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1. Powers and Responsibilities of School Trustees,--by the Editor, II. Education for an Agricultural People,...

III. MISCELLANEOUS.-1. Universal Education. 2. School Supervision. 3. Teacher's Qualifications. 4. Normal School Teachers-School should be supported by the Rich. 5. Punctuality. 6. Birds of Passage (Poetry). 7. The True Principles of Government, both in Fanilies and Schools. 8. Small Children in School. 9. Hints on the Daily Exercises of the School. 10. Partia Systems of Education. 1. Parents and Teachers. 12. Parental Responsibility. 13. Essentials of Self-Education. 14. Mental Excitement. 15. Beautiful Signification; and two short articles, IV. EDITORIAL-1. School Maps and Apparatus. 2. Erection of School-houses. 3. New-York an Example. 4. Female Teachers in France. 5. Free Schools. 6. Normal Schools. 7. Massachusetts new School Laws. V. EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.-1. Canada. 2. British and Foreign. 3. United States,

VI. LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE....

VII. Depository of Maps, Books, Apparatus, &c., for Public Schools,...
VIII. EDITORIAL Notices,

POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL

TRUSTEES.

(BY THE EDITOR.)

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As considerable correspondence has taken place in the department of Public Instruction respecting the authority of School Trustees, especially in cities, towns, and, ineorporated villages, and as the discussion of the question has been introduced into some of the public papers, we deem it proper to explain the objects and nature of the provisions of the School Act on this important subject.

2. From the correspondence on the subject of the School Law, which was printed by order of the Legislative Assembly last year, it appears that in each of four reports which the Chief Superintendent made to the Governor General, between March 1846 and May 1850, he adverted to the radical defects of the School law in reference to the office of School Trustees, and the necessity of increasing their powers, in order to improve the Schools, as well as improve the character of the Trustee Corporations. The provisions of the present Act were, therefore, intended to remedy the evils thus repeatedly pointed out and very generally felt.

3. The evils were two fold;-the powerlessness of Trustees when elected, and deficiency in the qualifications of persons elected -the latter being, to a great extent, the consequence of the former.

Trustees could not establish or maintain a good school without employing a good Teacher; and they could not procure such a Teacher without securing to him a fair salary. This they could not do, as they had not power to secure the payment of such salary. They depended upon two uncertain resources for means to meet their engagements. The one was a rate-bill, the amount of which was as uncertain as the varying feelings of the persons having children to send to the school. If that resource failed, or was insufficient, as was very commonly the case, the only remaining resource (except voluntary subscription) was to petition the Municipal Council to impose a tax to make up deficiencies; and one or two persons in a school section opposed to such tax could, by their representa

tions to the Council, almost invariably defeat the Trustees. The effect was loss to the Teacher, mortification, defeat and contumely to the Trustees.

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4. Such was the case in numbers of school sections where the Trustees were intelligent, active and public spirited. In those seetions where the Trustees themselves were, indifferent to their duties and obligations, the state of things was still worse in respect both to children and the Teachers, especially as Teachers had no remedy against the Trustees personally.

5. The consequence of all this was, that the office of School Trustee was burdensome and vexatious; and being powerless, it fell into contempt. Intelligent and active Trustees frequently became discouraged and disgusted, and refused to serve, as did other competent persons, and incompetent persons were elected. Thus the office of School Trustee was regarded, to a great extent, if not generally, as one of the least respectable and most undesirable of all the elective offices in the gift of the people.

6. Now, the objects contemplated by the provisions of the present School Act were, as far as possible, to remedy this accumulation of evils by rendering the office of School Trustee one of the most powerful for good, and therefore one of the most honourable in town or country; and thus to induce the utmost care and vigilance on the part of the electors to choose proper persons for that office, and to induce such persons to accept it and become candidates for it, as they do in regard to other responsible and honourable offices, the occupancy of which depends upon popular election.

7. The principle on which these provisions of the School Act are founded, is in harmony with that which lies at the foundation of our general system of government. It is that of representation. In our representative system of government, a town or township tax is imposed by the elected representatives of that town or township. So a county or provincial tax is imposed by the elected representatives of the people in a County Council or in the Provincial Legislature. Those representatives possess the largest discretionary powers to raise moneys to erect public buildings, and make or authorize contracts and provide for their fulfilment. No surprise or doubt is expressed or entertained in regard to such representative powers, because they are familiar to all, and known by all to be necessary for the interests and improvements of the country, however objectionable or unwisely they may be exercised in particular cases. On the same principle are based the enlarged powers of School Trustees, whose numbers are much larger in proportion to the respective constituencies they represent than members of Township or County Councils, or of the Provincial Legislature.

