for common schools. "Liberal reservations were made for their encouragement in all grants of land under the state government. In addition to the income of their lands, the towns were required to raise money by tax for the use of schools. In 1836, the surplus revenue of the United States was appropriated by the towns to the support of common schools. All the children between the ages of 4 and 18 are required to attend school; but there is no system of accountability by which towns, that may neglect to make ample provision for the education of the children, can be compelled to do their duty."* In 1825, the legislature passed an act, imposing a tax upon the banks in the state, and appropriating the money thus received, together with the income from "pedlers' licenses," to the creation of a fund for the support of common schools. The interest in education in the state of Vermont is increasing at the present time.

In January 1823, the legislature of Rhode Island appropriated $10,000 annually for the support of public schools, to be divided among the several towns in proportion to the population; provided each town should raise by annual tax double the amount of its proportion of the state appropriation. This law has produced an increase in the number of the districts. There are about 700 district schools in the state; and in some of the towns very commendable efforts are making for their improvement.

I have now given a summary of the manner in which provision is made in the New England states for the education of every child in the rudiments of learning. To hese little seminaries all the children are expected to be sent, from the age of 4 years until they are 16 or 18. There are but few countries in the civilized world, where free schools are open for the admission of all the children within a convenient walking distance from their homes. We have no means of compelling children to attend the common school; generally, however, the disgrace of being unable to read and write constrains most parents to send their children to school.

It must be acknowledged that the district schools of the Eastern states have been deteriorating for the last half century; and yet the cause of education has been constantly advancing. This apparent paradox is explained by the fact, that, during this period, private schools have monopolized the attention and

* Con. Com. S. Journal Il. 153.

patronage of wealthy and influential men. They have transferred their interest from the common to the private school. The Secretary of the Connecticut Board of Commissioners says: "I would not be understood to cast any censure upon those parents, who patronize private schools. They act from the highest sense of duty to their children; but I fear they are not aware how serious an injury they inflict on the public schools, by practically pronouncing them unworthy of their attention by with-, drawing a class of children whose loss is severely felt, and by commanding, at an advanced price, the services of the best teachers. The tendency of this, especially in cities and large towns, is to degrade the common school, as the broad platform where the children of the rich and poor should start together in the career of knowledge and usefulness, into a sort of charity school for the poor."

Not less than 12,000 children in Connecticut, in 1839, were educated in private schools, at an expense to their parents and guardians of $100,000. In Massachusetts, 28,635 children and youth were educated in the same kind of schools, at an expense of $241,114. Any one may easily see, that, if all these children had remained in the district schools, if the zeal which has been lavished by parents upon private seminaries had been expended for the improvement of the common school, all the children would have enjoyed the advantages, and made the proficiency that has been made by a few. Much is said against aristocracy; but I know of nothing that tends more directly to form a higher and a lower class in society, than the building up of private schools, at the expense of common schools. In the abstract of the Massachusetts School Returns, for 1839-40, may be found the testimony of many school committees, touching the bad effects of private schools upon common education. "It seems to be quite a common opinion, that district schools are established for the benefit of the poorer portions of the community only; and that the wealthy ought not to burden the public with the education of their children. But a more narrow and anti-republican notion cannot be published." "The children of the affluent are educated at the private seminary, and the children of those whose means are limited are sent to glean what they can from the public schools. If this state of things does not kindle up, in the minds of the youth, in these opposite schools, a feeling of consequence and superiority on one hand

and of inferiority on the other, it is not because the best means have not been used to produce the effect."*

Another circumstance, that has retarded the progress of common schools, has been the want of a common superintending power. There has been no connecting link, that united schools in different and distant sections of the state together. They have been strangers and aliens to each other. "If any improvement in the principles or modes of teaching was discovered by talent or accident in one school, instead of being published to the world, it died with the discoverer. No means existed for multiplying new truths or for preserving old ones." "If a manufacturer discovers a new combination of wheels, or a new mode of applying water, or steam power, by which stock can be economized, or the value of fabrics enhanced 10 per cent., the information flies over the country at once; the old machinery is discarded, the new substituted." "Do we not need some new and living institution, some animate organization, which shall at least embody and diffuse all that is known on this subject, and thereby save, every year, hundreds of children from being sacrificed to experiments that have been a hundred times exploded?"+

