common schools during the year 1844, 736,045; the amount of public money applied to the payment of teachers' wages, $629,856.94; the amount raised on rate-bills, $458,127.78, making an aggregate of $1,088,084.72, and the amount of public money applied to library purposes and school apparatus, $95,159.25. The number of volumes in the several district libraries was 1,145,250, being an increase, during the year reported, of 106,854 volumes. In reference to the fund applicable to the support of district libraries, the Superintendent observes :

It is not proposed to take from the inhabitants of the school districts the power of controlling the direction that shall be given to that part of the fund denominated library money; but leave them to make such application thereof, either to the purchase of books, or the apparatus before named, or apply the whole or a part of it to the payment of teachers; subject, however, to the approval of the department. After the districts have been supplied with a given number of books, in proportion to the children in them, and after the appropriate school apparatus and maps shall have been obtained, it is believed that in many instances, it would prove highly salutary, to authorize the inhabitants of such districts to apply this money to the payment of teachers' wages generally, or of the rate-bills of exempted scholars. To ensure a faithful compliance with the conditions required, it may be necessary in all cases, to vest in the department a supervision over this expenditure. This will incite an interest in the district and its officers, where it is desired to make this application to preserve their libraries, maps, globes, black-boards and other apparatus, with the best possible care." On the subject of teachers' institutes, the Superintendent says: "Teachers' Institutes" and teachers' drills," have been held during the the last year, in nearly thirty counties in the state, and were attended by more than three thousand school teachers, for periods varying from two to to four and eight weeks of continued session. These voluntary associations are rapidly spreading over our entire state, and are destined soon, to occupy much of the public attention. An ardent desire for improvement is seated in the minds of professional teachers; "the school-master is abroad," in search of that educational knowledge which will qualify him to discharge the important duties of his profession, and elevate him and his vocation in public esteem. The Principal of the State Normal School, and the Professor of Mathematics, attended a number of these county "Institutes " during the last autumn, and several of its graduates were called upon to preside over their proceedings and conduct the courses of instruction pursued in them. The pertinent and instructive lectures of the former, and the eminently successful efforts of the latter, have been duly appreciated by the members of the institutes where these services were performed, and that appreciation has been manifested in the most decided terms of approval.It may not be out of place to remark here, that the expense of the "associations" are paid by the teachers themselves, which is somewhat burthensome to those who are females, and to others possessing limited means of support. In answer to a suggestion that some pecuniary aid and encouragement should be granted to the members attending these "institutes " by the legislature, it has been remarked that these teachers are only fitting themselves to pursue a profession for mere private gain or personal advantage, and why should this particular class more than any other, be selected as the recipients of legislative bounty and favor? But does this objection present a full and fair statement of all the facts bearing upon this subject Our laws require that a school shall be taught in a district, at least four months in the year by a licensed teacher, to entitle such district to a participation in the public moneys devoted to the maintenance of the schools; recognizing no act of this kind as legal, where the instructor does not possess in form, the evidence of full qualification; and hence it becomes a matter of the highest import to the state, and every member of the community, that these qualifications should, "in respect to moral character, learning and ability" and aptness to teach, be possessed by every instructor of youth.

The general enquiry is more as to the amount of the teacher's wages than in regard to fitness; and competition serves rather to cheapen the rewards of this employment, than to encourage an emulation to excel among the teachWhether these considerations should justify any pecuniary relief, and to what extent, must depend upon the view taken of the magnitude of the inconveniences to be overcome or removed, and the extent to which the welfare of the state may be involved by permitting their continuance."

ers.

The progress of the Normal School, during the preceding year was eminently gratifying and satisfactory. At the close of the second term thirty four of the pupils received their diplomas as teachers. During its third term, commencing on the 15th of October 1845, the number of its pupils had increased to nearly two hundred, embracing a representation from fifty eight of the fifty-nine Counties The board of instruction was increas ed and strengthened by the appointment of DARWIN G. EATON, as teacher of Mathematics, in conjunction with Prof. PERKINS, SUMNER C. WEBB, as Teacher of Arithmetic and Geography, SILAS T. BOWEN, of Grammar, WILLIAM W. CLARK, of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, WILLIAM F. PHELPS, as Permanent Teacher of the Model or Experimental School, and Miss ELIZABETH C. HANCE, as Teacher of Reading and History.

