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improvement and happiness, in a degree never before known, will be deeply laid in regions, which though richly blessed by the hand of the Creator, bad been too long blasted by the ignorance and vices of Man.

The School Establishments at Paris serve as a nursery to those which are preparing in the communes ; and if the distress so severely felt, from the failure of the crops, had not been so great, many more Schools would have been established. As it is, wonders have been done in so short a time, considering the state of that country.

In many places deep-rooted prejudices prevail; but it is visible among those who supposed that the New System was intended to work their ruin and destroy their future prospects in life, that they are becoming converts every day to the new mode of instruction, and read every Report printed on the subject with the greatest eager,

ness.

Strangers from all parts of the world, on visiting Paris, are struck with admiration at the order and regularity of the Schools: they could never conceive that children should be thus brought to instruct each other, in such a simple, easy, and pleasing manner.

The generous exertion of all the worthy gentlemen in France, who occupy themselves in propagating the British System, from His Majesty's Ministers down to the Mayor of the poorest village, all feel a national interest in showing their zeal in the cause. No field day can display a greater or more elegant assemblage, than those

days in which the Normal School at Paris is open for the public distribution of prizes, in which the visitors take as lively an interest as those who seek to be crowned.

Mr. William Rae Wilson, a zealous friend of our cause, when at Rome took an opportunity of conversing with some of the members of the Papal government upon the expediency of introducing the British System into that capital. The first question put to him was, Does it teach any particular creed of religion? And being answered in the negative, the observation followed, That then they did not see any objection, and were desirous that all the books explanatory of the system should be transmitted. In the mean time Mr. Wilson briefly explained the business in a memorial to Cardinal Gonsalvi, the secretary of state, whom he also addressed from Paris. On Mr. Wilson's arrival at Paris, he mentioned these circumstances to the Baron de Gerando. and left the affair to the further management of the committee at Paris, which is now in active correspondence, as appears by a letter just received from the Baron.

Within the last six months gentleman from Spain has fully qualified himself in the System at the Borough Road; and it appears from the report of the Baron de Gerando, that other individuals of that nation were learning the plan at Paris.

Mr. Shaw, a member of this Committee, now on a visit to America, in a letter to the Treasurer says, "I have seen at Cincinnati 400 children as

sembled in one of these schools; the building (of brick) was raised by subscription, and I think it superior to any I have ever seen at home. Lexington and Louisville have also considerable schools on the plan; the schools at New-York are in a flourishing state, as well as in many other large cities." He remarks upon a school for the children of Africans at NewYork: Never was any one more highly gratifyed than myself, on visiting the school. Whether the unusual sight of 300 Africans in an improved and improving mental state, made me look with partiality on them, I know not; but I conceive that there was more order there, and more strict attention paid to the System, than in any school which I had visited. In

one

corner was an African

Prince attentively copying the alphabet. A young lad about 14 years of age was reciting passages from the best authors, suiting the action to the words; another was working difficult questions in geography, &e. In fact, let the enemies of these neglected children of men perform a pilgrimage to New-York, and at the shrine of Education recant their principles, and confess that the poor despised African is as capable of every intellectual improvement as themselves."

The worthy governor of Sierra Leone, Lieutenant-colonel Macarthy, continues his paternal regard over the schools in that colony, which now contain many hundred children of the African race, and the number is still increasing.

CONTRAST BETWEEN BOSTON

AND LONDON IN RESPECT TO EDUCATION.

A EESPECTABLE Committee of the town of Boston have recently published the result of their inquiries respecting the schools and the number of children who attend them, and also of the number who have not the benefit of school education.

The population of Boston is supposed to be about 40.000.

Children who attend school 4,132.

Children above 7 years old who have no instruction by schools 243.

The annual expense for primary schools for children under seven years of age is stated at $18,911.

In the Philanthropist for

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to average with the 8 which had been examined, the result would be

Educated children
Uneducated

3318

4465

In a statement relating to a District of London, called East Union, the population is given at 250,000; one quarter of this population is supposed to be children from 6 to 16 years of age; and of these the number of the untaught is stated at 30,500. It is then said "a similar calculation, to include the other three parts of London, will leave 122,000 children be tween the ages of 6 and 16, destitute of instruction in the Me. tropolis."

It is further stated "that in a portion of Spitalsfields, not the poorest, but which might be regarded as a fair specimen of the whole neighbourhood, 2091 families had been visited; that these families contained 2565 children from 6 to 14 years of age, without any education."

Two gentlemen "well acquainted with the population in Spitalsfields, placed the number of children totally uneducated at about an equality in point of numbers with those who received some degree of education; but it is added, "that four fifths, at least get nothing more than what a Sunday school can bestow on them-get no education during the other six days of the week."