8. The principle of the School Act, therefore, is, that the Trustees, or elected School Representatives, of each school division, whether section, village, town or city, shall determine the amount of every description of school expenditure, of contracts, appoint

ments and management in all school matters, in such section, village, town or city, and have the power to give effect to their estimates, engagements and plans of proceeding. These powers and duties appertain to all Trustee Corporations, whether in town or country. It is not the office of a public meeting, in the country, any more than in town, to determine what sum or sums shall be raised and expended for school purposes; that is, in all cases, the right and duty of the Trustees, as may be seen by referring to the 12th section of the School Act, 4th and 5th clauses, and the 3rd, 4th and 6th clauses of the 24th section.

9. In the country, a public meeting called in each School Section decides upon the manner in which such sum or sums shall be raised, but nothing as to the amount; and if the means thus provided are insufficient to defray the expenses estimated and incurred by the Trustees, they are authorized by the 12th section, latter part of the 7th clause of the Act, to assess, and cause to be collected, any additional rate on the property of the School Section that may be necessary to pay the balance of such expenses. By the 9th clause of the same section, Trustees can exercise their own discretion and convenience, either to assess and collect all their school rates themselves or by their Collector, or apply to the Township Council to do so, and the Council is required to give effect to their application, relating as it does to the constituents of whom they are the school representatives, the same as the members of the council or the municipal representatives of the township. In such case, the Council has not to consider the amount required; (that is with the Trustees to determine ;) nor any representations which may be made by any parties for or against such amount required; but simply the manner in which an annual meeting, or other public meeting called for the purpose, in the school section concerned, has agreed to defray the expenses of the school. Should the Trustees determine not to apply to the Township Council, but collect by their own authority all moneys they require for school purposes, the 2nd, 8th and 9th clauses of the 12th section of the Act give them all the necessary powers to do so.

10. The object of leaving the manner of providing for all school expenses to the decision, in the first instance, of a public meeting in each school section, was not to limit the Trustees as to the amount of such expenses, or to cripple them as to the means of raising such amount, since they are specially empowered to do so by rate, if the means agreed upon at the public meeting are insufficient for that purpose; but the object was to make the question of provision for the education of youth a subject of public discussion and decision annually in each School Section, and thus to diffuse useful knowledge and make the people acquainted with and alive totheir own interests and duties to enable them to provide for the support of their school in their own way, either by voluntary subscription or by self-imposed tax-and above all, to decide whether their school should be a free or a rate-bill school.

11. But while the Trustees of each School Section are clothed with enlarged powers for the fulfilment of their important trust, they are also subject to additional responsibilities. They are required to account to their constituents at each annual meeting, by presenting "a full and detailed account of the receipts and expenditures of all school moneys received and expended in behalf of the School Section for any purpose whatsoever, during the year then terminating;" and if the account is not satisfactory to the majority of the meeting, arbitrators are chosen by each party to decide, and are invested with power to make each of the Trustees or any other person account for and pay all the money due by him to the School Section. This is a responsibility to which members of the Legislature, of county, city, town or township councils are not subject,

and affords to the rate payers in each school section ample security for the faithful expenditure of moneys.

12. In cities, towns and incorporated villages, these Boards of Trustees, varying from six to sixteen members in each, are invested with larger powers than the Trustees of School Sections. Each Board has the charge of all the Common Schools in the municipality, determines their number and kind, whether primary, intermediate or high schools, whether classical or English, whether denominational or mixed, whether many or few, the amount and manner of their support. Each Board appoints its own local Superintendent of Schools, and a local Committee for the immediate oversight of the schools under its charge. The Board of Trustees in each city, town or incorporated village, is not required, as in rural school sections, to call a public meeting to consider the manner of supporting one or more of the schools in such municipality; in most cases this would be impossible; in no case is it required. The only public meetings which Boards of Trustees in cities, towns, and incorporated villages are required to call, are for the election of Trustees. If they choose, they can call meetings for any school purpose whatever, like the Mayor of a city, or the Reeve of a town or village; and in any case of their thinking it advisable to call a school meeting, the Act provides for enabling them to do so, and directs their mode of proceeding, so that it may be done under the authority and protection of law. In some instances, objections have been made to the lawfulness of the proceedings of Boards of Trustees, because public meetings had not been convened to consider the school estimates and plans of such Boards. As well might the lawfulness of any financial proceedings of the Municipal Council of a county, town, township, or village, be objected to upon the same ground.