" was

"The end proposed in the establishment of the Normal School" observe the Executive Committee in the Annual report for the present year to educate teachers for our common schools; to send forth those to take charge of the susceptible minds of the children of this commonwealth, who, together with high moral principles, should possess the requisite knowledge of the branches to be taught, and withal be "apt to teach." The school was designed to educate the moral qualities of the instructor-to impress him with the solemn responsibilities of his work-so that he might feel the blessedness of being patient, longsuffering and unwearied in his efforts for the good of his pupils. It was intended to teach its students, and by their precept and example to impress all who aspired to the honor of instructing, that the work of teaching was so important that no labor of preparation could be too great, since the good that could be accomplished was vast, beyond the powers of human conception. Hence a stimulus was to be imparted to the teacher, which should never be spent, but be continually operative, urging him to the acquisition of higher attainments in virtue, knowledge and aptness to teach. This, it is conceived, was the philanthropic end which the legislature of 1844 had in view, when they established the Normal School."

On the first day of June of this year, a Convention of Delegates from the several Counties of the State met at Albany for the revision of the Constitu tion. On the 5th Mr. BOWDISH, of Montgomery, moved for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the expediency of the establishment of a system of FREE SCHOOLS for the State. On the 12th, a standing committee, consisting of MR. NICOLL of New-York, as chairman, Messrs. Munro, of Onondaga; Bowdish, of Montgomery, A. W. Young, of Wyoming; Tuthill, of Orange; Willard, of Albany; and Hunt of New-York, was appointed by the President, (the Hon JOHN TRACY, of Chenango,) on the subject of education, common schools and their appropriate funds. On the 15th Mr. R. CAMPBELL, of Otsego offered a resolution of inquiry as to the propriety of a constitutional provision for the security of the common school, literature deposit and other trust funds, from conversion or destruction by the legislature, and the establishment of such a system of common schools as will, by taxation, bestow the facility of acquiring a good education on every child in the State," which was adopted by the Convention, and referred to the Committee. On the 18th, the President presented to the Convention a communication from S. S. Randall, President of the State Convention of County Superintendents of common schools, held at Albany, in April preceding, transmitting a preamble and resolutions in favor of the Free School System,

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On the 22d of July, Mr. NICOLL, from the committee, reported for the consideration of the Convention, a series of propositions designed to be incorporated as a part of the new constitution, declaring the proceeds of all lands

belonging to the state, except such parts thereof as might be reserved, or appropriated to public use, or ceded to the United States, which shall hereafter be sold or disposed of, together with the fund denominated the Common School fund, and all moneys heretofore appropriated by law for the use and benefit of said fund, should be and remain a perpetual fund, the interest to be inviolably appropriated and applied to the support of common schools throughout the state; that the net revenues of the U. S. Deposit Fund, should likewise be inviolably applied to the same purpose, after meeting all existing appropriation; and that the legislature should, at its first session after the adoption of the proposed constitution, and from time to time thereafter as should be necessary, provide by law for the free education and instruction of every child between the ages of four and sixteen years, whose parents, guardians or employers, shall be resident in the state, in the Common Schools now established, or which should thereafter be established therein—the expense of such education and instruction after applying the public funds as above provided, to be defrayed by taxation, at the same time and in the same manner as provided by law for the liquidation of town and county charges. This latter provision, relating to the establishment of free schools, the committee proposed to submit separately to the people of the state, for their sanction.

On the 1st day of October, Mr. BOWDISH, of Montgomery, made a powerful and eloquent appeal to the Convention in behalf of this great measure of Free Schools, in which he was sustained by Mr. NICOLL, of New York, Mr. WORDEN, of Ontario, Mr. PATTERSON, of Chautauque, Mr. RUSSELL, of St. Lawrence, and others; and on the 8th of October, the day preceding the adjournment of the Convention, the first section reported by the committee permanently appropriating the proceeds of State lands and the Common School fund, to the support of common schools, was after some discussion adopted by a vote of 104 to 3. Mr. NICOLL then moved the adoption of the following section, to be separately submitted to the people, viz:

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"§ 6. The Legislature shall provide for the free education and instruction of every child of the State in the common schools, now established, or which shall hereafter be established therein."

