the Board is engaged must fall to the ground if its power to aid them should not be augmented. More especially do they hope that the clergy whose schools have in former times been assisted by the Society will endeavour to call forth at the present period the Christian bounty of their parishioners.

A legacy of 501., free of duty, has been received by the Board during the past year from the executors of the Rev. J. R. Coombe, of Rolvenden; and also a sum of 1007., less the duty and certain legal expenses, being a portion of a legacy placed at the disposal of the Rev. Edward Penny, of Great Mongeham. These sums have been directed to be invested in the three per cents, in the names of the trustees of the Society. Grants amounting to 3007. 10s. have been voted by the Board during the past year, viz.:

Since the last report the treasurer has been authorised to pay 4551., voted by the Board in aid of the following school-buildings, which have been reported as finished:

By this outlay 101 schools, providing accommodation for more than 16,000 scholars, have been completed since the establishment of the Board.

Notices of application for grants, to the amount of 5997., for the purpose of building, enlarging, and fitting-up schools, now stand in the minute-book; and the Board trust that through the exertions and sacrifices of the friends of religious education they may be enabled to give each undertaking that aid which they have been in the habit of rendering.

Inspection.-The Diocesan Inspector, the Rev. B. F. Smith, has been engaged during the past year in visiting schools in the deaneries of Canterbury, Bridge, Dover, Elham, Lympne, Sandwich, and Westbere. The Board learn with pleasure, by a communication received from his Grace the Archbishop, that on comparing the present state of the schools with their condition three years ago, a very general and gratifying improvement is perceptible. Encouraging, however, as this statement is, the Board regret to find that there is a great and increasing difficulty, which the promoters of education have to contend against, in the early withdrawal of children from school at an age when instruction can only be considered to be beginning to tell with advantage upon them.

The following gentlemen have acted as ruridecanal inspectors, on the appointment of his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, during the past year :

Sutton-The Rev. E. K. Burney and the Rev. F. J. Richards.
Ashford-The Rev. A. Oxenden and the Rev. C. G. T. Barlow.
Dartford-The Rev. F. H. Murray and the Rev. G. Reid.
North Malling-The Rev. E. Jones and the Rev. N. Dimock.
South Malling-The Rev. E. Hoare.

Ospringe-The Rev. G. Beardsworth and the Rev. C. J. Hilton.
Shoreham-The Rev. R. Vincent and the Rev. H. Lindsay, jun.
Sittingbourne-The Rev. W. J. Brewer.

The Board beg to repeat the sense which they entertain of the advantages derived by the Diocese fron the gratuitous services of these gentlemen.

Commercial Schools.-The Board have the pleasure of stating, that the Canterbury Commercial School, to which Mr. S. G. Sadler was appointed at Christmas 1853, appears to be proceeding very satisfactorily. The number of pupils has increased since he undertook the management of the school from thirty-two to fifty-four.

There are at present thirty-three scholars in the Ramsgate school.

The Tunbridge Wells Commercial School has sustained a severe loss in the Rev. W. Earle's resignation of the office of head-master. The Board hope that under his successor, the Rev. Herbert Williams, the school will continue to be conducted with as much ability and success as heretofore.

Training. The Board have again to report favourably of the behaviour and attainments of the young persons to whom they have granted exhibitions for their maintenance at the different training institutions of the National Society. There are at present two at Battersea, three at St. Mark's, and three at Whitelands. One young woman has also received instruction as a schoolmistress at the Canterbury Model Schools. The Board have expended 467. 15s. in assisting these pupils. During the year four mistresses have completed their education at Whitelands, and one at Westminster. They are now in charge of schools.

Monitors' Grants.-Grants have been made to monitors employed in the following schools, viz. West Wickham, Plaxtol, Stouting, Bekesbourne, Chislehurst, St. Dunstan's, Canterbury, Boughton Monchelsea, Sturry, and Woodlands. The Board anticipate a considerable increase of applications for these grants, as the possibility of obtaining them becomes more generally known amongst the clergy of the diocese.

The balance at present in the Treasurer's hands is 9017. 12s. 5d., including 4851. 4s. 3d., received under the pastoral letter, and 1387. Ss. 6d. ordered to be invested. The actual claims upon the Board, and the applications of which notice has been given, are estimated to amount to 9857.

The receipts of the Society during the past year have been 13767. 16s. 5d., and the payments have amounted to 735l. 19s. 7d.

The Board have to regret the retirement of G. Gipps, Esq., from the office of Treasurer, which he has held since the establishment of the Diocesan Society. He has been succeeded by Thomas Hilton, Esq., of Nackington, Canterbury.

The Board have had their attention directed to the several bills for education presented to parliament during the last session, and at their quarterly meeting in May they passed the following resolution :

'The Canterbury Diocesan Board request the continued attention of his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury and of the Committee of the National Society to the education bills now before the House of Commons, and trust that they will use their influence with the legislature, that no conditions of receiving public aid be enforced which would interfere with the carrying on of the religious education of the poor in the principles of the Established Church, or which would preclude schools in union with the Diocesan Board and the National Society from participating in funds raised from public sources for the purposes of education.'

At their meeting in August, they respectfully requested his Grace the Archbishop to make every effort within his power to secure a continuance to the National Society of the royal letter authorising collections in its behalf.' Should such aid be withdrawn, the Board feel that serious injury might arise to the cause of education, as the National Society would be deprived of a source of income, which has for a long period produced an average of 8000l. a year, and which enabled it to make grants in aid of schoolbuilding.

No legislation on the subject of education having taken place, and a considerable source of income being in all probability about to be withdrawn from so faithful a handmaid to the Church as the National Society, the Board feel that it is more than ever incumbent on the attached members of the Church of England to exert themselves to the utmost to provide for the rapidly increasing population of the country a sound and sufficient education, based on the principles of the Church.

Although the Diocesan Society has been in existence for so many years, and its principles and purposes have been fully stated in former reports, the Board have reason to fear that its operations are still unknown to many who would be willing to come forward in its aid, were the great objects it has in view properly laid before them. They are confirmed in this belief by the success which has attended the efforts that have recently been made in some of the Deaneries to augment the annual subscriptions; and they are convinced that it requires nothing but an active and united effort to make known more widely the work which the Society has in hand, to obtain for it, under God's blessing, a largely increased measure of support."

The following are the Lists of Queen's Scholars, the result of the recent Examination at Christmas. The series of Examination Papers used on the occasion it is proposed to print in a future number of this Paper.

LIST (IN ORDER OF MERIT) OF QUEEN'S SCHOLARS (MALE).

First-Class Scholarship of 231., with a personal Allowance of 41.

Blacksham, W. J. Mortlake N.S.

Attleborough N.S.

. Pembroke Dock N.S.

Keighley N.S.

St. Austell N.S.

Black Box Colliery S.

Combe Down (Bath) N.S.

Llanfyllin N.S.

LIST (IN ORDER OF MERIT) OF QUEEN'S SCHOLARS (FEMALE).

CHRISTMAS 1855.

First-Class Scholarship of 171., with a personal Allowance of 31.

Henderson, H. . Home and Colonial Model

Second-Class Scholarship of 171. No personal Allowance.