13. The Municipal Council of each city, town or incorporated village, is required to levy and collect whatever sum or sums of money may be required by the Board of Trustees for School purposes. The Board of Trustees (elected by all the tax payers,) and not the Municipal Council, represents such city, town, or incorporated village in all school matters; but as the Council has assessment rolls and employs collectors for other purposes, it is more economical and convenient to have the school rates levied and collected by the Council than for the Board of Trustees to employ a separate class of officers for that purpose. In the city of New York, and various towns in the neighbouring States, Trustees are clected in each Ward of the city or town, as in Canada, and constitute collectively a Board of Education or School Trustees for such city or town; and the Municipal Council of the city or town is required to levy and collect whatever sum or sums are required from time to time by the Board of Education or School Trustees.

14. The members of the Board of School Trustees in our cities, towns, and incorporated villages, are not personally responsible for school moneys, because the law is so constructed that all school moneys, even the rate-bills, of each city, town, or village, must be paid into the hands of the Treasurer. But each Board of Trustees must prepare and publish annually, an account of the receipts and expenditure of all school moneys subject to their order.

15. Objections have been made in some instances to the erection of large central School Houses in cities, towns, and villages; and the authority of the Boards of Trustees has been called in question, because exception has been taken to their proceedings. The Goyernment itself may err in its proceedings, but that is no disproof of its authority. The Boards of Trustees in cities, towns, and villages, and the Trustees in many country places, are but commencing the greatest work connected with the welfare of their country; and they must expect opposition from mistaken ignorance, sectional

selfishness and wealthy meanness. There are some unpopular duties connected with all public situations-duties from which selfish syophancy shrinks, but which honest patriotism performsduties which often commence under the opposition and abuse of many, but issue in the satisfaction of success and amid the gratitude and applause of all. In regard to large central school houses in cities, towns, and villages, after the noble examples of the Boards of Trustees in Hamilton, London, Brantford, Brockville and Chatham, &c., it is remarked in the last Annual School Report for the State of Massachusetts-"In small cities and towns it may often be found more economical to bring all grades of schools into one building, than to be at the expense of purchasing several sites and erecting as many houses."

16. The remarks of some persons convey the idea that School Trustees are despots, trampling upon the rights and sacrificing the interests of the communities in which they live. Such remarks are as foolish as their imputations are unjust. The interests and burdens of Trustees are identical with those of their neighbours. The fact of their having been elected Trustees, is an avowal by their constituents that they are the most proper persons to be entrusted with their educational interests. If Trustees in any instance neglect or betray those interests, they can be superseded, on the expiration of their term of office, like all other unfaithful representatives of the people; and while in office, they have a right to the forbearance and support which the importance and difficulties of the office demand. Unlike most other public officers, Trustees work without pay; they may sometimes err; and who does not? But if there is any one class of public officers entitled to more respect, more confidence and support than others, it is Trustees of Public Schools,the elected guardians of the youth of the land, the responsible depositaries of their most vital interests. And if there is any one class of public officers in the selection of whom the people should be more careful than in the selection of others, it is School Trustees. The welfare of youth, and the future progress and greatness of Canada require, that the best, the most intelligent, the most enterprising, public-spirited, progressive men in the land should be elected School Trustees.

EDUCATION FOR AN AGRICULTURAL PEOPLE.
BY E. NOTT.

In all countries, and especially our own, the agricultural people is the people. Magnify as we may, each other interest-commercial, manufacturing-they form but small fractions of the massthemselves proceeding from and intimately bound to the agricultural population and receiving their character from it. Increase our commerce and manufactures as we must, they can never employ a tythe of the community. Our increasing millions must be chiefly agricultural, forming the nation and governing the nation. Yes, governing the nation. In all countries, and especially our own, weight is as numbers. The agricultural population do and will, directly or indirectly govern the country. The farmers will regulate or distract. manufactures or commerce-will secure or disturb our civil policy. If they originate no governmental acts, when they do but act or decline acting upon propositions of good or evil, their decision forms the issue of every proposal. If the breath, whether of patriotism or factions, whether of wisdom or folly, proceeds from some other region, it blows in vain until it moves the level surface of society. On its agitation or quiet, must depend the result. Whether good or bad are now prevalent among us, the agriculturists have welcomed; whether they have been missed, they have rejected, whether it is to be feared or hoped for, awaits their decision. In proportion, therefore, as we discover the just principle of education for an agricultural people, do we prepare for the welfare of the whole mass.

