This new constitution, which went into effect December 6, 1875, sweeps out of existence the State board of education; restricts (article 10, sections 4, 5, 7) the power of taxation (beyond the poll tax above mentioned) to three-fourths of 1 per cent. in a State levy and one-half of 1 per cent. in a county or city levy; withdraws the onefifth of the aggregate annual revenue of the State from its previous appropriation to the public schools, and substitutes for this an annual appropriation of $100,000 by the general assembly, with as much more as the condition of the State finances may admit. An uncertainty is thus substituted for a certainty in the income from the State for public schools; and as the general assembly, in its session of 1874-'75, struck away a portion of the regular annual school income, there seems to be a danger that the schools may suffer from this cause, unless the legislature prove more liberal than one in an embarrassed condition of affairs can be supposed to prove.

The salary of the State superintendent of education is, by the new constitution, reduced 25 per cent., in common with that of the governor and those of other executive and judicial officers.

PROVISIONS OF THE SCHOOL LAW.

The school law of 1871, with the acts of the old State board of education, remains in force till repealed by a new school law.

SCHOOL OFFICERS.

The existing officers of the educational system of the State, as far as the public schools are concerned, appear to be a State superintendent and county superintendents of education, with two school directors for each county and three trustees of schools for each township.

For the higher education there are the boards of trustees of the State Agricultural and Mechanical College and State University, with the faculties of these; and, for special instruction, the officers of the State normal schools and of the State Institution for Deaf, Dumb, and Blind.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL OFFICERS.

The State superintendent of education-elected by the qualified voters of the State, heretofore, for four years-has the general supervision of the public schools, and is to devote his time to the care and improvement of them, and to the promotion of the general interests of education in the State. He must investigate the operation of the school laws, collect information as to the arrangement of school districts, visit as far as practicable each county annually in the discharge of the duties of his office, and make annual report to the governor of the number of school districts, number of schools taught, number of persons of school age, (white and colored, male and female,) and the whole number taught in the schools. This report must contain a statement of the condition of the common schools and of the other State educational institutions, and of the amount of school funds collected and expended each year from all sources, the amount from each source being specified. He is also to prepare and distribute blank forms for school returns; to publish and circulate the laws and regulations concerning common schools; to collect and preserve in his office school books, apparatus, and works on education; to apportion the school funds among the counties according to their school population; to certify this apportionment to the State auditor, and to notify each county superintendent of the amount apportioned to his county. He may require of all school officers copies of the reports made to them by subordinates and teachers, and all other information respecting the school funds and the condition of the schools which he may deem important. With a view to the proper performance of these duties, he is to have an office at the State capitol, to be in attendance there when not absent on official duties, and to keep there special account books for each county, and special debtor and creditor accounts with each township in the State. He is to give bond in the sum of $20,000 for the faithful discharge of the duties thus imposed; and, to aid him in the discharge of them, is allowed a clerk with a salary of $1,500. County superintendents.-The superintendent of education in each county-elected every two years by the people-is charged with the duty of seeing that in every township of his county, (each township forming a school district,) is established at least one free school, in which shall be taught the elementary English studies. He is to visit at least once in each year every free school so established, with a view to examination into the condition of the school, the progress of the pupils, and the manner in which teachers and trustees discharge their duties. He is also to attend to the quarterly payment of the school teachers of his county, taking two receipts, one for himself and one as a voucher to the State superintendent; is, for this purpose, to receive and receipt for the annual State appropriation to his county, giving bond beforehand, with good security, for twice the amount to be received. It is further his duty to organize and hold annually conventions of the teachers of his county, providing beforehand for the delivery before them of lectures upon topics connected with schools and education; to examine into the condition of school lands and school funds in the county; to take the charge of all school moneys and dispose of them according to the

law; to seek out proper beneficiaries for the free places at the university and encour age them to become students thereof; to keep an office at the county seat for the performance of official duties; to have and retain there in a bound book a statement of the amounts received and disbursed by him for educational purposes, and to make at stated times reports of his work to the State superintendent. For the performance of these duties he is entitled to 5 per cent. on all moneys received and paid out by him, and to $3 per diem while actually engaged in visiting schools, provided that the pay for visitation does not exceed $100 annually, and that the whole pay shall not be less than $300 for his entire services.

County directors.-Two of these are chosen at the same time and for the same term as the county superintendent in each county, and form with him a county board for the examination and licensing of teachers; for the confirmation of engagements between township trustees and teachers licensed by the board; for the supervision of the general interests of the free schools of the county, and for the trusteeship of funds, buildings, and other property which may be given, by bequest or otherwise, for the benefit of free education.

