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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 898, 7 December 1867, Page 2

"Abe you the mate ?" said a passenger to the Irish cook of a vessel. " Iso," answered Pat, " I'm the boy that boils the mate." Coppeb Tokens. — The fourteenth and fifteenth sections of the Coinage Oflences Act, which came into operation on the Ist inst., appear to impose upon all persons uttering or receiving copper tokens a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding two years, or of penal servitude not exceeding seven years in duration. The clauses are not very clearly worded, and copper tokens may perchance not come within their provisions, but it will be found much the safest plan not to accept any of the numerous tokens now current for coin of the realm. — Wellitiffton Iwdeiiendent. Elementary Education.— At the recent Annual meeting of the British . association on the motion for the adoption of the report of the Scientific Education Committee, in which, inter alia, it was recommended that " some knowledge of arithmetic should be acquired for admission into all public schools," Sir John Bowring said. — Before this resolution is passed, I venture to make a remark in regard to one of the recommendations contained in the report — namely, "that some knowledge of arithmetic should be required for admission into all public schools." lam sorry to say that, in a somewhat long experience of public life, I have found not only a sad defect in the knowledge of arithmetic, but even a more sad defect in the handwriting of individuals who have been nominated to high posts. It has occurred to me in my experience to have received documents from, our public departments, which I had to return from the very disgraceful way .in which they had been written. (A laugh.) In one great field of competition-^the most remarkable one in the world- — with four hundred millions of inhabitants — the handwriting of the youth is a matter of so much consequence that he cannot advance a single stage in life until it has satisfied the examiners ; and remarkable it is that, even amongst the lowest classes, there is scarcely an individual who does not write beautifully. If any gentleman has chanced to see a document of any sort coming from that remote region, he must - have been struck with the beauty of the caligraphy. I venture to make this solitary observation,becausereallyelementary education has been so seriously neglected — neglected almost to an incredi- , ble extent. I would mention one singular fact. A gentleman was sent out to me while I was governor of tho colony of Hong Kong, who brought me very strong recommendations from nigh quarters. _A report was made to me of his intolerable ■ ignorance on these elementary mattery. . I called him before me, and asked .him to write " candle," and he spelt it" kandel." (Laughter.) He was tolerably well hi- , formed on other matters,' biit : as Wga*ds this elementary point, he was profoundly ignorant. I venture, to say ; /that mope importance should be given to Jiandwrltiig and arithmetic, upon whicii^so mucJ^Vdepends, and upon which, .after iaU,; the . - J---foundation of the great pyramid of all in-l^ struotion rests. (Applause and lavg&{s£) !