proper pre-eminence in education. No undertaking can be more important, looking at the effect on society of the right or wrong views of mothers; nor can there consequently be one to which the Christian must more fervently wish success. A part of the plan is the giving the means of education to the orphan or destitute daughters of clergy men. The Records of the 54th Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey are full of interesting matter, and the editor wishes much that some one would undertake to give a sketch of them, as nothing would shew in so lively a manner the way in which our episcopal church works, and is managed, under very different circumstances. Mr. Selwyn has published a very able Pamphlet, containing "The Substance of an Argument against those Clauses of the Benefices Plurality Bill which confer additional Powers on the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England." Mr. Selwyn's argument turns on the great injury done to the episcopal office by taking from the bishops the power they now have; for example, as to unions of benefices, and giving them in lieu of it only a power of recommending to the commissioners, which recommendation the commissioners may always negative. The reviewer greatly fears that, from a variety of quarters, societies, legislative acts, &c., influences are going forth which will finally curtail bishops of all really episcopal power, although in some cases it may give them other powers which could be exercised with equal propriety by a layman. The last published volume of Mr. Southey's collected Works contains The Curse of Kehama. The reviewer has heard that the late Mr. Warren Hastings, when that poem first appeared, expressed his astonishment how a person whose attention had, as appeared from his works, been directed to so many other important subjects with so much profit, could have attained such an accurate and full knowledge of the almost infinite system of Hindoo mythology as this poem and the notes on it display. Our Lord's Ministry, &c. By R. Mimpriss.-Mr. Mimpriss has given us one gigantic chart for school-rooms, containing the places where the chief events of our Lord's ministry took place, and references to them; and a smaller one, which is bound up with a little volume in which he has given, in his own words, a narrative of those events. He is quite indefatigable in his endeavours to give young people clear notions of scripture geography, and these works seem executed with his usual talents. It seems to the reviewer that school books are very like words, as Horace describes them. It was not such a perilous time ago since he was a boy, and yet the elementary books then used seem to be gone, "vetus interit ætas." It is dangerous to mention names, lest some publisher should threaten actions for depreciating his copyright. However, one may venture to say, that "Juvenum ritu, florent modo nata," for a gentleman named Ingram Cobbin has put forth (under Messrs. Simpkin and Marshall's auspices) a third edition of an "Instructive Reader," (i. e., lessons in reading for children just beginning,) a secondedition of a Classical English Vocabulary, (a sort of minor dictionary,) and a seventh edition (!) of a spelling book; while Mr. Rowbotham publishes a fourth edition of Butler's Geography of the Globe. The reviewer must confess that these names are wholly new to him. But one takes for granted, as everybody is enlightened now-a-days, that schoolmasters are enlightened too, and that consequently their books ought to be better than their predecessors. The reviewer does not find Mr. Cobbin's way of telling scripture history quite to his taste. But there is nothing, so far as he observed, in the slightest degree objectionable, and it is unquestionably very hard to relate scripture facts in any but the simple and beautiful words of scripture without offence. Then comes an "Epitome of Universal History," in twentyone parts or broad folio sheets, with a little coloured print to each great event, to be mounted on mill-boards, and hung round a schoolroom, and thus keep history before the children's eyes. "The Little Boy's Companion to the Latin Accidence" is evidently the work of a judicious scholar; and Dr. Evans's " Copies for Writing Greek" are very useful. Mr. T. K. Arnold's Exercises in Greek Composition shew that the age of sound and accurate scholars is not gone; and Dr. Powell's Latin Grammar seems judicious and useful. A very neat and convenient edition of Vincent Bourne's exquisite poems and other works (especially two letters), a book acceptable at all times, has just been published by Messrs. Washbourne, London; and Grant, Cambridge. Mr. Washbourne has also just brought out another very neat edition of George Herbert's "Poems," with the "Synagogue," an early imitation of Herbert. One is very glad to find so much demand for Herbert. MISCELLANEA. SCHOOLS IN IRELAND. (From a Correspondent.) In the present state of Ireland, the attention of the friends of protestantism ought to be directed to the strenuous and self-denying efforts of the clergy and laity, in various parts of that unhappy country, to furnish scriptural instruction to the poor. It is too well known that the system of national education is one of which many members of the united church are unable to avail themselves. These honourable and conscientious persons, however, feel that they are bound in duty to spare neither labour nor money, in order that, as far as in them lies, their neighbours and dependents may partake of the blessings of a sound, moral and religious education. They do not seem openly to solicit the aid of their fellow protestants in England, but will, of course, be most thankful to receive any contributions which may