recognition interchanged by these two eminent personages. Leyden turning to Mrs. Scott, asked if the sheriff was at home; his question being answered, and the offer of refreshment made, he solicited, as a favour, a plate of raw beefsteak and condiments, which he despatched in Abyssinian fashion, to the horror of his foe.

The eccentricities of Leyden were very marked, and sometimes most disagreeable, but his noble independence, his spotless virtues, his kindness of disposition, and his remarkable genius, rendered him an especial favourite with all who knew him. When about thirty years of age, and after he had received his license as a preacher of the Gospel, he formed the determination of proceeding to India for the purpose of studying its languages and dialects, and of presenting a rescript of its literature to the West. No arguments could shake this resolution, and at last his reluctant friends applied to the Government for an Indian appointment for him. Lord Melville had none at his disposal but that of assistant surgeon, and of course, it was supposed, that Leyden could not avail himself of this. But what are circumstances before an ardent genius? It was six months before the appointment should be made, and six months to Leyden were worth six years to an ordinary man.

You do not mean to stand an examination, said a friend to him one night at a party, when the time drew near. I do, in faith, was Leyden's reply; and taking a skeleton hand from his pocket he demonstrated the closeness and constancy of his study. Examined before a board of surgeons, he triumphantly obtained a diploma; and with his appointment, as surgeon's mate, set out to explore the unknown world of Indian literature, in the wake of Sir William Jones. The fervour of Leyden's genius drank up the springs of his life. Unable to refrain from study, he bent over his books for ten hours a day, while the Indian fever was praying on his life. He died, after giving promise of far out-rivaling Sir William Jones in the extent and amount of his Oriental learning and knowledge. The story of the triumphs of his energy, talent, genius, and will, over the most depressing circumstances, should be told in every lonely home as an inspiration and example to the young.-Worcester Spy.

A CONNECTICUT PARISH--PRESIDENT DAY.-The following extract from the Rev. Dr. Bushnell's "Speech for Connecticut" possesses much interest.

This little parish is made up of the corners of three townships, and the ragged ends and corners of twice as many mountains and stony-sided hills. But this rough, wild region, bears a race of healthy minded, healthy bodied, industrious and religious people. They love to educate their sons, and God gives them their reward. Out of this little obscure nook among the mountains, have come forth two presidents of colleges, the two that a few years ago presided at the same time, over the two institutions, Yale and Washington, or Trinity. Besides these they have furnished a Secretary of State for the commonwealth, during a quarter of a century or more. Also a member of Congress. Also a distinguished professor. And besides these a great number of lawyers, physicians, preachers and teachers, both male and female, more than I am now able to enumerate. Probably some of you have never so much as heard of the name of this by-place on the map of Connecticut; generally it is not on the maps at all, but how many cities are there of 20,000 inhatitants in our country, that have not exerted one half the influence on mankind. The power of this little parish, it is not too much to say, is felt in every part of our great nation. Recognized, of course, it is not, but still it is felt.

The above is from the Hartford Courant. The Secretary of State referred to is the Hon. Thomas Day, who since the year 1805 has been the reporter of the Supreme Court of Connecticut, and whose reports are known to every lawyer in the country. His elder brother, the Rev. Jeremiah Day, presided over the college 29 years, and is now one of the corporation or governors of the institution. He has been connected with the college as student, tutor, professor, president, or governor since 1790, with scarcely an interval. A few years since he visited Washington city, and was introduced into the Senate chamber by our representative, the Hon. S. J. Andrews, who had been a member of the New Haven Law School, and an associate of Prof. Silliman in the chemical department, The business of the Senate was suspended. Mr. Day found himself in the midst of his pupils who clustered around him with affectionate attachment.

Among others were Mr. Calhoun, of S. C.; Gov. John Davis,

of Mass.; Mr. Clayton, of Delaware; Mr. Badger, of N. C.; Mr. Huntington, of Conn., and Mr. Phelps, of Vermont, together with some twenty or more of the House of Representatives from Maine to Missouri. There is probably no individual in the United States who has had an efficient agency in the instruction of so many persons, and especially of so many of decided influence in every department of life as president Day. And it may be safely affirmed that of the thousands who have been under his care, there is not one who does not remember him with esteem and affection. His mathematical works have been studied by thousands also.

