and write; and these three are deaf and dumb. The primary schools of the whole state are 3362. The number of pupils in them is 160,257.

We are indebted for the following document to the Honourable Horace Mann, Secretary to the Massachusetts Board of Education, who was sufficiently kind to attend to certain questions which were addressed to him, a gentleman whose heart and soul are in the cause :

"The following is a general outline of our school system, and of its administration.

"The law requires every town to maintain a school in which reading, writing, English grammar, geography, and arithmetic, shall be taught, for a longer or shorter time, according to the number of its inhabitants: when the population exceeds a certain number, a school must be kept in which higher branches are taught. But this law is a dead letter, as every town voluntarily raises money by tax, to keep a longer school than the law requires. The money is raised by a vote of the majority of artizens in town meeting, every man who pays even the smallest tax having a right to vote. To those schools supported by the town, every child has a right to go, without fee or payment of any kind.

"At the beginning of each school year, the State Board of Education send out a blank form of register to each public school in the state, on which each teacher is obliged to enter a great variety of statistical

:

facts, in relation to his school. At the end of the year, these registers, now filled, are passed into the hands of the school committee of the town. At this time also, the Board of Education send to each school committee in the Commonwealth, a blank form of return on this form the respective committees condense and collate all the facts contained in the school register, which they now have from the school teachers. They also answer all questions, which the Board see fit to propound, in the blank form of return. Having filled this last form, they return it to the Board. The school committee are also required by law to make a written report to the town at the end of their official year.

"In this report, they detail the errors or defects of the schools, and suggest plans for their improvement. A copy of this report is also transmitted to the Board of Education. From the returns and reports, the secretary of the Board prepares a volume, called the Abstract of the School Returns.' This 'Abstract' contains all the statistics of the schools for the year. It also contains selections from the committee's reports, thus prepared and printed. Several copies are sent back to each town in the state, (more or less, according to the inhabitants in the town,) so that each town and each school committee are requited for what they have contributed, receiving back the hints, advice, or suggestions, of all the other towns in the Commonwealth.

In addition to the above, the secretary of the Board visits different parts of the State, as much as is practicable,—reads all the reports of the committees, corresponds with the friends of education, and, at the end of each year, makes an annual report. This is printed by the legislature, and is sent to every school in the state.

"These are the means by which we endeavour to excite the public mind to a sense of the importance of education. For some years past, the towns in this State (whose whole population is less than 740,000) have raised, by voluntary taxation of themselves, more than £100,000. This is for the items only of teachers' wages, board, and fuel for the schools. In the five years following the organization of the Board, the amount expended on the single item of school-houses in the state, building and making permanent repairs, was £130,000. Boston, with a population of 90,000, according to the last census, has, for several years past, raised, by taxes for schools, more than £30,000. annually.

"We have three normal schools for the education of teachers. These have been established between four and five years, and are doing well. Teaching is not generally a profession here, but is becoming more and more so."

Pennsylvania makes education the right of every citizen. The Girard fund might educate the entire state; but it is so trammeled by infidel prejudice

and persecution, that its munificence is almost unavailing.

Delaware, happy in the absence of debt, and in its surplus of 500,000 dollars, regards education as a sacred trust, which its preemption enables it to execute most diligently; but still it requires contributions equal to any grant from its fund.

Virginia, having been a creditor of the General Government, by reason of advances made to it during the war, in 1816 devoted a considerable part of the repayment to its Literary Fund. The House of Delegates then ordered the directors of that fund to divide each county into townships, and the whole state into. districts, that there might be a primary school in each township, an academy in each district, and a university for the whole state. But the Senate threw some obstacles in the way. The indomitable spirit of Jefferson secured the last and to it the legislature now devotes 15,000 dollars a year. But the other branches of the original plan are far from being completed.* Already there are 1561 primary schools and 35,331 scholars.

Through most of the States of America, where education is fostered, academies are established which are sanctioned by incorporation. These institutions are generally guaranteed by those at whose instance. that act was obtained. They bear an intermediate character between the School and the University.

* Tucker's Life of Jefferson.

The infant mind is assiduously cultivated, and in no country is there such an abundant supply of books calculated to engage early attention and form the habit of early thought.

The manner of raising the revenue for the support of the schools seems various. Sometimes it is in the form of a direct capitation tax under government collection: sometimes it is of a more local levy. Where there is no literary fund, it would appear that it is often doubly paid, first to the general exchequer of the state from which grants are issued, and secondly towards the district disbursement.

The States which, in our prejudice, have been condemned as grossly ignorant we shall find, upon the most approved evidence, to be undeserving of this blame. A few may pass in review before us. Alabama is divided into two great districts. The population of both is 590,756. In the Northern District there is a university with 90 students; to which must be added 28 academies and grammar schools with 1055 scholars; 260 primary and common schools with 7544 pupils. To show the influonly 1993 of these

ence of proper parental motive,

pupils are at the public charge. In the Southern District there may be numbered a university with 62 scholars; 86 academies and grammar schools with 3953 scholars; 371 primary and common schools with 8599 pupils, of these 1220 are alone at public cost. Yet the number of white persons, over twenty years of