Of course the first direction is, that education should be such as to guide and aid labour to the best account; such as at once to make agriculture more easy and more productive. I am sure that the general impression of society on this subject, as well as almost universal practice, is very defective. Agriculture needs and admits an appropriate education, which may be gained without teachers and without any schools: but is more likely to be begun and after

wards well pursued in proportion as it should be aided by teachers and schools. Let the rudiments of agriculture be taught; let the Let proper books for gaining further knowledge, be pointed out. the connexion of mechanical and chemical philosophy with the labours of the field, be understood. Let the prejudice against "book learning" be discarded, and our rural population would rise rapidly to better method, and to a more comfortable state of life; while a proper study as their own profession, would greatly improve their faculties and make them more and more capable of all other knowledge.

But a proper education regards more the securing wealth and health and life and limb, than the mere supply of the animal necessities, even the making life as agreeable as possible. That is not deserving the name of education which provides only for a livelihood a boon secured by mere instinct to the meanest animal. Education of man must provide for the well being of man-for the refined enjoyment of man-for the higher senses of the body and for all the faculties of the mind. This is true not only in the higher classes -against which if we had them by hereditary descent, I have nothing to say; but it is true of the working classes. The working man is not educated properly as a working man-unless he is trained to the enjoyments of a man.

I need not dwell at large upon what is perfectly obvious, the pleasures which an improved and improving mind will find in reading and in conversation and in those reflections which belong only to improved and improving minds. They are but savages themselves who claim that savage is as happy as civilized life, and that the well informed and studious are no happier than the boor in his chosen ignorance. The happiness of improved and improving minds is within the reach of the agricultural population, and that is not a proper education for them which does not furnish them this happiness. Reading, reflection, conversation, such as belong to improved and improving minds, are the peculiar boon of the country. The absence of variety, of objects to stimulate curiosity, leaves the mind free to read the works of the wise and the good of all nations and all times, given to the farmer as they are in his own mother tongue-his accustomed solicitude and quiet give scope to his own reflections upon this growing knowledge.

But when I speak of an education, to make rural life as agreeable as possible, while I require suitable reading, reflection, conversation, I am desirous to insist on one particular more likely to be left out of view; I mean that agricultural education should prepare the people for their own peculiar enjoyments, to take delight in rural life, and especially in their own rural home.

As to the general delight in rural life, it can hardly fail to follow, from that study of agriculture for the purposes which we have already commended. I am not afraid to say, that there is no employment of man so likely to grow in one's affections, as he endeavours to learn to carry it on to the best advantage, as agriculOther employments are regarded more for their profits; but this, from step to step, as one tries to improve it, more and more interests and delights the mind, while its results are ever furnishing the finest pictures to the eye.

ture.

But I am yet more desirous to see cherished a special fondness for one's home,-for the endearing scene, its rocks, its rivers and hills and vales, its orchards and groves, as they were to the eye of childhood, and as they will remain to the eye of old age, and for that new and improving scenery with which industry and taste will adorn the cottager's acre, and the wealthy landlord's domain. To regard field and forest and hills and valleys and rocks and rill and rivers; to be capable of investing the home of labour or of wealth with new and changing beauties, to delight in gardening, husbandry and tree planting, to love with a cherished fondness the ancient and growing beauties of a home; to acquire the capacity of leaving it with reluctance even at the call of necessity and duty, and the consequent power of making another home the source of similar enjoyment. These, though missed sadly in our rural districts, are most important objects of rural education.

Let the love of nature and of home and of country revive every where and bless our eastern lands, and establish families and communities in beloved homes even to the farthest west. Thus shall our country assume in the progress of its rural civilization the outward form of Paradise, which can never be given to brick and mortar of the city; thus become the quiet garden of a peaceful and virtuous population.

Miscellaneous.

From the last Annual School Report of the State of New York.

UNIVERSAL EDUCATION.

