of female education. Nothing is so difficult as to tell disagreeable truths with a certain grace, which, riveting the attention of the hearer, makes him swallow the wholesome draught-gulp it, nolens volens. Mr. Wigan is a moral physician of this imperative order: it is not his fault if the dose be administers be not nectar; but, knowing it to be for the good of the patient, the patient, spite of himself, is won upon to drink it.

Mr. Wigan boldly attacked the shallow, interested prejudices of a most numerous class of pseudo-thinkers, who argue, or rather declare, the natural inferiority of the female intellect, and therein avow its unfitness to acquire those attainments which, in the other sex, lead to right reasoning, and to all but universal comprehension. Having most satisfactorily destroyed the ignorant sophisms of what we may, on this question, venture to call the unfair sex, the lecturer proceeded to unveil the mystery, as taught in the thousand "schools for young ladies;" to explain that expensive "parcel-gilt" puzzle-a "finished female education." This was done in a most masterly, straightforward style: there was nothing avoided -no compromise made between the "politeness" of the speaker and the prejudices of his auditory; but "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," was told-a conviction most fully declared by the plaudits of the listeners. Mr. Wigan most successfully demonstrated to his hearers that, however the various capabilities to paint butterflies and bulfinches on white velvet-to disguise "Nel cor più" on the piano-and to speak, like Chaucer's prioress, "not the French of Paris"-were received as making up "female education," there was in them nothing solid, nothing elevating, nothing that went to form good daughters, good wives, good mothers; that, on the contrary, in the phrase of the lecturer, all these were just so much "French polish," giving merely an artificial lustre to the most valuable, as to the most vulgar, grain.

It has long been one of our opinions-a belief borne out by the success of thousands-that it is by no means necessary for a man to know anything of the subject on which he either writes or speaks. This prosperous ignorance is, however, among no set of persons so notorious as among those who profess to teach, or to write or lecture on the teachableness of youth. For ourselves, we read " Academy for Young Ladies" ninety-nine times out of the hundred in the same sense that we read "Dealer in Marine Stores." Were it possible that one edict would cause to assemble together the tens of thousands of "respectable" people who, with the best intentions, and almost unknown to themselves, systematically obtain money under false pretences, we feel assured that the majority of the motley crowd would be composed of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses-of those unconscious people who advertise to teach everything, and are only ignorant of their incompetence to teach anything, as the Irish gentleman was not sure of his inability to play the fiddle-simply because they have never tried.

Against these innocent professors-at the same time making the most honourable exceptions as regarded many teachers-Mr. Wigan displayed a most earnest eloquence. He "anatomized" the Regan schoolmistress, and filliped the mere Pangloss pedagogue with a three-man beetle. Whilst Mr. Wigan claimed for his own profession-for he is, as it would thence appear, a teacher of youth-the most honourable distinction, he visited with merciless chastisement the empirics who disgrace it. Verily, the schoolmaster wailed and writhed under the lecturer's avenging birch.

We advise our readers—and the more especially our fair readers-to visit Mr. Wigan in whatever place he may next set up his pulpit. They will find his lectures-if they live with the same spirit as that of which we have spoken-full of elevating thoughts, of that rarest wisdom—a perfect knowledge of the moral constitution of youth, its tendencies and capabilities; and, better than all, with a veneration for the sacredness of those

who, in the speech of Wordsworth, are yet "within the Temple's inner shrine." It is this fine benevolence towards the condition of childhood and youth, this keen and wide perception of their powers and wants,-that make the great charm of the discourse of the lecturer. Mr. Wigan may safely take for his motto the words of the wise heathen-Magna reverentia debetur pueris.

VARIETIES.

Parliamentary Papers.-Exchequer Bills, (Public Works.)-An Account of Loans of Exchequer Bills for Public Works, &c. under the Act 57 Geo. III. c. 34, and subsequent Acts.

Remaining at the disposal of the Commissioners, against which application are now pendings to the amount of £385,330

Canals, Rivers, Drainage

Harbours, Docks

Bridges, Ferries

APPORTIONED FOR

4,230,350 00

Total Appropriated

£4,230,350 0

:

£1,907,677 11 4
120,899 14 10

2,728,577 6 2

£1,501,772 13 10

4,230,350 00 1,907,677 11 4

Apportioned, as above

Principal received, as above

Principal outstanding, repayable by instalments according to the securities given for the same, and transferable, with the interest, from time to time, to his Majesty's Exchequer £2,226,372 8 1

Post-Office Packets.-The Post-office has now twenty-four steam-vessels regularly employed in its service :-Four between Liverpool and Dublin, of about 300 tons each, and 140 horses' power; six between Holyhead and Dublin, of 235 tons each, and 100 horses' power; four between Milford and Waterford, of from 189 to 237 tons, and 80 horses' power; two between Portpatrick and Donaghadee, of 110 and 130 tons and 40 horses' power; three between Weymouth and Guernsey and Jersey, of from 154 to 165 tons, Oct.-VOL. XLII. NO. CLXVI.