This section was adopted by a vote of 57 to 53, on a call for the ayes and noes; and a provision added on motion of Mr. RUGGLES, of Dutchess, by a vote of 82 to 26, directing the legislature to provide for raising the necessary taxes in the several school districts, to carry out the intention of the section. As thus modified, the entire ninth article of the proposed constitution, as reported by the committee, was agreed to by the convention and ordered to be engrossed. The convention then took a recess for dinner. On the assembling of the Convention in the afternoon, Mr. ARPHAXED LOOMIS, of Herkimer, offered a resolution to refer the article to a committe of ONE with instructions to strike out the two last sections, relating to the establishment of Free Schools, and report the same as amended to the Convention INSTANTER. Mr. TAGGART; of Genesee. sustained, and Mr. TOWNSEND, of New York, opposed this motion; but under the operation of the previous question, it prevailed by a vote of 61 to 27; and Mr. Loomis being appointed the committee, immediately reported as instructed, and his report being agreed to by the Convention, the provision for the establishment of Free Schools, as a portion of the Constitution was finally defeated.

The ninth article as adopted is as follows:

"The Capital of the Common School Fund; the capital of the Literature Fund, and the capital of the United States Deposit Fund, shall be respectively preserved inviolate. The revenue of the said common school fund shall be applied to the support of common schools; the revenue of the said literature fund shall be applied to the support of academies; and the sum of $25,000 of the revenues of the United States Deposit fund shall each year be appropriated to and made a part of the capital of the said common school fund"

On the 1st of October, of this year, SAMUEL L. HOLMES, Esq., of the County of Westchester, received the appointment of State Deputy Superin

tendent of common schools, to supply the vacancy occasioned by the resig nation and retirement on account of ill health of the then incumbent S. S. Randall, who had held the office during the two preceding administrations, and up to the present period.

From the annual report of the Superintendent for 1847, it appeared that the number of organized school districts in the state, on the first of July preceding, was 11,008; the number of children between the ages of 5 and 16, 704,000; the number of children of all ages under instruction in the common school during the year 1845, 742,433; the amount of public money applied during the same year to the payment of teachers wages, $635,051.15; the amount contributed on rate bills for the same purpose $460,764.78 making an aggregate of $1,095,815.93; the amount of public money expended in the purchase of libraries and school apparatus in the several districts, $95,881.86, and the number of volumes in the several District Libraries, 1,203,139, being an increase during the year reported of 57,889 volumes.

"A successful administration of the school laws of the State," observes the superintendent "requires an intelligent and active local, as well as general supervision; and without the former it is believed the present organization must eventually be abandoned, and one less complex in its details and arrangements and less stringent in its requirements, adopted in the place of it. Numerous plans, no doubt, might be suggested on paper, giving promise of great excellence if adopted; but when brought to the test of actual experiment they will entirely fail to accomplish the object designed. Radical changes in any system of public instruction, perfected by years of trial, and accommodated to the habits and inclination of the community, will be found a hazardous expedient. After struggling through a long series of years to elevate our schools, to infuse a greater zeal and excite a higher interest in regard to them, without advancing one step in attaining these objects, actual visitation and inspection were provided as a substitute for an inefficient local supervision; and this duty was enjoined upon officers designated by law. The results of this change have been and now are seen and deeply felt in our own state and by our people, and have justly excited commendation and approval wherever they are known in other states of the Union.

"The actual external and internal condition of our common schools, always a subject intensely iuteresting to the philanthropist, and the patriotic statesman, is such in the judgment of the Superintendent as will afford much satisfaction in regard to the present, and allow high hopes for the future. That more might have been accomplished since the establishment of our system, and under other and more favorable circumstances, is quite probable; but that we now see upwards of seven hundred and forty thousand of the youth of our state resorting to the common schools in pursuit of knowledge, should excite in us profound gratitude to the All-wise disposer of national events, and the highest respect for the founders of the system." The Superintendent also renewed his recommendation of the preceding year in relation to the appropriation of the whole or a portion of the Library money of the several districts, to the payment of teachers' wages, under a vote of the district subject to the approbation of the department.

