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604: ENGLAND were made late in 1869, and possession obtained in February, 1870, when there were 2,933 tele- graph offices. At the beginning of 1873 there were 5,400 offices, of which 3,593 were postal offices, and 1,807 railway telegraph offices. The latter slightly decreased in 1870-'7l, while the postal offices were greatly multiplied. Up to June, 1871, about 930,000 had been ex- pended, besides the purchase money ; 5,000 per- sons were employed, and the net receipts for about 14 months had been 798,580, at a cur- rent expense of 470,000. The investment of the government was thought to amount to a capital of 7,500,000, upon which it is believed that a reasonable interest is returned. The public institutions of charity, of learning, of the arts, of education, and of religion are in great number and of high repute. Every con- siderable town has its hospitals, many of which are liberally endowed, its free schools, me- chanics' institutes, &c. The principal cities possess galleries of arts, and several have valu- able libraries. Compulsory provision for the poor has long been established in England. The whole country is divided into poor-law unions, over which are guardians elected by the rate payers. On Jan. 1, 1873, there were 736,201 outdoor paupers in receipt of relief; indoor paupers, 154,171. The total amount expended by the poor-law boards in England and Wales during the year ending Jan. 1, 1873, was 8,007,403 ; a decrease from the preceding year in actual amount, and a decrease in rate upon the average of several years. The num- ber of charitable institutions other than schools in London alone in 1874 was about 600. Eng- land has done much for the cause of education, but not so much as should have been done by so old, wealthy, and humane a nation. Among the higher institutions of learning are the universi- ties of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham ; Uni- versity college and King's college, London (the last two founded for the purpose of cheapening and popularizing academical instruction) ; col- lege of preceptors, London ; Owen's college, Manchester ; Manchester New college ; Queen's colleges, Birmingham and Liverpool ; St. David's college, Lampeter ; royal agricultural college, Cirencester; besides good foundation schools at Winchester, Eton, Manchester, Great Berk- hamstead, Warrington, Shrewsbury, Birming- ham, Tunbridge, Westminster, Highgate, Bed- ford, Ipswich, Repton, Rugby, Harrow, and London. The great public schools of Eton, Westminster, Harrow, Winchester, St. Paul's, the Charterhouse, and merchant tailors' school, are of the highest reputation, and have educa- ted many of the distinguished men of England. Public education has made much progress within the last quarter of a century, though a great difference exists in the prevalence of elementary knowledge in different parts of the country. The uneducated are found in greater numbers among the mining and manufacturing populations than in the agricultural portions of the kingdom. The latest returns show that one fifth of the adults in England are unable to write their names. By the school law of 1870 parliament ordered that sufficient accom- modation in public elementary schools should be provided for all resident children, and that all children whose parents are unable to pay for their education shall be educated at the public expense, while the school boards shall have power to compel parents to give their children between the ages of 5 and 13 the ad- vantages of education. The condition of the elementary schools in England and Wales sub- ject to government inspection is shown in the following statement: Year ending Aug. 31, 1870. 1871. Estimated population at the middle of the year 22,090,163 22,704,108 Number of schools, i. e., of depart- ments under separate head teach- ers, inspected : Eeceiving annual grants Simply inspected 14,565 688 15,484 776 Total 15,258 16,210 Accommodation : In annual-grant schools 1,878,584 53,982 2,012,679 72,785 In simple-inspection schools Total 1,932,566 2,085,414 Number of scholars in schools receiving annual grants : Present at examination : Day scholars . . . : . 1,434,766 77,918 1,509,288 86,279 Evening scholars Total 1,512,684 1,595,567 Average number attending : Day scholars ... 1,152,389 73,375 1,281,484 83,457 Evening scholars Total 1,225,764 1,314,891 Number of scholars in schools simply inspected: Present at examination : Day scholars 89,117 5 48,9S9 178 Total 89,122 49,167 Average number attending : Day scholars 16,592 7 24,656 Evening scholars Total . 16,599 24,656 Number of teachers : Certificated Assistant 12,467 1,262 14,304 18,195 1,251 16,941 Pupil-teachers . . . A large part of this work is under the care of the established church and other religious or- ganizations, the state doing but a small propor- tion. The first education grant, of 20,000, was made in 1833. In 1872 the grants were raised to 1,551,560, of which about one tenth was spent in administration and building. This grant was an increase over that of the prece- ding year of 512,936. The total amount of education grants from 1833 to 1872 has been 14,553,262. The subject of national educa- tion is of increasing interest in England. The