PROGRESS OF EDUCATION IN ENGLAND. Twenty years ago only 67 in every 100 men that married in England signed their names upon the register, and 51 in every 100 women, and 13 years later the percentage was but 69.6 of the men and 56.1 of the women; but in the last seven years, a period which probably shows in its marriages the result chiefly of the education of the years 1840-45, or thereabouts, the advance has been much greater, and the registrar-general reports that in 1860 the proportion of men writing their names had risen to 74.5, and women to 63.8. In the whole 20 years the proportion of men who write has risen from being only two thirds to three-fourths, and of women from being a half to be nearly two-thirds, which may be expressed with tolerable accuracy by saying that where four persons had to "make their mark" then, only three do so now. This is for all England; but the rate of progress has not been the same in every part of the kingdom. In Staffordshire the 40 per cent of women able to write 20 years ago has only become 48, and the 57 per cent of men 60. Among the Cornishmen the 64 per cent of twenty years since bas barely improved into 65; and in 1860 scarcely 57 per cent of the women who married wrote their names. In Monmouthshire and Wales the proportion of women who had learnt to write was much fewer; in South Wales only 42 per cent. In as many as twenty counties in England, mostly agricultural districts, and also in Wales, the proportion of men who can write is below the average, often greatly be low it. Of the women who, in 1860 married in Bedfordshire, only 64.8 per cent signed the register; in the West Riding only 53.4; in Lancashire only 45.9. Of the women of England who became wives in 1860 more than 60,000 have the disadvantage of being unable to write their own names; more than 13,000 even of the women of busy and acute Lancashire. In one marriage in every six in all England both man and woman were unable to write. ENGLISH AND FRENCH NAVIES. The following are the official statements of the size and condition of the English and French navies: A RETURN SHOWING THE NUMBER OF STEAM SHIPS AFLOAT AND BUILDING, TOGETHER WITH THE NUMBER OF EFFECTIVE SAILING SHIPS IN THE ENGLISH NAVY ON THE 1ST FEBRUARY, 1862. Effective Total sailing steam Class of ships. Ships of the line.... .screw Afloat. -Steam.- ships and afloat. sailing. 4*. * The building of these vessels have been suspended. Includes Constance, whose conversion to a screw ship is not yet completed. Five of these are small vessels built in compartments, and can be taken to pieces for the puropse of easy transport. The steam navy of the two countries, on which the principal dependence must be placed by both sides, is as follows: Total steam navy of England built and building.. Difference in favor of England.... 580 360 220 whereas an excess of 180 would be adequate for our purpose. In ships of the line, England has, (including block ships,) 85 against France 37. In frigates, a most important kind of vessel now-a-days for the protection of commerce, the account stands : The number of English gunboats built and building is. Excess... Of iron-plated vessels, the figures given in these papers do not correspond with those given by Lord PALMERSTON, either as far as respect the English navy or the French. He said the French had 36, and the English 25. The returns give: Built.......... FRENCH. 6 | Building...... *Two of which for gunnery instruction. Hospital ship in China. 10 Total.......... 16 and they can only be raised to the number mentioned by Lord PALMERSTON, by including Floating batteries mentioned in the return. ... 14 21 On the other hand, the English list only gives 15 iron-cased ships, whereas it is said she now has 25, though some of these too may be floating batteries. Even now, therefore, we have no adequate information upon this material item. PASSENGERS ARRIVING IN THE UNITED STATES. The annual report of the Secretary of State of the number, &c., of passengers arriving in the United States during the year ending December 31, 1861, is just published. The tables furnished are very unsatisfactory, the usual summary being omitted. After wandering through the long columns of figures, we are able to present the following totals: We have prepared from former reports, as published each year in the Merchants' Magazine, the following comparative tables: THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS FROM THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1790. Thus it will be seen, that during the twelve years, from 1850 to 1862, many more passengers arrived than during the whole of the sixty preceding years. The largest arrivals were from the year 1850 to 1857. Since 1857 the number each year has been much less, as will be seen from the following table: STATEMENT OF THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS ARRIVING IN THE UNITED STATES BY SEA FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES, FROM DECEMBER 31, 1850, TO DECEMBER 31, 1861. JOURNAL OF INSURANCE. 1. DAMAGES FROM PETROLEUM--ACTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF BROOKLYN TOO HASTY-PROTEST OF MERCHANTS. 2. MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY. DAMAGES FROM PETROLEUM-ACTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF BROOKLYN TOO HASTY-PROTEST OF MERCHANTS. OUR fire insurance companies feel that the destructive fire in Williamsburgh should incite everywhere city authorities to enact rules for the storage of petroleum, kerosene, and the other inflamable oils which have, within a few years, become so important an article of commerce. The utmost care is necessary in handling these substances, and city ordinances ought to provide regulations that will ensure safety, and penalties for their violation by all who store them. If the wind had been westerly, at the time of the fire, the greater part of Williamsburgh would most likely have been destroyed, and this through the carelessness of some person while handling petroleum, which was unloading from a lighter alongside a dock on which a great quantity of the same exceedingly combustible oil was stored. We are told that a cask fell and broke open; the gases arising from the spilled oil caught fire, as is reported, from a lighted cigar in the mouth of a laborer on the vessel, and in an instant the lighter was in flames. As the flames reached the remainder of her cargo, barrel after barrel exploded, increasing the fierceness of the flames, which presently caught on the dock and spread destruction all around. Yet, although our authorities should undoubtedly examine into this matter and make stringent regulations respecting the storage of petroleum, still there can be no doubt in the mind of any but that every privilege and facility, "consistent with the safety of adjoining interests," should be afforded this important and growing trade. Under the influence of such an accident as that at Williamsburgh, there is danger of acting too hastily and without proper consideration and regard for the heavy interests involved. We think the course taken by the Common Council of Brooklyn is open to this criticism. It may be necessary to pass equally stringent regulations, but in our opinion the necessity for it has not yet been shown. One fire certainly does not prove it. Let there be such an investigation of the subject as the great interests at stake demand and are entitled to, before we adopt such sweeping measures. The following is the ordinance adopted by the Brooklyn Common Council: ORDINANCE. An ordinance to prohibit the storage of crude petroleum, rock or earth oil, and to regulate the vending the same where refined, within the limits of the city of Brooklyn. |