About 20 years ago the attention of a few individuals was turned to the condition of our common schools. In 1824, J. G. Carter, Esq., of Massachusetts, published a series of letters to the Hon. Mr. Prescott, in a pamphlet of 124 pages, upon the Free Schools of New England. Respecting the repeal of the law, which required all towns, having 200 families, to support a Grammar School in which instruction should be given in higher branches, than in the district school, Mr. C. says: "The object and tendency of these higher schools were to raise the standard of instruction, and elicit talents and genius wherever they might be found." But this feature of our school systemthe support of one school of a higher order-has always been viewed with prejudice, and has been thought to be an institution to accommodate a few at the expense of the many. poorer classes, for the better education of whose children they seemed almost indispensable, have always been most opposed to these schools. The law has at length been struck from the statute book; and no town is now bound by law to support any school of a higher order than the district school. Certain towns,

* Abstract 1839-40, p. 385.
SECOND SERIES, VOL. VI. NO. I.

+Mann's Lecture, p. 16.
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however, are required, on condition they have no grammar school, to raise 25 per cent. more than they have done for the support of schools in the districts.

It is strange that the poorer class of people, who depend almost entirely upon the free schools for the education of their children, should be so generally opposed to raising money for their support; and also to the appropriation of small sums, from time to time, for improving their condition. This hostility on the part of the poor has probably had much influence upon wealthy and enterprising men, and determined them to remove their children to private schools, which they could make what they pleased to have them. If such has been the effect upon wealthy men, they deserve censure; for more is lost to society by the continued ignorance of the many, than has been gained by the improved education of a few.

Soon after the publication of Carter's Letters, a series upon the Importance of Teachers' Seminaries was written by Rev. T. H. Gallaudet, of Hartford. In 1826, Gov. Lincoln, in his annual message to the legislature of Massachusetts, said: "Various propositions for the advancement of education, by the establishment and endowment of institutions for qualifying teachers of youth have recently been brought before the public, and will solicit the fostering care of the legislature." During that session, the subject of the proposed seminary was discussed, but public sentiment was not prepared for action, and the plan was abandoned. The school laws were revised during that session, and no further action was had upon the subject until 1837, except the passage of the law of 1835, by which the school fund was created.

In January, 1826, a Monthly Journal was commenced at Boston, devoted exclusively to the interests of education. It has been continued to the present time; though its circulation has been limited. It is now called the Annals of Education. The influence of this periodical has been considerable. It has done much towards arousing attention to this subject.

In 1830, Rev. Asa Rand published, in Boston, a weekly paper, called the Education Reporter, which was merged in the "Annals" in less than two years, for want of support. Not far from this time, Mr. Josiah Holbrook interested himself in the cause of popular education; he has since spent most of his time in giving lectures, and in organizing lyceums in different parts of the United States. He also prepared many cheap ar

ticles of apparatus, and succeeded in securing their introduction into many schools.

In August, 1829, the American Institute held its first annual meeting. Its annual sessions continue four or five days; during which eight or ten lectures are given, upon subjects pertaining to the cause of education, by gentlemen from various parts of the country. There are often present at these meetings several hundred school teachers. County conventions began to be held in Massachusetts, about the time the Institute was formed, for the purpose of an interchange of opinions upon the great subject that was beginning to agitate the public mind. These movements were not confined to the Bay state, but extended over all New England.

It was foreseen that the frequent discussion of this important topic would result in legislative action. In April, 1837, the legislature of Massachusetts constituted a Board of Education, consisting of the Governor and Lieut. Governor for the time being, and eight other gentlemen appointed by the Executive of the commonwealth. The term of their office is eight years, with a proviso that one vacancy, and consequently one new appointment shall be made annually. They have authority to appoint a secretary, who devotes his whole time to the business of the Board, and is paid by the state. The services of the members are gratuitous; their expenses being paid by the state. The duties of the Board are: 1. To prepare and lay before the legislature in a printed form, on or before the 2d Wednesday in January, annually, an abstract of the school returns received from the towns by the secretary of the commonwealth. 2. To make a detailed report to the legislature of all their doings, with such observations as their experience and reflection may suggest upon the condition and efficiency of our system of popular education, and the most practicable means of extending and improving it."

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In consequence of the organization of the Board, conventions have been held in each county in the state for four successive years. The Secretary of the Board attends all these conventions, and delivers at each an address. A part of the time is spent, on these occasions, in discussing plans of improvement, and in eliciting information from the friends of education in the county. At the close of the year, the Secretary makes a report to the Board, which is by them laid before the legislature and published. Four of these reports have already been issued from