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MISCELLANEA 
THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE SCHOOLS AND CLASSES ; 
WITH HINTS FOR THEIR FORMATION. 
WO incidents have occurred since the publication of our last 
number, which exhibit in striking contrast the present condition of 
the two greatest nations on the globe. One of these events was of vast 
importance ; it took the world by surprise, and was as eagerly canvassed 
by men of every rank and nation, as though it had been a defeat or 
victory which decided the fate of some great empire. The other was but 
of little moment in the political world ; it barely served to interest for the 
hour, even during the inactivity of a parliamentary recess, and the report 
of its occurrence hardly extended beyond the sea-girt shores of Britain. 
The first was the presentation, by the French Minister of Finance, of 
that memorable balance-sheet which showed the nation that, in consequence 
of its excessive expenditure for military and naval purposes, it was in 
debt forty millions of pounds beyond its income ; whilst the second was 
nothing more than the visit to Liverpool of the English Chancellor of the 
Exchequer, in company with his noble colleague at the head of the 
Educational Department of the State, to inaugurate a new School of 
Science, — apublic intimation that, notwithstanding the calls which had been 
made upon the Treasury to enable the nation, if need be, to cope with a 
bellicose ally, the Chancellor had in his coffers enough and to spare ; and 
could afford any reasonable sum that might be required for diffusing 
useful information amongst the people. 
If these two incidents afford any political lessons, they must be left to 
the consideration of statesmen, our business being only with the scientific 
and educational bearing of the one last referred to ; and with this it is our 
intention to deal in the present paper. 
The more we consider that great movement, of which the mainspring is 
the Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Educa- 
tion, and which is so young that it has not yet received a name — that 
national movement in science, — the more completely are we convinced that 
it is one which will add greatly to the welfare and happiness of our fellow- 
countrymen, and that it will be the means of affording remunerative as 
well as elevating employment to men and women in every class of 
society. 
Our last brief article on the subject called forth inquiries from which 
we feel assured that if the details of the scheme, nay, if its existence, 
were more generally known throughout the country, it would give an 
BY THE EDITOR. 
