A. Hosley, J. Allen, and S. S. Buckley were appointed a committee to nominate officers, and A. W. Smith, C. Niver, and C. Cotton, a committee on resolutions; after which the following questions were discussed:

Should corporal punishment in our common schools be prohibited by law?

Decided that it should not. Believing that the frequent discussion of this question within a few

out a uniformity of text-books, we will use our efforts to produce such uniformity.

The following resolution, introduced by the Rev. J. R. Irish, was passed by the association: Resolved, That the use of tobacco, for smo king, snuffing or chewing, is a practice so loathsome and infectious, that no teacher should allow him or herself in it.

The association then adjourned till evening. listened to an address from J. J. Rockafellow, Met agreeable to adjournment at 6 o'clock, and county superintendent, and remarks from W. C. Kenyon and R. H. Spencer. A committee of five were appointed for determining the time and place of holding the next annual meeting. Resolved, That the proceedings of this assoin the District School Journal. ciation be published in the county papers, also ASA W. SMITH, Pres't.

D. D. PICKETT, Sec'y.

CAYUGA.

TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

The Teachers' Association of Cayuga County met on Saturday, the 18th inst., according to pre

years past, has had a tendency to make scholarsvious notice.

more refractory; and should a law be passed The gathering of teachers and friends of eduprohibiting corporal punishment, that it would cation, considering the inclemency of the mornbe far more difficult to maintain wholesome dis-ing, far exceeded the most sanguine expectations. cipline in our common schools than at present. Is the practice of requiring the teacher to "board round" to be recommended?

Decided in the negative.

The capacious school-room of the academy, which it is estimated will hold nearly three hundred people, was filled to its utmost capacity.Among others present on the occasion, were the The report of the committee for nominating Hon. Salem Town of Aurora, F. G. Storkes, Esq. officers received. They report as follows, viz: the County Superintendent, J. B. Glendening, A. W. Smith, President, Independence; S. S. A. M., Principal of Cayuga Academy, Wm. Buckley, Bolivar; Dr. Barney, Independence; Hopkins, A. M., Principal of Auburn Academy, Esq. Bartlet, New-Hudson; R. Crandall Gen- Rev. C. J. Rudd, A. M., Principal of Auburn esee; Martin Butts, Clarksville; J. C. Cran- Female Seminary, Wm. Allen, Esq., of Auburn. dall, Amity; A. L. Cady, Almond; H. Dimick, The town superintendents of Cato, Victory, Wirt; D. Ford, Belfast; J. Harrison, Friend- Fleming, Owasco and Aurelius, with seventyship; S. K. Hale, Andover; Dr. Jones, Scio; five or a hundred teachers of common schools, J. M. Powers, Cuba; L. Sturdyvant, West Al- from the different towns in the county. The nummond; P. M. Vincent, Alfred; M. Wygant, An- ber present, and the unwavering attention paid gelica, Vice-Presidents; D. D. Pickett, Secreta- to the various exercises, augur well for the cha ry; A. Hosley, Treasurer; N. Wardner, Li-racter of the association, and the growing intebrarian. rest felt in the cause of education throughout the The committee on resolutions presented the community. After the meeting was called to orfollowing, which were adopted by the associa-der, the first business was the reading of an able tion : and lucid report by E. G. Storke, the chairman Resolved, That we, as teachers, feel the need of the committee appointed to consider the imof advice in discharging the high and sacred re-portance of teachers' associations, and the best sponsibilities of our profession.

Resolved, That in our opinion, those holding the offices of town and county superintendents should be fully capable of giving such advice.

Resolved. That in choosing them, reference should be had only to high moral, intellectual, and scientific attainments, regardless of sectarianism, either in politics, religion, or any person al favor whatever.

Resolved, That they should be a pattern for teachers rather than beneath any of them in personal, moral, practical or scientific attainments. Resolved, That we, as teachers, feel that parents, guardians, and citizens generally, show great disregard for the welfare of our common schools by withholding their sympathy, and almost wholly neglecting to visit and co-operate with us in our labors.

