on March 22nd, Mrs. Charles brought forward the motion of which she had given notice, namely, that the Local Government Board be urged to consider the desirability of appointing women as Poor Law inspectors of schools, and in an earnest speech she impressed upon the Board the desirability of women being appointed to watch over the interest and see that the girls in the schools received a proper moral and domestic training, it was negatived by eight to six.

EMIGRATION OF CHILDREN TO CANADA.-Last week a party of children, fifty girls and five boys, left the St. Pancras Station of the Midland Railway, for the purpose of sailing in the steamship Parisian, belonging to the Allan Line, from Liverpool for Canada. The girls all came from Miss Rye's Emigration Home at Peckham, where they had been for at least two months, their ages ranging between nine and fourteen, and all who are old enough are intended for immediate domestic service, while the little ones will be candidates for adoption. After arrival in Canada all the girls will be taken by Mrs. Rogers, who goes out with them as matron, to Miss Rye's Home at Niagara, where they will be received by that lady herself, and dealt with as may seem most desirable. The boys, who came from Bath and Suffolk, being from six to ten years old, will first be taken to Miss Bilborough's Home at Marchmont, Canada; and it is almost needless to add that both boys and girls are all either orphans or destitute children who were for the most part quite friendless before they were kindly taken in hand by those who are now sending them to the Dominion of Canada. As far as Liverpool the little band were accompanied by Miss Bessie Rye. The girls, neatly clad, and with cheerful faces, were, while on the Midland platform, objects of special interest to a number of ladies assembled to witness their departure, including some ladies connected with the Sewing Society, Coleraine Park, Tottenham-a society whose object is to provide clothing for the children in the Peckham Home, and which has had a share in the outfit for the young female emigrants who set off last week.

THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE CERTIFICATE.-Kensington is certainly a model parish. Lately, at a meeting of its

Board of Guardians, Dr. Potter, the resident medical officer of the workhouse Infirmary introduced to the Board Miss Perry (matron), Miss Leonard (assistant matron), and staff-nurses Morell, Sharpe, and Pearce; and assistant nurses Lubbe, Paterson, and Maclean, all of whom had passed the elementary and the advanced classes in anatomy, physiology, and advanced nursing. Dr. Potter stated that this was the first time that nurses at a workhouse Infirmary, either in the Metropolis or the provinces, had been presented with the certificate of the St. John Ambulance Association. The Chairman, the Rev. C. Darby Reade, expressed his great satisfaction at finding so many of their nurses imbued with such real love of their work, and hoped their example would be extensively followed.

A FEW weeks ago a valuable gold watch and chain and a silver mounted inkstand, each with suitable inscription were presented to Sister Gray, of Her Majesty's Nursing Service, Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, in recognition of her skill in nursing and her kindly and devoted attention to the sick and wounded officers during the last campaign in South Africa. The gifts were subscribed. for by thirteen combatant officers and the medical officer, who were nursed by Sister Gray at the seat of

war.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER COLOURS.— Miss Constance Philott has been elected an Associate Exhibitor of this Society.

MRS. FAWCETT'S "Political Economy for Beginners" is being translated into two of the native languages of India, Canarese and Marathi. Her "Tales in Political Economy" is also being translated into the latter language and into Swedish.

GIRLS' FRIENDLY SOCIETY.-A meeting was held in the beginning of April at the house of the Bishop of Bedford. Papers by the Duchess of Leeds and by the Countess of Shrewsbury were read, that of the latter being on the special work done by the Society among the mill and factory girls.

ASSOCIATION FOR BEFRIENDING YOUNG SERVANTS.A large meeting, chiefly of ladies, was held lately in the library of Lambeth Palace, under the presidency

of the Rev. J. Llewellyn Davies. At the end of last year this Society had under its care more than 1,000 girls from the Metropolitan District (Pauper) Schools, and about 1,900 others. During last year temporary lodgings were 238 times provided for girls when out of place, besides those lodged in their central home, and 245 girls were sent to training reformatories or convalescent homes, besides those trained in the homes of the Association. Among the speakers was Mrs. Fawcett, who remarked that great tact and skill were required on the part of the visitors when visiting either girls or mistresses, but that such skill was possessed by the ladies, was evident from the large number of girls who were benefited by their work.

INCIDENT AT A FIRE.-At the fire which destroyed the chancel of the fine old early English church at Sundridge, Kent, on March 9th, an engine required additional volunteers to pump up the water supply. A crowd of men (?) were gathered round, and, though appealed to by the fire brigade, refused to render assistance. A Mrs. Bateman and her daughter, resident in the village of Sundridge, shamed the sons of toil by stepping to the pumps and working with a will for the space of two hours.-Society.

FOREIGN NOTES AND NEWS.
FRANCE.

