which pertain to their mutual relationship." But taking into account the idiosyncrasies of mankind, the "quips and cranks" of human nature, it would perhaps be well to let the child practise a little reasoning with his obedience. However, this is what the Educational Exchange says on the subject:

To educate a child to yield blind obedience to authority, is always unmoral, if not often immoral. Obedience is necessary as a part of government; it is valuable as a habit; but if the child is taught simply to give unquestioned obedience to the dictation of a superior power-an obedience that does not involve the activity of his own soul as intellect, emotion, and will-such teaching falls far short of the ideal. The element of personal responsibility in the child can never be developed if this individuality is continually crushed by tyrannical force. I may oppose my will to the will of the child, and I may discover that his will has strength and a power of resistance equal to mine. If it be simply a question of will against will, his chances for victory are as good as mine, unless I degrade myself by resorting to my superior animal strength. But by appealing to his intellectual power and arousing his sensibilities-by summoning to my aid the power of intellect and feeling-my will is reinforced and easily conquers. Too long have we had as our ideal of school-room obedience that "inspired idiot " whose pathetic story and tragic end are immortalized in our school readers

"The boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but him had fled.

Such slavery to authority is both beautiful and pitiable. Any ordinary boy instinctively regards the hero of such a tragedy as wanting in common sense. It is the work of the

school to develop self-respecting, self-directing men and women, who in society and government, in church and in state, will think and act for themselves, and are not blind followers of others. Blind obedience will make a good soldier, but rarely a good citizen.

It is true, however, that blind, unquestioning obedience is better than disobedience, but it should be the aim of the teacher to bring the idea of obedience to a higher planeto lift it out of the realm of pain and pleasure, of fear and reward. Let us educate our children so that as men and

women they may be self-directing, acting under the control of an enlightened will and conscience, striving after the right and true, and rising superior to difficulty and failure. The theory of "implicit" obedience, on the other hand, gives us what Kate Douglas Wiggin aptly calls a "goody goose,' who does the right for the picture card that is set before him-a trained dog' sort of child, who will not leap through the hoop unless he sees the whip or the lump of sugar.' The average teacher, unfortunately, has no conception of the far-reaching influence of schoolroom discipline. We should look beyond the work of today; what is the tendency of this method or that, where and how will it ultimately end? We are to develop men and women, not machines nor soldiers.

-ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE, Richmond, will be re-opened for work, under the most favourable auspices, on September 1st. The college will do the work prescribed for the first and second years of the Arts Course of McGill University; the school, that laid down by the Protestant Committee for academies. Principal Dresser has under him a good staff of teachers and anticipates a most successful session. The college has issued a neat little calendar, which may be obtained for the asking.

Current Events.

THE summer school in connection with St. Francis College was deservedly successful. The five weeks' session was devoted to the study and practice of conversational French. At the close of the last class it was moved by Mr. G. A. Jordan, of Compton Model School, seconded by Miss Bella Cairnie, and unanimously resolved, that "we desire to express our high appreciation of the services rendered us by Prof. de Bellefontaine, and our complete satisfaction with the progress made under his earnest and skilful instruction during the past session. We furthermore desire to offer our sincere thanks to the authorities of St. Francis College, for the highly valuable facilities they have placed within our reach by establishing this summer school. We hope that in future sessions a larger number will avail themselves of the estimable advantages here afforded."

-AMONG the changes this year in our superior schools is the severing by Professor Honeyman of his connection

with St. Francis College. He will take charge of the academy at Aylmer in September. Mr. W. J. Messenger, recently a lecturer in McGill College, Montreal, is to succeed Mr. Honeyman in St. Francis. Other changes to be noticed are the appointment to a position in Westmount Academy of Professor T. Z. Lefebvre, B.C.L., formerly associated with the Montreal Collegiate Institute, and of Mr. Ralph E. Howe, B.A., lately head-teacher of Sutton Academy, to the principalship of St. John's High School. We hope to be able to give a list of most of the changes in connection with our superior schools in the next issue of the RECORD.

-MUCH Sympathy has been expressed for Mr. W. A. Kneeland, B.C.L., Principal of Riverside School, Montreal, in his recent heavy bereavement, by his many friends in the teaching profession of this province. The EDUCATIONAL RECORD would join with all in extending to Mr. Kneeland the sincerest of sympathy.

-AN old labourer in the educational field in this province passed away at Victoria, British Columbia, a short time ago, in the person of Mr James McGregor, LL.D.