Township boards of trustees.-In each township there are elected biennially, on the first Saturday in April, three trustees of the free public schools, who form a township board for the management and control of the educational interests of their townships, under the supervision of the county superintendent. They are to establish and maintain one or more free schools in their jurisdiction; are to engage duly licensed teachers for them, subject to the approval of the county board; are to visit these schools at least once in each term; are, every two years, to make an enumeration of the children of school age and to report the same to the county superintendent, with specification of white and colored, boys and girls; and also are to report all their transactions with respect to school funds and school lands.

SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

For the cities of Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, and some others, there are special laws, providing, in the case of the first named, for a board of school commissioners of twelve members, with the county superintendent as a thirteenth; in the case of the second, for a board of education of six members, with a city superintendent; and in the case of the third, for a board of trustees of nine members, with a city superintendent. The powers and duties of these boards appear to be essentially the same with those of county directors in the first case and of township trustees in the two others, with some additions.

SCHOOLS UNDER THE STATE SYSTEM.

The schools expressly put by law under the control of the various State officers referred to are four grades of township schools-primary, intermediate, grammar, and high-the schools for whites and blacks being separate. The studies in the first of these grades embrace spelling, reading, primary arithmetic, and the first lessons in geography; those in the second, the same, continued and expanded, with the beginnings of grammar and writing; those in the third include, with the others, composition, history, etymology, and elocution; and those of the fourth, intellectual and natural philosophy, elements of algebra, chemistry, and other branches usually taught in schools of higher grade.

Three State normal schools, one for white and two for colored pupils, besides a normal department at the State University, enter into the State system; and so, also, in some sense do the State Agricultural and Mechanical College, the State University, and the State Institution for the Instruction of Deaf, Dumb, and Blind.

SCHOOL FUNDS.

The provisions respecting the State school funds, permanent and annual, may be seen in article XII, sections 2-6, of the constitution above given.

Besides these funds, however, each county may raise, by special annual levy on all taxable property, an amount not exceeding ten cents on each hundred dollars, for the support of the common schools within it and for providing and equipping schoolhouses.

ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION.

SCHOOL PRIVILEGES ENJOYED.

The report of Superintendent McKleroy for 1874-75, p. 6, states that "in all the counties, and in nearly every school district, one or more schools have been in operation," aud" that there are but few districts where schools for each race have not existed." In those districts which, from special causes, were exceptions to the rule, the youths desiring to be sent to school have been transferred by the trustees to the schools of an adjoining district, and a proportionate amount of the fund apportioned to their town ship and race has been paid to the teachers of the schools to which they were trans ferred. "It is therefore believed that every person in the State, of school age, has had

the opportunity of attending the free public schools during the scholastic year." The tables, indeed, show that of the 406,270 persons of school age, 145,797, or about 36 per cent. of the school population, have been in these schools.

SUMMARY OF SCHOOLS.

There were in operation, during the school year 1874-75, a total of 2,610 schools for whites, which continued an average of 90 days, or 4 scholastic months. The attendance on these schools amounted to 91,202; the teachers in them were 2,675; the sums paid for teaching reached $282,389.87.

For the colored children there were 1,288 schools, continued for an average of 83 days, or 44 scholastic months, with an attendance of 54,595 pupils under 1,286 teachers, and at an expense for tuition of $207,101.92.

COST AND TIME OF TUITION.

The average cost of tuition in the white schools has been $3.09 per pupil for the term of 90 days, or 694 cents per school month. In the colored schools it has been $3.79 per pupil for the term of 83 days, or 914 cents per school month.

"It will be readily observed," says the superintendent, "that the tuition of these pupils in private schools would have been about seven times more than it has been under our free school system. It cannot be doubted that a large number of those who have enjoyed the advantages of this public education would not otherwise have been able to receive instruction in schools. It is also a fact that the schools have been kept in operation during the past year much longer than in any previous year since the constitution of 1868 has been in force."-(Report, p. 7.)

ECONOMY IN ADMINISTRATION.

In answer to the objections sometimes ignorantly made against the expenditure of such apparently large sums upon the schools, the report goes on, (p. 9:) "There are in the State 1,696 school districts, the area of each being six miles square, except in the case of fractional townships. In each of these districts there must be at least one school for each race, while in many of them more than one for each race is required to accommodate all the children. So that, though the school fund may, in the aggregate, seem large, it will be seen that the amount to each district, or to each school, is very small, when we consider among how many districts it is to be distributed, and then subdivided between the races in those districts. The whole fund of last year was only $1.39 per capita of the school population, and only $3.874 per capita of those enrolled in the schools; while the statistical tables show the average cost of tuition per pupil to be only 81 cents a month. This is indeed cheap education, and it demonstrates the utility and economy of a general State system of free public instruction. But for the free schools a much larger sum of money would be annually expended for tuition by those who now pay the taxes, and the benefits and blessings flowing from such expend iture would fall far short of being so general."