Resolved, That no school can prosper without system, and as system cannot be had with

mode of their organization. The principal alterations proposed were to change the present name of the society to the Common School Association of Cayuga County, that every patron, teacher, pupil and friend of common schools in the county be considered members of the association, and that the annual meeting be held on the Saturday preceding the first Monday of Janu

ary.

The report was unanimously adopted.

The assembly was then favored with an eloquent and practical address by Prof. Town, upon the Empire of Mind. A copy of the address was solicited for publication, and it is hoped the speaker, who has spent a long life in developing Mind, will comply with the request, that the public may share the pleasure of perusing it, and profit by the venerable author's experience and wisdom.

The next business in order was the report of

J. B. THOMSON, PRES'T. C. P. WILLIAMS, Sec'y.

the committee on resolutions. The resolutions | our thanks for gratuitously publishing the notice gave rise to an animated and interesting discus- of our meeting. sion upon the importance of formning teachers' associations, on the prevailing defects and the best mode of teaching reading, spelling, geography, grammar and arithmetic. Among the speakers who participated in the discussion, were Messrs. [Having in a former number inadvertently Glendening, Storke, Hopkins, Allen, Benedict of Union Springs, Van Fleet of Owasco, Dr. An- published an incorrect account of the Oneida drews of Victory, Meachan of Cato, and Hunt of County Normal School, we take pleasure in preAurelius. Perfect harmony and unanimity presenting to our readers the following corrected vailed throughout the meeting, and a real enthusiversion.-ED.] asm in the great subject of education was awa. kened, that cannot fail to give an impulse to every school in the county.

The following resolutions were presented, and unanimously adopted:

1st. Resolved, That in vew of the importance of common schools, we consider them entitled to the active co-operation of all friends of our common country and of human happiness.

2d. Resolved, That in order to carry out fully the views of the Hon. Salem Town, and act ef ficiently in extending the "Empire of Mind," the teachers in every town should form themselves into an association, to meet at specified times, hear an address from one of the members, and discuss the various topics connected with their profession.

3d. Resolved, That a correct habit of reading can best be fixed by the frequent example of the teacher. That in our opinion this has been too frequently neglected, and formal directions too much relied upon, and that therefore an immediate change in this particular is earnestly called for.

4th. Resolved, That in our opinion, arithmetic has been taught too much by rules-"rules which played around the head, but have never entered it"-and that its application either to the business of life or to the purposes of mental discipline, have been too generally unattended

to.

5th. Resolved, That in the teaching of English grammar, we conceive a great error has existed, viz: that of imparting the theory without the practice, which renders it a dead letter to the pupil, and that this defect should be correct ed by giving more time to practice and less to the theory of the science.

6th. Resolved, That geography can best be taught in connection with drawing, and to this end we recommend the teachers of this county not to require their pupils to learn descriptions of any country, town, river, &c., until they can produce them in outlines on their slates and blackboards.

7th. Resolved, That the experience of a large number of schools in this county during the past year, clearly shows that spelling can be most successfully taught by writing upon slates. thus accomplishing a double object of improving in spelling and penmanship.

8th. Resolved, That we tender to Hon. Salem Town our warmest thanks for his highly useful and interesting address on this occasion, and request that he will give us a copy for publication. 9th. Resolved, That we tender to Prof. Hopkins our warmest thanks for the use of his school-room on this occasion.

10th. Resolved, That we tender to the editors and publishers of the several papers of Auburn,

ONEIDA.

NORMAL SCHOOL.

THE Normal School in the village of Camsucceeded beyond the most sanguine expectaden, closed on Friday, November 1. It has tions of those who have been engaged in it. The Exhibition was highly gratifying to all who witnessed it, and impressed every mind with a belief of the perfect practicability of Norma! Schools, and of their great utility in giving teachers correct notions of the art of teaching and government in Common Schools. And the high estimation in which the services of the President, Mr. S. R. Sweet, and his excellent manner of teaching, and the benefits of such temporary schools, were held by the town su. perintendents, are set forth in the following resolutions.

Owing to the bad travelling, there were not so many of the town superintendents in attend. ance as was desirable. After the exercises were concluded, the town superintendents or ganized by choosing Julius C. Thorne, Esq., County Sup't, Chairman, and L. D. Baker, Esq., Secretary.