The contrast now before the reader is certainly much to the credit of Boston, and much to the dishonour of London. That the people of the wealthiest city in Europe à people too who profess to be Christians, and who have all the means of

extending the benefits of education to every member of the community, should have suffered more than half their children to grow up in ignorance and vice is truly astonishing. We would by no means depreciate their wonderful exertions for disseminating the scriptures and the blessings of christianity in other parts of the world; but we may surely be permitted to say, that there has been a melancholy neglect of the lower classes of their own community, which have as strong claims on their charity as any people of a foreign country. We ought however to rejoice that the citi zens of London are now making powerful exertions to retrieve their character, and to free themselves from the reproach and the mischiefs which have resulted from their neglect of the poor in their own country. The Committee, however, of the British and Foreign School Society meet with considerable difficulty on this ground-there are many Roman Catholics in the city, and the bishops and the priests of that order freely acknowledge that the Catholics are not able to provide schooling for their own poor children, and yet they profess to think that it would be a greater evil to those children to be educated by Protestants than to be wholly deprived of the means of education. The Committee have proposed teaching their children to read without giving them any religious instruction excepting such lessons from the scriptures as are the same in the Catholic version as in the Protestant; but to this the Catholic clergy will not consent,

THE SOCIETY FOR DIFFUSING INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS AND PRISON DISCIPLINE.

[This Society was formed in London in 1808. The following passages are from the ADDRESS of the Society which makes a part of their first Tract.]

THE long catalogue of crimes to which the punishment of death is annexed by the English law, has frequently directed the serious consideration of men of enlightened minds to its justice and its policy. And although a considerable difference of opinion prevails, the great weight of authority is in favour of some important amelioration in this part of criminal jurisprudence. The inefficiency of this punish ment to prevent, or even dimiuish, the commission of crimes, seems generally acknowledged. In the present state of society, the rigorous execution of these laws would excite a general abhorrence of their sanguinary character; and a modification, in the practice of judges and of juries, has been introduced, amounting to a virtual abrogation of the law, not to be easily reconciled with the principles, either of moral or religious obligation. Can it, therefore, be deemed premature to introduce such an alteration in the law, as may reconcile it to the present advanced state, and more refined condition, of public opinion? The labours of Howard and Neild, supported by various subordinate inquiries, have shown the numerous deficiencies of prison discipline, and how ill adapted it is in its present state to accomplish the great

object-the reformation of the offender, and his restoration to society. However beneficial it may be to remedy these evils, it is not desirable that any hasty or indigested measures should be adopted or pursued: those who sow, must not be too eager to reap a judicious alteration of the laws will follow the gradual diffusion of knowledge, and must be consequent on the general conviction of its propriety for this purpose it is requisite to keep the public attention alive; to bring before its view such facts and discussions as may throw light on the question: to subject every new measure to the most accurate examination, and to check any hazardous experiments. The impolicy of capital punishments, and the expediency of revising the system of prison discipline, having once taken strong hold of the public mind, collision of sentiment will naturally lead to the best substitutes, and the most effectual remedies. Many prejudices must be removed: many objections investigated and answered; and no inconsiderable share of time and patience must be exercised and employed, before society can reap its reward from a well-regulated economy in the punishment of crimes. The zeal and talents of any individual, however distinguished, must terminate with his life; and the cause which, with uninterrupted lahour, might have prospered, may be left to languish in neg lect and obscurity. The form

ation of a Society, therefore, composed of members competent to assist each other in the prosecution of these objects; whose duty it is, as one coadjutor drops off in the course of nature, to select another; and who thus preserve a perpetual succession by united effort to promote a common end, affords at once the means most rational and most effectual to secure a favourable result.

Although this Society cannot yet boast of having produced any considerable effect, yet they trust that foundations have been laid, which rest for support upon a rock. Their first object was, to collect and publish the sentiments of various authors who had treated directly or incidentally upon these topics, and whose weight, either of argument or authority, was likely to influence the public. This collection extended to a greater length than was originally an ticipated; and the expense of publication has been a heavy charge on the funds of the Society.

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Another source of expenditure has arisen from the expediency of possessing as complete a body of information as it was practicable to obtain, occasioning the purchase of books, pamphlets, sessions' papers, and other public documents. Other disbursements have been made, for original discussions; for the publication of debates in parliament, of curious facts, and occasional advertisements. Much, however, remains to be done, before these objects can be even partially accomplished; facts and circumstances will occur to

be made known; new views will be constantly presenting themselves; and various means, which it is not practicable to define or enumerate, must be resorted to, to obtain the attention, and secure the co-operation of the public. For these ends, a constant supply of funds is requisite; and the pecuniary aid of those is solicited, who are anxious to promote a cause, at once important in its consequences to the public welfare, and interesting to the best feelings of human nature.

The Society have published three octavo volumes, in which the opinions of the most celebrated authors on this subject are collected; including some very important debates in Parliament, which, as well as all future publications, may be had at Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown's, Paternoster

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