SERIOUS FINANCIAL TROUBLE.

The superintendent (p. 34 of his report) calls the attention of the governor to the painful fact that the general assembly at its session in 1875 reduced the rate of interest on the sixteenth section fund held by the State from 8 to 4 per cent., making a reduction of $73,491.66 in the annual school fund; and that, by the same act, a still further diminution of $58,526.94, being all the interest on the surplus revenue fund, was caused to the school fund. This reduction of $127,018.60 in the already small annual income for schools is a serious thing; all the more serious from the fact of the new constitution substituting an annual appropriation, which may be only $100,000, for the one-fifth of the whole State revenue previously assigned to schools. The superintendent therefore urges the restoration of the interest on the sixteenth section fund to at least 6 per cent., which, at the time of taking charge of the sale of sixteenth section lands, the State "forever pledged" its faith and credit for the payment of; while he thinks that as the State is the trustee of this fund for the townships it ought to so dispose of it that it may yield the schools the legal rate of interest, which in Alabama is 8 per cent.

Nor is this all. The constitutional provision changing the allowance of, one-fifth of the State revenue for schools to $100,000 annual appropriation has been made to have a retroactive influence, cutting off $211,568 collected during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1875. This, added to the former great reduction, is a fearful diminution of the means for supporting public schools and, threatens very serious issues to them. Already, at the date of the report, three months of the scholastic year 1875-276. had passed, and no school had been opened in the townships, nor could be, the superintendent said, until the general assembly should appropriate such an amount as was necessary to equalize and generalize the fund.and carry on the schools throughout the State.

CITY SCHOOL SYSTEMS.

The cities of Birmingham, Eufaula, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Selma report as follows in the tables appended to the State report for 1874-75:

Birmingham.-School population, 497; enrolled in schools, whites, 211; colored, 55; total enrolment, 266; average attendance in 5 white schools and 1 colored, 247. Number of teachers employed, 5; average monthly pay of teachers in white schools, $47.50; in colored, $30. Average number of white pupils to a teacher, 53; of colored, 55. Average cost of pupil per month, 62 cents.

Eufaula.-School population, 784; enrolled in schools, whites, 127; colored, 125; total, 252; average attendance in 4 white schools and 3 colored, 159. Number of teachers, 7; average pay of these in white schools, $37.50 a month; in colored schools, $33.33. Average number of white pupils to a teacher, 32; of colored, 41. Average cost of pupil a month, 73 cents.

Huntsville.-School population, 1,653; enrolled in white schools, 199; in colored, 256; total enrolment, 455; average attendance in 5 white schools and 4 colored, 403. Teachers employed, 10; average monthly pay of these in both classes of schools, $50. Average number of white pupils to a teacher, 30; of colored, 51. Average cost of pupil per month, $1.02.

Montgomery.-School population, 3,327; enrolment in white schools, 525; in colored, 595; total enrolment, 1,120; average attendance in 9 schools for whites and 9 for colored, 880. Teachers employed, 18; average pay of these in white schools, $68.90 a month; in colored, $56.67. Average number of pupils to a teacher in white schools, 58; in colored, 65. Average cost of pupil per month, $1.23.

Selma.-School population, 2,067; enrolment in white schools, 418; in colored, 412; total enrolment, 830. Average attendance in 9 schools for whites and 5 for colored, 582. Teachers employed, 17; average pay of these in white schools, $84.86; in colored, $69.43. Average number of white pupils to a teacher, 41; of colored, 59. Average cost of each pupil per month, $1.36.

Of these cities, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Montgomery have received from the Peabody fund, respectively, $700, $1,000, and $1,500; implying, in the first case, an average daily attendance of 85 per cent. on an enrolment of 225; in the second, a like attendance on an enrolment of 300; and, in the third, such an attendance on an enrolment of 450. Two other places, Roanoke and Wetumpka, come in for an allowance from the same fund for 1876 of $300 each; implying an enrolment of 100 pupils and an average attendance of 85. The rule of the trustees, in all cases where such aid is granted, is that the people are to grade the schools and provide a teacher for every 50 pupils; and in the five cities whose statistics were first given there appears to have been such grading and provision for the white schools at least.

Mobile presents, through her superintendent, E. R. Dickson, the following report, which includes, however, the schools of the county as well as of the city. School population, 25,400; enrolment in white schools, 2,855; in colored, 2,118; total enrolment, 4,973; average attendance in 45 white and 39 colored schools, 4,862. Number of teachers, 117; average pay of these per month in white schools, $61.76; in colored schools, the same. Average number of pupils to a teacher, in white schools, 36; in colored, 54. Average cost of pupil a month, $1.75.

The average number of days the schools were taught here was 126, all having been kept open for three months or more, except two, one of which was closed earlier from want of a suitable house and the other through a mistake of the teacher.