The idea of universal education is the grand central idea of the age. Upon this broad and comprehensive basis, all the experience of the past, all the crowding phenomena of the present, and all our hopes and aspirations for the future, must rest. Our forefathers have transmitted to us a noble inheritance of national, intellectual, moral and religious freedom. They have confided our destiny as a people to our own hands. Upon our individual and combined intelligence, virtue, and patriotism, rests the solution of the great problem of self-government. We should be untrue to ourselves, untrue to the memory of our statesmen and patriots, untrue to the cause of liberty, of civilization and humanity, if we neglected the assiduous cultivation of those means, by which alone we can secure the realization of the hopes we have excited. Those means are the universal education of our future citizens, without discrimination or distinction. Wherever in our midst, a human being exists, with capacities and faculties to be developed, improved, cultivated and directed, the avenues of knowledge should be freely opened and every facility afforded to their unrestricted entrance. Ignorance should no more be countenanced than vice and crime. The one leads almost inevitably to the other. Banish ignorance, and in its stead introduce intelligence, science, knowledge and increasing wisdom and enlightenment, and you remove in most cases, all those incentives to idleness, vice and crime, which now produce such a frightful harvest of retribution, misery and wretchedness. Educate every child "to the top of his faculties," and you not only secure the community against the depredations of the ignorant, and the criminal, but you bestow upon it, instead, productive artizans, good citizens, upright jurors and magistrates, enlightened statesmen, scientific discoverers and inventors, and the dispensers of a pervading influence in favour of honesty, virtue and true goodness. Educate every child physically, morally and intellectually, from the age of four to twenty-one, and many of your prisons, penitentiaries and alms-houses will be converted into schools of industry and temples of science; and the immense amount now contributed for their maintenance and support will be diverted into far more profitable channels. Educate every child-not superficially-not partially-but thoroughly-develop equally and healthfully every faculty of his nature-every capability of his being-and you infuse a new and invigorating element into the very life blood of civilization -an element which will diffuse itself throughout every vein and artery of the social political system, purifying, strengthening and regenerating all its impulses, elevating its aspirations, and clothing it with a power equal to every demand upon its vast energies and

resources.

These are some of the results which must follow in the train of a wisely matured and judiciously organized system of universal education. They are not imaginary, but sober deductions from well authenticated facts-deliberate conclusions from established principles, sanctioned by the concurrent testimony of experienced educators and eminent statesmen and philanthropists. If names are needed to enforce the lesson they teach, those of Washington and Franklin and Hamilton and Jefferson and Clinton, with a long array of patriots and statesmen, may be cited. If facts are required to illustrate the connection between ignorance and crime, let the official return of convictions in the several courts of the State for the last 10 years be examined, and the instructive lessons be heeded. Out of nearly 28,000 persons convicted of crime, but 128 had enjoyed the benefits of a good common school education; 414 only had what the returning officers characterize as a "tolerable" share of learning; and of the residue, about one-half only could either read or write. Let similar statistics be gathered from the wretched inmates of our poor-house establishments, and similar results would undoubtedly be developed. Is it not therefore incomparably better as a mere prudential question of political economy, to provide ample means for the education of the whole community, and to bring those means within the reach of every child, than to impose a much larger tax for the protection of that community against the depredations of the ignorant, the idle, and the vicious, and for the support of the imbecile, the thoughtless, and intemperate ?

