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fixed rules on the subject of corporal punishment; but they are of opinion, that the frequent infliction of it should be discouraged, and that it should only be administered for serious moral offences. In the estimate of annual expenses, one hundred guineas are allotted for premiums; but it is expressly stated, that this is not fixed as a limit, should a larger sum be found necessary. The vacation is to be two months, commencing from the first day of August; and there is to be a recess of a week at the new-year, and one regular holiday-the King's birth-day. As the crowded state of many of the Classes in the High School was one of the causes which led to the establishment of the Academy, it is provided, that the number in each of the four Junior Classes shall not exceed 110, and in the Rector's Class 160, making the total maximum number 600. No regulations are made as to the age at which boys are to enter the Academy; it is presumed, however, that as the course extends to six years, they will generally enter about eight, and leave about fourteen.

For the details of the fees we must refer to the "Statement" itself. One obvious and very necessary improvement has, however, been introduced, in laying it down as an absolute rule, that no Master shall, on any pretence whatever, take higher fees than those fixed by the Directors, or receive Candlemas gifts, or any other gratuity whatever. The abolition of these donations, so degrading to the teacher, and generally so annoying to parents, is a real and positive good, and must be productive of the best consequences. Every body in the least acquainted with what takes in schools, is sufficiently aware of the gross and shameful partially often engendered by double fees and large Candlemas gifts, and of the marked distinction which is thus openly made between the children of wealthy and poor parents. Much contemptible nonsense has been talked about the patrician character which this school would inevitably assume, in consequence of the small increase in the average amount of the annual payments; and many well-meaning persons, in moderate or narrow circumstances, have thereby been led to view

the Academy with feelings of jealousy and aversion; but we are confident that every parent, whatever be his station in life, would rather submit to pay the difference according to a fixed and invariable rule, than have his son exposed to the humiliation of presenting a gift, which was the next moment, perhaps, to be covered by one of five or ten times the amount. It must require optics peculiarly nice, we should think, to detect any patrician tendency in thus placing all the boys on a footing of the most perfect equality. Janitor's fees and coal-money are also suppressed. In addition to the fees to be paid to the Masters, there is also to be levied a school-fee of two guineas for the First Class, and three guineas for each of the others, to provide for the interest of the capital, the Masters' salaries, and other annual charges, of which an estimate is given in the "Statement." This, however, is fixed upon the supposition that the number of boys attending the Academy shall not exceed 500; but, it is added, that should the number reach the maximum, or 600, this fee may in time be diminished. Detailed computations are then given of the payments made in six years at the present High School, and of those which it will be necessary to make during the same period at the Academy, conformably to the scale of fees fixed by the Directors; from which it appears, that the average annual expense at the former is £.6, 18s., exclusive of extra payments made by a great number of boys; whereas at the latter, it will be £.9, 12s. 10d., being an average annual increase of £.2, 14s. 10d. In return for this increase, however, the pupils will have the advantage, 1, Of more extended instruction in Greek; 2, Of being thoroughly grounded in English Reading, Elocution, and Modern History; 3, Of a regular attention to Geography in all the Classes; and, 4, Of being taught Arithmetic, and initiated in the elements of Algebra and Geometry.

Assuming the whole number of scholars at 500, it is calculated that the emoluments of the English-Master will be £.390, those of the Teacher of Arithmetic £.291, those of the four Under Latin-Teachers £.391 each;

and those of the Rector £.688; but should the number of pupils reach the maximum, or 600, these sums will then be £.460, £,369, £.466, and £.772 respectively. For obvious reasons, it has been deemed necessary to guarantee £.400 a-year to the Rector, and £.200 a-year to each of the Masters of the four Junior Classes for the first four years.

The following are the qualifications with regard to which Candidates are required to furnish state

ments:

"1. The age of the Candidate. "It is highly desirable, in an establishment such as this, especially where a new system is to be organized, that the Masters should be in the full vigour of life, not only on account of the present activity that will be required, but to afford a greater security of their remaining long enough to mature the system, and see it firmly established.

"2. Testimonials of moral character, and most particularly of temper. 3 Where he has received his education.

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"5. Whether he has had any experience in teaching, where, of what kind, and to what extent.

"6. Whether can he name any persons whom he has taught, who have afterwards distinguished themselves by their attainments, either at the Universities or elsewhere.

"7. To name persons to whom the Directors may make personal application for such farther information as they may require.