THE Primary Education Act which was promulgated lately makes education compulsory for all children between 6 and 13. Primary education comprises moral and civil iustruction, reading, writing, geography, particularly that of France, history, especially that of France up to the present day, some notions of law and political economy, the elements of natural, physical and mathematical science, their applications to agriculture, health, industrial arts, manual labour, and uses of the tools of the principal crafts, the elements of drawing, modelling, and music, gymnastics, for boys military drill, for girls needlework. The education is entirely secular, but the schools are only open five days in the week to allow the parent to give religious instruction on the sixth day. Children will be ex

amined in their attainments once a year by a certificated examiner. In the case of girls, this certificated person must be a woman. Two young ladies are now studying law at Paris.-Gazette Des Femmes.

A NEW Woman's Society is being formed at Paris by the efforts of Mme. Virginie Corroy, The Workwomen's Union. Victor Hugo is Honorary President.

THERE are no fewer than 60,000 nuns engaged in the training of girls in France. Unfortunately a large number of them are very ignorant.

MADAME CARLA SERENA, the intrepid traveller, has again returned to Paris, from another voyage of discovery in the remote provinces of the Caucasus, one of her favourite fields of exploration. The perils to which she exposed herself may be appreciated from the fact that no photographer in the surrounding country would risk his life by accompanying the courageous traveller. Madame Serena was, therefore, obliged to accomplish the task by herself, and she has returned with a valuable collection of photographs, which will serve to embellish her work, "Le Caucase." On her return journey Madame Serena met with a hearty reception at Rome, where the King presented her with a gold medal, specially struck in her honour. She was requested to give a lecture before the Geographical Society of Rome, and two of Madame Serena's works are being translated into the Italian language.

ITALY.

MISS CATHERINE JOHNSTON has done a real service to the cause of education in Italy by translating Mr. William Ellis's Elementary Course of Progressive Social Science. The book is chiefly composed of one hundred lessons, first on common objects, and afterwards on taxation, production, and other items of political economy. Mr. Ellis's own style of instruction was so clear that Cobden, who had been present one day at his lesson, declared that three-fourths of the Members of Parliament ought to come to school there. Miss Johnston's translation appears to us very good.

SIGNORA CLAUDIA ANTONA-TRAVERSI has been appointed by the Minister of Public Instruction Honorary Inspector of the Normal Female Schools in Naples.

DRAMATIC AUTHORS.-An Italian lady, Signorina Clara Toselli, has composed a play called "The Orphan," which has been represented with great applause in Turin.

SWITZERLAND.

SOPHIA BERNINA is said to be the only woman who ever succeeded in escaping penal servitude in Siberia. She was condemned to twenty years hard labour, but succeeded in making her escape to Switzerland, where she is now living in safe seclusion.

CROATIA.

MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS.-La Donna says:-A Commission of the Diet of Croatia has decided that women are eligible as members of Municipal Councils. It will be remembered that it was only last year they became electors. Croatia moves quickly.

AMERICA.

WOMAN suffrage gained a victory in Iowa last month by a passage through both branches of the Legislature of a proposal to submit a constitutional amendment to a vote of the people, striking out the word male. It received a two-thirds vote in the Senate, and three-fourths vote in the Lower House. It has to be passed again by the next Legislature.

MASSACHUSETTS has again failed to recognise the principles of justice to women, even to that degree in which they are acknowledged in England. The Municipal Woman Suffrage Bill was defeated in Massachusetts Senate on Thursday afternoon, March 9th, after a two days' discussion, by a vote of 24 to 15. A change of five votes would have carried the bill.

WOMEN LAWYERS.-Mrs. A. M. Bittenbender, of Oseola, Nebraska, a new lady lawyer, has just gained her first suit in court. Mrs. Kibby petitioned for the recovery and care of her children from her divorced husband. M. A. Mills defended the case. It is said that inch by inch the case was contested, but finally resulted in favour of the wife. Mr. Mills congratulated Mrs. Bittenbender, and said that in his ten years' practice he had never known a practitioner do so well.

MISS L. J. ROBINSON, who was recently refused permission to practise in the courts of the Commonwealth, spoke before the Mercantile Library Association in Boston lately. She spoke of the success of women in literature, on the stage and on the plattorm. aud as teachers, and claimed that, providing no serious blow is thereby struck to the structure of society, woman should be encouraged in any pursuit in which she felt herself impelled, and in following which she thought she could be of some use in the world. She based her argument upon the ground that to restrict the free development of talent and ability, so that the public shall not be able to profit thereby, was to impose an injury upon society. She detailed her experiences as a law student, and the obstacles which obstructed her progress as an applicant for admission to the bar. She cited the fact that in the States of Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, and elsewhere, the statutes, which in many cases read substantially or identically like those of Massachusetts, are liberally construed to include women. Miss Robinson had no fault to find with the decision of the Supreme Court by which she was denied permission to argue cases at the bar, believing that the decision was a just interpretation of the laws as they now stand, and having no doubt proper action will be taken when the subject reaches the Legislature. Miss Robinson alluded to the universal courtesy and fairness with which she has been treated by the members of the legal profession.

KANSAS leads in a good many things. Husband and wife have the same property rights. Fathers and mothers the same right in their children. The teachers in the city schools of Lawrence, Kansas, are paid according to the length of service from 35 to 55 dollars per month, men receiving the same as women for equal service. How many cities can show as fair treatment?