with so much salutary and Christian truth, are diffused so widely, and with such manifest effect.

We need not attempt to conceal, however, that in connexion with the history of these publications there has been some misunderstanding. Concerning the whole matter of dispute which arose between the editor (the Rev. Dr. Campbell) and Sir Culling Eardley Smith, the less now said the better. We were among those dissenters who deeply regretted that Dr. Campbell should have seen it right to express himself as he did in that controversy. But we were every whit as far from being able to approve of the ground which Sir Culling Eardley Smith appeared to have taken. If the condition of the proposed Christian Union in our time is to be that the question of the union between church and state is to be put into abeyance, then there can be no such union deserving the name. We could not ourselves be parties to such a compact— no, not for an hour. It is true, a man's Christianity does not depend on the side which he may take in that controversy; but every man of sense must see that the principles involved in it are of such moment, in relation to the supposed will of Christ, and the probable condition of Christianity in the world, that so long as the present difference of judgment concerning them exists, there will be controversy on this ground. Nay more, judging from the general course of things about us, this is a controversy which we should expect to see taking a wider compass, and becoming more formidable, in place of sinking into comparative slumber. But the position of these magazines in relation to that controversy is somewhat peculiar. The first is described as 'the Official Organ of the Congregational Union of England and Wales,' and the second is said to be issued by that Union. Now, while the members of this union are all agreed as to the unscripturalness of the compact intended by the expressionthe union of church and state-they are not of one mind as to the manner in which controversy on this question may be most fittingly and most effectually conducted. Partly in consequence of difficulty arising from this source, it was resolved at the last annual meeting of the Congregational Union, that for the general contents of these publications the editor alone should be deemed responsible. We think this adjustment the best, on the whole, that could have been adopted; but it must be obvious that this arrangement merely abates the responsibility of the Union; it does not remove it: and we confide in Dr. Campbell as willing to bear in mind the relation in which he stands to his brethren at large as the editor of these journals, and as willing to conduct them in a manner which may secure as general an approval as possible.

If we except the unhappy Appledore Tract, which appeared in the first number of the Christian's Penny Magazine, and the still more unhappy controversy which arose out of it, every candid man must, we think, admit, that the great substance of these publications has been adapted with admirable sagacity to its purpose. But on a topic so allied with the irritable passions of our nature as the Church controversy, we hardly see how it is possible that any man should write so as to be understood by our peasantry and common people, and so as to interest them, without giving offence to persons of very refined taste. To speak with clearness and force is not difficult; but to speak with power, and, at the same time, with all the discrimination, accuracy, and delicacy, which some may demand, that is, in truth, a difficulty. In general, too, you may be sure that a controvertist is not making much way when his opponents praise him. When they so do, it is commonly because they feel they can afford it. Write with effect, and there will be no lack of antagonism. But while we thus speak, we would, with all becoming respect for his great talents, and with all becoming gratitude for his eminent services, urge upon Dr. Campbell the importance of endeavouring to unite with his power in the department of controversy adverted to, as much as possible of that manifest

candour and fairness which shall serve to put his enemies in the wrong if they must still cast their censures at him. We have ourselves had our differences with him-but we have done with them; and feel not a little desirous that the future course of the Christian Witness and the Christian's Penny Magazine may be in all respects bright, cheering, and prosperous.

We have received many other publications proper to have a place in this department, but have been obliged to defer our notice of them until the next number.

PRESENT POSITION OF THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

J. S.-In answer to the friendly inquiry of J. S., we shall speak briefly, but, we hope satisfactorily. In our article on POPULAR EDUCATION IN ENGLAND, we have taken the space between five and fifteen as the instructional age. From all available sources of information, we have arrived at the conclusion, that it is little more than one-third of the children between those ages who are found in Day Schools at one time, if we except the children in Dame and Infant Schools. This point being settled, it follows, that if we assume, with some statists, that ten years should be the average time of attendance, then the number to be reported as Day Scholars is little more than one-third, and the number to be reported as never becoming Day Scholars would be nearly twothirds. But if we assume that a five years' attendance is as large an average as we should expect, then the number to be reported as Day Scholars is something more than two-thirds, and the number to be reported as never becoming Day Scholars is a little less than one-third. These points-as having respect, it will be remembered, not to particular districts, but to England and Walespresent the substance of our statistical case. Thus much we have attempted to prove; and if any case has ever been fairly established by figures, we think this case has been so established.

But we have reasoned this matter something further. We have supposed some persons to insist that nearly all our juvenile population do obtain DaySchool instruction of some sort for some time, and we have accordingly supposed an average to be fixed upon which would divide the ten years into three parts instead of two, or even into four parts. But we have stated it as our opinion, that nothing, upon the whole, can be gained, as respects the real abatement of popular ignorance, by descending to this lower average. To this opinion we still adhere. [pp. 458, 459.] First, very little is gained as respects School Accommodation and Teachers; for if we suppose these to be anything like equally distributed, it is clear at a glance that the same means of instruction that would suffice for two-thirds between the ages mentioned upon the average of a five years' attendance, would suffice for the remaining third also, upon an average of three years' and four months' attendance-the main difference being, that the same schools would be occupied by three sets of pupils for a shorter time, in place of being occupied by two sets only for a longer time. Secondly, nothing would be gained as regards the amount of instruction communicated, all the time given to impart instruction to the one-third before reported as not being Day Scholars at all, being so much taken from the time given to the instruction of the two-thirds before reported as being Day Scholars on an average of five years. In this case, the number not receiving any sort of Day-School instruction is of course diminished-we may say gone; but the number not receiving such instruction to the extent

necessary, if it is to be of any real value, is greatly increased. For it must be remembered, that in an average of three years and four months, embracing all classes, from the richest to the poorest, you have to calculate on full half the number of the scholars as attending during spaces ranging from that standard downwards to the smallest possible time-the real average to the great mass of the children belonging to the operative or labouring classes being not more than some eighteen or twenty months, some of them rising above that line, and as many perhaps falling below it. This pittance of instruction, moreover, must be viewed as obtained while the children are for the most part somewhere between five and twelve years of age.

