promote secular education, I may perhaps say, without
at all being the advocate of opinions from which I differ,
or a scheme from which I entirely dissent, that in some
instances the mode in which religious education has
been given has afforded some advantage to the
arguments and some plausibility to the schemes of those
who promote secular education. If all those who wish
to unite religion with education would say that we
must consider in the child his body, his mind, and his
soul—if all would act according to that precept there is
no doubt that a union of secular and religious education
would be the sole education that was fitted to bring
up men and women for this Christian community; but
when part of that lesson is forgotten, when the body
and the mind are very much neglected, and that which
is taught of religion is so conducted into the paths of
theological differences, and of particular opinions which
divide the Christian sects from one another, then the
man who is for secular education steps in and says,
'These children are entirely occupied with religious
differences, and with niceties which they cannot
comprehend; we had better put aside the religious part
if the education, to be given at a different time and by
different persons.' I think we who belong to the
British and Foreign School Society have always done
our best to avoid that error, and I believe that in the
future education of this country it will be much more
avoided than it has hitherto been. I certainly can
never think that in either of the schemes put forward
by those who are for secular education the great
purpose of education is sufficiently answered. There
are those who say that half a day, or two days of the
week and the whole of the day on Sunday, may be
given to religious teaching and instruction; they thus
as it were, give up two days for religious instruction,
which is, in fact, the education of the soul, while they
leave four days of the week for that which is secular
education only. I say this is a most unhappy and most
unwise division; that neither in respect of time nor in
respect of the subject is that an education which the
future nation of England ought to receive. I say that
secular and religious education ought to be mixed
together—that the instruction should be imparted to
educate the body, the mind, and the soul together; and
when this task has been accomplished, then indeed you
may be proud of your work."

The annual meeting of the Association for the Aid of
Dressmakers and Milliners, was held on the 11th at
Willis's Rooms. Lord Shaftesbury presided. The
Marchioness of Londonderry, the Countesses of Wilton
and Harrowby, Ladies Wharncliffe, Rivers, Hardinge,
&c. &c., were present. A report was read, which
stated that no deaths had occurred in the last two years
out of 250 cases of sickness. The majority of the west–
end houses had reduced the hours of work, and had
improved ventilation. But some few houses still exact
excessive labour, and prevent young people when sick
from seeing the medical officer of the society. The
report then alluded to a declaration relative to the
hours of work from a few influential employers, in
which it was stated that the young people in their
establishments did not work more than 12 hours a day,
except from March to July, when they worked
131/2 hours, inclusive (in each case) of 11/2 hour for meals;
that suitable sleeping accommodation was provided;
that there was no work on Sunday or all night, and
that the food was of the best quality, and unlimited in
quantity. The committee regarded this declaration as
creditable to those who signed it, but thought that a
day's work ought not to exceed 10 hours, with a due
allowance for meals, nor did they despair of a general
introduction of such hours in the dressmaking business.
During the last year 1223 young persons had entered
their names in the register—the total number since the
formation of the society was 10,982, and the provident
fund numbered about 70 depositors. The balance sheet
showed the last year's income to be £1970 19s. 6d., the
expenditure £642 1s. 10d. Dr. Southwood Smith moved
the first resolution—"That the meeting hailed with
satisfaction the declaration of employers, whilst they
regretted that the limitation of the hours of work was
not sanctioned by the Legislature, viz., 101/2 hours of
actual labour." He said that enforcing young persons
to work for 12 hours, and from March to July 131/2 hours,
was an evil of great magnitude. Young people could
not keep up 12 hours' actual work for three or four
months without great and permanent injury. The
majority of these young people were from 14 to 20 years
of age, a period of life when the most important
processes of growth and development were going forward;
and the system could not be carried on without a
complete ruin of the constitution. To those who had
made young people go through 14, 15, or 16 hours'
work a day, he had one short word to say, that more
and better work was done in a short time than in a
long time, for it was only for a certain number of hours
that diligence and attention would be sustained, and
that the hand and eye were in a condition to do efficient
work. The resolution was carried, as also resolutions
appointing committees of ladies and gentlemen.

The annual Festival of the Sons of the Clergy was
celebrated on the 11th inst. with the customary usages.
The sermon at St. Paul's Cathedral was preached by
Archdeacon Sinclair. A banquet at the Merchant
Tailors' Hall followed the religious service; the Lord
Mayor in the chair. Among the company were the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of London, St.
Asaph, Bangor, Winchester, Ripon, Norwich, Carlisle,
St. David's, Hereford, and Llandaff. The society has
now existed for one hundred and ninety–nine years.

The sixty–fourth anniversary of the Royal Literary
Fund was celebrated on the 11th by the customary
dinner at the Freemasons' Tavern. Mr. Disraeli
performed the office of chairman. Among the company,
were the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord John Manners,
Professor Aytoun, Dr. Daubeny, Dr. Latham, Sir Henry
Ellis, Mr. Monckton Milnes, the Chevalier d'Azeglio,
Mr. Justice Halliburton, the Bishop of Ohio, Professor
Fenton, Mr. B. King, and Mr. G. Peabody. In giving the
toast of the evening—"Prosperity to the Royal Literary
Fund, and the health of the Marquis of Landsdowne,"
Mr. Disraeli delivered a long oration, in which he
described the origin of the institution,—which Dr.
Franklin, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Burke, had
thought too beautiful to be realised; he commented on
the change which has brought authors a reading public;
he dwelt on the evil contingencies—such as sickness,
temporary failure, and unavoidable debt—which
overwhelm the literary man; and he showed how the
institution, founded on the true principle that the literary
man must not be the victim of exigencies, steps in under
these circumstances, to relieve and encourage. The
Rev. Dr. Russell laid before the meeting an account of
the society's financial aflairs. They had received £1340,
which was a little less than last year, but still considerably
more than had been received in previous years.
Objections had been made to the society for having
chambers; but it would be sufficient answer to say they
had an estate which had been left them for the express
purpose, and which yielded £197 a year after the
property tax was paid. Would these gentlemen, (he asked),
in the name of all that was respectable, have the
corporation receive the legacy, and not expend it in the
manner directed by the donor? Then they complained
that the secretary was paid £200. Really that was not
too much even for getting together such a magnificent
meeting, but when they considered that all the
enquiries were made, and all the money paid to the
recipients through that officer, he felt sure they would
agree that the secretary was most inadequately remunerated.
The rev. doctor then proceeded to answer an
article in the Times against charity dinners, and asked,
if the men who attended such demonstrations were all
bores, how was it that so many ladies honoured them
with their presence—250 in the gallery at one end of
the room, and 250 on the platform at the other?
Besides, the dinner last year only cost £34, besides the
guineas of the diners. The rev. doctor was proceeding,
but the company testified their impatience so loudly,
that he resumed his seat after reading the list of
subscriptions, which was headed by her Majesty's
donation of one hundred guineas, and amounted to
about £950.

The Dublin Industrial Exhibition was opened on the
12th inst., by Lord–Lieutenant St. Germans. Above
fifteen thousand persons were in the building; the day