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KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON.-This institution was opened in the presence of the Council, but in a very unostentatious manner, with the performance of the afternoon service, a discourse from the Bishop of London, and an address from the Principal (the Rev. W. Otter), on Saturday, the 8th of October last. The medical school was opened on the following Monday; and the senior department (the courses of which are assimilated to those of Oxford and Cambridge), as well as the school, on the 18th of the same month. Up to the present time, its progress has been very gratifying; and no less so the attention of the students to their religious duties, an acquaintance with which forms the corner-stone of the design. The number entered, either for the general course of education, or for special lectures, already amounts to nearly five hundred. The completion of the river-front of the college, which will correspond in every particular with the western wing of Somerset House, will be entered upon early in the ensuing spring.

ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL.-The committee, it is stated, have obtained Hartwell House (formerly the residence of Louis XVIII. and his family), together with the park and grounds, consisting of forty acres, in which are the parish church, and an observatory contiguous to the house, for the purposes of this establishment, subject to the confirmation of the next meeting.

LONDON MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.-A well attended meeting of the friends and members of the London Mechanics' Institution was held on the 2d of December, in the theatre, Southampton-buildings, Chancery-lane, for the purpose of celebrating the eighth anniversary of the institution, and for the distribution of the prizes for essays, drawings, &c., to the successful competitors. Dr. Birkbeck was in the chair, by whom the prizes were thus bestowed :

61. for the best, and 47. for the second best Essay on Political Economy, to Mr. Hunter and to Mr. Price, a mathematical instrument maker, who had only recently attained his majority.

107. for the best Essay on Emigration, to Mr. Francis Clifton.

10%. for the best Essay on the Effects of the Distribution of the Revenue on the Condition and Interests of the Working Classes, to Mr. Ward, an engineer.

A prize for an architectural drawing of the New Londonbridge, was awarded to Mr. Colliver, a smith; and for a drawing and elevation of Martineau's steam-engine, to Mr. Curtis, an operative.

Propositions moved by Mr. Gibson and the Rev. Dr. Lardner, declaratory of the conviction of the meeting as to the advantage of the institution, as manifested by the acquirements and qualifications which had that evening been displayed, and which demonstrated the soundness and accuracy of the opinions of those who suggested and assisted in its formation, were carried unanimously; as were votes of thanks to the donors of the prizes, and to Dr. Birkbeck.

WARRINGTON, LANCASHIRE.

The figures refer to the Heads of Inquiry,' Journal, No. I. 1.-16,018 inhabitants on about two square miles.

2. One free grammar-school, bluecoat-school, ladies'-school, two infant-schools, with several private schools, and ten Sundayschools.

No National or Lancasterian-schools.

The total number taught in the schools for the lower classes, is

3013.

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There are no adult-schools, one mechanics' institute, no philosophical society, one subscription library, one reading society called the Gentleman's Library.

TOWN OF SOUTH SHIELDS, DURHAM.

1.-Town, with immediate neighbourhood, contains about 26,000 people, including Wiston and Jarrow.

2. For children, there are several good and respectable schools ; two charity-schools for boys and girls; also, a very flourishing mechanics' institute.

As the principal subsistence of the people of South Shields is from coal-mines, glass, alkali, alum, &c., and from shipping, the most useful kind of knowledge for them would be geology, chemistry, and nautical mathematics.

2. f.-Two Sunday-schools belonging to the established church, two Wesleyan Methodists' schools, two of other Methodists, two Baptists, one Independent, three Scotch Presbyterian, one adult-school on Sundays at the Methodist chapels.

Number of children taught in the schools cannot at present be accurately estimated; but nearly all the children in the town go to some one of the schools. There is scarcely a child that is not able to read.

2. h.-One mechanics' institute, with about 160 or 170 members, and a library of 1000 volumes. It has several classes for the study of different subjects.

There is one general library of about 1200 or 1300 volumes, with very few subscribers, perhaps not more than thirty; a religious library of about 400 volumes, chiefly on religious subjects. Several

of the Sunday-schools have lending libraries ;-two booksellers' circulating libraries, containing principally novels.

THE UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM.-The following prospectus has been issued:—

The government to be vested in the Dean and Chapter, the Bishop being Visitor.

A chief Officer of the College or University to be appointed, with the title of Warden; to whom will be committed the ordinary discipline.

PROFESSORS.-1. Divinity and Ecclesiastical History.
2. Greek and Classical Literature.

3. Mathematics and Natural Philosophy.

READERS.-1. Law.

2. Medicine.

3. History, Ancient and Modern.

To these may be added Readers in other branches of literature or science, as opportunities offer, or circumstances require. TEACHERS of Modern Languages, especially French and German. TUTORS.-1. Senior Tutor and Censor.

2. Junior Tutor and Censor.

Each to superintend the studies of their respective pupils, and to have the care of their general conduct.

STUDENTS.

1. Foundation students, having lodgings and a table provided for them, free of expense.

2. Ordinary students, maintained at their own cost, but subject in all respects to the college rules of discipline, and to have every academical privilege in common with other students.

3. Occasional students, to be admitted, under certain restrictions, to attend one or more courses of public lectures, but without other academical privileges.