RECENT ASCENT OF MONT BLANC.-An ascent of this perilous mount is of so rare occurrence, that a graphic sketch of its exciting dangers like the following will prove interesting. One of the party writes:-Onward we toiled (for it really became toil, and I must honestly confess that neither the labour nor the danger of mounting Mont Blanc has been overrated,) till we came to the grand plateau, the only flat path over which our ascent lay. (To give you an idea of the steepness of the ascent, I will tell you that I threw a bottle down, which went at such a rate at it cleared two "crevasses" one after the other, each of which was at least fifty or sixty feet across.) At the grand plateau we saw the first streaks of morning reddening the East, while the moon began to pale her ineffectual fire. Here I began to feel a most oppressive tightness in the head it, however, went quite off before I reached the top. Much has been said of the rarity of the air, and of course there must be a great deal in it, for the barometer differs thirteen inches at the top of Mont Blanc, so that a common one cannot be used for an experiment, and I can answer for its being uncommonly dry. I saw one man much affected by nausea in consequence, but it is my firm opinion that one gains more than one loses by the lightness of the atmoshere; and I doubt whether in common air the same labour could be undergone. We still pursued our zigzag course, which I again repeat I cannot attempt to describe. The sun was now risen, and glad I was to see his light on the height above. The party now assumed their blue and green spectacles to protect their eyes, and on we went till we reached the Route Rouge; where we rested a few minutes in the sun. Here I became completely myself again, having really suffered considerably. Mr. Albert Smith was completely exhausted, and had to be dragged the rest of the way. His courage was such as I have never yet seen. It was curious to look at each other; every one was perfectly black in the face; of course I could see my own, but once when I took off my lined fur gloves my hands were as black as ink, though the curious effect was unattended with pein, the real difficulty being to resist sleep, to which if you yielded you would never awake. Passing round the Route Rouge, the dome of Mont Blanc, which is as regular as St. Paul's, came in sight, and I felt as if I could have climbed it were it twice as far off. The whole of our steps were now cut with a hatchet in the ice, and the being tied together was of the greatest use, having saved each of our lives about three times, for if you slipped you were immediately held up and saved from going down in some yawning crevice. At 9 o'clock in the morning we stepped on the top, and you must endeavour to conceive the thrill of delight-shaking hands all round, congratulating each other, and all the effects of the wildest transport. Having partly recovered from the excitement I proceeded to examine the view, of which I shall only say it had the appearance of a large sea, each mountain like a small wave, and yet each mountain one of the highest in Europe.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN-A SKETCH.-In this sacred spot you have the happy and beautiful garden, of which the vale of Tempe or the garden of the Hesperides are but poor and imperfect copies. Its elevated situation and balmy climate will suggest a not unworthy or unnatural origin for hill and pyramid worship. Its inhabitants, happy in their primeval innocence, are the prototype of the dwellers in Elysium and the Blessed Isles. Its sacred trees of knowledge and of life may be thought to have assisted in suggesting that reverence for trees, and that ascription of immortality and wisdom to these beautiful objects, which we find so generally prevailing. The fountains and rivers in whose waters Naiads bathed, and by whose side the Dryads sported, murmured, however indistinctly, of "the brook which flowed fast by the oracles of God." The serpents, dragons, pythons, so marvellously incorporated with every known form of idolatrous worship, and almost always as the genius

of evil and misery, are but hideous copies of the hideous original in Eden. The oracles, whispered from among the boughs of trees, or muttered from central altars, are but dim and distorted echoes of the voice of the Lord walking at eventide among the trees of the garden. The cherubic symbol and the fierce revolving fire of Eden, whatever may have been the objects indicated in the symbol, are but the noble and holy reality of which the "gorgons, hydras, and chimeras dire," the sphinxes, dragons, and other monsters of heathendom, and the ever-burning fires and lamps on heathen altars are the grim and sin-defaced caricatures. The Apollo, Hercules, Orpheus, and other demi-gods of antiquity, are but the satanic perversions of that Seed of the Woman that was to bruise the serpent's head. The sacrifices which so uniformly prevailed, in which blood for ages, and in all countries, was poured out like water; aye, and especially, the horrible human sacrifices that have ensanguined the insatiate altars of superstition, are the remnants of that first libation of blood which, at the gate of Eden, Abel poured forth, in obedience to the Divine command; wailings wrung from the universal heart of man, over the sin that defaced the primeval Paradise; and mute and bloody prophecies of Him, THE WOMAN-BORN, who was "to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."-Rev. J. H. James.

