The attention of the American nation is being turned, as never before, to the question of education; the wealth of the nation is being literally poured forth upon a scale and with a munificence unprecedented perhaps in the history of the world. "In the single decade, from 1870 to 1880," says Dr. Warren, President of the Boston University, in his report for the year 1884-85, "private individuals in the United States consecrated to educational purposes, by free gift and devise, more than thirty millions of dollars." This fact, taken in conjunction with the truly noble deed of "the Hon. Leland Stanford, who by one act set apart for the founding and equipping of a new University in California the magnificent endowment of twenty millions of dollars," speaks volumes. The educational future of America was never so full of promise as to-day. HISTORICAL RECORD. January 15.--Annual meeting of the American Statistical Society, at Boston. Officers were elected as follows: President, Francis A. Walker; vice-presidents, George C. Shattuck and Hamilton A. Hill; corresponding secretary, Edward Atkinson; recording secretary, Carroll D. Wright; treasurer, Lyman Mason; librarian, Julius L. Clarke; counsellors, J. R. Chadwick, Benjamin F. Nourse, John Ward Dean; committee on publication, R. W. Ward, Walter C. Wright, C. D. Bradlee; finance committee, Lyman Mason, D. A. Gleason, Otis Clapp. Edward Atkinson read a paper in which he discussed the question of the cost of living, and showed that the tendency, recent and present, has been, and is, an ameliorating one. * * * * * January 16.--The Salem Athenaeum proprietors held a meeting to take action on the proposed consolidation of its library with the several other private collections, for the nucleus of a public library. The proposition had already been accepted by the Essex Institute, and a committee appointed to confer with other societies. There was some discussion, and a committee, consisting of William Mack, the Rev. E. B. Willson, John Robinson, T. Frank Hunt, and Charles Osgood, was chosen by a vote of 41 to 10 to carry out the project of consolidation. * * * * * January 18.--Annual meeting of the Webster Historical Society, at the Old South Meeting-house, in Boston. Officers were elected as follows:-- President, the Hon. Joshua L. Chamberlain, of Maine.