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Speaking of Dr. McGregor's death, one of the local papers says: The cause of education lost an energetic and faithful friend and Canada a ripe and cultured scholar in the death at his home in this city yesterday of Mr. James McGregor, LL.D., for eight years past a resident of this city and the first custodian of Victoria's free library, with the establishment of which he had much to do. The deceased was a native of Dundee, Scotland, where he was born in 1828. He was but 13 years old when he came to America, and after spending a short time in the United States made Canada his home. It was in Montreal that the most energetic and useful period of his busy life was spent, he being for upwards of 30 years identified with the staff of professors of McGill Normal School, and occupying in that long period some of the most important chairs. While in Montreal he also established and conducted for a time with gratifying success the Braeside Academy-a school for boys that during its existence enjoyed an enviable distinction for turning out good scholars and useful citizens. His lectures. on mathematics and classics were at the same time most helpful and erudite, while his work for the teachers of Quebec province won for him their lasting respect and regard,

On the establishment of Victoria's free library he was placed in charge of that institution, his great love for and his thorough knowledge of books admirably fitting him for the position to which during his incumbency he devoted all of his time and a considerable portion of his salary also."

-As a first step towards the extension and reorganization of the Faculty of Arts in McGill College, the board of governors has made two new appointments to the depart ment of classics. Professor Frank Carter, M.A., who is to be associated with Dr. Eaton, and Mr. S. B. Slack, M.A.. who will be lecturer in classics, are both graduates of Baliol College, Oxford. Both took the highest honours in classics while students. On leaving the university, Professor Carter taught at King's school, Ely, and later became master of St. Paul's school, while Mr. Slack, after pursuing a postgraduate course at the universities of Strasburg and Munich, engaged in teaching, first at the Sheffield Grammar School and more recently at the Royal Military College at Oxford.

-IN 1889 a movement was set on foot to have prepared a text-book on Canadian history, to be written from a Dominion stand-point. Manuscripts from fifteen competitors were handed in last July, each competitor writing under a nom de plume. The committee appointed to decide on their merits met in Quebec the same month. After selecting what they considered the best four, they continued the work at home. The result was recently announced as follows: First prize, consisting of a royalty of ten per cent. on the retail price of all books sold-(estimated at from $25,000 to $50,000, if the book be adopted by the different boards of education throughout the Dominion), won by Mr. W. H. P. Clement, B.A., LL.B., barrister, Toronto. Prizes of $200 each were awarded to Miss Emily P. Weaver, Toronto; Dr. E. T. Eede, Leamington, Ont.; and Principal J. B. Calkin, Truro, N. S.

-THE new Montreal Diocesan College is rapidly approaching completion, and will be ready for the reception of students about the middle of September. The formal opening of the building, which is the gift of Mr. A. F. Gault, will take place on October 21st. An elaborate programme has been prepared for the occasion.

-THE civil authorities in the college towns of the United States are beginning to assert themselves. A dispatch from

Harvard announces the arrest and fine of several students who were part of a disorderly procession that escorted a victorious college base-ball team to their quarters in a manner both disgraceful and unlawful. Two of the students were fined $50 each, and one $15, and the good news is added that President Eliot threatens to do away entirely with athletics and cancel all base-ball dates if disorderly demonstrations do not cease.

-THE report of the United States Commissioner of Education for the year 1892-93 shows that the whole number of pupils enrolled in schools and colleges, public and private, in the United States was 15,083,639, or 22.5 per cent. of the entire population. This was an increase over the preceding year of 370,567. The enrolment of pupils in the public schools for the year numbered 12,510,719, an increase of 1.62 per cent. over the preceding year, while the average attendance increased 3.45 per cent. There were employed in the year 122,056 male and 260,954 female teachers. The number of school-houses was 236,427, valued with their contents and appurtenances, at $398,435,039. The school revenue for that year was $165,000,000; the total expenditures $163,000,000. There were 154,989 persons attending educational institutions above the high school grade; 510,420 pupils were enrolled in high schools and schools of similar grade.

-THE Education Bill introduced into the British Parliament by Sir John Gorst has been withdrawn by its supporters. The bill provided for the following changes in the existing educational system:

1. The creation of a new local educational authority by appointment of the local councils. Secondary and elementeducation both to be included in its province.

ary

2. Transfer to the same of the routine work of the education department, i. e., distribution of public grants for education, inspection of schools, etc., leaving the department to act as a court of appeal.

3. Measures for preventing increase of school boards and absorbing those that exist.

4. An extra parliamentary grant to be given alike to private (voluntary) schools and the poorer board schools at the rate of 4s. per capita of attendance.

5. The abolition of the existing limit to the Government grant to 17s. 6d. per capita of attendance.