THE FRENCHMAN AT HIS ENGLISH STUDIES. Frenchman. Ha, my good friend, I have met with one difficulty -one very strange word. How you call H-o-u-g-h? Tutor. Huff.

Fr. Tres bien, Huff; and Snuff you spell S-n-o-u-g h, ha! Tutor. O, no, no, Snuff is S-n-u-double-f. The fact is, words ending in ough are a little irregular.

Fr. Ah, very good. 'Tis beautiful language. H-o-u-g-h is Huff, I will remember; and C-o-u-g-h is Cuff. I have one bad Cuff, ha!

Fr. Not Duff? Ah! oui; I understand-is Dauf, hey? Tutor. No, D-o-u-g-h spells Doe.

Fr. Doe! It is very fine; wonderful language, it is Doe; and T-o-u-g-h is Toe, certainement. My beefsteak was very Toe.

Tutor. O, no, no; you should say Tuff.

Fr. Tuff? And the thing the farmer uses; how you call him P-l-o-u-g-h, Pluff? ha! you smile; I see I am wrong, it is Plauf? No! ah, then it is Ploe, like Doe; it is beautiful language, ver' fine-Ploe?

Tutor. You are still wrong, my friend. It is Plow.

soon.

Fr. Plow! Wonderful language. I shall understand ver Plow, Doe, Kauf; and one more-R-o-u-g-h, what you call General Taylor; Rauf and Ready? No! certainement it is Row and Ready?

Tutor. No! R-o-u-g-h spells Ruff.

Fr. Ruff, ha! Let me not forget. R-o-u-g-h is Ruff, and B-o-u-g-h is Buff, ha!

Tutor. No, Bow.

Fr. Ah! 'tis very simple, wonderful language; but I have had what you call E-n-o-u-g-h! ha! what you call him ?-N. Y. Home Journal

LAMERTINE'S PORTRAIT OF MADAME DE STAEL.-She was then as happy in her heart as she was glorious in her genius. She had two children: a son, who did not display the eclat of his mother, but who promised to have all the solid and modest qualities of a patriot and a good man; and also a daughter, since married to the Duke of Broglie, who resembled the purest and most beautiful thought of her mother, incarnate in an angelic form, to elevate the mind to heaven, and to represent holiness in beauty. While scarcely yet in the middle age of life, and blooming with that second youth which renews the imagination, that essence of love, Madame de Stael had married the dearest idol of her sensibility. She loved, and she was beloved. She prepared herself to publish her "Considerations on the Revolution ;" and the personal and impassioned narrative of her "Ten Years of Exile." Finally, a book on the geninus of Germany (in which she had poured out, and, as it were, filtered drop by drop all the springs of her soul, of her imagination,

and of her religion,) appeared at the same time in France and England, and excited the attention of all Europe. Her style, especially in the work on Germany, without lacking the splendour of her youth, seemed to be imbued with lights more lofty and more eternal, in approaching the evening of life and the mysterious shrine of thought. It was no longer painting, nor merely poetry it was perfect adoration; the incense of a soul was inhaled from its pages it was Corinnee become a priestess, and, catching a glimpse from the verge of life of the unknown Deity, in the remotest horizon of humanity. About this period she died in Paris, leaving a bright resplendence in the heart of age. She was in reality the Jean Jaques Rousseau of woman, but more tender, more sensitive, and more capable of great actions than he was a genius of two sexes, one for thought, and one for love;-the most impassioned of women and the masculine of writers in the same being. Her name will live as long as the literature and history of her country.Lamartine's History of the Restoration.