8. Whether he belongs to the Church, or has any views to that profession.

"Before engaging any Master, it will be absolutely necessary for the Directors to ascertain that his general health is good, that he is not subject to attacks of any violent disease, such as fits, and whether he has any marked natural deformity, and what that is.

"In addition to the qualifications implied in the preceding queries, the Masters of the Latin and Greek department, but more particularly the Rector, will be required to produce testimonials of their having a com

petent knowledge of Latin and Greek, and of Composition in those languages, both in Prose and Verse, from persons of acknowledged authority; and they must also state, whether they have directed their attention to the teaching of Geography, and if they have had any experience in the monitorial system of instruction.

"The English-Master is required to produce testimonials of his thorough knowledge of English Literature, of his having paid particular attention to the genius and structure of his own language, and of a competent acquaintance with the learned languages,-all from persons of acknowledged authority.

"It is not merely to give the Boys a better accent, and to make them read better, that the Directors have determined to employ an English Master, but to endeavour to lay the foundation of a taste for English, as well as for Classical Literature: it is therefore necessary for the fulfilment of this object, that the Master of this important department should be a well-educated, accomplished scholar.

"The Teacher of Arithmetic is required, in addition to his answers to the preceding general inquiries, to produce testimonials of his attainments in Mathematical knowledge, and that he has given proof of his being skilful in communicating that knowledge to others.

"The most important testimonials which a Writing-Master can produce, are from those whose children he has already taught. It is desirable also that the Candidates should, if required, write in presence of the Di. rectors; and they are to produce specimens of their penmanship. This last testimonial, however, we are well aware, is a very imperfect criterion to judge by, in estimating the qualifications of a Writing-Master.'

Next, as to the conditions on which Masters are to be engaged. "No Master employed in the Academy shall be removed, unless two-thirds of the Directors shall concur in thinking his removal indispensable; and even in this case, the Directors shall not have power to remove a Master without giving him six months' notice, or a sum equivalent to his emoluments for half-a-year;

unless in the case of a grave offence, of which the Directors are to be the sole judges, when the removal may take place without the necessity of notice, and on payment of the year's salary only. Every Master, before leaving the School, shall give six months' notice, under a penalty of the forfeiture of his year's salary."

We observe, with pleasure, that, at their first meeting, the Directors entered on their minute-book the following resolution, to which each Director affixed his signature: "The Directors resolve and pledge themselves to each other, that they will on no occasion come under any engagement, express or implied, with regard to any appointment in the Institution, but keep themselves entirely disengaged till the time of actually making the appointment." This is manly, liberal, and just; and will remove from the minds of Candidates all dread of that secret or underhand influence by which such appointments are too often disposed

of.

It only remains to state, that the building destined for the reception of the different Classes which compose the Academy, stands in an area of nearly four English acres, surrounded by a wall, with a covered way along part of the boundary, to shelter the boys while at play in rainy or damp weather, and that it is to be warmed by heated air, and ventilated on the most approved plan. We are happy to be able to illustrate the previous abstract by a groundplan of the whole space and buildings, a perspective elevation of the south front, and a table of the weekly distribution of time in the six classes. From these the public will observe, that, in providing for the improvement of pupils, their health has not been lost sight of, and that the Edinburgh Academy gives a fair promise of combining a greater number of advantages than any similar institution in this part of the United Kingdom.

We cannot conclude, however, without expressing our hope that corporal punishment will be entirely abolished, even in the extreme cases to which the Directors refer. We are convinced that this species of discipline in public schools is a

great evil in itself, without being productive of any good to counterbalance it. In the first place, it degrades a boy in the estimation of his fellow-scholars, unless, indeed, the flagellation system be so general that it has ceased to be disgraceful. In the next place, a boy's morals will never be improved by the mere dread of physical pain. In the third place, corporal punishment is certain to render a high-spirited boy obstinate, sullen, and untractable. In the fourth place, it is not necessary; for a Master who cannot maintain order in his class without the lash, will never succeed with it; and those Masters, who have entirely laid aside this barbarous discipline, have invariably succeeded, not only in maintaining better order than those who employed it, but in inspiring the youth under their charge with high notions of honour and propriety, which become identified, as it were, with the very elements of their moral nature. In the last place, it is apt to create, in the minds of those who suffer it, an utter distaste of learning, coupled with a hatred of the person who inflicts it, and thus to produce the very evils which it is meant to remedy. Boys are naturally full of generosity; let a master be kind, and at the same time dignified; let him appeal to their sense of honour, and he will never appeal in vain. In proportion as that sense of honour is confidently appealed to, a boy rises in his own estimation; his moral sensibility becomes finer and more acute; he learns that he has a name and a character to support; he feels the force of opinion, and desires to stand well with his master and his fellow-scholars; his ambition for moral and intellectual superiority is at one and the same time called into action. We know the usual common-places by which this Gothic practice is defended; but the answer to all these is, that the experiment has been tried, and succeeded. Unless, therefore, flagellation be a bonum in se, we know no reason why it should be continued,-why boys, receiving the best education the kingdom can afford, should be treated like a parcel of negroes in the West Indies,-why the Master should add to his other functions that

