The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-05 00:00:00

RAILWAYS.

C islt. .Account.
Orleans
Northern
New, ditto 905 .. _
Lyons and Mediterranean 1022 50 .. 1025
. Geneva
539472
55(0) ..... :6:4:5
—_,
Southern 642 50
Western
Eastern
Sardinian .. 355 —. ...
. ,
Austrian
Lombard © ......... -

EXCAVATIONS IN BELGIUM —ln SODIe excava-
tions just made at Acoz, near Charleroi, in Belgium, a
number of old Roman tombs, containing coins, arms,
amphora, &c., were found. The tombs appear to be those
of military chiefs; and in the midst of them are a quantity
of boners,

TILE EDUCATIOIVAL MINUTE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—You were good enough to insert a letter
from me, pointing out what I thought was the
reason that reading, writing, and arithmetic, did
not take a more prominent place in our elementary
schools, viz., that they were regarded as mechanical,
and so were put in the background. The teachers
were induced to devote the best part of their time
to " train the faculties" of the children, by lessons
on the " philosophy of common things," natural his-
tory, and I know not what else. I once heard an
inspector highly commend a teacher for a lesson on
a teapot, in which he elicited from the children in
an ingenious manner, how a metal teapot draws the
tea better than an earthenware one, and what was
the use of the little hole in the lid. The sort of
questions which inspectors used to put to a class
of children to test their intelligence, and the
way they had been taught to observe and
reflect upon what was around them, were
such as, "How does a pig get up ?" " Why
does a cow have horns, while a horse has
none ?" When I was in a training college
we were taught to give lessons upon such subjects
as a lighthouse, a needle, a penknife, an oyster, a
piece of sponge. These were " object lessons," and
they comprised the serious business of the school.
Can it be wondered then, that under such a system,
the three R's should be found to suffer ? Yet it was
approved and encouraged by the inspectors. Here
was the coddling and fondling. But now the whole
thing has turned out a failure, the poor certificated
master is to bear the odium of it. They are repre-
sented as not having succeeded in the most impor-
tant part of their work, and this is alleged as the
reason for depriving them of a third of their in-
comes. The Government have no responsibility in
the matter, because the inspectors always gave
favourable reports, and the money was pressed upon
us. The public are told that £BOO,OOO is annually
distributed indiscriminately without any guarantee,
and the staff of 60 inspectors, costing each from
£5OO to £l,OOO a-year, have been useless for any
other purpose except to scatter the money broadcast.
The Government had the right machinery, but they
did not make good use of it, they possessed a screw
capable of being most effectually worked, but they
never applied it. This is rather a damaging sort of
defence. But it is not true that the examinations
have been of this loose character. The minutes of
the Committee of Council show that from the first
the inspectors have been particularly instructed to
see that the public grants are put to good account.
The truth is that Government inspection has had
the effect of handing over these schools in the most
complete manner to the Committee of Council.
School managers have practically given up every-
thing to the inspector, and have looked to his report
for an estimate of the condition of their own school.
I recollect an instance where a number of gentle-
men informed the clergyman of a certain school,
that if history, grammar, and geography were
taught to the children, they should withdraw
their subscriptions. The clergyman replied
that he had no alternative in the matter,
that the inspector insisted upon these things, and he
must give way. Consider that a whisper from the
inspector to the managers, that all was not right,
would compromise the master with his employers,
and that a threat to withdraw the grants tanta-
mount to summary notice for him to quit. Why,
the Committee of Council have got these men fear-
fully in its grasp. The public will hardly credit it,
that a person after going through the Training
Colleges, and passing a very severe examination,
cannot obtain a certificate till he has been three
times reported upon, and these reports materially
affect the grade and, consequently, the pecuniary
value of the certificate. At every annual visitation,
the inspector registers a personal report upon the
certificate, and at the end of five years it is revised
by the central authorities ; if the reports are un-
favourable, the master is degraded to a lower
cissa, and if very favourable, he is raised to a higher.
Yet, with all this hold upon him, the Government
may have no share of O. e responsibility, therefore
he must bear all the blame, and suffer for it. I
could show that we have very reasonable grounds
for thinking that we shall suffer, but I fear to tres-
pass too much on your space. I thank you that one,
who is deeply affected by the proposed change, is
permitted to put in a word upon the subject. We
are, fortunately, in this country, not denied the
solace of stating our case, even if we have the
whole weight of the Government against us.
Every grievance, real or supposed, finds an utter-
ance nowadays, and I sincerely trust that the press
will not close its columns against the representa-
tions of the certificated masters, or any interest
threatened by the Educational Minute.

