E.—ll.

the old New England town-meeting system.' Thus, without intending any concession, lie meets an imaginary objection, and shows thai there is nothing impracticable for Englishmen behind his American designation, while the School City of Mr. Gill might well have been an English creation. Local duties oome first, and the good citizen makes the good patriot. Decentralisation is constantly increasing the scope and significance of city government. The working of miniature municipalities would not be impossible i" any British youths. It would develop character and capacity in all, and might mean in the next generation the saving of the State." 1 think that, if the idea as a whole is not adopted, it would be quite feasible to introduce some measure of the self-governing idea into our existing institutions, especially the jury system, as Mr. George assured me thai the verdicts were always well thought out and most equitable. The several pamphlets herewith enter fully into the aims and methods of the Republic, whose motto is worthy of note —" Nothing without Labour." Training schools fob Giblb. I propose to refer to two only gills' schools, as types of whal is being done—viz., Dr. Barnaido's at Barkingside, sometimes called the Girls' Garden City, and the New York Slate Trainingschool for Girls. The former I was able to visit, spending a very pleasant afternoon in seeing the various cottages and schools. There are about 1,300 girls, housed in sixty-five cottages, a church, also schools, and other buildings where various matters are taught appertaining to household duties and domestic service. The secret of the success here to a L'lv.it extent is the home-life in the cottages, where the girls are mothered and trained, and their varieties of character studied and specially treated in a way quite impossible, in my opinion, under the old-fashioned system of huge institutions. The cottage system, as will be Been in the various illustrated pamphlets herewith, is now being generally adopted; and this could easilj be done in New Zealand, where the existing large building could be used for administrative purposes, school, and workrooms, and the cottages built in close proximity. At Barkingside I gathered that, under the system obtaining there, little difficulty was found in maintaining discipline, as it was possible to grade the girls so easily, and the punishment for any breaches of rules was chiefly the removal of some privilege, or infliction of some task to be performed. I saw also the work being done by those girls who were maimed, or incapacitated iron going out into the world, and it was astonishing how skilled they had become in making lace ami other fancy work ; and, as they were a permanent charge on the funds, the articles they made were sold to assist in defraying Hie cost of their maintenance. The other school I wish to refer to is the New York State Training-school for Girls, at Hudson. This institution is for the training of destitute, neglected, and delinquent girls, under the age of sixteen years, and is wholly supported by the State. The buildings include seven three-Story brick cottages, each providing for about thirty, including otlicers; each cottage is independent, and reproduces as far as possible the processes and spirit of an ordinary home. liesides the cottages, there are fourteen other buildings for various purposes, such as the chapel, the administrative building, school, &c. The institution is never allowed to be overcrowded, and the population is generally about 295. The work of the school is determined by the age and character of the pupils, as girls are received who have been living in all kinds of conditions, and many are ignorant of the decencies of life, and have a false knowledge of their physical natures. The.problem, then, is for the officers to know and understand each girl; to find what must be u'iven to her and what must be taken from her; to destroy the false ideas and wrong habits by teaching clearly, strongly, and continually, by life, by words, by books, by work, by play, the principles of right living, by inculcating such habits of work and giving such training that she will be in some measure able to maintain the standard of living she will gain at the school. It is a constant study on the pait of the superintendent and the ollicers to effect the right classification of the ei,ls. The pupils are divided into three grades; each girl on arrival goes into the second grade, and remains there unless unusual conduct sends her up to the first grade or down to the third. In the first grade there are three degrees: the lowest wears a red ribbon, the next a white ribbon, ami the highest a blue ribbon : these last are the honour girls of the school, and have special privileges. The lowest grade about fills one cottage, and they are kept by themselves ; but the highest-grade Mirls may remain in the ooltages with the second grade, because their presence encourages the others, and helps to keep up the moral tone. Classification keeps the backward and mentally deficient by themselves, and it is considered wise to separate from 111<- others iris who have had to be returned or those who are incorrigible or irresponsible. Corporal punishment is prohibited, and recourse is had to the usual milder measures, as described elsewhere. The matrons have direct charge of the cottages. The girls take the housework, cooking, and laundry-work in rotation.

8