S

and 60 horses' power; and five from Dover to Calais and Ostend, of 110 tons each, and 40 and 50 horses' power. They perform 2293 voyages annually-never failing once in performing each voyage within the time assigned to them-and consume about 30,000 tons of coal annually.-Mechanics' Magazine.

Statistics.-Dr. Cleland, whose valuable labours as a statist all acknowledge, has just published a very interesting abstract of the Government enumeration, in three vols., folio, ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, 2nd of April, 1833. The following are among its curious results: "The increase in the population in the county of Lanark, from 1821 to 1831, is greater than in any county in Great Britain, being no less than thirty per cent. in ten years. The smallest increase in the same period has been in Berwickshire, two per cent.; Selkirkshire, two per cent.; Bute, three per cent.; Linlithgow, three per cent.; Haddington, three per cent.; Perthshire, three per cent.; Argyleshire, four per cent.; Nairn, four per cent.; Dumfries, four per cent.; Inverness, five per cent.-The total increase in all the counties of Scotland has been, in the ten years between 1821 and 1831, thirteen per cent., being less by three per cent. than the ten years preceding 1821. The entire increase in the population of Scotland is thirteen, and of England, sixteen, per cent. The increase of the population of the towns of Great Britain has been 48 in Dundee; 47 in Manchester and suburbs; 47 in Leeds; 44 in Liverpool; 38 in Glasgow; 33 in Birmingham; 28 in Edinburgh; 22 in Paisley; and 20 in London. Most of the towns of Great Britain have increased more rapidly the last ten than the preceding ten years. Edinburgh and Glasgow are exceptions. Between 1811 and 1831, Edinburgh increased 34 per cent., and Glasgow 46 per cent.

The Committee of the Commons, appointed to inquire as to the expediency of establishing one fixed rate of duty on all descriptions of tea, instead of the discriminating scale of duties imposed by the Act of last year, have agreed to the following resolution on the subject:-"That as it would be manifestly unjust to the merchants who have ordered teas from China to alter the law so as to affect the duties on tea so ordered, and, therefore, any change, supposing such desirable, could not take effect for some time to come and as experience of the working of the present law must be had before the next session of Parliament, your Committee are of opinion, that it is advisable to receive the benefit of such experience before the Legislature determines upon the expediency of any prospective alteration in the duties on tea."

Weights and Measures.-By an Act of Parliament passed last Session, the use of heaped measures is abolished from the 1st of January next; and all bargains, sales, and contracts made by the heaped measures after that time are all to be null and void. After that time, also, no weight made of lead or of pewter is to be used. In the same Act there is a clause enacting that from the 1st of January the weight denominated "a stone," shall in all cases consist of fourteen pounds avoirdupois, and that the weight denominated an hundred-weight shall consist of eight such stones, and a ton of twenty such hundred-weights; and all contracts made by any other stone, hundred-weight, or ton, shall, from the 1st January, be null and void. This is important to most people in trade, as it prevents them from making contracts by any customary weights, declaring them void altogether; the Magistrates, in Quarter-Sessions, are to provide impartial standards, and to appoint inspectors. All articles, except gold, silver, platina, diamonds, and drugs, by retail, are to be sold by avoirdupois weight.

Friendly Societies.-These useful establishments, from which the tradesman, the mechanic, and the labouring man receive support as well

as medical aid in times of sickness and distress, have obtained further privileges from the Legislature during the Parliamentary Session just closed. The Act 10 Geo. IV. cap. 56, has been amended by 5 Will. IV. cap. 40, whereby extended indulgences are afforded these institutions. Among others are the following, viz.:-Societies may now raise funds for any contingencies susceptible of calculation by way of average, besides that of relief in illness; such, for instance, as superannuation, loss by shipwrecks or fire, for substitutes if drawn in the militia, for the expenses of an annual feast, &c. In all these cases, however, the contributions are to be kept separate and distinct from those of subsistence when unable to work. Secondly: The money payable at the death of a member, may now be received by any person nominated by such member, and is not confined to his wife, child, or relation, as heretofore. Thirdly: The fee payable to the revising barrister is one guinea, which clears all expenses. To this, however, he is not entitled in respect of any alteration or amendment of such rules as he has already certified, provided the alteration or amendment takes place within three years; nor of those rules which are copies of others that have been certified by him and enrolled. Fourthly: All communications with the barrister, such as transmitting him the rules and receiving them from him, together with every information required of him, will pass the General Post-Office free of expense if sent under cover, addressed," To the Barrister appointed to certify the Rules of Friendly Societies, London." And, lastly: They may invest funds to any amount in Savings Banks-a privilege not enjoyed by general depositors. There are some other points of minor importance in the amendment, which promote the welfare of those useful bodies.

