously carried, his Grace declared that the election for Members to serve on the Committee had fallen on the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, M.P., Richard Twining, Esq., the Very Rev. the Dean of St. Paul's, and the Earl of Carnarvon.

The Rev. Downes Willis then moved, and the Rev. John Carnegie seconded the following resolution :

"That the inquiry lately undertaken as to the alleged withholding of the Catechism in schools in union with, and receiving grants from this Society, has proved inadequate to exonerate the managers of such schools, and the Society itself generally, from the charge of violating the pledge given to their supporters, of educating the children of the poor in the principles of the Established Church,' that therefore a more full and efficient investigation of this charge is necessary, for the vindication of the character of the Society, and for the satisfaction of its friends."

A discussion ensued in which the Bishops of London, Gloucester and Bristol, and St. David's, Lord Redesdale, Sir Thomas Phillips, the Ven. Archdeacons Denison and Hony, A. J. Beresford Hope, Esq., the Rev. W. J. Irons, the Rev. M. W. Mayow, and other Members took part; the Chairman put the resolution to the Meeting, and it was negatived by a large majority.

A vote of thanks was moved to his Grace the Chairman, and unanimously carried.

His Grace then pronounced the benediction, and the Meeting separated.

Meeting of Secretaries.

The Annual Meeting of Secretaries of Diocesan and Local Boards, and of the Diocesan and District Societies in union with the Society, and of others interested in Church Education, was held in the Central School-rooms on Tuesday, June 5th. The Bishop of St. Asaph took the chair at 12 o'clock.

There were present the Bishop of Lichfield, the Dean of Hereford, the Ven. Archdeacon Hony, F. H. Dickinson, Esq.; the Rev. Canon Jacob, the Revs. John G. Lonsdale, H. J. Hastings, Edmund Gates, Samuel Clark, G. W. Murray, W. Fry, W. B. Ady, Newton Smart, John C. B. Riddell, C. Mildmay, John D. Glennie, B. F. Smith, John Bramston, Arthur Pearson, E. Prodgers, W. Potter, M. Onslow, H. Baber, and Alexander Wilson.

The Meeting having been opened with prayer, and the Minutes of the last year's proceedings having been read and confirmed, the Chairman read a letter from the Bishop of Oxford expressing his great regret at his unavoidable absence. The following subjects were discussed:

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"The Bills for Education now before Parliament, especially the Bill brought in by Mr. Evelyn Denison to provide for the education of Pauper Children,' Compulsory Education," "Deficiency of Pupil-teachers and Queen's Scholars," "The Capitation Minute of the Committee of Council on Education," "The Teaching of Elementary Subjects," Support of Schools and Payments from Children."

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After a very interesting discussion of about three hours' duration the Chairman pronounced the benediction, and the Meeting separated..

Organising Masters,

One of the Society's Organising Masters will be shortly disengaged. Applications for his services to be forwarded to the Secretary at the Society's office.

Whitelands Training Institution.

Sir Henry Dryden, in addition to a donation which he has kindly sent to the Whitelands Building Fund, has offered to give three Prizes to those of the pupils in training who may be adjudged to be the best musicians; and the Rev. W. Fry, the well-known friend of education, has also most kindly offered one prize to be competed for by the pupils in training at Whitelands, and to be adjudged to the best grammarian.

Battersea Training College.

Thomas J. Denman, Esq. has recently been appointed lecturer on chemistry and physics. The arrangements of the laboratory and of the meteorological observatory are now complete, and are in full operation. The Committee of Council on Education have awarded a grant of 100%. towards the purchase of apparatus.

Five students have been appointed to situations since the commencement of the year, and fifty-three will be prepared to leave the Institution at Christmas.

Training Colleges Fund.

As some misapprehension appears to prevail as to the application of this fund, raised about two years ago, mainly through the exertions of the late Gilbert F. Mathison, Esq., it may be well to reprint the following extract from the Society's Annual Report for 1853, stating the objects for which that fund was placed at the disposal of the Committee, viz. "in furtherance of the erection of the intended Training College at Westminster for masters and mistresses, and for the extension of diocesan colleges by grants in aid of their buildings and chapels generally;" and also the following passage from the Annual Report of 1854, stating the mode in which the Committee had distributed that fund:

"The whole of the Training Colleges Fund has been appropriated, by grants in aid of the erection of the Training School proposed to be built in Victoria Street, Westminster, and of the Training Institutions in the dioceses of Chichester, Exeter, Gloucester and Bristol, and Oxford; and also in assisting in the purchase of the freehold of part of the chapel site at St. Mark's College."

