The new School Act, by fixing the minimum of the allowance of a Local Superintendent, has relieved the Municipal Council of what has often proved an embarrassing and thankless duty. During the last session of the New-York State Legislature, a Bill was introduced, on the recommendation of the State Superintendent of Schools and the Report of a Select Committee, providing for the abolition of the office of Town Superintendents and the appointment of a School Superintendent for each Legislative Assembly District-analogous to an electoral riding with us. The salary of each Superintendent was fixed at $500 per annum. There are 128 Assembly Districts and 11,000 Schools in the State--giving an average of about 86 schools to each Superintendent, who was required to visit each school twice a year, with a remuneration of nearly six dollars per school. With us, under the new School Act, the Local Superintendent is required to visit each school under his charge at least once in each quarter, and to deliver a public educational lecture in each section once a year, besides various other duties prescribed by law; and the minimum of his remuneration is fixed at one pound per school—a less sum than is given to Local Superintendents by most of the Township Councils from which I have heard the present year. Persons who offer their services at a very low figure in order to get an office, generally do little that is of any value after they get the office, and then justify their inefficiency by the plea that they do more than they are paid for. It is of very little importance to the people at large whether a Local Superintendent receives a few shillings more or less per school; but it is of the greatest importance to them and their children, whether an able supervision be provided for their schools. Under the provisions of the new School Act, new and feeble Townships can be provided with an efficient School Superintendence, and aided, if not altogether relieved, in regard to its remuneration.*

This provision in regard to the duties and minimum of Local Superintendents, 1 first submitted to the consideration of the Government on the 23rd of February, 1849. It formed the 23rd Section of a then proposed "Draft of Bill making further provision for the improvement of Common Schools in Upper Canada,"-designed to remedy the defects of the then existing School law, and to adapt it to the provisions of Mr. Attorney-General Baldwin's Municipal Council Bill, then before the Legislature. The following are the reasons I assigned for this provision:

"The Twenty-third Section confers upon 'Township Superintendents, within the limits of their respective jurisdictions, the powers of District Super

The School Act imposing upon a local Superintendent not only miscellaneous duties which require judgment and knowledge of men and things, but a visitorial examination of each School once a quarter, (which, if conducted as the law expressly enjoins, cannot be performed in more than two Schools a-day,) and a lecture on education in each School Section once a year, and the examination of Teachers for the Schools, the County Council should spare no pains to search out and appoint men as local Superintendents who will command public attention as lecturers, who understand the true

intendents, with two vitally important provisos :-The one fixing the minimum of the allowance to Township Superintendents, [at one pound per School the other prescribing additional duties of the highest importance to the progress of Common Schools [namely, that the Superintendent should visit each School once a quarter, and deliver a lecture on Education in each Section, once a year.] Without these provisos, I think the system of Township Superintendents will prove a failure, as it has done in the State of NewYork; with these provisos, I think it will add very greatly to the efficiency of our Common School System. In the Municipal Corporations Bill,' I perceive the minimum of allowance to certain officers is prescribed by law; and I think such a provision absolutely essential to the efficiency of the office of Township Superintendent. The inefficiency of the late office of Township Superintendent was, I am persuaded, chiefly owing to the absence of the provisos which I here propose. In some instances, persons offered to perform the duties of Township Superintendent gratuitously, and such offers were invariably accepted; but that gratuitous zeal soon subsided; and as gratuitous service is irresponsible service, those who performed it considered themselves entitled to gratitude for the little that they did, rather than liable to blame for the much that they did not. Besides, when there were rival candidates for the office, the lowest bidder almost always received the largest suffrage; but when once in office, he would proportion his work to his compensation. Such was the tendency and practical effects of the system; although there were many honourable exceptions. And a still worse effect of that system was, the appointment, under such circumstances, of many incompetent persons. The first proviso which I propose, will remove all competition for the office upon pecuniary grounds; and while the compensation will be such as to secure the services of competent persons, the duties enjoined by the second proviso can hardly be discharged, or even astempted by incompetent persons. The second proviso will prevent the Councils from appointing persons who are not competent to prepare and deliver lectures; and persons who are competent to do that will be most likely to be qualified to inspect and superintend the Schools-their qualifi cations for which will be necessarily increased by their obligations to prepare public lectures on such subjects. The second proviso will produce, per annum, 12,000 school visits of Superintendents, instead of 3,000, as at present, besides, 3,000 public school lectures,-one in each School Section in Upper Canada. The vast amount of good which will result from such an arrangement, can scarcely be estimated.". Correspondence on the subject of the School Law for Upper Canada," lately laid before, and printed by order of, the Legislative Assembly, page 32,