The following resolutions were offered by A. D. Wright, Esq., of Verona :

Resolved, That we consider Normal Schools and Teachers' Institutes, as productive of great good to the cause of education, by educating the teachers of common schools, not only in the great principles of science, but also in the most approved methods of teaching.

Resolved, That as the most efficient means of eleva ting the cause of common school education is, to edu cate the teachers-Therefore, we are of opinion that the State of New-York would render a lasting benefit to the whole people, by apportioning a part of its m nificence to the support of Normal Schools and Teach ers' Institutes infeach county.

Resolved, That we, as citizens of Oneida county, look with pride and satisfaction upon the Normal School which has been in session during several weeks in this place-that the teachers in attendance have made such improvements as to be highly creditable and honorable

to themselves.

Resolved, That we owe a debt of gratitude to the Principal, Mr. S. R. Sweet, for his enterprize in establishing this temporary Normal School among us, and ried it through to its termination. for the efficient and happy manner in which he has car

Resolved, That we greatly admire the tact and talent of Mr. A. J. Coburn, one of the instructors. His exhi bition of the School upon Mitchell's Outline Maps, far exceeded any thing of the kind that we have ever witnessed. It was very instructive and truly wonderful.

Resolved, That Miss Harriet Stevens, Ruth B. Haw.

ley, Edwin Miller and Aaron Fuller, are entitled to the thanks of the Principal and Students, for the able manner in which they discharged their duties as monitors.

Resolved, That the several teachers, (as far as in their power) endeavor to carry out the wishes of the county and town superintendents, by introducing the text-books adopted by them, so that a uniformity may be produced in the schools of this part of the county. J. C. THORNE, Chair'n. L. D. BAKER, Seer'y.

The semi-annual report of the secretary, together with reports from local associations in the towns of Lysander, Camillus, Skaneateles, Resolved, That as we believe the object of all Marcellus, Van Buren and Fabius, were pre-education is to fit the pupil to act more wisely in sented and read. The secretary's report was his peculiar sphere of life, it should be especialadopted, and ordered to be incorporated in the ly adapted to that one in which he is most propublished proceedings of the meeting. bably destined to act, or for which he is best fitted.

plain and practical exposition of his views on vited the teachers of the county and such as prothe best methods of teaching and governing posed to engage in teaching, to meet at Syraschools. His address was listened to with the cuse, in accordance with a recommendation made deepest interest by all who heard him, and made at a meeting of county and town superintendents, an impression which must be productive of for purposes of mutual improvement as teachers much practical good.. of common schools. That meeting was conResolutions expressing the thanks of the as-tinued for three weeks, and was attended by sociation to Messrs. Randall and Dwight, for about one hundred different persons, most of their several addresses, were then adopted. Al-whom are now engaged in the schools of this so, to the trustees of the Second Presbyterian county. A report of their proceedings was preSociety, for the use of their room. pared and published, together with reports from

Orson Barnes, Esq., then offered the follow-committees, to whom several matters were reing, which was adopted unanimously.

Resolved, That our thanks are cordially tendered to E. W. Curtis, Esq., late president of this association, for his successful efforts in its behalf, and in promoting the objects for which it was formed.

Messrs. Phelps, Parsons and Salisbury, were appointed a committee to prepare the proceed ings for, and to see to their publication in the several county papers, and in the District School Journal, whereupon the meeting adjourned.

E. W. CURTIS, President.

D. P. PHELPS, Secretary.

paper:

ferred in the course of their meeting. It will
not be expected of me here to enter into details
in regard to the effect produced by that meeting.
It is sufficient here to say, that no step taken in
this county for the improvement of schools, has
been attended with more beneficial results.
same testimony is borne in other counties where
the plan has been tried, and it has also met with
favor from the public authorities at Albany.

The

this association will not adjourn, without a for- ' mal expression of their views upon this subject.