SCHOOL SUPERVISION-LOCAL SUPERINTENDENTS. Within a year or two, much has been said and written in reference to the subject of school supervision, and the feeling is rapidly gaining ground that a better and more efficient mode may be adopted than that now in practice. As a general thing, the schools of Massachusetts do not receive that watchful and auxiliary supervision which their highest usefulness would seem to demand. This, from the very nature of the case, must be so. The whole business is usually entrusted to men whose time and attention are much engrosssed in other concerns. They may be and usually are, among the best men in the community; but they are also men who have many professional cares or business engagements, and, consequently, they cannot devote very much time or thought to the interests of the schools. We contend that in order that any important department be well looked after and cared for, it should receive direct and primary attention; and we contend, also, that our schools are of sufficient importance to receive the best and first attention of good men as supervisors. Hence we believe that the true method is to entrust the main duties of school superintendence, in large towns and cities to one man who shall consider it the business to which his best thoughts and energies are to be given. A man thus situated would feel that he has something to do, and he would be likely to do something. He would do much to encourage and stimulate the teachers and pupils, much to arouse parents, much to awaken a general and wholesome interest in the whole subject of school education, much to secure a wise and economical expenditure of the means appropriated to educational purposes. We never felt more confident of the good results of this mode of supervision than we did in a recent visit to the town of Gloucester, in Essex County. For nearly two years the schools in this place have been under the supervisory control of Thomas Baker, Esq., (with a counciling board or committee,) and we feel assured that during this period as much has been done, and well done, as in any town of the commonwealth. School-houses have been erected and improved, and the whole cause has received an impulse which will be felt for many years. In no place have we seen more comely and convenient school-houses, and we are sure that in no place has money been more judiciously expended or more freely granted than here. It affords a strong proof that the people are ready and willing to pay liberally when their attention is rightly awakened, and when they see that the means appropriated are economically and wisely used. Mr. Baker has worked heartily, and accomplished much, very much good for the schools and for the town. It was our purpose to allude to his specific duties and to his general operations, but want of time and space forbids. We will only add now, that if any have doubts as to the advantage of the mode we have alluded to over the mode in general use, we would refer them to the town of Gloucester, with its present excellent mode and excellent superintendent.-Massachusetts Teacher.

THE TEACHER'S QUALIFICATIONS AND MODE OF
HEARING CHILDREN RECITE.

At a County Association of Massachusetts Teachers held in June last, one of the questions discussed was, "the best method of conducting recitations." The following is the substance of the remarks make by the teachers and members present:

Mr. Tillinghast began the discussion by remarking that "the first great duty of the teacher in regard to recitations, is a through preparation upon every lesson to be recited. Many complain of a want of time for such preparation; their duties are so onerous and multifarious, that careful preparation is almost out of the question with them. He did not understand such persons. Mr. Pierce, formerly principal of West Newton Normal School, in addition to all the duties required of him as principal of the school, including general supervision of the school, correspondence with strangers, &c., always found time to examine carefully every lesson before hearing it recited.

Mr. Spear thought that a wrong notion prevails with reference to what constitutes a thorough understanding of the subject of a lesson. It seems to be thought that if a scholar can repeat the words of the text, he understands the subject. Nothing can be more false. As a result of the teaching to which this opinion gives rise, we see the pupils in our district schools, beginning the subjects of geography and grammar in precisely the same place at the com

mencement of many successive terms.

During the winter school

they will pass over a certain amount of ground, but before the next winter, the language which they have committed to memory has vanished from their minds, and they know as little of the subject as they did before beginning to study it. With arithmetic, it is not so to the same extent, because in this science the pupil is obliged to think somewhat in order to perform the examples. Rev. Mr. Norton thought that much evil results from a want of independence from text-books on the part of the teacher. Recitations are not so animating when conducted by a text book, as they would be if the teacher, by preparation, made himself so thoroughly acquainted with the subject as not to need one. Neither can the questions asked by the teacher be varied as much as they should be. He illustrated his remarks by allusion to a college examination which he once visited, in which the professor was prevented from noticing several cases of cheating that occurred, by having his eye confined to his book.

Rev. Mr. Bradford gave some of the results of his experience in teaching the French language. He thought the proper course to pursue in teaching reading is to drill a long time on a few lines. Rev. Mr. Aldrich thought that difficulties would arise under the system of drilling recommended by Mr. Bradford, from the fact that very frequently teachers are not good readers. He spoke of Enthusiasm is the necessity of perfect self-control in the teacher. also necessary to the teacher; he must feel a strong interest in his school.

Mr. Sturtevant alluded to some of the difficulties of thorough drilling. Parents are often dissatisfied with it. But he thought that generally such difficulties were temporary.

Rev. Mr. Brigham mentioned some of the incidents of his college life. He spoke of Rev. Dr. Nott, as one who was always independent of his text-book. We attempt to accomplish too many things in our schools. Teachers should be required to teach but few subjects at a time.

NORMAL SCHOOL TEACHERS-THE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THE RICH.

