Star.
London, England, 1818-07-03 00:00:00

FOREIGN geirooi kbtiE7Y.

A most nurberods and respectable assembly of
Ladies and GentlOmen, Subscribers and .Friends to
die British and Foreign School Society,' yesterday
Assembled to receive the Annual Report of its Com-
mittee: It was the Fifteenth Annivcisary of this most

enlightened Institution ; aid the RepoA of the past
year, illustrating as it does, the progress of intellec-
tual improvement, in every portion of the habitable
world, must afford an unalloyed gratification to every
friend of the civil, moral, and religious improve-
ment of his species. 'The Duke of SUSSEX was in
the Chair. He was supported by Mr. WILBERFOnce,
Sir ALEXANDER JOHNSTONE, Chief Judge of Cey-
lon, R. T. FARQUHAR, Governor of the Mauritius,
Colonel BILLINGS, of the National Guard of Paris,
Mr. Alderman Woon, Mr. Professor PICTRT, of Ge-
neva, WILLIAM RAE WILSON, of Kelvinbank, and
RotsEnt OWEN, of New Lanark, North Britain, Esqrs.
Mr. ALLEN, Mr. CLARK, Mr. MILLER, and other

distinguished characters.
The Duke of Sussex opened the bdciness, by ex-
pressing his regret far the cause of his being that
day plaCed in the Ch4ir, which was, the absence of
his Noble and illustrious friend, the Duke of Bed-

ford. The Noble Duke was iinf.ortunately de:ain,%l
abroad by indisposition. 11t2 had also to regret the
absence of his brother the Duke of Kent, who had
just aerived in England, but was not then in London.
He could assure them, however, that no individual
could be more zealous in support of the Society than
the Duke of Kent.

Mr. Fosran then read a Report on the transadtions
of the • Society for the preceding year. It stated,
among other things, that several schools had been
opened since the meeting of the 4th of June, 1817.
The liberal principles of Institution had gained it
the general approbation of all sects, and in particular
an increasing confidence on the part of the Catholics.
Sunday Schools and "other Institutions were useful
auxiliaries to the Society, but religious instruction
was not neglected in its own Schools. Measures were
taken to secure that instruction in the only way it
could be obtained without infringing on the rights of
conscience; but it was to be regretted that the defi-
ciency of funds did not permit the Society to estab-
lish as many Schools as could be wished. Still, how-
ever, the good work proceeded, and the proof of the
utility of the system was every day exemplified in
the progress made by the pupils. In the JeWb' School
established in lloundsditch, many of the children
who had entered it without knowing a letter, had, in
the course of nine months, been not only able to read
English, but to read .and understand Hebrew.—
The Hibernian Society had established 400 schools,
and provided education for thirty thousand children.
The judicious plans of the Gallic Society for Imo-
' rooting Education in the Highlands of Scotland had
been attended with the best effects, but the report
had not yet been received, and it was therefore im-
' possible to state the particulars of the success in that
quarter. The knowledge of the system was spread-
ing over the Continent, and its benefits were not only
extended to all civilized countries, but were rapidly
penetrating regions which civilization could scarcely
be said to have yet reached. It was every where ap-
proved as it became better known. Dr. Hamel, of
Petersburgh, had done much towards making the
system rightly understood on the Continent.. His
work on the subject had been printed in German,
and a Russian translation was preparing at Peters-
burgh, and a French one at Paris. He had instituted
a school in the • quarters occuped by the Russian
troops at Maubeuge. This school had been recently
visited by the Grand Duke Michael, and was one
of the best establishments of the kind ever formed.—
In it three hundred Russian soldiers had learned
to read and write in the course of three months.
Schools had been established in various remote
parts of Russia, as far as Siberia. A native of Greece
was-now studying at Paris, with the view of intro-
ducing the British system of education into hi.; country.
—ln France the progress had been great ; and the
French Government gave every encouragement to
the establishment of schools, Protestant as well as
Catholic. In fact, the French Government seemed,
fully impressed with a conviction that every French-
man ought to be regarded as a child of the. State,
without regard to his religious opinions. Switzer-
land, notwithstanding the great progress which it
had made in instruction, had taken measures to avail
itself of the benefits of the British system. A Spa-
nish gentleman, who had studied in the seminary in
the Borotigh-road, had returned to Madrid, and
opened a school in that capital under the patronage of
the King and the Duke del Infantado. Several other
schools were about to be established in different parts
of Spain. The British system had been for some time
retarded in Germany, in consequence of its not being
well understood. Some literary persons in that coun-
try had at first regarded it as tending to fetter the
energies of the human mind. But the Germans were
now better able to estimate the value of the British
system, by perusing Dr. Hamel's treatise, and by the
knowledge they must have of the result of the experi-
ment made by the Duke of Saxe-Weimar at Eisenach.
In America, the knowledge of the system was widely
extended ; and a bill had been introduced into the le-
gislature of Pennsylvania for establishing the system
by laws which would doubtless pass. Very promising
accounts had been received from Hayti. In one
school at Cape Henry 200 boys were instructed, 111
of whom were taught arithmetic. No Sovereign ever
was more desirous of diffusing the blessings of-educa-
tion among his people than the King of Hayti. From
Sierra Leone most favourable accounts had been re-
ceived, and in India, as well as in Africa, the British
system of education was rapidly advancing. The
Baptist Missionaries at Serampore had formed esta-
blishments in which 6000 children were taught to
read the Scriptures in the Bengalee language. Some
of these were the children of Branlins and of wealthy
parents, which proved that there existed a strong
predilection in favour of the system in the minds of
the natives of India who were made acquainted with it.
Professor Plover, of Geneva, moved that the re-
port now read be received, adopted, and printed at
the expense of the Society. lle stated, that he should
be happy to give his assistance to making that va-
luable document better known by translating it Leto
the French language.
Sir .Roazirr STEVENS seconded the motion, ob-
serving that they had not now to combat that Gothic
objection to education which had so long prevailed—
namely, that it was not prover to give instruc-