THE VICTORIAN REVIEW.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5838, 15 December 1879, Page 2

THE VICTORIAN REVIEW.

We have upon more than one occasion lately made extrasts from the above publication. Its name would probably be strange to most of our readers, but the extracts which wa have given may possibly have directed attention to a new publication which has now reached its second issue, and which promises to be a great success. To persons of literary tastes, there is probably no more congenial task than being called upon to criticise a work which commends Itself to their approbation as being distinctly above the average, and worthy of honest praise. The “ Victorian Review” will, we think, be found to merit this commendation at the hands of its readers and of its critics ; we have no hesitation iu strongly recommending it to the attention of all who desire to keep themselves well posted up in the ordinary topics of the day. The tone of the review is cosmopolitan ; articles have been admitted into the first two issues both iu favor of and against the most important questions of the day, such as the introduction of the plebiscite as a final court of appeal in the event of a future political deadlock iu Victoria ; the pen of Mr. James Smith opposes, and Mr. A. Lloyd Smith pleads in favor of the innovation. The all-absorbing question of religious instruction in State schools has elicited some very able articles from well-known men, Mr, David Blair writes as an advocate of secularism, and takes up the position that the movement got up by the Catholics in favor of a concession being made to them, comes too late ; he argues that they were offered a concession by the State, in the shape of a capitation grant of not more than £4 for each child, but would not accept it when offered, because it was limited to five years duratiou. Iu the second issue, the Rev. James I/. Hegarty takes up the gloves, and points out that this offer was subject to numerous harassing condition*, and was coupled with stipnl -Jinn* which displayed au evident and expre ■ ■ • ; ■; ‘-ntiou of undermining the whole sy-' i denominational education and of disc. ..g of all private schools. The rev. gentleman takes up the unassailable position that the moral side of human nature is superior to the intellectual, and that if the moral character of the children is left to take

its chnnce it '.vill ii ovi- inly .v.ul j the Ui-I'.i'h.r ..f the .e ; i:n; hr F.F* s hf. r. j It !-• t.-n- Ih-It Mr. >:■ c >111:1. n ■••• h j in..-5 >tli r., :■ ■ • !•••■ .t -.it any in- th.-l h;. j wtiit-h litnc- ip. wM.-h .tin! in j the w.iv of i’W r" i-n in S-.• sch'nls c:ui bn enrill" n.; -.1 Hie ,Vv. V-X < j-r'lir.!', j h*nvevrr, ’’oulrßaiu-'au ;v : id-* i" t !u* b-r i"U : . i:\ wlib-h ’>i“ aR w u-e of tV Bible in S::.t- -ch-i-T*. i-i *r-- ;»•' a work *>n j^# f.fh<»nl n~e .1- k of r.JLFn. ids ar-:um-?'ta are no doubt v-ry sound, but a nvuneut’s? retLctim w’b \vv ‘lnu couvinr? the those teacher' would be few who could “expound the Scriptures” to youths without :wir>,r offence and raising a perfect storm of indignant protests from parents of chib drou of all the several rival suets. “ BeiTyism, its Rise and Progress,” was adcriticised in the first number of the Rev'cic, bv Mr. Jardine Smith : in the second issue a reply is made by Mr. John Lament Dow. An article is contributed on “The Farmers and Protection,” by Mr. James Smith, in the December number, which is a per.hvr marvel of research and clear reasoning, W hether the arguments are sound or not it is not our present intention to enquire, but we may at least bear testimony to the labor and learning displayed, Verbatim quotations are given from J. Stuart Mill, Adam Smith, Or. Quesnay. Goumiv, Sydney Smith. Sir James Mackintosh, Mr. Howard, of BeJford, the report of the Hou, XV, R. Smith to the Governor of lowa, U.S., from a letter of the Agricultural Enginevrs’ Association to M. Jules Ferry, President of the French Tariff Commission, and from the Oxford Cobden Prize Essay for 1878. We should value the quotations but lightly, if if were not that they are, one and all, singularly apt, are mostly new, and form valuable additions to the arguments adopted by the disciples of Free Trade. In the December volume Mr. John Smith’s article follows closely after a well-written contribution by Mr. Edward. Dicey (Loudon) on the agricultural distress in England. The latter is of opinion that a total change in the system of land tenure in England is imminent ; he apparently believes that English landlords will not accept the competition in grain and meat-producing which has arisen in America as a valid reason for submitting to a large reduction in the capital value of landed estate in England, and for accepting the main reforms urged upon them, such as the simplification in the laws of transfer ami entail, the proposed concessions to tenants in the form of increased tenant-rights, and the abolition of vexatious restrictions in the shape of cropping clauses. He leans towards reciprocity for England’s farmers, and as his arguments arc well chosen, temperate, and sensible, free traders will not be sorry to find the other side of the question so ably defended by Mr. James Smith. We regret that we have not space to do more than mention several other well-written articles by sundry authors. In the November number we had marked for special notice—“ A Coming Citizen of the World,” by Jas. Kingston ; “ Wool and Woollen Industries of the United States,” by the editor (Mr. H. Mortimer Franklin). In the December number a charming little sketch of Edmond About, by David Blair, deserves special praise. The writer of the article is evidently a sincere admirer of Edmond About, and his sketch is quite a gem in its way ; the harsh and arrogant tone of his “ Last Word on the Education question,” in the November number, is more than compensated for by this genial and fresh little critique of a rising French author, who-e works are free from the immoralities which disfigure modern French literature. In the December number we direct attention to “The Victorian Railways and their Management," by the editor; “ The Melbourne Cup,” and “The Reform Question,” by W. Jardiue Smith. A serial story, entitled “A Bad Bargain,” by R. E. Francillon (London), will receive attention at our hands in a future issue. The Victorian Jteriew is very well got up and reflects credit on the publishing company which bears its name, and whose office is in Collins-street Bast, Melbourne. Its price is 2s. fid.; it contains some 350 pages of letter press in large and clear type. In the first issue there was nothing to show whether it was intended to be a monthly or a quarterly publication. The issue of the December number baa dispelled any doubts.