Wo have received the new issue of The Official Year-Book
of the• Church of England. (S.P.C.X.)—We need scarcely say that it contains a great amount of interesting matter. Here is a fact which might be useful for purposes of " Church Defence." In the twenty-five years, 1860-1885, X4,513,006 was spent on what may be called "capital account, i.e., in outlay for permanent works in.
eighteen large towns in England and Wales. Indeed, in respect of Church extension, the figures are quite astonishing. In the nine- teen years, 1872.1890, 13,459 Deacons were ordained (9,322, or about 06 per cent., were University men). One would like to see the confirmations more numerous. In 1890 these wore a little short of 200,000.—The Australian Handbook, described as a " Shippers' and Importers' Directory and Business Guido," &c. (Gordon and Gotch), is in its twenty-second year of issue.—Ono of the Australian Colonies is specially dealt with in The Wealth and Progress of New South Wales, 1889-90, by T. A. Coghlan (C. Potter, Sydney). This is the "fourth issue" of what may be taken as an authoritative publication.—The Electrical.
Trades Directory and Handbook for 1891. (George Tucker), deals with the various branches of a vast and continually in- creasing industry. A reader who may not have paid attention to the subject will be astonished at the amount of information given. The " Biographical Section" contains hundreds of names.
—Herbert Fry's Royal Guide to London Charities, edited by John Lane (Chatto and Windus), presents another side of human activity very surprising in its way. Of course, such a book could, hardly have omitted all notice of General Booth and his scheme.
The editor quotes some excellent remarks made by one of the most successful parish priests in London,. Mi. Shelford, Rector of
St. Mary, Stoke Newington. " There is no proposal in 'Darkest. England,' " Mr. Shelford writes, " which has not been already long tried, although perhaps on a smaller and less pretentious scale,'" tried, i.e., by the Church of England, which some of Mr. Booth's friends, if not himself, would have us believe has been standing by with folded hands.—The Clergy Directory and Parish Guide, 1891. (I, S. Phillips.)
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