Poor Rate Returns.-It appears that by a blunder of some of the clerks in making up the returns, the item of the expenses of litigation, removals, &c., was omitted, and that this omission gave an apparent decrease. The following is a correct statement of the amount of money expended on the relief of the poor in England and Wales during the last two years for which the returns have been made up :

Newspaper Postage Bill.-The Newspaper Postage Act comes into operation on the 10th of October. From that day foreign newspapers coming from countries where British journals circulate free of postage, will be allowed free admission to all parts of the British islands and colonies. In the case of papers coming from countries where any postage is levied on English journals, a sum of twopence will be required for the transmission of such papers throughout the British islands and colonies. English papers destined for countries where they shall be allowed free circulation, shall be transmitted from England free of all postage; but when forwarded to any country where postage is levied upon them, then they shall pay in England previously to being forwarded, the sum of twopence each paper. It is probable that English papers will be admitted free into France and Belgium at least, and in that case we shall receive in London French and Belgium papers for the price they cost to subscribers in the countries from whence they come.

A pair of those beautiful and diminutive animals, the guevi, or pigmy antelopes, has been added to the collection at the Surrey Zoological Gardens. They are the smallest and least known of the whole genus, and have been called the royal antelopes. The only specimen previously brought to England was one in the collection of his late Majesty, at Windsor. They scarcely exceed a foot in height; are of a uniform reddish brown colour, with legs not much thicker than a goose-quill; and will

bound with ease over a wall twelve feet high. They were brought from Senegal, and are remarkably mild and gentle in disposition.

The 14th annual report of the Commissioners for Building Churches has been printed. From this it appears that at the date of the former report 148 churches and chapels had been built, and that 10 churches and chapels have since been completed. The following is the summary of the report:

Grants proposed to be made for building other Churches and Chapels

208

5

2

10

From a Parliamentary Paper recently printed, it appears that the declared value of British Woollen Manufactures exported to various countries during the year 1833, amounted to 6,294,4321. sterling.

Export Duty on Coals.-By the Act 4 and 5 William IV., c. 89, dated 15th August 1833, the export duty on coals, culm, &c. is repealed, and in lieu thereof the ad valorem duty of 10s. per cent. is chargeable on coals, &c. exported in British ships to any foreign port; and in foreign ships, privileged by treaties of reciprocity, carrying coals, &c. to the country to which they belong; duty in foreign ships, not so privileged, or privileged ships carrying coals to other countries than those to which they belong, 48. per ton. The "National" (French paper) observes, "The abolition of the English export duty on coals, and the suppression of the import duty into France, by virtue of the ordinance of July 8, when they are for the use of the steam-boats, will reduce the price by 1 franc 66 cents per hectolitre, or nearly 50 per cent. of the price hitherto paid on the whole cost; this will consequently produce an enormous reduction of the expenses of steam navigation, the happy effects of which will soon be felt by commerce and travellers."

FOREIGN VARIETIES.

Mortality in Paris.-The general report of the labours of the Council of Salubrity for 1829 has just been sent to the Academy. The chapter relative to the mortality in Paris gives the following results :-In the course of the year, 1148 males and 1448 females died of pulmonary consumption. It is from the age of 10 to 50 that this disease is most destructive. It is to be remarked that nearly one-fourth more females than males died from this disease, and the proportion is greater still in 1827 and 1828. Inflammation of the chest, which may be said to be pulmonary consumption of old people, destroyed 957 males, and 1132 females. Only 194 males died from aneurism of the heart, while 396 females died. This difference is attributed by the Council of Salubrity in a great measure to the injurious pressure of stays. Schirrus has destroyed 419 females and only 105 males. Inflammation of the stomach has been fatal to 840 males, and 1108 females; inflammation of the bowels to 1171 males, and 1103 females; those who died from these two latter diseases have been principally under 7 years of age. Of convulsions 664 boys, and 746 girls have died, generally before attaining their fifth year. Inflammation of the lungs has destroyed 863 males, and 872 females. Apoplexy counts 542 males, and 424 female victims, almost all between 30 and 85 years of age; 409 females