A CERTIFICATED TEACHER.

WILLS AND BEQUESTS.

The will of the Hon. Mrs. Jane Macdonald, wife
of the Hon. Archibald Macdonald, was administered
to in the London Court on the 21st ult., the execu-
tors appointed being Mr. James Evan Baillie, of
Seymour-place, Curzon-street, Mayfair, and Mr.
Alexander Sinclair, of George-street, Edinburgh.
The personal property was sworn at £14,000. This
lady died possessed of property over which she had
the power of disposition. To her husband she be-
queathed a life interest in the whole of her pro-
perty, and on his decease it is to devolve to her
numerous family, except her eldest son ; leaving
an additional sum of £5OO to her eldest daugh-
ter, and bequeathing the residue of her pro-
perty equally amongst all her children. Letters
of administration of the estate of the Hon. Archi-
bald Macdonald, formerly of Connaught-place,
Hyde-park, but late of Belgrave-terrace, Brighton,
were granted by the London Court, on the 12th of
August last, to Miss Mary Bridget Macdonald, the
daughter of the deceased. The Hon. A. Macdonald
died intestate, having survived his wife, whose
will we have recorded above, only four months.
As in all cases of this kind, the estate will have to
be administered in pursuance of the Statute of Dis-
tribution. The Hon. A. Macdonald, who died at
the advanced age of 84, was of a distinguished
family, being the third son of Sir Alexander Mac-
donald, who was afterwards elevated to an Irish
peerage.—The will of Mr. Richard Frankum,F.S.A.,
of Burlington Gardens, surgeon, and of Wolver-
hampton, was proved in the London Court of Pro-
bate on the 27th ult. by the executors and trustees,
Mr. John Bruce, of Upper Gloucester-street, and
Charles Klaftenberger, Regent-street, the personalty
being sworn under £12,000. The will bears date
the 10th of May last, and the testator died on the
10th of August following. This medical gentle-
man died possessed of realty as well as personalty.
The will contains a great variety of directions,
some of them of a peculiar character, and others
which entirely turn upon contingent circum-
stances. The testator has devised freehold
estate to Mr. John Bruce, one of his executors,
for life, and on his decease to his other executor,
Mr. Chas. Klaftenberger, for life, and after his de-
cease to the testator's niece, Elizabeth, daughter of
his brother, James George Frankum, and then to
a grandnephew absolutely. The residue of the
personalty, after the payment of legacies, &c., is
directed to pass in a similar manner as the free-
hold property. The testator has bestowed the fol-
lowing legacies on the undermentioned charities :
To the London Hospital and University College
Hospital, £5O each. To the Mendicity Society and
the poor of Wolverhampton, 19 guineas each. There
are also legacies left to each of his servants. To
his godson, Frankum Martin Merrett, he leaves all
his medical books, surgical instruments, and other
professional matters. The testator has bequeathed
some pictures to the University College, Gower-
street, upon certain conditions, which, should they
not be complied with, are then to be bestowed on
the National Gallery. The power of the selection
of the paintings and works of art is vested in the
executors and trustees.—lllustrated London News.

CASUALTY IN THE Box TUNNEL.--0r Monday
afternoon the travellers by an up train were thrown into a
state of great consternation while proceeding through the
tunnel, in consequence of the breaking of the crank aylc of
the engine. The train had gone a short distance up the
incline of the tunnel, when the axle suddenly snapped, and
the train was ',nought to a stand-still. Just about the same
time a down train had arrived at the other end of the tun-
nel, but it was not allowed to continue its course until the
up train had made its appearance on that side, the cause
of the delay not having been communicated to the officers
on duty there. It appears, however, that an extra engine is
kept at the tunnel to assist heavy trains up the incline, and
this was substituted for the disabled one attached to the up-
train; but during the time occupied in.this operation the
passengers, who were imprisoned in the dark tunnel, and
whom it was difficult to assure of the slight nature of the
accident, were in a state of considerable alarm. The only
inconvenience arising from the breakage was a delay of
about three-quarters of 44, hour,—WMl ing424001

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