NOBLE SENTIMENT.-I envy no quality of mind or intellect in others-not genius, power, wit, or fancy: but if I could choose what would be most delightful, and I believe most useful to me, I should prefer a firm religious belief to every other blessing, for it makes life a discipline of goodness, creates new hopes when all earthly hopes vanish, and throws over the decay, the destruction of existence, the most gorgeous of all lights; awaken life even in death, and from corruption and decay calls up beauty and divinity; makes an instrument of torture and of shame, the ladder of ascent to paradise; and far above all combinations of earthly hopes, calls up the most delightful visions, palms, and amaranths, the gardens of the blessed; the security of everlasting joys, where the sensualist and sceptic view only gloom, decay, and annihiliation.-Sir Humphrey Davy.

GOOD NATURE.-One cannot imagine any quality of the human mind whence greater advantages can arise to society than good nature, seeing that man is a social being, not made for solitude, but conversation. Good nature not only lessens the sorrows of life, but increases its comforts. It is more agreeable than beauty or even wit. It gives a pleasing expression to the countenance, and induces a multitude of the most amiable observations. It is, indeed, the origin of all society. Were it not for good nature, men could not exist together, nor hold intercourse with one another.

NAPOLEON'S SOLDIERS.-Seventeen of the private soldiers of Napoleon rose to extraordinary pre-eminence. Two were kings, two were princes, nine were created dukes, two field marshals, and two generals. This is true. The two kings were Bernadotte, of Sweden, the late reigning monarch, and Murat, king of the Two Sicilies, who was shot at Naples, before the battle of Waterloo. Ney was the son of a green grocer, and Murat the son of a pastry cook. It was talent, not birth, that caused the elevation of Napoleon's soldiers.

TEACHING. To learn anything thoroughly is no easy task; to communicate it a still more difficult one. To be able to find out the peculiar constitution of each child's mind, so as to bring what you would teach, down to the level of its understanding, and yet to make it work in such a way, as to seize upon, and comprehend the subject, and re-produce it; this is teaching, and nothing else deserves the name.

A human soul without education is like marble in a quarry which shows nothing of its inherent beauties until the skill of the polisher fetches out the colours, makes the surface shine, and discovers every ornamental cloud, spot, and vein that runs through the body of it.-Addison.

FAME.-Among the writers of all ages, some deserve fame, and have it; others neither have nor deserve it; some have it, not deserving; others, though deserving, yet totally miss it, or have it not equal to their deserts.-Milton.

Strength of resolution is, in itself, dominion and ability; and there is a seed of sovereignty in the bareness of unflinching determination.

JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.

TORONTO, OCTOBER, 1851.

RIGHTS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS IN TOWNSHIPS.

In the August number of this Journal, we explained at some length the powers and duties of School Trustees, especially in reference to cities, towns, and villages. Since then several questions have arisen, and inquiries have been made, relative to the powers and duties of Trustees in country school sections, and their relations to Township Councils.

1. In some instances, it has been maintained that Trustees have no right to levy a rate upon the taxable property of the householders and landholders of their section, without the consent of their Township Council; whereas the Trustees have authority to act without the consent of any Council or other body, high or low, in levying and collecting whatever may be necessary to provide for all the expenses of their School. One leading feature and primary object of the school law is, to make each section a school municipality, with power to provide for the furnishing and support of its school, in every respect, in its own way, and to settle all its differences and difficulties by local arbitration. It is not, therefore, for the Chief Superintendent of Schools, or for any Council whatever, to decide in what manner, or in what amount, moneys shall be raised for school purposes in any School Section. The elected Trustees in each School Section are alone authorised by law to consider and determine from time to time the sums required for their school purposes; and a majority of electors at an annual School Section meeting, or special meeting, decide upon the manner (not the amount) in which such sums shall be provided.

