MUSICAL education, in England and on Continent compared, 342; encouraged and promoted by Prince Consort, 343. MUSICIAN, the professional, sketch of, in 1837, 338; and in 1897, 339. N NATIONAL character, insularity of, disappearing generally, 194; cosmopolitanism of, among upper classes, 204; imitated by the middle class, 205. NATIONAL debt, gradual reduction of, during Queen's reign, 45; reduced from £821,000,000 after Crimean War, in 1856, 45; to £652,000,000 in 1896, 45. NATIONAL Gallery, established in 1824, 354; present building of, opened in 1838, 354; Angerstein Collection, the nucleus of, 354; Vernon bequest to, in 1847, 354; £70,000 paid for Sir Robert Peel's collection, 355; £70,000 paid for 'Ansidei Madonna' to the Duke of Marlborough, 358. NAVY, training of officers and men of, 307; reduction of, on conclusion of Napoleonic Wars, 311; 132 vessels on, list on Queen's accession, 311; 461 vessels on, list at Queen's diamond jubilee, 311; Parliamentary vote for, in 1837, £3,000,000, 312; in 1897, £23,000,000, 312; establishment of H.M.S. _Excellent_ as gunnery school for, 313; manning of the, 313; the naval reserve of the, 314; institution of H.M.S. _Britannia_ for education of midshipmen for, 314; introduction of steam into the, 315; five paddle-wheel steamers in, at Queen's accession, 315; condition of, at outbreak of Crimean War, 316; recognition of value of, by Kinglake, 317; and of the special value of steam in, 317; the floating batteries of Crimean War, first ironclads of, 317; the _Warrior_ first sea-going ironclad of, 317; turret and broadside armaments in, of to-day compared, 319. NEEDLEWORK, embroidery and lace, as fashionable amusements, 419. NEIGHBOURHOOD guilds, the, of New York, 121. NEW educational authority, the want of a, 161; must have an elastic operation, 161; necessary functions of a, indicated, 162. NEW South Wales, colony of, 25; no foreign trade before 1848, 25; exports from, in 1878 amounted to £13,000,000, 25; imports into, in 1878 amounted to £17,000,000, 25; valuable coalfields of, 25. NEW York, advantages of intimate social connexion between, and London, 437. NEWSPAPERS, English, number of in 1837, only 479, 381; number of in 1897, 2396, 381; heavily taxed by Harley in 1712, 381; and by North and Pitt afterwards, 381; taxation of, lowered by Spring Rice in 1836, 381; repeal of paper duty in 1851, and rise of penny, in consequence, 381; the _Echo_, the first of the halfpenny, 385; increase of halfpenny, of late years, 385; reviews of books in, 385; great improvement in general character of, 387; growing tendency of, towards political impartiality, 387.