4. Divinity students, especially so called, who, though not actual members of the college, may be admitted after due examination and inquiry, and subject to such conditions and regulations as the Chapter may hereafter prescribe, to attend, for a specified time, the lectures of the Divinity Professor, and to pursue their theological studies under his direction, for the express purpose of qualifying themselves for holy orders.

The course of stndy required to complete the education of a member of the College will extend to four years.

The Academical Year to commence in October, and end in June, being divided into three terms.

Terminal and Annual Examinations to be made in the presence of the Chapter, and the students classed according to their respective proficiency.

Prizes to be instituted for the reward of special merit, at the close of each Annual Examination, and for such particular exercises as may be deemed worthy of public distinction.

The foregoing outline, subject to revision as to its specific state

ments, may suffice to explain the nature and design of the proposed institution, for which the Dean and Chapter, with the aid and cooperation of the Bishop, are providing the requisite means of carrying it into effect.

It is intended that the College or University be opened in October, 1832.

EXETER. At Exeter the annual general meetings of the Infant School Society, and of the British School, on the Madras system, were recently held, and the reports were highly satisfactory, as to the gradual progress they were making. The children were present, and were examined; they amounted to one hundred and six from the Infant School, and two hundred and sixty-seven from the British School.

WINCHESTER AND NEW COLLEGES, OXFORD.-An important appeal was heard in the Ecclesiastical Court, on Tuesday, November 15th. The appeal was against the election of two boys into each of the above colleges, who rested their claim on being kinsmen to the founder, William of Wykeham, on the ground that there was a period when consanguinity ceased. The question was, whether the privileges of founders can be extended to a relation of a thousandth remove. On the part of the respondents it was argued that the founder established the College with a view of handing his name down to posterity, and the claim of his kindred could not be refused. Blackstone, late in life, had given his opinion that the right of kindred extended to the latest possible period; and the Roman law had carried the right of succession ad infinitum. Judgment was postponed.

PLYMOUTH PROVIDENT SOCIETY.-A society has been for some years established at Plymouth, which by encouraging the acquisition of habits of forethought, economy, and industry, is likely eventually, not only to increase the comfort, but to form a basis for the more extended and useful education of the labouring poor, whenever the latter advantage is placed within their reach. As this institution, conducted chiefly by females, produced these good effects at a very trifling expense, we are induced to give the outlines of its plan and purposes. A lady calls every week in the districts assigned her, at the houses of such persons as have become members of the society, to receive whatever sum they may be able to spare, even if so small as one penny, of which an account is kept; and at the end of the year, an addition of one penny in every shilling having been made from the contributions of the patrons of the society, the money is laid out in the purchase of blankets, clothes, and coals, of which each subscriber takes whatever article, and in whatever quantity he may choose to the amount of his augmented subscription; or it is allowed to withdraw it in money for the payment of rent. The distribution is confined to the winter months, beginning in November or December. Ever since the establishment of this society, the

number of depositors has been constantly increasing. The number of depositors in the year ending March, 1831, was six hundred and thirty-two. The amount deposited was 4727. 12s. 7d., to which was added 381. Os. 1d., as premium of one penny in each shilling, making a total of 510l. 13s. 6d. This amount was drawn out as follows: in blankets and clothing 224l. 1s. 1d.; in payment of rent 216l. 3s. 10d.; in payments for medical attendance, and other small debts 471. 58. 74d.; in coals 147. 12s. 6d.; in redeeming pledged articles 27. 12s. 6d. ; leaving a balance in favour of the depositors of 8l. 14s. 10 d.

DUNBAR.-At Dunbar, a town containing a population under three thousand, a charity school, supported by subscription, has been established for some years. The teaching is wholly gratuitous to the children, and the number is limited, by the want of funds, to sixty (thirty of each sex), but the number is, in fact, exceeded by a trifling amount. The most remarkable fact, however, connected with this school is contained in the following extract from their last report; and we fear that we must agree in opinion with our correspondent, who says, that if other towns underwent as careful a sifting, Dunbar would not be found singular.'

From the many applications lately made for admission into this humble seminary, the managers were led to believe that the limited complement of sixty pupils formed but a very small part of the actual number of such destitute objects of compassion. To remove every doubt on this point, the following result is submitted of a personal survey made, with much industry, by one of the committee, and its accuracy is unquestionable :

ABSTRACT, visitation of 100 Poor Families.

Total number of children under 16 years
Of these, at charity schools

At other schools

Under five years of age

Leaving, between the age of 5 and 16 years

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who might be at school, but are not. It was found that sixty-six of them knew the alphabet, and could read a little, but to the whole number, the Bible is as yet a sealed volume.'

A strong confirmation of this opinion is to be found in a circular issued lately by the Sunday School Union, which states, that, at Wigan, in Lancashire, where Sunday schools have been long established, a committee of the union canvassed the town in 1829, and found that there were 976 children not receiving the advantages of Sunday school instruction.

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The British and Foreign School Society caused careful inquiry to be made into the cases of the unhappy individuals convicted at the late special commissions for acts of violence and outrage. The following is the result:

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