The Press.
London, England, 1856-06-07 00:00:00

537

Church, held its annual meeting on Wednesday, at
the Central School, Westminster. The Archbishop
of Canterbury, the Bishops of Oxford, St. David's,
St. Asaph, ant Lincoln, Lords Redesdale and
Radstock, Dr. Wordsworth, and several of the clergy,
were present. The Archbishop opened the proceed-
ings with prayer, and in a brief speech alluded
to the satisfactory results of the efforts of the society,
and declared his belief that the plan followed by the
society of giving aid to voluntary exertions, was the
best mode of furthering education. "So far as he
could judge, the great object of education was being
successfully pursued throughout the country."
Schools had increased, and the tone of education
had improved and was improving in a remarkable
degree. The report was then read, by which it ap-
peared that during the past year 212 schools had
been united to the society, making the total number
10,048. The receipts of the past year amounted to
12,7781., being an increase of 8081. over those of
1854. The system of graduated examinations ex-
tending to a third year had been tried, and was
considered an improvement on the former system.
The report concluded with an expression of satisfac-
tion at the withdrawal of Lord John Russell's educa-
tion measures, and an allusion to the withdrawal of
the Queen's Letter, by which 9,0001. a year was lost
to the society.
Tax METROPOLITAN BOARD Or WORKS, at their
meeting on Wednesday, rejected a motion by Mr.
Howe to ascertain whether Government were disposed
to purchase Hampstead heath, and to refer the ques-
tion to the Finance Committee of the board,
and carried an amendment by twenty to
nine declaring that improvements of much greater
necessity and advantae,e to the general public were
more urgent and desirable, and that the power of
purchase of any land for a park was not conferred
on the board by the Local Management Act. The
president informed the court that the plans, &c., for
the Main Southern Drainage had been laid before
Sir Beu;amin Hall, who would take the matter into
consideration as soon as the float experiments had
been tested. A proposition for a report upon the
practicability of opening a new thoroughfare from
the end of Old-street to the new street from Farring-
don• street to Clerkenwell was agreed to, as well as
a resolution that the Finance Committee prepare an
estimate of the sums required for defraying the
expenses of the board, and to arrange for making a
proper call upon the parishes and districts under
the jurisdiction of the board. _ _ _

THE LORD MAYOR gave a grand banquet on Wed-
nesday evening to the leading prelates and several
distinguished members of ooth Houses. The Arch-
bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Winchester,
the Earl of Harrowby, Lord John Russell, and Mr.
Gladstone, acknowledged the principal toasts of the
evening.
THE ABSORPTION OF STRYCHNINE is denied by a
writer to the Times this week, who adduces, in sup-
port of his opinion, the fact that in Mexico the
common way to destroy wolves and vultures is first
to poison • mule with strychnine. The animal, let
loose, wanders into the wools, dies, and is eaten by
the wolves in the neighbourhood—they die, and the
vultures again eat them, and die in their turn ; so
that it is clear, adds the writer, that the active prin-
ciple of strychnine is not destroyed by absorption.
THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE CHARITY
CHILDREN took p'ace on Thursday at St. Paul's.
About 4,000 children were present, and upwards of
8,000 spectators. The services di&red in no mate-
rial degree from those ordinarily adopted, and were,
as usual, extremely impressive. The sermon was
preached by the Bishop of Lincoln from Dent. iv.
2 ; and the Psalms sang were the 100th, 104th, the
Psalms for the day, the "Gloria Petrie," "Te
Deum," and "Jubilate," the Coronation Anthem,
and Hallelujah Chorus. The receipts amounted to
4671. 16s. 941. The Lord Mayor was present.
THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S RETURNS for the past
week show a decreasing mortality-1,0:27 deaths
only being registered on Saturday. The births
amounted to 1.578.