2. Again, in some instances, Township Councils have refused to levy the sums applied for according to law by School Trustees. In all such cases the Councils concerned have violated the law; and they might be compelled to do their duty by a mandamus from the Court of Queen's Bench, should the Trustees concerned think proper to procure one. The object of this provision of the School Act (sec. 18, clause 4) is to relieve Trustees of part of the burthens imposed upon them by their office, and to save expense and time in the collection of school rates, which can in general be levied and collected more cheaply under the authority of the Township Council than under that of School Trustees: for the Council has a Collector and Rolls already provided; and the Collector must collect rates on all the taxable property within his jurisdiction each year for other than school purposes. For him, therefore, to have the school rates, in any or all the School Sections, within the limits of his collectorship, added to the other rates, and collect them at the same time, will involve but little additional trouble and expense; and the rates on the property of absentees can be collected in the same manner as other rates on the same property. But when Trustees themselves levy school rates on property, they must appoint a special collector, and pay him a higher per centage for such special service than would be paid to an ordinary collector: must procure an extract from the Assessment Roll, and sue each defaulting nonresident. Nor do Trustees receive any pecuniary remuneration for their much trouble and loss of time in the performance of their duties, which is otherwise with Township Councillors. It was therefore thought just and economical, (as provided in the 9th clause of the 12th section of the School Act,) that Trustees should have the option of levying and collecting school rates on property themselves, or transfer, by request, the duty of doing so to the Township

Council, the members of which are paid for their time and services. And to prevent any unnecessary discussion or loss of time in doing their duty, the Council is not authorised to judge of or vary the amount required to be assessed, but simply to give legal effect to the will of a portion of the school electors of the Township in respect to their own school municipality, as decided by them at a public meeting, and as communicated and attested by their chosen Trustees. In some cases, Township Councils have assumed the right which belongs exclusively to Trustees, of judging as to the amount and even property of such assessments of School Sectionsa right which does not appertain to any Council, either in city or country, but is in all cases confided to School Trustees, who are specially elected for such purposes. The High Sheriff of a county is the executor, not the judge, of the law in the matters placed in his hands; so, in this case, the duty of a Township Council is simply to execute the wish of certain School Sections in regard to taxing themselves for their own purposes. There will, of course, always be individuals in such sections opposed to rates for any school purposes; but with such individuals a Township Council has nothing to do the Trustees, or a majority of them, being the elected and responsible exponents of the wants of their own school municipality.

3. Another question has then arisen, as to what Trustees should do in the event of a Township Council refusing to levy a school rate, as authorised and required by the 1st clause of the 18th section of the School Act. In every such case, the Trustees of a School Section can do, as have the Trustees of one or two towns and villages, apply to the Court of Queen's Bench for a mandamus, and compel an anti-school Council to do its duty, and the opposing members of such Council would be justly responsible for the expenses and consequences of such a proceeding. Trustees, though unpaid for their services, are liable to a penalty if they refuse or neglect to do their duty, after having accepted office; and it would be only equal if Township Councillors, who are paid for their services, should be made responsible for refusing or neglecting to do their duty in school matters. But thus far, in such cases, Trustees have been recommended to exercise their own corporate powers to levy and collect the amount of rates required for their school purposes. Where Trustees provide for the salary of their Teacher by rate-bills on parents sending children to the school, and not rate on property, of course they alone can impose and collect such ratebills. It is, however, gratifying to know that, in the very great majority of instances, the Township Councils sympathise with Trustees in their efforts to improve and furnish school houses, and to establish free schools-the cases to which we have referred being exceptions to the general rule. In some instances, Township Councils would be glad to provide forthwith for making all the schools free within their municipalities.

4. Inquiry has also been made, as to what property in a School Section is liable to be taxed for School purposes? The terms employed by the Act are "taxable property, as expressed in the Assessor or Collector's Roll," and "the freeholders and householders of such section." It will therefore be observed, that all descriptions of freeholders and householders," are included, whether resident or non-resident, there being no exception. All "taxable property" is also included, whether wild lands or cultivated lands, or personal property; or whether the property of absentees or residents-all is made tributary to the great interests of education. In collecting school-rates from resident freeholders and householders making default of payment, the 2nd, 8th and 9th clauses of the 12th Section of the School Act authorise Trustees to proceed by warrant; but the 11th clause of the same section authorises them "to sue for and recover by their name of office the amounts of school-rates or subscriptions due from persons residing without the limits of their Section, and making default of payment."

PRACTICAL LESSONS ON EDUCATION FROM

BOSTON.