But this, it seems, is the position which the Education Question is now to assume. On this ground let it be tried. So long as the aggregate attendance at proper Day Schools, apart from Dame and Infant Schools, cannot be shown to rise much higher than to about one-third at one time, we see what must be the result. Anything short of an average attendance of five years, or of an attendance of at least one in nine of the population, exclusive of the children in Dame and Infant Schools, must, in our judgment, leave little less than a third of our people without anything deserving the name of education. From this view of the question, it is not difficult to form some idea of the work still to be done the work in respect both to the increase and the distribution of schools; and in respect to the improvement of their quality, so as to render the short time which even a five years' average would leave to a large portion of the young children of the humbler classes as effective as possible. What we need is, an increase of attendance at our proper Day Schools to the extent of little less than one-third; together with the requisite increase-taking in the country at large-of Schools, and of competent Instructors. With nothing short of this amount of progress should we be satisfied. Concerning the returns recently obtained from West Kent, and from some other places, it is to be observed, that while the number taken as that of the young who should be at school is restricted to those between five and fifteen, the number returned as being in Day Schools embraces children of all ages, from the youngest in Dame and Infant Schools upwards. Until the children in these last-mentioned schools shall be kept distinct from those in proper Day Schools, our educational statistics must be in a great degree confused and delusive; and the degree in which we fall below an attendance of one in nine, of our population, apart from the children in such schools, is the degree in which we must fall below any tolerable standard of popular education. At present, it seems, nearly half the children in the National Schools, throughout the Midland District, leave them without being able to read. This is a clerical report of schools under clerical superintendence.* How this matter is to be dealt with, remains to be seen, but in these few sentences we think we have indicated pretty clearly the present position of the Education Question.

* Minutes of Committee of Council. 1845. p. 150.

THE BRITISH

QUARTERLY REVIEW.

MAY 1, 1847.

ART. I. (1.) Cours d'Histoire de la Philosophie. Par M. V. CouSIN. 2 vols.

(2.) Leçons sur la Philosophie de Kant. Par V. COUSIN.

(3.) Histoire de la Philosophie Allemande depuis Leibnitz jusqu'a Hegel. 2 vols. Par M. BARCHOU DE PENHOEN.

(4.) Geschichte der letzen Systeme der Philos. in Deutschland von Kant bis Hegel. Von KARL MICHELET.

(5.) Historiche Entwickelung der Speculativen Philos. von Kant bis Hegel. Von T. Chalybäus.

(6.) De la Philosophie Allemande. Par C. DE Remusat.

(7.) Histoire de la Philosophie. Par P. DAMIRON.

(8.) A Discourse on the Studies of the University. By ADAM SEDGWICK, M.A., F.R.S.

(9.) Biographical History of Philosophy. By G. H. LEWES. 4 vols.

12mo.

(10.) An Historical and Critical View of the Speculative Philosophy of Europe in the Nineteenth Century. By J. D. MORELL, A.M. 2 vols. 8vo. 1846.

⚫ ENGLAND, gentlemen, is a very considerable island: in England 'everything is insular, everything stops at certain limits, nothing is there developed on a great scale. England is not destitute ' of invention; but history declares she does not possess that power of generalization and deduction which alone is able to push an idea or a principle to its entire development, and to draw from it all the consequences which it encloses. Compare 'the political revolution of England with ours, and you must

'perceive the profound difference of their respective characters; on the one hand, everything is local, and proceeds from se'condary principles; on the other, everything is general and ideal.** It is now nearly twenty years since Victor Cousin, as 'Professor of Philosophy of the Faculty of Literature, at Paris,' thus expressed himself concerning English intellect and English history, his auditory being the students of the College of France. We remember something of the feeling, and something of the play of imagination too, which followed upon our first reading the above sentences. As we listened to these emphatic words, we saw- or thought we saw, the said students of the College of France busy in their note-taking. One writes, 'Britain, an island-all islanders have insular ideas.' Another inscribes, large territory necessary to generalization and full mental development, hence all English thought local and restricted.' Another records, 'Islanders may invent, but cannot expand, can do nothing on a great scale.' But as we saw these young gentlemen, the young France of 1828, engaged in securing these apparently weighty lessons from the lips of their able instructor, we were constrained to ask, is this indeed wisdom? Is it truth? Will history vouch for it? Will philosophy vouch for it? If this portion of our professor's teaching be really trustworthy, it must follow that genius is much more a question of geography than has been hitherto suspected. We know that the nature of a country has often much to do with fixing the ultimate character of its people; but that the relation between land and people is of this intimate and absolute description, we have never learnt from our own old-fashioned philosophy. According to this theory, the maps of nations may pretty well supersede their histories. The wide flats of the earth, inasmuch as they give to man his largest physical space, must have given to him his largest mental elbow-room. To become acquainted with human nature in its highest development, we must study it as presented to us in connexion with the most extended empires, that is, under the fostering care of the most colossal despotisms! Where one sceptre exercises the greatest sway, there you must expect men to be most capable of generalizing and philosophizing on the largest scale. Quantity in respect to territory, determines quality in respect to national character. Hence, to see man in his best estate-to see civilization in its most matured condition, you must repair to the vast table lands of Africa, Asia, and India. The old monarchies of those regions must be the glory of humanity. Europe, with its cver-intruding sea

Histoire de la Philos., xii. leçon.