2 10 REPORT— 1876. 



poor-law unions in England, of which 127 had adopted the boarding-out system in 

 greater or less degi-ee for some of their pauper children. There were, in addition, 

 forty-seven "Welsh unions, of which thirty had adopted the system. The number 

 of children boarded out was in England 1500, and in Wales 000. In nearly aU the 

 cases where tlie sj-stem had been applied it had been found very successful ; and the 

 writer of the paper supplied a large number of extracts from reports from Bir- 

 mingham, Clifton (Bristol), Chorltou (Manchester), the Cumberland Unions, and 

 the agricultural districts in Kent, showing that where the system was applied chil- 

 dren were cared for at the rate of from £10 to £12 a year, that the children 

 boarded out were improved in health, and had been readily drafted off into situ- 

 ations. The only cases in which the system had failed in accomphshing these blessed 

 results was where there had been a neglect of supervision. He therefore advocated 

 the formation of ladies' visiting committees in connexion with the miions. At pre- 

 sent the number of district and separate schools was very .«maU as compared -wdth 

 the number of pauper children. The erection of many such costly institutes was 

 attended witli pecimiary difficulty aud was of questionable expediency. On the 

 other hand, sound economy and efficient results were combined in the application 

 of the system of boarding-out, especially for children ; but the system should be 

 applied in its completeness aud entirety, and with frequent oversight by judicious 

 visitors, and provision for the religious and moral education of every child. 



The Prevention of the Pollution of Rivers. By the Rev. R. Thomson. 



The Statistics of the Indian Opium Revenue. By the Rev. F. S. Turner. 



The last debate on the Indian Budget in the House of Commons demonstrated 

 the vital importance of the opium revenue ; it'^is therefore important to inquire into 

 the probable stabihty of this revenue. At first sight an inspection of the returns 

 from 1792 to 1872 is highly encouraging. During this long term of years we mark 

 an increase, steady on the whole, though with minor fluctuations, from £202,751 to 

 £8,(i00,000. Not so satisfactory is the increasing relative importauce of the opiiun 

 revenue, which from being in 1792 one thirteenth of the land revenue, and one 

 twenty-eighth of the total revenue, has now risen to the serious proportions of more 

 than one third of the land-revenue, and more than one sixth of the total revenue. 

 These figures refer to the gross revenue, and have to be shghtly diminished for the 

 net revenue. Making the necessary deduction, opium has in eighty-three years 

 yielded the total net profit of £184,000,000, which may be taken as a partial set-off 

 against the sum which British rule has cost India during the same period. 



High authorities have warned us that we ought not to rely upon the continuance 

 of this income ; among others. Sir Charles Wingtield, six years ago, in the House 

 of Commons ; and this year, Sir George Campbell in the ' Fortnightly Review.' 



Our lucrative monopoly of the China market is threatened by the competition of 

 the Chinese themselves. This competition has been held in check by their own 

 government, which, however, has gradually relaxed its opposition, and now threatens 

 to abandon it altogether. The poppy has .spread enormously in China since 1863. 

 For the last four years there has been a diminution of our opium revenue, which 

 may be the beginning of a continuous decline. Some recent items of news fi'om 

 China show that there is still some imcertainty about the direction Cliinese policy 

 will take. J. S. SliU has pronounced against interference with the opium trade ; 

 but, according to his own principles, an argument may be advanced in defence of 

 the Chinese prohibitory legislation. Great difficulties are throwu in the way of this 

 legislation in China \>y the political action of Great Britain. Thus opium may per- 

 haps stiU continue to bolster iip Indian finance imtil moral laws work out some 

 vmexpected, but not imdeserved, retribution. 