Prompt payment of teachers has done much towards giving general satisfaction and has helped to improve the schools by imparting life and animation to the teachers.(State report, tables 2-4, and p. 93.)

TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

NORMAL SCHOOLS.

There are now in operation three State normal schools. One of these, at Florence, is for the education of white male and female teachers; the other two, at Marion and Huntsville, for the training of colored ones. At Florence there were, for the year 1874-75, teachers, 4; pupils, 126; a library valued at $3,000; furniture and apparatus valued at $5,000, and buildings estimated to be worth $30,000. At Marion, teachers, 3; pupils, 70; furniture and apparatus valued at $300, and buildings estimated to be worth $5,000. At Huntsville, teachers, 2; pupils, 84; no reported buildings, furniture, or apparatus. The State appropriation for these schools is: Florence, $5,000; Marion, $4,000; Huntsville, $1,000.

The report of the American Missionary Association for 1875, pp. 44, 49, and 50, shows that it had under its care in that year 46 normal pupils at Talladega College, Talladega; 39 in Trinity School, Athens; 158 in the Emerson School, Mobile, and 14 in the Burrell School, Selma; making, with those in the three State institutions before mentioned, 537 under preparation for the work of teaching.

The Rust Normal School, Huntsville, Methodist Episcopal, reports also 2 instructors, 122 students and 200 volumes in library. It is for the training of colored youths.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.

These valuable means of improving teachers already in the field seem at last to be fairly set on foot. In four counties some incipient steps have been taken towards the formation of them, and in six others they have been held once or oftener with good and encouraging results, in one instance quite a warm enthusiasm being awakened not only among the teachers, but also among the people at the place of meeting, these begging for another session at the same place and in the same year. (County reports in that of State superintendent.)

SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.

PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS.

Of these, 215 for white pupils and 3 for colored ones appear in the tables appended to the State report; but what are the studies pursued in them, or to what extent these may be carried, is not indicated, beyond what has been stated under the head of "schools," above.

PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

Of these, one school for boys in Tuskegee reports to the Bureau 65 pupils in an English course and 35 in a classical course, under two instructors; drawing and music not taught, no laboratory for chemical manipulations, and no philosophical cabinet or apparatus, but a library of 400 volumes. Four others, for boys and girls, at Dadeville, Collinsville, Greene Springs, and Talladega, report 280 in English courses, 50 in classical, and 25 in modern languages. Music, vocal or instrumental, is taught in all these, and the ones at Dadeville and Greene Springs have chemical laboratories and some philosophical apparatus; the latter reporting also a library of about 2,500 volumes, besides a society library of 1,500.

The one at Greene Springs sends, besides its report, a programme of daily recitations, which shows studies well up in French, Latin, Greek, mathematics and natural sciences.

PREPARATORY SCHOOL OF COLLEGE.

One college reports 25 male students in its preparatory department, 15 of them preparing for a classical and 10 for a scientific course.-(Return to Bureau of Education, 1875.)

SUPERIOR INSTRUCTION.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, TUSCALOOSA.

As at present organized, the university has two departments of instruction, the academic and professional. The academic department is arranged on the usual plan of the southern universities, in eight independent schools, of Latin, Greek, English language and literature, modern continental languages, chemistry and some related studies, natural philosophy, mathematics and astronomy, and mental and moral philosophy. These schools were all in working order in 1874-75, but, the chair of Greek being vacaut, instruction in that language had to be given by three other professors. The degrees given are those of graduate in a school, bachelor of arts, bachelor of philosophy, bachelor of science, bachelor of letters, and master of arts, all having specific conditions, based upon acquirements.

An important change in the academic department is reported, from the "college" or "close system," as it is sometimes called, to the "university" or "open system," a change which involves the grading of the courses of instruction in the several schools in such a way as to meet the wants of beginners in those schools, as well as of more advanced students. By this arrangement, any applicant over fifteen years old, who has received a common school education, may enter the schools of the university without examination in regard to any fixed standard of literary qualifications, and may elect not only any school or schools in which to study, but any grade of any school in which he can study to most advantage.

A military discipline is maintained, but so regulated as not to interfere with academic duties, while it helps to develop the manly form and bearing which mark the accomplished gentleman.

OTHER COLLEGES.

HOWARD COLLEGE, MARION.

This institution, under Baptist influences, claims, as its peculiarities: (1) A system of government which preserves order, secures good morals, stimulates to diligent study, and trains to habits of promptness, punctuality, and industry. (2) A system of rewards for the encouragement of scholarship. (3) No degrees, honors or promotions, except those based on attainments. (4) A course of study divided into ten distinct schools. (5) A mode of instruction which makes the student self-reliant, giving him