[We subjoin the second piece of J. B.'s specimens of Curwen's System, which want of space compelled us to omit in the last number.]

SIR,-Owing to other pressing engagements, I have been unable to send an earlier reply to the inquiries of E.R., about Capitation Fees, which appeared in your March number.

There is no doubt that the 5th condition of the minute referred to, may more or less decrease the amount of voluntary contributions, in some instances, and thus to some extent nullify the 4th condition of the same minute. But I am of opinion, that those who have really at heart the education of the working classes, the bones and sinews of our country, will not subscribe one farthing less annually, because the Committee of Council has passed a minute to render them more help in carrying out the work, than they did before the minute existed they will rather seek to improve their schools, by means of the additional funds placed at their disposal for that very purpose. This they will do in two ways,-by adding to the apparatus of the school-room, and by rewarding the teacher for faithful services by an increase of stipend.

The 5th condition was never intended to nullify the 4th, but evidently aims at enabling schools, in agricultural districts and small country villages, to obtain the services of properly qualified teachers. The minute has been extended to all schools, because it was found impossible in many parts of large towns, to raise the amount of voluntary subscriptions, requisite to induce certificated teachers to take charge of them.

It is certainly true, that the conditions press more on some than on others; so do all laws of human origin, which doubtless arises from the imperfection of our nature. As the Committee of Council on Education do not give assistance to Sunday Schools, their expenses ought to be provided for separately; and where this is not the case, a fair proportion of the income should be set apart for Sunday School purposes.

"What proportion of the income of the school, the respective teachers should receive, in accordance with the intention of the Committee of Council on Education" may be gathered from the broad-sheet.

And now, Mr. Editor, with your kind permission, I will say a fow words about the parsing of R.B.

7: To parse-The infinite mood of the regular verb parse,' after the verb are After, I suppose, means governed by. Is the verb to parse used intransitively, or transitively? In either case, I do not see how it is governed by are, unless R.B., means are understood. But, that this is not his meaning appears, I think, from the parsing of to exert in the other sentence.

"To exert-Infinitive mood, after 'is." Query. Does the verb to be ever govern the infinitive mood, when it signifies to exist, in other words, when it is used purely as the substantive verb? If is, in this example, governs the infinitive to exert, we have the following absurdity:The less room is to exert their vigour "

"8. Besides—A conjunction, joining Here are four that's' with 'Here are some other words."" Will R.B., or any other of your correspondents, kindly oblige me with instances, from any of our standard authors, of such a use of besides in connexion with personal pronouns? Would it be right to say "Here are four that's for you to parse, and some other words besides they?"

"29. Yours-A personal pronoun, &c., possessive case, governed by the noun that' understood." Surely, if what is understood be expressed, it will not make nonsense. Yet what would an audience think of the orator, who should address them in such language as—“I cannot credit it to be yours work?"

Apologising for the length of this, I am, &c.,

St. Michael-on-Wyre, April 13th, 1857.

[We consent to all these criticisms except the last.

W.P.

"Yours" is no less a posses

sive case like "mine" on account of the limitation of its use. A and an are subject to a like restriction, but are for all that articles.-ED.]

Like, What, and As.

SIR,-Grammarians will never, I fear, agree as to the parsing of the word like, in examples similar to those that have recently appeared in your journal. Latham says "the only adjective that governs a case is the word like," th us giving it the office of a preposition. Other authorities, however, state that like is never used as a preposition, and give the following reasons for placing like, as well as unlike, near, and nigh, among the adjectives. First, because the words which usually stand for them, in other languages are adjectives; (2) because they sometimes are compared: (3 because the preposition unto or to is often expressed after them, and (4) because they often have. in a sentence, adverbs which relate to them alone. It seems preferable, therefore, to parse the word like, in the annexed examples, as an adjective, and to make the noun which follows in the objective case, governed by the preposition to understood.

Ex. 1. He is like his brother (like to). (2). Like the grass upon the house top (like to). (3). Like one of these (like to

The word what, besides being a relative pronoun, is also used as an adjective and as an adverb. Thus, if we say, "What tongue can tell?" The word what has the force of an adjective, and ought to be passed as such; but in the sentence," what by force, what by policy, he took from his enemies many cities." The word what is used adverbially, in the sense of partly or in part, and therefore should be parse

as an adverb. The same remarks apply to the sentence given by "An old Friend," "What with riot and extravagance he soon came to ruin ;" that is, he soon came to ruin partly through riot and partly through extravagance."

In your excellent leading article on

justice to the puzzling werd as.

Ellipsis" you have not, I think, done full

1. Nor ought we, as men, to agree to such.

2. As for those who have written against me, &c. 3. As to these charges, I shall say nething.

SIR. Would you or any of your correspondents kindly answer the questions on Grammar (including the paraphrase) proposed by the Government at the last Chr stinas Examination fo certificates of the first year. Trusting you will insert this in your valuable paper,

I am, Sir, yours truly,

A CONSTANT SUBSCRIBER. J.A.

April 15th, 1857.

SIR,-Allow me to call your attention to the following Grammars to support what I stated in my last, viz., that " CAN CREDIT" is the PoENTIAL MOOD.

Potential Mood.

Morrell's Grmmar page 18 says "When power to do an action is expressed, wo use the potential mood: "I can go."

I remain, Sir,

ENQUIRER.

[The authorities quoted. and arranged in a wrong chronological order, are all followers of Murray. Our periodical cannot endorse what we consider to be errors, however respectable or venerable Later writers, except the fir-t-mentioned, regard every word as it stands by itself. In analysis, for which Morell is a safe guide, we have to deal with notions, but in parsing, with words. In the above examples we are supplied with the mood of the predicate, but in the English language, we have no inflexion to mark the mood of the verb A predicate may be composed of many words, but a rerh (as its etymology denotes), is one word and it is in opposition to the principles of all true syntax, to speak of its moods, when our language has allowed it no corresponding inflexion to express them. ED.]