thing to sing to princes, warriors, and statesmen—­all that the country holds most in honour, love, and reverence.  The impulse thus given is felt throughout the land.  Classes are formed in every town, almost in every village; the labourer, the mechanic, young men and maidens, old men and children, may be seen, after their daily toil is done, busy with the do, re, mi, fa, &c., of the class-book.  Although the system may not prove all that might be desired, yet much is taught and learned, and the desire of acquiring more is created.  The general standard of music, and musical taste, must necessarily be raised far above its previous resting-place.  It must, however, be ever borne in mind, that the system professes only to teach sight-singing, or, in other words, the power of reading music.  This power is wholly distinct from that of singing, as we have above defined the art; those who having attended, and profited to the utmost by the course, will be grievously disappointed if they expect at its close to find themselves accomplished singers.  The management of the voice is still required, and many vicious habits, contracted during the practice at the class, will have to be forgotten.  This, however, cannot be felt by the million, to whom any musical instruction will be a gift of unspeakable value, in a social and moral point of view.  The Committee of the Council well observe, that “amusements which wean the people from vicious indulgences are in themselves a great advantage; they contribute indirectly to the increase of domestic comfort, and promote the contentment of the artisan.  The songs of any people may be regarded as important means of forming an industrious, brave, loyal, and religious working-class.”  Mr Barnett calls this, “nothing but egregious cant, got up by the teachers of the Wilhelm plan, both in France and here.”  In this we cannot agree with Mr Barnett, and we scarcely understand why he should be betrayed into so much heat upon the occasion.  For ourselves, we rejoice to see any system at work for the purpose of instructing the working classes in the elements of music; and it seems to us a monstrous proposition, and nothing short of an insult to our countrymen, on the part of the prominent opposer of the Wilhelm system, to assert that the knowledge or cultivation of an art, which throughout all history has advanced hand in hand with civilization and refinement, should, among the labouring classes of England, be productive only of idleness, drunkenness, or debauchery.

The instruction of the lower classes in vocal music, however beneficial and important as an element in civilization, or however advantageous as a means by which the general taste of the people may be elevated and refined, will not be found all-sufficient, in itself, to raise our musical reputation as a nation.  Native music is at a low ebb at present; and, while musical entertainments are in such general request as almost to have excluded the “legitimate”