serve to further their bene Mr. Cobbin states that 30,000 copies of his different works have been sold in a few years. volent designs. It is in the hope of engaging sympathy and co-operation that the following particulars of "The Cork Diocesan Association, in aid of Scriptural Schools," are here stated. In the year ending on the 1st of September, 1837, 108 schools received salaries from this association, of which number 27 had been added to the list in the course of the year. Several schools, besides these, have been supplied with copies of the scriptures, and with assistance in other respects. In some instances new school-houses have been built, at the expense of members of the association; and it has been gratifying to observe that the receipts have exceeded those of the preceding year by the sum of £83. The whole income, from subscriptions and collections, was £552 18s. 44d.; of which sum the English contributions made up no more than £55 108. At the close of the year, the balance remaining in hand, was the sum of £23 17s. 8d. The committee consists of six clergymen of the diocese; the treasurer is the Rev. H. T. Newman, of Kilbragan, Bandon; and the secretary is the Rev. Robert H. Meade, of Cork. Donations or subscriptions may be paid in London, to the account of Hon. and Rev. C. B. Bernard, at the banking house of Messrs. Puget, Bainbridges, and Co., 12, St. Paul's Church Yard. DOCUMENTS. REPORT OF THE TITHE COMMISSIONERS FOR ENGLAND AND (Pursuant to 6 and 7 Will. IV. c. 71.) TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD JOHN RUSSELL, SECRETARY OF STATE. Tithe Commission Office, May 1, 1838. MY LORD,-The Tithe Commissioners are directed by the Act for the Commutation of Tithes in England and Wales to certify and report to one of her Majesty's principal secretaries of state, before the first of May, 1838, in what manner certain discretionary powers given to the said commissioners by that act ought in their judgment to be exercised, and to lay down such rules as to them seem expedient for the guidance of assistant commissioners. In obedience to that enactment we have the honour to lay the following report before your lordships. Those discretionary powers, on the proper mode of using which we are to report, enable us, while commuting tithes for rent-charges, to increase or diminish the amount of the tithe-owners' receipts or compositions by onefifth; and further enable us, in certain special cases, (each of which is to be separately reported on by us to one of her Majesty's principal secretaries of state,) to disregard the past compositions altogether, and to award rent charges with reference to the average rate which shall be established in respect of lands of like description, and similarly situated, in the neighbouring parishes. By another enactment of the Tithe Commutation Act we are further directed to include in our report rules for the guidance of the assistant commissioners in estimating the value of the tithes of coppice-wood. Our report will consist, therefore, of three parts. The first part will relate to the increase or decrease (to the extent of onefifth) of the amount of the tithe-owners' receipts when the tithes are commuted for rent-charges. VOL. XIV.-July, 1838. K The second, to those cases reserved for special adjudication, in which the past receipts or compositions are to be altogether neglected. The third part, to the mode of estimating the tithe of coppice. We have thought it expedient to add some remarks as to the proper mode of assessing the expenses incurred in certain processes of the commutation. ON THE INCREASE OR DECREASE OF THE RECEIPTS OF TITHE-OWNERS WHEN THE TITHES ARE COMMUTED FOR RENT-CHARGES. A demand for an increase or decrease of the average compositions for tithe, or the amount of receipts of tithe in kind, may have reference to the compositions generally, or especially to that part of them which, instead of being paid directly to the tithe-owner, has been paid for him as rates or taxes. With the exception of one class of cases, which shall be hereafter pointed out, whenever a party applies to have an addition made to the average compositions of the seven years preceding Christmas, 1835, the assistant commissioner we think should, as a preliminary and indispensable step, require the tithe-owner to produce proof that the value of the titheable produce during that seven years exceeded the amount of the compositions, after deducting the expenses of collecting and making due allowance for the inferiority in value produced by the mixture in the tithe-owner's samples, and by the hazard and damage incident to his mode of collecting and housing his produce. When such proof has been adduced, the tithe-payer may support the reasonableness of the composition-first, by shewing any facts which make it probable that, if the tithe had been taken in kind, or if a higher rate of composition had been demanded, the average titheable produce would have been less than it was to an extent which made the actual compositions a reasonable equivalent for the rights of the tithe-owner; or, secondly, by proving any facts which make it probable that the amount of titheable produce raised during the seven years which are to govern the average was only temporary, and was not likely to be a permanent production. We are somewhat reluctant to attempt any enumeration of the facts, or classes of facts, which might be produced in proof of either of these propositions, because we do not wish to narrow the discretion of the assistant commissioners, who, when on the spot, will be the best judges of the nature of the evidence calculated to throw light on each particular case. In order, however, to make our own views more intelligible, we will point out