New Subscriptions.

The following Donations and new Annual Subscriptions have been contributed since the last announcement, and are hereby thankfully acknowledged. The List is made up to the 20th June:

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In order to facilitate in every practicable way the introduction of good and cheap books and apparatus into schools throughout the country, and with a view, generally, to strengthen the connection between the Parent Society, the Diocesan and Local Boards, and School Teachers, the privilege of purchasing books, &c. at Members' prices has been extended to the following:

To all annual Subscribers of 17. 1s. or Donors of 107. 10s. to a Diocesan Board remitting not less than 107. a year to the Parent Society.

To all annual Subscribers of 11. 1s. or Donors of 101. 10s. to a Local or Deanery Board remitting not less than 57. a year to the Parent Society in London. To all Curates subscribing 10s. 6d. a year to the Parent Society, provided the goods so purchased be bonâ fide for the use of their parishes.

To all National and Parochial Schoolmasters and Mistresses subscribing 5s. a year to the Parent Society, provided such goods be purchased for the use of their schools. This extension of privilege must not be understood to apply to the religious books of the S.P.C.K., which can only, as heretofore, be obtained at the reduced price by members of the National Society.

Carmarthen Training School.

At a meeting of the Welsh Education Committee, held on the 8th June 1855, present the Bishops of St. David's, St. Asaph, and Llandaff, Viscount Emlyn, M.P., Sir Thomas Phillips, Saunders Davies, Esq., M.P., Howel Gwyn, Esq., M.P., Ven. Archdeacon Sinclair, Rees Goring, Thomas, Esq., C. A. Wood, Esq., the following Report was adopted, and the subjoined Resolutions agreed upon :

REPORT.

THE SUB-COMMITTEE appointed, on the 13th March, 1855, by the Welsh Education Committee of the National Society, to consider and frame a scheme on a scale suitable to the means at the disposal of the Committee for the management of the Training School at Carmarthen from Midsummer next, when the engagement of the present Principal will terminate, have agreed to the following report:

The Welsh Education Committee originated at a meeting of noblemen and gentlemen connected with the Principality, at which the late Earl of Powis presided, on the 10th July, 1846, and was appointed to promote the education of the children of the working-classes, by improving the character and increasing the number of schools, and especially by providing suitable training for natives of the Principality as teachers, qualified in both the Welsh and English languages where such qualifications might be neces

sary.

The attention of the Committee has been chiefly directed to the improvement of existing schools and teachers, by the visits, counsel, assistance, and instruction of organising masters, and to the work of training persons desirous of becoming, and qualified to be, efficient teachers.

It was thought by many persons that it would be wiser to employ the existing institutions of the National Society, for the purpose of training teachers for Wales, rather than to carry on the work of training within the Principality; and the adoption of that plan would have relieved the Committee from the embarrassing responsibility, as well moral as financial, of providing in their own country suitable institutions for training teachers. But after much and anxious consideration, the Committee came to the conclusion that the youth of the Principality could be best trained at home in those habits of thrift and self-denial which are suited to the teachers of the poor, especially in such a country as Wales.

The Committee likewise entertained a confident expectation that the foundation of an Institution within the confines of the country for which the teachers were to be trained would exercise, not only on the young men there educated, but on the clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood, abiding influences for good, which could not be expected to result from training supplied to individual teachers at a distance from their native homes and their probable spheres of labour.

Accordingly a sum of 10,000l. was expended in procuring a suitable site for, and in erecting a Training School in South Wales, intended to accommodate 60 students; of which sum, 61007. was contributed by the Committee of Council on Education, by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and by the National Society from a special fund raised to promote education in the mining and manufacturing districts of England and Wales, and the remainder was appropriated from the Welsh Education Fund.

It was in the first instance supposed that the friends of education in North Wales, who have contributed liberally to the Welsh Education Fund, would avail themselves of the Institution at Carmarthen as a means of training natives of the northern portion of the Principality. And in order to place them on an equality with their countrymen in the south, it was intimated that the travelling expenses of students at Carmarthen, recommended by any Board of Education in North Wales, would be defrayed by the Welsh Education Committee.

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