who might be as original, and had worked as hard and spent as much, but who, owing to a desire to perfect their achievement a little more, or because they lived in the provinces, a day's journey farther off, came some hours behind, and were only second or third applicants for the coveted privilege. The State ought not to give a right of exclusive property-that was, power to meddle with others and to forbid them to use their valuable knowledge-except in cases where common use and enjoyment would diminish public wealth or harm a previous possessor. There was this obvious and broad distinction between copyright and patent right, that to grant exclusive privileges to an author interfered with the compositions of no one else, whereas the granting of them to an inventor continually conflicted with what others had done and were doing. Mr. Macfie then traced the history of the patent laws, from the time when exclusive rights of selling or making some commodities were granted to court favourites as rewards. He suggested that the patent law as it stood at present should be repealed, and that rewards should be given to inventors by government; or that patents should be granted much as heretofore, but that, on the demand of any manufacturer, after three years of monopoly, any invention might be valued, not of course on the basis of the returns which it might bring, but on that of its originality, the cost incurred in working it out, its advantage, &c. Whereupon it should be lawful for a patent board to distinguish the grant in any of the following circumstances:-1. If the patentee's books (which he should be obliged to keep) showed that he had already received in fees the valuation price. 2. If manufacturers and others interested unitedly paid as much as would make the price up. 3. If the State paid the remainder of the price, purchasing the invention for the nation. And he would add another condition, that any one might obtain exemption for himself or his firm by paying say a tenth of the price. Mr. Macfie illustrated his paper by many cases of hardship which the present law involved.

Mr. MACFIE also read a paper entitled "Plurality or Graduation of Individual Votes as a Means of Facilitating the Extension of the Parliamentary Suffrage to all Classes," proposing that any householder of 24 should have a vote, every freeholder of 40 a vote, every occupant of business premises a vote, and every payer of direct taxes a vote. Persons who possessed more than one of the qualifications to have a corresponding number of votes. Of course no one to have more than four.

Mr. R. J. GAINSFORD read a paper entitled "Reformatory Schools, and especially the North of England Catholic Girls' Reformatory School, at Howard Hill, near Sheffield." The writer began by observing that he was not aware of any instance of recent legislation in which a new law had been based upon a more sound principle than in the Reformatory Schools Acts. The public money was paid just in proportion to the actual amount of reformatory

education accomplished. There were no religious distinctions, and Government had nothing to do with the title or trust of lands or buildings. The amount of money paid was in exact proportion to the number of scholars in actual attendance, a sum nearly but not quite equal to the actual expense of their maintenance and education. The first certificate under the Reformatory Schools Act was granted in 1854, and he doubted whether this or any other country could furnish so clear an illustration of beneficial results from a definite cause. The remedial results of reformatory training were, according to the last report of the Government Inspector, stated to be as follows :--"About 70 per cent. of those who are brought under reformatory training are permanently rescued or improved by its influence." The number of persons disharged from reformatory schools in England and Scotland was about 1,200 annually. The writer explained the nature of the reformatory system adopted and carried out at the school at Howard Hill, and the satisfactory results obtained.

MR. GAINSFORD also read a paper, urging the public advantage of a grant of assizes to Sheffield.

Papers were read by Mr. T. Webster on "The Palace of Justice, the Site, Approaches, and Arrangements of the Courts and Offices of Judicature;" and by Mr. John Guest, "On Affiliation of Illegitimate Children," which have been read again at the evening meetings of the Association in London, and are printed in the Journal of Social Science, pp. 25, 195.

263

EDUCATION.

Report of the Standing Committee of the Department.

URING the past session of Parliament no bill directly bearing

on

withstanding the absence of legislative measures, the period since the last Congress of the Association has not been unproductive of matters of interest in the subjects specially delegated to this depart

ment.

EDUCATION OF THE UPPER AND MIDDLE CLASSES.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMISSION.

The remarkable event of last year was the publication of the Royal Commissioners' Report on nine of the leading public schools of this country. Although the report, so far as the schools in question were concerned, was well nigh exhaustive, it was judged that the area of inquiry had been too limited to lead to well considered legislation, and the Council of this Association, therefore, presented a memorial to the Prime Minister during the summer of last year, praying that a similar commission might be nominated with power to inquire into the condition of the smaller grammar schools and into the provision for middle-class education generally. At the close of last year, the Commission prayed for was granted; and in their report the Commissioners are directed to consider what measures, if any, are required, for the improvement of such schools having special regard to all endowments applicable, or which can rightly be made applicable thereto. The Commission have appointed Assistant-Commissioners to go into selected specimen districts of England and Wales, and have appointed others to proceed to the United States and Canada. As the evidence is not yet completed, or the report published, it would be premature to forecast what the recommendations for improvement may be. Your Committee, however, trust that the following suggestions may be considered, if not adopted, by the Commissioners in their forthcoming report :I.-The extinction of such schools as, from poverty of endowment, or paucity of population, or both causes, are clearly unproductive of the results contemplated by the founders; and, in lieu thereof, admission to leading schools, or the establishment of central schools, to which the children admissible to the merged schools may be

