GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



355 



In 1875 the number of schools inspected 1>\ 

 tin- (io\ eminent inspectors was 13,290 in Eng- 

 land and Wales, and 2,780 in Scotland. These 

 schools had accommodations for 8,159,479 

 children in England and Wales, and 892,857 in 

 Scotland. The average attendance was 1,885,- 

 . r )ii_' in England and Wales, and 814,104 in 

 Scut land. In Ireland there were, on Decem- 

 ber 81, 1875, 7,104 national schools, with 

 l,nl l.T'.'K pupils enrolled, and an average daily 

 attendance of 889,961. In England the num- 

 ber of paupers relieved in 1874-'75 was 817,- 

 822, and the amount expended 7,488,481. 

 Scotland in the year had 121,905 paupers, on 

 whom it spent 885,306. In Ireland the num- 

 ber of paupers was 77,913, and their cost 

 913,095. The rate per head of the total pop- 

 ulation for relief of the poor was 6s. 3d. in 

 England, 4*. lld. in Scotland, and 3s. 5d. in 

 Ireland. 



The attention of the British publ : c was oc- 

 cupied at the beginning of the year with the 

 discussion of the recent purchase by the Gov- 

 ernment of the shares of the Khedive of Egypt 

 in the Suez Canal, and of the threatening aspect 

 which affairs in the East had begun to assume. 

 Misgivings were felt among a large portion of 

 the people, particularly of the Liberal party, 

 in regard to the expediency of the canal pur- 

 chase, mingled with a fear that it might in- 

 volve the Government in political complica- 

 tions abroad, and there were manifestations of 

 a disposition to question the proceeding, if not 

 to censure it and prevent its ratification by the 

 Parliament. 



In regard to the difficulties in the Turkish 

 Empire, it was understood that the Govern- 

 ment had decided to support the principles of 

 the so-called Andrassy note, with a few reser- 

 vations, among which were that it would not 

 join in pressing reforms on the Porte with 

 force or threats, and would remain uncom- 

 mitted in regard to the course it would pursue 

 in the future, whether Turkey accepted or re- 

 jected the conditions laid down in the note. 

 This position of the Government was generally 

 acquiesced in. 



The Queen in person opened the session of 

 the Parliament, February 8th, delivering the 

 following address from the throne: 



It is with much satisfaction that I again resort to 

 the advice and assistance of my Parliament. 



My relations with all foreign powers continue of 

 a cordial character. 



The insurrectionary movement which during the 

 last six months has been maintained in the Turkish 

 provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and which 

 the troops of the Sultan have up to the present time 

 been unable to repress, has excited the attention 

 and interest of the great European powers. I have 

 considered it my duty not to stand aloof from the 

 efforts now being made by the allied and friendly 

 governments to bring about the pacification of the 

 disturbed districts ; and I have, accordingly, while 

 respecting the independence of the Porte, joined in 

 urging on the Sultan the expediency of adopting 

 Bueli measures of administrntive reform as may re- 

 move all reasonable cause of discontent on the part 

 'A his Christian subjects. 



The representations which I addressed to the 

 Cliim-He (loveniinent as to the attack made in the 

 course of last year on an expedition sent from Hur- 

 mah to tin- wrxtcrn province of China have U-cn r<-- 

 erivt-d in a friendly spirit. The circumstance-it of 

 that lamentable outrage are now the subject of un 

 inquiry in which I have thought it ri^ht to rc<|iifi>t 

 that a mi-iii U-r of my diplomatic service should take 

 part. I await the result of this inquiry, in the firm 

 conviction that it will be so conducted as to lead to 

 the discovery and punishment of the offenders. 



Papers on all the above subjects will be laid be- 

 fore you. 



I am deeply thankful for the uninterrupted health 

 which my dear sou, the Prince of Wales, has enjoyed 

 during his journey through India; and the hearty 

 affection with which he has been received by my 

 Indian subjects of all classes and races assures me 

 that they are happy under my rule and loyal to my 

 throne. At the time that the direct government of 

 my Indian Empire was transferred to the crown, no 

 formiil addition was made to the style and titles of 

 the sovereign. I have deemed the present a fitting 

 opportunity for supplying this omission, and a bill 

 upon the subject will be presented to you. 



The humane and enlightened policy constantly 

 pursued by this country in putting an end to slavery 

 within her own dependencies, and in suppressing 

 the slave-trade throughout the world, makes it im- 

 portant that the action of British national ships in 

 the territorial waters of foreign states should lie in 

 harmony with these great principles. I have, there- 

 fore, given directions for the issue of a royal com- 

 mission to inquire into all treaty engagements and 

 other international obligations bearing upon this 

 subject, and all instructions from time to time issued 

 to my naval officers, with a view of ascertaining 

 whether any steps ought to be taken to secure for 

 my ships and their commanders abroad greater power 

 for the maintenance of the right of personal liberty. 

 The address further referred to a bill to be 

 submitted for the punishment of slave-traders 

 who are the subjects of native Indian princes ; 

 to the affairs of the colonial empire, including 

 papers relating to the conference of the South 

 African colonies and states ; to the suppression 

 of disorders in the Straits Settlements (of Ma- 

 lacca) by military interference ; to a bill to be 

 offered for regulating the ultimate court of ap- 

 peal ; to legislation to be proposed relating to 

 the universities and higher education, and to 

 measures of reform in the management of the 

 prisons. 



In the debate which ensued upon the ad- 

 dress, the Marquis of Hartington said, in ref- 

 erence to the fugitive-slave circulars which 

 had been issued by the Admiralty, that al- 

 though the country did not want its ships 

 made asylums for the destitute, the discretion 

 of their commanders should not be interfered 

 with. He trusted the present circular would 

 be suspended pending the result of the inquiry 

 to be made by the Royal Commission. He 

 was not disposed to raise objections to the 

 preliminary steps taken by the Government in 

 regard to the Eastern question. Her Majesty's 

 ministers had doubtless done their best to 

 maintain the integrity of Turkey. Never- 

 theless, he thought the policy indicated by 

 Palmerston had not been acted upon. He 

 urged a speedy explanation of the purchase 

 of the Suez Canal shares. He thought it 

 would have been better if the advice of Par- 



