TRANSAOTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 181 
pears that, in proportion to the number of candidates in each class, those whose ave- 
rage period of school life was only 3 years 7 months, obtained more than twice as 
many of the highest places as those whose average school time was 7 years 8 months. 
Although this result is a fact, and, as such, is probably worth volumes of speculations 
on the theoretical aspect of the question, yet I do not think it can justify any positive 
conclusion of much value. Should it be confirmed by the experience of future years, 
and by a still more widely-extended inquiry, it may become a question whether insti- 
tutional education—to which, as a matter of course, it is almost altogether owing— 
ought not to be regarded as a system of popular instruction coming as fairly within 
the scope of Parliamentary support as the elementary education in the schools under 
inspection. Without, however, at present justifying a positive conclusion of any 
great importance, it indicates the necessity of extreme caution in discussing the edu- 
cation question. It would appear to show, for instance, that no fair analogy exists 
between the school-period of a country like England, where Mechanics’ Institutions 
are established in every town, and countries like most of those on the Continent, where 
such institutions are not to be found. It would appear to show that youthful labour 
and early intercourse with the world may enlarge the mind and give additional force 
to intellectual exertion ; and it would even appear to throw a doubt over all schemes 
—whether compulsory enactments ,or prize schemes—by which children would be kept 
at school and prevented from proceeding to work, 
The average duration of the candidates’ school-life, in various parts of the country, 
is exhibited in the following table. In the districts marked with an asterisk special 
prizes were awarded to Local Boards of Examiners and Institutions, in addition to 
those given to the candidates :— 
Name of District. Average School-period. 
*Banbury ..sseseseeeeeee Seasinenence ..| 5 years 9 months. 
Berkhampstead ......sscsecseseeee 
Blackburn .......... weevereseseecne 
Bradford......s...cssccsoveeses oeenes 
Brighton........+. ccigoori3deen0 nage 
SUESTAREOL 5 duckeay ave sess ecectcs sates 
” ” 
~ 
- 
— 
WOARMARAWDWAWDOWONNOMOMOWONO 
*Eastern District of London.... 
Western District of London.... 
Macclesfield........ccsccseesseeeees 
Manchester .......scseseeees aetna: 
Oldham ...... suedesd Sas uaes oes 
*Portsmouth (Portsea).........0.. 
Selby..... Fatesses orceceeces Revitsaete 
*Sheffield ...... Wdostosiieeve tara 
Stockport .....sceccccccccersssevs eee 
Wakefield .........2.000. Hae teeaby 
WHOA asesdsucccosceacscsessesers 
RYON Kin esisvcctocececacts Caiedvtese ak i 
lv 
: Mineral Produce of Yorkshire in 1857. 
te By Rozert Hunt, F.R.S., Keeper of Mining Records. 
»' The produce of the lead mines had been 12,405 tons 19 cwt. of lead ore and 7875 
tons 12 cwt. of lead, being an increase of 231 tons 12 cwt. on the ore, and a decrease 
on the quantity of lead produced of 1110 tons 10 cwt., as compared with the year 
1856, proving that the ores raised were less metalliferous than in the previous year. 
Of iron ore the remarkable district of the North Riding yielded 1,414,155 tons in 1857, 