Under the provisions of an act passed in 1846, schools for the instruction of Indian children were organized on the Onondaga, Cattaraugus, Allegany and St. Regis reservations, under circumstances eminently favorable to the intellectual and moral improvement of this class of the population.

Gov. YOUNG, in his annual message to the legislature, for the present year, thus alluded to the Normal School:

The State Normal School continues to advance in public estimation and public usefulness. Its only object is to improve the teachers of common schools, and any progress in the advancement of that object, it quite apparent, must exert a salutary influence on the cause of education throughout the state."

The Executive Committee, in their annual report, stated that the number of pupils in attendance during the fourth term of the school, commencing in May, and closing in September, 1846, was 205, and that every county, with a single exception, was represented. The number of graduates, at the close of the third term, was 47, and of the fourth, 63. 'It is found," observe the committee, "upon examination of the school register, that since Dec. 18, 1844, 508 students have attended the school for a longer or a shorter period. Of this number 178 are now in the school; 6 have died; 14 were found to be incompetent for teaching, and were at an early day advised to engage in other pursuits; 11 left on account of ill health, unfitting them alike for study or teaching; and 29 left at an early period of their connection with the school, relinquishing for various reasons the purpose of teaching. If these numbers be added, their sum will be found to be 238; and if this last number be subtracted from the whole number on the register, the remainder to be accounted for is 270. Of these 270, 144 are graduates of the school, and the committee know that 129 of them have been engaged in teaching since their graduation; and of the remaining 15 graduates one has died, and the rest, with the exception of four, are believed to be teaching, though no definate knowledge of their pursuits has been obtained. It may also be proper to state, that those persons who have not been heard from, were graduates of last term, and sufficient time has hardly elapsed to afford an opportunity of learning their pursuits. Of the remainder of the 270, numbering 126, who left the school prior to graduation, nearly all, on leaving, declared that it was their intention to teach. 84 are known to have taught since they left, and but few of the others have been heard from. Thus, it appears that the school has sent out 213 persons, who, when heard from; were actually engaged in teaching. In many instances, also, accounts have been received of the manner in which these students were acquitting themselves as teachers, and the committee are happy to say, that as far as heard from, they are giving great satisfaction."

On the 13th of November, 1847, the legislature passed an act abolishing the office of County Superintendent of Common Schools, and directing that all appeals authorized by law, to be brought to them, should be made directly to the State Superintendent, and that the annual reports heretofore made to them by the Town Superintendents, should be made to the County Clerks, respectively, and condensed statements thereof by them, be transmitted to the department.

For this measuse the friends of the system, although they had, with great unanimity, resisted it for a series of years, were prepared, from the great unpopularity of the office, growing out of the mode of appointment and of the compensation of this class of officers. Their selection had been, very injudiciously, confided to the Boards of Supervisors of the respective counties, whose functions, however useful and important in other respects, had no particular reference to the educational wants and interests of the community; and who were, besides, to a great extent, divided into political parties, upon the varying supremacy of which, the choice of County Superintendents was, too generally made to depend, without especial regard to the intellectual and moral qualifications of the candidate for the important and responsible station he was destined to fill. While, therefore, far the greater number of officers appointed by them, were men eminently qualified for the discharge of their duties, there were some who were justly obnoxious to the charge, not only of incapacity, but of a perversion of the high functions devolved upon them to sinister personal and political ends; and the indignation excited by these instances of disregard of duty and moral obliquity, gradually extended itself to other localities where no reasonable grounds for suspicion existed. The pecuniary burden likewise, of defraying one-half the salary of these officers from the county treasuries, was magnified and dwelt upon by the interested and designing; and the legislature was annually flooded with petitions for the abolition of the office, as unnecessary, oppressive and improperly administered. Committee after committee, to whom these peti