of a public whipper. We never knew an instance in which the whip improved the judgment or the memory we have known many in which it impaired both. But it will make an idle boy apply. Will it ? We should be glad to hear of an instance. It may certainly make him seem to apply, and stare at his book, as if he were performing one of Darwin's experiments, but he will continue as ignorant and immoveable as ever. Love, not Fear, is the instru

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ment we would employ. The rigorous discipline established in the British Navy is well known; yet there are several instances in which crews been managed, not only with full, of 300 and 500 men have, for years, but absolute authority, without ever having recourse to the boatswain's mate.

110 or 140 boys, most of them of Is it more difficult to govern good families, and trained, from their tenderest years, to habits of correctness and propriety? We think not.

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QUERIES ON TAXATION.

1. WHETHER a tax on commodities is not equivalent to a tax on land? By taxing a commodity, you either lower the price of the material, or you raise the price of the manufacture. By lowering the price of the material, you lower the value of the land that produces it; and by raising the price of the manufacture, you lower the real or relative value of land. It is evident, that the relative value of manufactures and of land must be inversely proportional to each other, and that whatever raises either of them, must proportionally sink the other.

By taxing a great many commodities, you either lower the price of a great many materials, or raise the price of a great many manufactures. The first effect must lower the price of land, or its value relatively to money; and the second must lower the real value of land, or its value when compared with commodities.

II. Whether a tax on land is not equivalent to a tax on income?

By lessening the wealth of the landlord, it lessens the demand for commodities; and by lessening the demand, it lowers the price.

By lessening the demand and lowering the price of commodities, it lessens the demand and lowers the price of labour; and thus operates as an indirect tax on the income of the labourer.

By lowering the price of commodities, it lowers the profits of capital; and thus operates as an indirect tax on the income of the capitalist.

Now, whatever lessens the incomes of the landholder and of the capitalist, must also lessen the incomes of the physician, the lawyer, and the

author; because it lessens the effectual demand for their services. The effectual demand for intellectual industry, like the effectual demand for bodily industry, must be proportioned to the wealth of the em ployers.

When the price of commodities is lowered, it will be just that the incomes of the public functionary and of the public creditor should be proportionally reduced. This will reduce the price of commodities still more, by lessening the effectual demand for them. The relative wealth of the landlords will not be lessened by the land-tax, if all other incomes are proportionally reduced *.

III. Whether a tax on income is not equivalent to a tax on commodities? And, if a tax on land is equivalent to a tax on income, does it not follow, that a tax on land is equivalent to a tax on commodities?

IV. If a tax on commodities and a tax on land are equivalent to one another, would it not be desirable to tax the land rather than the goods, as you thereby simplify the practice, and lessen the expense of taxation? If this proposal be just in principle, nothing can be easier than the execution. Let 20 per cent. be taken off all the indirect taxes, and let a sum, equal to one-fifth of the revenue obtained by these taxes, be levied directly on the land, and let the incomes of public creditors and public functionaries be reduced, as soon as the price of commodities has decidedly fallen. If the income of landholders should fall in a greater degree than the prices of commodities †, the tax must be unequal, and unjust in its operation, and it will

If incomes were proportionally reduced, and the supply of commodities not diminished, no real loss would be sustained by any person. But the truth is, that the supply of commodities is diminished by the increased consumption of the Government. If Government consumes more, private persons must consume less, unless the supply be increased. Increased supply is the effect, but not the immediate effect, of increased consumption.

+ Perhaps the demand for commodities may increase when the tax is lessened, and the fall of prices be thereby diminished. Should this be the effect, the revenue will be increased; and the excess may be either applied to the payment of the National Debt, or indirectly repaid to the landlords, by lessening the tax of the subsequent year. In this way, and in many other ways, temporary inequalities will gradually rectify

themselves.

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