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MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



National Education. — After the pains which we have taken in this 

 Magazine, in the Mag. Nat. Hist., in a pamphlet published in Paris in 1828, 

 and in another printed in London in 1829 and distributed gratis, it may 

 readily be conceived that we are highly gratified by seeing the subject brought 

 before Parliament in a masterly manner ; and assuming a conspicuous place 

 in both the Edinb. and the For. Quart. Eevieivs. In the latter work, more 

 especially (No. xxiv. for Oct., 1833), a lucid account has been given of the 

 system of national education established in Prussia in 1819, to which, and 

 to The Speech of Mr. Roebuck, M.P. for Bath, on National Education 

 (London, 1833, Pamph., Sd.), we would most earnestly direct the attention 

 of such of our readers as take an interest in the subject. The law on the 

 subject of national education in Prussia is particularly gratifying, and there 

 are only two improvements which we can suggest in it, if adopted in this 

 country. In Prussia it is provided, that, besides a proper school, with all 

 suitable books, instruments, pictures, models, a garden, &:c., there shall be 

 provision made for teaching gymnastic exercises. Now, we would suggest 

 that, in connection with these gymnastic exercises, the boys should be 

 taught some of the more useful mechanical operations, such as carpentry, 

 masonry, smith's work, &c.; and the girls the practice of cookery, and 

 various in-door works. It is already most happily provided by the Prussian 

 system, that every school shall have a garden, in order to teach gardening 

 and agricultural operations to the boys, and, to a certain extent, to the 

 girls, as in Bavaria, &c. The next pomt which we would suggest, in the 

 adoption of a plan of national education in this country, would be the 

 practice in Bavaria, of teaching no particular religion in the schools, but 

 allowing the children, if their parents desired it, to be absent from the school 

 one of the working days of the week, say Saturdaj', to be taught the 

 religion of their parents by the clergyman of that religion, leaving the 

 Sunday as it is. This would give some additional labour to the clergy o 

 every denomination, but they would still have five days out of the seven at 

 their own disposal : besides, this early instruction would diminish their 

 labours when the children were become men and women. For what are 

 the duties of a clergyman but education, only directed to the man instead 

 of to the child ? We are perfectly satisfied that no system of national 

 education that combines religious instruction with secular learning will 

 ever be effective in attaining the grand object of national education; that 

 is, of educating the whole population ; for the obvious reason, that the 

 whole can never be brought to think in the same manner on religious 

 subjects. — Cond. 



A Notice of a newly invented Liquid Mixture for destroying various Species 

 of Insects ivhich infest Plants. ^^ Sir, Mr. Taylor, a friend of mine, and 

 myself, have taken great pains to find out something serviceable for 

 destroying or retarding the progress of some of those pernicious kinds of 

 insects so troublesome to gardeners, such as the brown and white scaly 

 bug, caterpillars, green and black aphis, red spider, wireworm, and the 



