é 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 153 
‘The following is an abstract of the tables :— 
Table No. 1.—The number receiving relief from the guardians and local com-. 
mittees in each district. The total number was 420,243; for the corresponding 
week in 1861, the number was 39,507. 
Table No. 2.—The number working full time and short time, and the number 
entirely out of work, the estimated loss of wages, and average income. The num- 
ber entirely out of work was 240,466. Number working short time 166,225. The 
estimated loss of wages was £184,572 weekly; and the average income per head, 
including relief and earnings, was 2s. 24d. per week. 
Table No. 3 showed the total subscriptions received to March 28, 1863. 
£ 
From strictly local sourceS ........0005, . 267,987 
From general sources ......ce.eee0, weee 84,831 
From- Central Committee, Manchester, and 
Cotton Districts’ Relief Committee ..,.. 324,027 
Mansion House Committee, London ,..... 821,264 
£947,609 
Table No. 4 gave the population and assessment of each district. 
Population in 1861. . 2,013,315. Assessment in 1856. .£5,660,390. 
On the Numerical Mode of estimating Educational Qualifications, as pursued at 
the Greenwich Hospital School. By the Rev. G. Fisurr, M.A., F.R.S, 
In Greenwich School, where there were 800 boys, he had adopted a numerical 
method by which he could arrive at the attamments of any boy. For instance, in 
writing, he had a standard book: in this book were descriptions of writing of five 
degrees of quality, and the work produced was judged of according to these results, 
fractions being used to represent any specimens which might be deemed in quality 
to be between any of the five whole numbers representing the standards. A similar 
course was pursued regarding other subjects of instruction, and for examinations, 
prizes, &c. He had also weighed his boys, and divided them into three groups ac- 
cording to their weight, the three groups varying from 90 lbs. to upwards of 100 Ibs. 
The result of this was that he found the heavy boys and the light ones, as a rule, 
to possess much about the same amount of talent, whilst the boys who represented 
the medium possessed the largest amount. 
The author insists upon the importance of recognizing and preserving some 
standard specimens of examination-questions in educational subjects, such as might 
be generally agreed upon, as explanatory of their nature and difficulty, and which 
might be adapted to a mumerical scale of estimation, upon a plan similar to that 
which he has carried out in this school with great success for more than twenty years. 
By such means, absolute as well as relative values of acquirements can be assigned 
to a considerable amount of accuracy, and the amount of educational work done in 
various public and private schools be compared with each other. He submitted a 
diagram to the Section exhibiting, by means of differently coloured lines adapted to 
a scale, the attainments of the boys at different periods, keeping in view the same 
standards of estimation. The author stated, in conclusion, that he had no motive 
in making this communication beyond the desire of exciting attention to the sub- 
ject, in order that it might lead to the adoption of a sound practical system of 
testing and recording educational qualifications of a general character ; not simply 
of a comparative and numerical kind (which is common in many educational esta- 
blishments), but of a permanent nature, so as to be available for the future as well 
as the present time, and that we may not be under the reproach of being “unable 
to ay down to posterity, statistical information of such value as will mark the 
progress of education.” 
On Endowed Education and Oxford and Cambridge Fellowships, 
By James Herwoop, F.R.S. 
Mr, Heywood defined an endowment to be a charity, and explained that many of 