At a semi-annual meeting of the Plymouth County Teachers' Association, held the 13th and 14th June, 1851, at North Bridgewater, Mass., His EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR BOUTWELL, was one of the Lecturers, and in the course of his address, His Excellency made the following remarks, which deserve the attention of all parties concerned in Upper Canada :

"Before the establishment of Normal Schools, we had two classes of teachers for our common schools: one class came from the colleges, and these, as a class, were incompetent, and failed, because teaching was not their business; they were devoted to other pursuits. Others grew up among the schools, and although these infused much energy into the schools, yet as a whole, they met with no success, for the want of thorough mental training. We have now established Normal Schools for the purpose of raising up a profession of Teachers, and when the profession is formed, we must support it with money; for after all, it is very much a matter of money. Good abilities cannot be commanded without good salaries. It is said that we now pay liberally; that from one million to one million five hundred thousand dollars are annually expended for schools and school-houses in the State. But let us consider what would be the state of any property, if the masses of the people were not educated. It would evidently be insecure, entirely at the mercy of an illiterate, unprincipled mob. Now the property of the State amounts to six hundred millions of dollars, and the holders of it are interested in its security. Although the poor man derives incalculable advantage from education, and from living in an educated community, yet, comparatively he is little benefited. The education of the whole people is peculiarly advantageous to the wealthy. Property holders then should be the warmest friends of popular education, and should be willing to pay a fair per centage for the security which is so valuable to them."

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BIRDS OF PASSAGE.

BY MRS. HEMANS.

Birds, joyous birds of the wandering wing!
Whence is it ye come with the flowers of spring?
We come from the shores of the green old Nile,
From the land where the roses of Sharon smile,
From the palms that wave through the Indian sky,
From the myrrh-trees of glowing Araby.

We have swept o'er the cities in song renown'd,
Silent they lie with the deserts round!
We have crossed proud rivers, whose tide hath roll'd
All dark with the warrior blood of old:
And each worn wing hath regain'd its home,
Under peasant's roof-tree or monarch's dome."
And what have you found in the monarch's dome,
Since last ye traversed the blue sea's foam?
-"We have found a change, we have found a pall,
And a gloom o'ershadowing the banquet's hall,
And a mark on the floor as of life-drops spilt,
Nought looks the same, save the nest we built!"

Oh! joyous birds, it hath still been so ;
Through the halls of kings doth the tempest go!
But the huts of the hamlet lie still and deep,
And the bills o'er their quiet a vigil keep,-
Say what have you found in the peasant's cot,
Since last ye parted from that sweet spot?

-"A change we have found there-and many a change!
Faces, and footsteps, and all things strange!
Gone are the heads of the silvery hair,

And the young that were have a brow of care,
And the place is hush'd where the children play'd,
Nought looks the same, save the nest we made!"

Sad is your tale of the beautiful earth,
Birds that o'ersweep it, in power and mirth!
Yet through the wastes of the trackless air,
YE have a Guide, and shall we despair?
Ye over desert and deep have pass'd,
So may we reach our bright home at last.

THE TRUE PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT, BOTH IN FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS.

There is no one subject connected with the training of children, whether in the family circle or the school-room, of more importance than that of their government or judicious control. By the government of children, we mean all that management which is required to secure their ready and willing obedience. A failure in this not only retards the progress of the child in the acquisition of any species of knowledge, but it endangers both its happiness and usefulness through life. And yet, on no subject are errors more prevalent, or fatal mistakes more frequently made. This arises from the fact, that very few of those who assume the responsible duties of theparent or the teacher, ever make the art of managing or governing children the subject of serious study and reflection. Hence this most important part of their work is controlled, in a great measure, by mere accidental circumstances, and influenced by all the fickleness of passion and prejudice; or what is scarcely more censurable, it receives no attention at all.

There is nothing which would contribute more to human happiness by increasing the diffusion of useful knowledge and preventing vice and crime, than the proper attention of parents and teachers to the subject of governing children. We are not of those who think it possible to lay down fixed rules applicable to every case which may be presented to the parent or teacher, or who hold that moral suasion alone, is at all times sufficient to secure obedience. But we are fully satisfied, that all ready and genuine obedience must have its basis in true respect and affection for those to whom the obedience is rendered; and hence, the arts of pleasing and governing are closely allied, if not identical with each other.

Children, like adults, always act from motives. Consequently the true theory of government consists in the presentation of motives right action, in a form so attractive as to uniformly overpower all those of an opposite character. To carry this rule into practice with complete success, requires certain qualifications on the part of the parent or teacher which cannot be dispensed with, First, he must uniformly present to the children under his care, an example of right action in his own conduct. He must present in himself that uniformity of temper, that purity of language, that diligence, and that constant uprightness of character which he wishes them to acquire. Children are apt imitators long before they become

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