—The number of children in San Francisco between the ages of five and seventeen is 55,899, of whom 133 are negroes, and 4 Indians. The number under five years, of all classes, is 24,389, making a total under seventeen years, of 80,288, of whom 1,505 are Mongolians. Of the white children of school age, who have not attended any school during the past year, there are 16,147. The returns do not mention any Mongolian children as having attended school. —The Chinese Consul, Lit-Mium Cook, who has recently arrived at the port of San Francisco, says that the Chinese Government has no desire to abrogate or modify the Burlingame Treaty, and also that it believes that the Government of the United States has both the power and the will to protect Chinamen in the enjoyment of their treaty rights in this country. Mr. Seward, United States Minister to China, who arrived at San Francisco in the same vessel, expresses himself as strongly opposed, on commercial and international grounds, to any change of the existing treaty with China. There is not the slightest danger, as he thinks, that Chinese immigration will ever be so great as to give that race any control in this country, or make it injurious to our industrial interests. —Chinese labor is discountenanced by the Legislature of British Columbia. A resolution just passed declares that “Chinese laborers should not be employed upon the public works of the province, and that a clause should be inserted in specifications of all contracts awarded, to the effect that contractors will not be permitted to employ Chinese labor upon the works, and that, in event of their doing so, the government will not be responsible for payment of the contract.” —Two Chinese young men are preparing themselves for the ministry of the Episcopal Church, in San Francisco, Cal. —The Chinese Ambassador is credited with the statement that the Chinese will go to Ireland, as that is the only country that the Irish do not rule. * * * * * OUR QUERY COLUMN. One of our most experienced and successful teachers writes to us: “Why not have a Query Column in the MISSIONARY, which will bring us in contact oftener? Have questions practical, and answers concise, clear, and to the point.” To all which we say: Why not, indeed? Answer: We will. Here is, then, already the beginning—a query and an answer. The query practical, which is the only condition imposed by the writer. The answer, although our own, we are not afraid to measure by all the three conditions suggested. It is concise—not susceptible of any very great condensation; clear—no vagueness there; and to the point—indeed, a direct answer.