rate of wages is, either to increase (by saving habits) the capital of the country; to apply a portion of their tradefunds to support those members who may be thrown out of employment, so as to prevent them from competing with them and thus lowering wages; or, what is far better, to reduce the excess of numbers in their particular trades by helping to send them to some other country, where labourers are scarcer, and wages higher than in our own.

We may conclude then, that every application of wealth that tends, individually or collectively, to injure the health, impair the usefulness, deprave the morals, dissipate the means, or curtail the liberties of a people is immoral;—and that every application of it which helps to increase the stock of human comforts, which serves to promote the public health, which advances intellectual and moral improvement, which fosters a taste for art, science and literature; and which tends to refine the tastes and rational enjoyments of the multitude, is just, and worthy of all commendation.

DUTIES AS MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

REGARDING THE EXTENSION OF EDUCATION.

As wise, good and useful citizens are essential to the prosperity, order and happiness of society; and as no individual grows up possessed of those qualities without some kind of instruction, it becomes the duty of every person to promote, by every means in his power, the extension of such a system of education, as shall give every individual in the community a chance, if not the certainty, of growing up to be wise, good and useful.

But as no individual means, nor partially combined efforts, can meet the educational wants of the whole people, nor bring within the influence of intellectual and moral instruction those who stand most in need of it, the necessity is shown for some general effective system; such as shall embrace all the requisites for properly teaching and training every child in the community, and compel all who need instruction to share in its benefits.

For the establishment of such a GENERAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION, an act of the legislature is needed; and for its full development, and efficient working in every locality of the kingdom, the watchful attention, the assistance and support of every adult member of society is required.

As, however, any attempt to introduce religious teaching in connection with such a system of education, would naturally call forth distrust among those parents whose own peculiar views were rejected, it will be wise to exclude from it all such questions of dispute; for if the children are

taught to "love one another," and to live together harmoniously in society, that is a religious essential, paramount to all sectarian views and opinions.

Such a general act of parliament should, we conceive, set forth, clearly and distinctly, the different classes of schools required to be established in every district of the kingdom; the mode of raising and supporting them; the essential branches of instruction required to be taught in each school; and provisions for alterations and amendments at stated periods; so that the education of the people may progress onwards with the general extension of knowledge.

There should be established and supported, in every district, a sufficient number (according to the population) of infant, preparatory, high, normal, and reformatory schools; to which the children of the district shall have free access. The property left, from time to time, for educational purposes, within such districts, to be applied to those purposes; and the remainder to be raised by a district rate, levied on all householders and fathers of families.

Without particularizing the different branches of instruction necessary for the different schools, every child should evidently be taught to read fluently; to express himself grammatically; to write a good business hand; to have a knowledge of arithmetic; to know geometrical forms, and something of their properties; to be able to draw from objects; and to have some knowledge of perspective, mensuration, geography, history, astronomy, chemistry, mineralogy, natural philosophy, and music.

He should also be taught to know something of the structure of his own body; the muscular and nervous powers that controul its movements; its different organs and functions; and those physical and mental laws of his own nature, which he must observe in order to secure healthful existence.

He should also be instructed in a knowledge of the science of human well-being; and be made to understand those physical, mental and moral qualities which he must possess in order to realize the means of comfortable subsistence for himself and those depending upon him; and how to become a useful and respected member of the community.

He should also have some knowledge of the government of his country; should be made to perceive how necessary it is for the preservation of order and security; and should know how its different branches are originated, and what are their respective functions.

His moral nature should also be so cultivated that he should feel pleasure in acting justly, truthfully, kindly and respectfully to all around him. He should likewise be taught to know the moral duties that will hereafter be required of him as husband, father, fellow-citizen, and subject; so that he shall be prepared to go forth into society with a hopeful desire to become one of its wisest, best, and most useful members; and with an earnest resolution to perform his various duties at any labour, and at any sacrifice.

There should be but little difference of general instruction between the boys and girls schools; excepting that the girls should be taught needlework and household economy; so as to qualify them for hereafter properly performing their domestic duties, and for becoming the early instructors of the rising generation.

Every normal school should contain within itself an infant, preparatory and high school; together with lecture. room, class-rooms, library, school-museum, living and sleeping rooms for the directors and teachers, and other suitable conveniences. Its directors should possess a competent knowledge of the different branches of instruction necessary

to be taught should be practically acquainted with the best school arrangements and modes of discipline-and be able to impart their knowledge with earnestness and efficiency.

Every person, possessing the necessary aptitude, desirous of qualifying himself, or herself, as a teacher, should have access to those schools. They should enter for a prescribed term, and should be made acquainted with the art of teaching by attending to the lectures of the directors, and by teaching in the different schools; passing from the lower to the upper in regular gradation. When such teachers are properly qualified for their duties, they should be provided with a certificate or diploma to that effect, and their names be regularly entered on the general list of teachers.

The reformatory schools should be for affording mental, moral, and industrial instruction to all young children and able bodied youths found wandering about in a state of idleness and mendicancy; whose ignorance and uselessness might otherwise lead them to the commission of crime. They should remain in such schools for a prescribed term, and then sent to our colonies, or have situations provided for them at home.

The schools described should be under the controul and supervision of local and district committees appointed by the ratepayers, under the provisions of the general act. The committees should have the controul of all moneys raised for school purposes within the district, as well as the building of schools, the appointment, payment and dismissal of teachers and assistants, and the providing of all school books and apparatus required.

The only powers which government should possess in such a general system of education, should be the appointment of school inspectors, and the enforcement of the kind