some of the facts which, it may be assumed, will be most commonly relied on, without meaning to exclude others which may at any time appear to the assistants to bear upon the cases immediately before them. Proof may be received, we think, on the part of the tithe-payer, that the collection of tithes in kind would have been more than ordinarily troublesome and expensive; that difficulties as to roads and markets would have reduced the value of the titheable produce, when collected, more than usual; that unusual and expensive crops have been grown on the faith of continued compositions; that an unusually expensive system of tilling and manuring has been adopted on the faith of continued compositions; or that peculiar facilities exist for changing the culture from arable to grass. If one or more of these, or any analogous circumstances, satisfy the assistant commissioner that the compositions, though not representing the full value of the titheable produce, were still a fair equivalent for the rights of the tithe-owner, he should refuse to increase the rent-charge. If, after making full allowance for all such circumstances, he thinks the average compositions fell below a fair equivalent for the rights of the tithe-owner, he should increase the rentcharge by adding to the average compositions either a whole fifth of their amount, or such a proportion of that sum as appears to him reasonable. When a tithe-payer applies to have the average of the compositions> amount of receipts of tithe in kind diminished before a rent-charge is declared, it will be for him to shew, either, first, that the compositions have actually exceeded the real net value of the titheable produce during the seven years; or, secondly, that there is valid ground for believing that the cultivation and produce would not have continued to be what it was during the seven years preceding Christmas, 1835, if the full rate of past compositions had continued to be exacted. The assistant commissioner may receive in evidence any facts which tend to establish either of these propositions. Two are obvious. Land may have been laid down to grass during the seven years preceding Christmas, 1835, or indeed at any time before the passing of the Tithe Act, under circumstances which make it probable that it will continue in grass; or the cultivation, the produce, and the compositions, may have been gradually and continuously declining during the seven years preceding 1835, and the decrease may be likely to be permanent. If these or any analogous circumstances satisfy the assistant commissioner that the average compositions or net receipts of tithe in kind of the seven years preceding Christmas, 1835, would form a rentcharge which would be more than an equivalent for the rights of the titheowner, he will diminish the rent-charge either by a whole fifth of the average amount of the compositions or receipts, or by such a proportion of that sum as appears to him reasonable. If he is not so satisfied, he will refuse to diminish the rent-charge. Where tithe has been taken in kind continuously, and for a considerable period, it may be assumed that the cultivation of the land has been accommodated to that state of things. In such cases the assistant commissioner will only have to make proper allowances for the expenses of collection, and for the inferior value (as compared with other produce) of tithe produce collected and housed by the tithe-owner. But when tithe has been taken in kind unexpectedly, discontinuously, and for a portion only of the seven years preceding Christmas, 1835, then the titheable produce may have been greater, because the actual cultivation had been adopted on the faith of a continued composition. In such a case, we are of opinion that the average should be amended and lowered, by substituting for the receipts of those years the succeeding compositions; or, if there have been no succeeding compositions, then such a composition as may appear to the assistant would have been reasonable under the circumstances. It must be understood, however, that this substition is not to be carried so far as to reduce the rent-charge by more than one-fifth of the average receipts, for that would be exceeding our powers. Subject to this limitation the average obtained by such a substitution should still be open to objection, as too high or too low to be perpetuated. We have already intimated that there is one class of cases in which the tithe-owner, making an application for an increase, should not be obliged, as a preliminary step, to prove that the actual net value of the titheable produce during the seven years preceding Christmas, 1835, exceeded the amount of the compositions. In making this exception from the general rule, we had in view certain cases in which the accounts of the seven years may shew a progressively increasing amount of titheable produce, arising from the spread of tillage, from improved, though not unusually expensive, farming, from the restoration of lands to a productive state, which litigation and doubtful ownership, or the misfortunes of the occupiers, had caused to be temporarily neglected or abandoned, or from analogous causes. In some such cases the assistant commissioner may have a decided conviction that the increased production will be permanent, and is not dependent on the continuance of the average rate of past compositions or receipts. In such cases we are of opinion that grounds would be laid for an addition to the rent-charge to the extent of one-fifth of the compositions or receipts for tithe in kind, or some portion of that sum ; as, in the corresponding case of a progressive decrease of titheable produce from the decreasing breadth of arable land, or from other causes, we have |