The undersigned cannot suffer this occasion to pass, without urging upon your notice the enquiry, whether much good might not be accomplished by a small appropriation to each county, towards defraying the necessary expenses of these The Report of the Secretary of the On-lature in establishing the normal school at AlbaTeachers' Institutes. The design of the legisondaga County Common School Association, ny, was to provide the state with a class of suwas made at the late annual meeting, and by a perior teachers, to be located in the different resolution of the Association, was ordered to be counties of the state, after they shall graduate..` published. We regret that we can give but the number of those who are to engage in the em Of necessity it is accessible to but a very small following concluding portion of this excellent ployment of teaching, and some time must elapse, before these few will have entered upon This association has been now a little more the active duties of a teachers' profession. In than one year in operation. During that time, the mean time, an appropriation from our ammarked and visible improvements have been ple school fund of the small amount which would made in the general character of the schools of be required for the purpose named, would afford the county. While it is not to be claimed for facilities which, in no other way for so small a this association by any means, that such a desi- sum, could possibly be obtained, and its benefits rable result has been obtained through its influ-se generally realized. The undersigned hopes ence alone, it is but proper for the undersigned to ask in its behalf what you will doubtless be willing to award it-some credit for the aid it "In regard to the text books recommended by has rendered. From the reports of town asso- the association, the undersigned is of opinion ciations annexed hereto, it cannot be doubted that they have very generally been adopted. that the meetings of these town associations, the Certain it is, that a much greater uniformity exassembling together of teachers, classes and ists now, than a year since, and in every respect, schools, to compare, discuss, and criticise in a so far as has been represented to the undersigned, friendly and familiar manner, different methods the benefits anticipated in the practical workof communicating instruction and of governing ings of adopting a common standard, have been schools, have, in all cases, had a direct tendency fully realized. The teacher is much better able to awaken new and increased interest, and to to do justice to a large number of pupils-adexcite a laudable spirit of emulation in the minds vancement of the pupil in his studies is more of all who have attended them. Parents have rapid, and parents ure less frequently subjected been aroused to a sense of their duty, the teach-to that which is at all times an annoyance-the er has been made to feel the responsibility of his office, and has caught higher and nobler views of the dignity of the profession he has embraced, and the pupil has found a thousand new and honorable incentives to exertion, in a pathway which soon yields to his feet more flowers than thorns. We must keep alive this spirit, and we must extend it. The meetings of this and auxil. iary associations must be made laboratories, for engendering by their discussions, lectures and reports, new ideas of improvement, and new zeal to propagate and enforce them. In this way our association may do much, in furtherance of the object for which it was formed.

In the month of October last, Messrs. Curtis and Barnes, the then acting superintendents, in.

purchase of a new book to suit the notions and prejudices of every new teacher. The want of some uniform standard of text-books for a definite period, has always been a source of complaint and annoyance, well illustrated in the anecdote of the father and son who called at a book. store for Mitchell's Geography. Purchasing the book and handing it to the boy, the father says,

Now run quick to school, my son, or the mas ter will change the book before you get there."

"The consolidation of districts, has been justly regarded as a measure of the highest importance. Whenever practicable, it is worthy of adoption. In an economical point of view, it is undoubtedly much cheaper, and an arrangement and classifi cation of classes and pupils can be made much

more efficient, than under the single district system. Such, at all events, is the experience in all districts which have adopted the plan, and profiting by that, other districts are preparing for

it.

.

In closing a report, which has been extended much beyond what was originally intended, I should omit an act of justice were I not to speak of the earnest and untiring efforts of the county superintendents, to fulfil the duties entrusted to them. From the large number of districts under their supervision, of course but a limited amount of time can be given by them to the different schools. So far as the undersigned has information, their labors have been eminently successful, and have tended to confirm and strengthen a feeling favorable to the system under which they are appointed.

"All which is respectfully submitted.
D. P. PHELPS,
Sec'ry Onon. Co. Com. School Asso.
Syracuse, Jan. 14, 1845."

[From the Westchester Herald.]

WESTCHESTER.

SCHOOL MEETING.