In another part of this number will be found the impressions received by the managers of two of the Toronto City papers, at the late Railroad celebration in Boston, in regard to public schools in the metropolis of the New England States. Boston can indeed boast of being the focus of more railroads than any other city in America, and that chiefly through enterprise of its citizens-thus more than counterbalancing the disadvantages of geographical position by the appliances of intelligence, skill, and energy. But Boston has higher claims to distinction than those founded in railway and manufacturing enterprise, or military prowess. It is the birth-place of FREE SCHOOLS. If here the right of self-government was first asserted in the western hemisphere, it was also here, more than a century before, the right of every child to be educated, and the corresponding duty of the State to secure the enjoyment of that right, was first propounded and proclaimed as a fundamental principle of government. Hence Boston as she is the acknowledged Athens of America, and the radiating centre of an enterprise which clothes half the new world, makes highways of commerce through mountains, navigates every ocean, and trades with every trading country. We will set down a few impressions which a few days' stay in Boston makes on the mind of a Canadian visitor in regard to popular education and schools.

1. The respect in which Teachers of youth are held, and the value attached to their labours. The teachers of the public schools in Boston rank with the members of the Legal and Medical professions; and several of those teachers receive larger salaries than the Governor of the State. The Boston City Superintendent of Schools (having the oversight of 219 schools) receives a salary of $2,500, or £625 per annum. The Secretary of the State Board of Education receives a salary of $2,000, besides his travelling exThe salary of the Governor is only $2,500; and that penses. of the Secretary of State, $1,600. To no offices or departments in the State is higher importance and value attached than to those connected with public common school education. The daughter of the present President of the United States was two or three years since a Normal School Student at Albany, and since then a Teacher at a public school in Buffalo. Governor SEWARD, of New York, was once a common School Teacher; and so was Dr. JARED SPARKS, present President of Harvard College or Cambrige University; and so was the great DANIEL WEBSTER, who was so remarkable for the accuracy and precision of his language when a teacher, that certain young ladies gave him the cognomen of “Mr. Set-speech." These distinguished men exerted themselves as much by their industry and character to honor and make honorable the position of common school teacher as they have since to do honor to the more prominent, though not more honorable, positions to which they have been called by the voice of their fellow citizens.

2. The interest and affection with which every man of every profession, pursuit, and condition, regards the common schools, is another circumstance which must impress the mind of the observing visitor at Boston. In his conversation and inquiries, he will find there no class of literary, professional or public men who look upon the common schools as no concern of theirs, as a matter beneath their attention, if not as an innovating nuisance. From the Governor downwards, every man with whom you meet and converse on the subject, refers to the common schools as the glory of the city, the first and most vital interest of the State-that to which all other interests are quite secondary-the first and most potent lever of civilization, and the palladium of public liberty.-You will find no difference of sentiment on this subject, and little

diversity of feeling. Every man feels himself as much obligated and concerned to support the public schools, as to support public order and liberty. Such a feeling is the soul of enlightened patriotism, and is the great desideratum in our country. Its prevalence and predominence would produce an amazing revolution in the public press, and elevate and expand the entire public heart to the generous and noblest impulses of an intelligent, industrious and free people.

3. A third circumstance, impressive and suggestive to the Canadian visitor in Boston, is, the system of police in respect to juvenile offenders. They are sent to school and set at work, under a system of oversight and discipline, parental, judicial and christian. Truancy at school and vagrancy in the streets are legal offences, and are sure to place the young offenders in a corrective school of instruction and employment adapted to weaken every vicious propensity, and develope and strengthen virtuous principles and habits. Some most respectable citizens commenced their career of virtue and successful industry in these schools of correction and reformation. Thus is vice nipt in the bud, the number of criminals reduced by scores, the number of useful citizens proportionably increased, the prevalence and influence of crime and the expenses of criminal jurisprupence vastly reduced. Political economy, no less than Christian philanthropy and benevolence, requires something of the same kind to be done, to prevent the multitudes of idle and vicious youths in our cities, towns and villages from becoming a numerous and giant race of criminals, expensive, miserable, and dangerous, instead of being made intelligent, happy and useful citizens.

