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Rh A distinguished American economist, who saw the country two years ago, says of the recent development of the educational spirit : — "It is safe to say that more good, practical work has been done in this direction, within the last ten years, than in all of the preceding three hundred and fifty. At all of the important centres of population, free schools, under the auspices of the national Government, and free from all Church supervision, are reported as established; while the Catholic Church itself, stimulated, as it were, by its misfortunes, and apparently unwilling to longer rest under the imputation of having neglected education, is also giving much attention to the subject, and is said to be acting upon the principle of immediately establishing two schools wherever, in a given locality, the Government or any of the Protestant denominations establish one."

The Government also maintains national schools