We availed ourself of the priviledge of at tending the lecture of JOSIAH HOLBROOK, Esq., of New-York, announced in the public journals for Saturday last at White-Plains; and our only regret is that hundreds of the friends of educa. tion in this county had not done likewise. Mr. H. is extensively and favorably recognized as a literary and scientific gentleman of high qualifications, and eminent ability to impart instruction. His whole life, as we believe, has been devoted to the acquirement and extension of knowledge, and the peculiarities of his system of instruction. (which will be discovered in the course of this article,) appears to us to be in every respect worthy the attention of parents, preceptors and patriots.

Mr. HOLBROOK commenced his lecture by declaring his object to be, to induce efforts in youth for the acquirement of knowledge and self-improvement; and adopted as his motto "Nature before Books,"-drawing before writing, &c. and argued as well as illustrated that the mind can learn more, and be more effectually impressed by the presentation of natural objects, than from artificial or arbitrary signs. He then exhibited, and recited his remarkably lucid illus. trations with natural fruit, products, etc., which he averred, would much more lastingly impress the child's mind than simple pictures or emblems of these objects in a book. In support of his principle of teaching drawing before writing, he introduced a number of interesting facts, show. ing incipient talent, and the absorbing influence of these pursuits; and in proof, presented a number of drawings recently made by the scholars from Rye, among which was one, much admired, inscribed our school-house," and added, that in this way, a system of scientific exchanges might be established, and extended from school-house to school-house, from country to city, etc. He also exhibited some handsome specimens of maps of Westchester county, and other places, drawn by pupils of public school No. 8 in the city of New York; together with his sheet of Geometrical Diagrams, from one of

which he had seen four hundred boys drawing at one time. He said, it gave a better training to the eye and mind than manuscript writing, and sustained his position with showing a variety of outline cards, and stating on the authority of Professor MANN, of Massachusetts, that in France every child was instructed in drawing. Writing, however, he said, should follow in close connection with this branch of instruction. He likewise commended to the young the formation of scientific parties, for the prosecution of these enlivening and instructive objects.

The lecturer then opened a box of natural productions, well filled by the industry and research of the members of the Rye school who had been awakened to the subject by his lecture at that place, delivered a few weeks previously. He then explained the meaning of the terms Geography, Geometry and Geologyand drew from the box of collections made at Rye, specimens of the rocks which compose the higher parts of the Andes, and other mountains of the earth-viz: quartz, feldspar, and mica. He then held up a beautiful specimen of quartz, of which he said most of the gems are formed; of feldspar, nearly allied to the former, and mica, of which three, as has been stated, the highest mountains are formed. Quartz, when subjeted to the action of heat, produces glass; felspar, china, etc. These three letters of the geological alphabet, may be learned in an hour. The lecturer also presented a fine specimen of pudding stone, picked up on Rye beach, of which there are vast quantitics between Providence and Boston, and he had found it also high up on the Catskill mountains. Its peculiarity was noticed, as notwithstanding its being composed of a vast number of pebbles imbedded in the adhering mass, having seams by which the mass might be divided, as in other rock, but which separated the pebbles also in their centre. He next showed the varieties of acorns that had been collected, and explained that the kinds of oak, of which there are fortyfour in America, may be determined by the form and appearance of the fruit. So also of the gum tree, locust, etc. He then offered to the inspection of the audience several curious specimens of the productions of other countries, viz. a handsomely wrought basket made by the wife of an Indian chief in Oregon, a bell made in Mexico, sent in return for articles forwarded from schools in New-York, strings of shells from the Fejee Islands, &c. &c.

The morning lecture was closed with a display of drawings of Mamaroneck, Rye, Westchester, Liberia, the eclipse, etc., made by the boys in the school at Rye Neck, under the eharge of Miss JANE DUNCAN, and presented by Mr. BARRY, town superintendent, who also took an active part and interest in the proceedings.

The meeting was attended by JOHN HOBBS, Esq., county superintendent, Mr. VERMILYE, of Mamaroneck, Messrs. BARRY, SMITH, TOMPKINS, of Rye, and a few other friends of common school education, who are entitled to high praise for their activity and zeal in the good work. The scholars too, are well deserving unqualified commendation for their industry, talent, and research, in providing specimens, drawings, &c. for the occasion.

At the close of the meeting, the following reso