4. Another circumstance which both attracts the eye and arrests the attention of the visitor in Boston, is, the economy and taste evinced in public school architecture. The school-houses are not indeed the most expensive, but they are among the most beautifully situated and the finest buildings in the city-removed from the noise of the streets, central in the districts for which they have been erected,--plain but elegant without, admirably arranged, completely furnished, and perfectly clean within-each costing about $40,000, besides the grounds, and each accommodating from 800 to 1,000 pupils each having a head master with several assistants, mostly females each including a primary, intermediate, and grammar (or English high) school-the premises throughout neat, and the pupils cleanly and orderly. It is the result of long experience in this model city for schools, that it is much cheaper to build one large house for the accommodation of 1,000 children, than to build ten houses for the accommodation of one hundred each, or five houses for 200 each; that it is much cheaper to warm and furnish one such large house than ten small ones; that it is much cheaper to employ one able head master, with several assistants, for one large school, than to employ ten head masters for ten small schools; that 1,000 pupils can be much more advantageously classified, according to age and attainments, taught and advanced from division to division, from class to class, and from school to school, when collected in one large house, and under one master and system, than when divided in ten buildings, under as many different masters, if not systems. Upon the ground, therefore, of economy as well as of efficiency, the system of having large school-houses has become the practice not only in Boston, but in most of the cities and towns of the New England States. We are happy to observe that the Boards of Trustees in several of our Canadian towns and villages are pursuing the same course, though, we regret to say, in some instances, in the face of most misguided opposition. It is held by men of property in Boston, and other towns in New England, as a good speculation to build large and fine school-houses, from the

ascertained and established fact that such buildings more than pay for themselves, by the additional value which they give to property and rents in the towns, or school wards of cities, within which they are situated. We were therefore assured, that no complaint is ever made against paying any amount of taxes whatever for school purposes.

5. Should a Canadian visitor, who is familiar with the methods of teaching pursued in our Normal and Model Schools, enter one of the spacious school-houses in Boston, and witness the exercises and examination of the pupils, he would be struck with the similarity of the methods of teaching adopted in Boston and being introduced into Canadian schools,-the method of teaching to observe, investigate, and think, and not merely to remember-the method of teaching principles and things, and not merely rules and words, of exercising all the faculties, rather than loading the memory, of drawing out and developing the powers of the mind, rather than of cramming it. There are also two other features of the Boston schools worthy of note and imitation-namely, the prominence given to vocal music and linear drawing; both taught to an extent truly creditable and really surprising, and that without the least interference with other studies--thus familiarising the eye and the hand with the handy work of nature and art, and attuning the heart and voice to the praise of nature's God.

EDUCATIONAL FEATURES OF THE BOSTON RAILROAD CELEBRATION.

One kind of manufacture received full honor here, however, viz., the manufacture of educated, intelligent, and useful men and women. The far-famed Common Schools of Boston were represented with the pupils seated each at his or her neat desk, just as they appear at school, only better dressed, and when the long procession reached the Common, it passed between school boys and school girls, marshalled by their teachers, and ranged under the trees on each side of the road, to the number, we understood, of 7000. This was a sublime spectacle, and no language can express the impression it made on the mind. Our French Canadians especially appeared delighted with it, appreciating as they evidently did its importance, as an element of the general prosperity which was exhibited around. The leading characteristics of this great exhibition, as indeed of New England generally, may be summed up in two short phrases, which it would be well for every nation to engrave upon its public sentiment, viz: "The dignity of labor," and "The necessity of education." The dignity of labor was every where manifested by the respect paid to it, and to the men and women engaged in it, as well as by the self respect which they evidently cherished. George IV. called the Scotch a nation of gentlemen, and this might emphatically be repeated concerning the hundreds of thousands engaged in the Boston Celebration, all of whom, so far as we saw, were well dressed, orderly, and courteous. The arrangement of such a procession must have been no ordinary task, even in Boston, and did great credit to the Marshals, but in a drinking and uneducated city, it would have been impracticable-Correspondent of the Montreal Witness.