eligible on favourable terms. II.-That where admission to schools can only be obtained by nomination of trustees or officials, a certain per centage of children be admitted after competitive examination III. That a central fund be established towards which the small grammar schools shall contribute, in proportion to their nett income, for the purpose of founding exhibitions, tenable for three years at the Universities, or the leading public schools by scholars from the contributing schools, and obtainable by public examination. IV.That, as the University Local Examinations afford no test of the general efficiency of schools, there be an annual examination of the small endowed grammar schools, by examiners appointed by her Majesty's Government, and that a tabulated statement of such examinations be printed and published, and that the funds needful for the carrying out of such purposes be defrayed by a rate levied on the schools in proportion to the children severally examined.

ADMISSION OF GIRLS TO THE UNIVERSITY LOCAL EXAMINATIONS.

The University of Cambridge received most favourably the memorial for the admission of girls to its local examinations, signed by above a thousand persons connected with education, as well as many others, including some of the most prominent and active members of our own Association. The memorial was presented towards the close of 1864, and the question was referred to a special syndicate, who, after a careful consideration, made a report recommending the proposed extension. In accordance with this, a grace of the Senate was passed, giving effect to the recommendation of the syndicate. The scheme is to continue in force as a tentative measure for three years, at the expiration of which there is every reason to believe that it will be made permanent.*

*The local examinations of girls were held at six places, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, London, and Sheffield. The total number of students present was 126-76 seniors and 50 juniors. 130 had entered, of whom 4 were prevented from attending by illness or other causes. Although no general examination of girls has been held before, and therefore no complete comparison can be made between the results of this and former years, yet the trial examination held in London in 1863 affords some material for comparing the work done in a few of the subjects. It is satisfactory in particular to remark that the arithmetic, in that year so disastrous, especially to the seniors, of whom more than 90 per cent. were rejected in this subject alone, has this year been very successful. Indeed, of the whole number of candidates, no more than 3 failed in it. The total number rejected was 28 seniors and 8 juniors. In 1863, out of 91 candidates 57 failed. As this is the first attempt at extending the scheme to girls, it is right to say something of the reports of the local examiners at the different centres. One writes:-"I conducted the girls' examination in London. Everything went on quite as regularly and quietly as at any examination at which 1 have been present. The girls seem to take a great interest in it, and worked at their papers in a very business-like way, and for the whole time allotted to them. I was quite struck with the easy way in which they bore the stress of the examination. I could not detect any flagging of interest in it, or any sign of weariness, or any ill effect upon them whatever." All the local examiners speak or write in similar terms. -Report presented to the Senate, Feb. 16, 1866.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION OF THE LOWER CLASSES.-SELECT
COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON EDUCATION.

A select Committee of the House of Commons has been appointed at the instance of Sir John Pakington, for the purpose of considering and reporting on two points. First whether there should be one responsible official-a Minister of Instruction-instead of a President and Vice President as now; and secondly, whether any plan could be adopted for extending the pecuniary assistance of Government to the smaller and poorer schools in England and Wales. A considerable amount of evidence has already been taken, but the committee express their inability to report at present, and desire that a like committee should be appointed to pursue the same inquiry in next session, which they now find themselves unable to conclude. With a view of supplying rural schools with certificated teachers, and of obtaining for them State aid, an experiment is in course of trial which deserves notice less on account of its intrinsic merits as of the distinguished lady who propounds it. Miss Burdett Coutts proposes that a union of a certain number of contiguous small parishes shall be formed; and that in each parish, a school, not unlike the old dame school should be established that a master should be appointed who should work in each small school in succession for one or two days, or for a week or for any time that might be suggested. The scheme is in course of trial on the Devonshire coast but it would be premature to pronounce an opinion as to its success. It would be in accordance with the suggestions of the Royal Commissioners, who propose a union of small schools; only in this case the union would be aimed at not by amalgamation of schools, or by expecting children to walk impossible distances to one school room, but by making one master an ambulatory centre of unity.

THE CONSCIENCE CLAUSE.

The Conscience Clause proposed by the Committee of Council on Education to the National Society, for parishes where one school only is required, and where the promoters wish to connect it with the Church of England, although the population contains Dissenters, is founded on Act 23 Vict., c.11 : and runs as follows:

"The said committee shall be bound to make such orders as shall provide for admitting to the benefits of the school the children of parents not in communion with the Church of England as by law established; but such orders shall be confined to the exemption of such children, if their parents desire it, from attendance at the public worship and instruction in the doctrines and formularies of the said church, and not otherwise interfere with the religious teaching of the scholars, as fixed by these presents, and shall not authorise any other religious instruction to be given in the school."

The National Society have declined to entertain the proposal of the Committee of Council on Education, and the correspondence