principles of school organization and the improved modes of school teaching, who will do justice to the great interests entrusted to them by their examinations of teachers, their visitations of schools, and their patriotic exertions to diffuse sound education and knowlege as widely as possible. I doubt not each County Council will respond to the spirit of the New-York State Superintendent of Schools, when he says, "It is fervently hoped that in every election hereafter to be made of a Local Superintendent, the most competent individual, without reference to sect or party, will be selected. On such a subject, where the good of their children is at stake, men should dismiss their narrow prejudices, and tear in sunder the shackles of party. They should consult only the greatest good of the greatest number of the rising generation. They should direct their preferences to those only who are the ardent friends of youthful progress to those only, the smoke of whose incense offered in this holy cause, daily ascends to heaven; whose lips have been touched with a burning coal from the altar."

And as the selection to the office of Local Superintendent of Schools should be made upon the sole ground of personal qualification and character, and irrespective of party considerations, so should the duties of the office be performed in the same spirit. During the recent discussions in the Legislative Assembly on the School Bill, it was averred on all sides that the office of Chief Superintendent of Schools was and should be non-political-that whatever might have been the political opinions of the incumbent, or of his mode of advocating them, previously to his appointment to office, that, as in the case of a judge, he should take no part in party political questions during his continuance in office. On this principle I have sacredly acted since my appointment to office, as was admitted in gratifying terms by all parties in the discussion referred to; and I think the same principle should be insisted upon by each County Council in respect to each local Superintendent of Schools, and should be faithfully acted upon by every person filling that important office, thus making it equally confided in by all classes of the community. I am sure every Municipal Council in Upper Canada will agree with me, that the entire superintendence of the School system, in all its parts and applications, should be perfectly free from the spirit or tinge of political partizanship-that its influence, like the genial light and warmth of the sun, should be

employed for the equal benefit of all without regard to party, sect, or colour.

It will, of course, be a matter of discretionary consideration with each County Council, as to whether it will leave any or all the Township Superintendents in office during the remainder of the current year, before re-appointing or changing them. If not re-appointed or changed, the present local Superintendents will, of course, (as provided by the first Section of the Act) be paid for the current year by the Council appointing them, and according to its agreement with them. But they must henceforth perform their duties according to the provisions of the new School Act,-the basis and authority for all Common School proceedings of every description. In all cases where the superintendence of Schools in any Township has not been provided for the current year, it will be necessary for the County Council to supply that essential instrumentality in the payment of the School moneys and the supervision of the Schools.

4. In respect to the exercise of other powers with which the Act Invests the County Council, I do not think it necessary to make more than one or two remarks. I trust that by the commencement of next year, provisions will be made for the establishment of School libraries, when the County Council will be able to judge as to the mode in which it can best employ its legal power for the introduotion and diffusion of that most potent element of high civilization. The County Council is, of course, the best judge whether and to what extent it may be desirable and expedient to make provision to give special or additional aid to new or needy School Sections, on the recommendation of one or more local Superintendents." It will be important that the County Council see that all balances of School moneys yet unexpended and in the hands of any local Superintendent, and all Township Assessments for raising part of the current year's School fund, be paid into the hands of the County Treasurer or Sub-treasurer, and expended and accounted for in the manner prescribed by the Act.

5. The spirit in which the provisions of the new School Act have been, generally speaking, discussed and adopted in the Legis lature, I regard as an omen for the good of our country, and worthy of imitation in all Municipal and Local School proceedings throughout Upper Canada. Party differences were not permitted to mar

this great measure for the education of the people; and although there were individual differences of opinion among men of different parties as to some details of the Bill, yet men of all parties united in the support of its general principles, and in an earnest desire and effort to render it as perfect as possible in all its provisions. I hope that no party spirit will be permitted to impair the efficiency of its administration in any Municipal Council, public meeting or Corporation. In the great work of providing for the education of the young, let partizanship and sectarianism be forgotten; and all acting as christians and patriots, let us each endeavour to leave our country better than we found it, and stamp upon the whole rising and coming generations of Canada, the principles and spirit of an active, a practical, a generous, and christian intelligence.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

To the Warden of the County of

A

E. RYERSON.

{CIRCULAR.]

To the Townreeves, on the Duties of Township Councils under the new Common School Act for Upper Canada.

In the eighteenth, and two following sections of the new Common School Act for Upper Canada, (a copy of which I herewith transmit) special powers and duties are conferred upon Township Councils, in addition to the general powers given them in the third clause of the thirty-first section of the Municipal Corporations' Act, 12th Victoria, chapter 81. On the duties which are thus devolved upon Township Councils, and this part of our School system, I think it proper to offer a few practical remarks.