Our first visit was to the House of Correction, an institution for the reformation of offenders, in some respects similar to our own Provincial Penitentiary, but much smaller. It is exclusively under the controul and for the use of the city, and is in a great measure self-supporting, the prisoners being hired out to contractors, who are provided with men and workshops within the premises, but find their own materials and machinery. I noticed among other things, the manufacture of buttons, combs, brass fittings for carriages, and japanned work by the men-shirts and other needle work by the women. The number of prisoners is about 500; the males and females being confined in separate wings of the building; the cost of maintenance is $30,000, of which $20,000 is repaid to the Corporation for prisoners' work. We next visited the Lunatic Asylum for incurable patients-a class of people hitherto most shamefully neglected in Canada. This is an old building, and deficient in many modern improvements; but the patients are carefully kept, and not subjected to any violent restraints. Even the worst cases

are open for inspection; and however revolting it may be to our feelings, to see the unhappy condition of these poor creatures, I cannot but think it a wise precaution, to dispense with all secret imprisonment. It is but right to add, that they are incessantly attended, and that there was in no case, any want of cleanliness visible. From this melancholy place, we drove to the House of Reformation for juvenile offenders, delightfully situated on the brow of a steep bank overlooking the harbour-indeed, all these institutions are located in South Boston, four or five miles from the centre of the city, and in a very lovely and salubrious position, with extensive grounds attached to each. The House of Reformation afforded us great pleasure; here are educated, not only juvenile offenders generally, including truants from the free schools, but the whole pauper children of the city. A separate wing is devoted to each class. Those not confined for offences, are educated in the same manner as at the free schools, and fed and clothed at the public expense. In the opposite wing, the convict children are taught precisely the same course of instruction as the pauper boys, except that half their time is devoted to hard-work, which consists partly in farming labour out of doors, and partly in making shoes within. There are separate girls' schools, which we did not see. The whole of these boys appeared to be perfectly happy, whether at work or in school; and their food, which we inspected, is of the best kind, as indeed is the case at all the before mentioned establishments. There is an alms-house for paupers, and the Corporation are now erecting a new and very large building for pauper immigrants, on the opposite side of the bay, but it is unfinished, and we did not visit it. If I remember rightly, the cost was estimated at $100,000.

Having expressed a good deal of curiosity, which the sight of the school-children on the previous day was well calculated to sharpen, respecting the details of their school system, we were finally escorted to the "Bigelow School House," an immense brick building of four or five stories. These schools are all named after various distinguished Bostonians-this being so styled in honour of the present Mayor-not because of any endowment bestowed upon them, but by way of distinction merely. There are, I think, 180 of them in all, but the Bigelow School is the latest erected, and possesses therefore the most recent improvements. I am not sufficiently conversant with such matters to express an opinion as to the relative merits of school systems, and can only say, that the Bigelow School appeared to possess every requisite for the instruction of the pupils, and many more contrivances for their personal comfort than I remember to have seen in any similar institution, collegiate or otherwise. The ground on which the building stands cost the city $10,000 the building itself $40,000 more, or over £20,000 currency. Each room is appropriated to a class, restricted to 56 or 60 pupils; there may be twenty or thirty such rooms in this school, with a large and lofty hall above for special occasions. In every school in Boston, including the House of Reformation, there is provided a piano forte, and singing is regularly taught. I have already mentioned, that the children of all classes are associated together in these free schools, excepting a very few whose parents are wealthy enough to provide private instruction, or who prefer boarding schools, mostly under the care of Clergymen of various denominations. Every man is compelled to cause his children to be instructed, under the penalty of fine and imprisonment; every child is compelled to attend school, on pain of being sent to hard work at the House of Reformation. If he prefer the hard work, he stays there; if he promises to attend school regularly, he is released from confinement; if he transgresses again, he is sent back to confinement and hard labour until he submits to his fate. Without expressing any opinion as to the merits of this seemingly despotic system, I cannot in fairness avoid saying, that its results appear to be highly conducive to the objects of its projectors-viz: to secure uniform good conduct among the poorer citizens, and to enable every child to start fairly in the unceasing contest for wealth which appears to be going on in Boston, and every where else in the United States.

In regard to the dinner, to my mind, decidedly the finest speech of the day was that made by the Hon. Edward Everett, late Ambassador at the Court of St. James, to describe which, I will again borrow from the correspondent of a New York paper. "When the first note of Edward Everett's voice was heard, the chord of the master-hand was revealed. That sweet and strong enunciation