mittee, or allow his class to stand in the public estimation as having been wrong, when they were entirely right? In the second place, it requires a knowledge of the methods of instruction, of calling out knowledge, developing power. The teacher alone has that knowledge. It requires also, as has been said, in the third place, a knowledge of the special work of that term, the aim which that teacher had in view. And what teacher does not map out his work, and assign one department to one class, and another to another? It seems to me, therefore, that it is the right of the teacher, and that the teacher alone is qualified to examine his pupils. At the same time, the committee have a duty to perform. They must detect all shams. And I would say, that the fault of a committee is not so much in allowing these, as in permitting any teacher to retain his position who is guilty of shamming. If any teacher would, under any circumstances, palm off upon the committee what is not genuine, he should not be trusted one hour with a school.

The subject was then laid on the table.

Mr. Stevens, on behalf of the teachers and citizens of Portland, announced objects of interest which the members of the Institute were invited to visit.

At ten o'clock, Dr. Dio Lewis gave a short and interesting address on Physical Culture, illustrating his system by practical examples.

After a recess of five minutes, Mr. Smith, of Connecticut, offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That we recognize with gratitude the eminent services which Warren Colburn rendered to the cause of education in this country in the production of his "First Lessons," and that we commend this little work to the continued confidence and patronage of the public.

I have two reasons, said Mr. Smith, for submitting this res

olution to the Institute. In the first place, I think it cannot be questioned that it is due to the memory of Warren Colburn, the first man who lectured to this Institute on the subject of arithmetic, and of whose fame we may without vanity be proud. It would not be improper, indeed, for this Institute to claim the fame of Warren Colburn as part of its own honored fame. It is within my recollection when the war between the conservatives and radicals of that period still raged, and when this little volume was ridiculed and spurned with contempt by many members of the old school. The change is due in an eminent degree to the personal character of Mr. Colburn, united as that character was with the most eminent mathematical talent and attainments. But I will not detain you a moment longer with any remarks upon the merits of Warren Colburn.

There is another reason why I submit this resolution. The income derived from the sale of this work is all, or nearly all, the means of support which his surviving widow has; and although I do not know her even by sight, I have a strong feeling that it is proper we should let her know that we remember with gratitude her husband; and that we as educators, who have derived so much benefit from his life and labors, are ready to say a word of approbation for that work, which is her main, if not her exclusive, means of support.

Without detaining you further, I hope that this resolution will receive the unanimous approbation of the Institute, and that we may show that while we garnish the sepulchres of the prophets, and build the tombs of the righteous, we are willing by our acts and by our resolutions to deal justly and generously with their surviving and dependent friends.

W. E. Sheldon, of Boston, Mass. I challenge any man to exceed me in admiration for Warren Colburn. His services are recognized by me in my heart, and have been

during my whole life as a teacher. But, sir, I believe it to be an unwise policy for this Institute to pass resolutions of that kind, in behalf of any book, for any man, however eminent he may be, either dead or alive; and I move you, sir, to lay the resolutions on the table.

The motion was carried by an almost unanimous vote.

At eleven o'clock, Prof. Chadbourne, of Williams College, delivered an interesting lecture on the Relations of Natural History to Education.

The last hour of the session was devoted to addresses by representatives from different States.

Short addresses were made by the following gentlemen: Hon. Mr. White, of Massachusetts; Mr. Eberhart, of Illinois; Nathan Hedges, of New Jersey; Rev. Mr. Newcombe, South Carolina; Rev. Mr. Colton, Connecticut; Mr. Barrows, Iowa; Mr. Perkins, of New York; Mr. Burbank, of New Hampshire; and Mr. Stevens and Hon. E. P. Weston, of Maine.

A letter was read from Henry E. Sawyer, of New Hampshire, who is now engaged in the service of the Christian Commission.

Letters were received from Rev. Mr. Northrop, of Massachusetts; Hon. Mr. Camp, of Connecticut; and Hiram Orcutt, Esq., of Vermont.

REPORTS FROM STATES.

The President then called for reports from the several the speakers were limited to five minutes.

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Hon. Joseph White, Secretary of the Board of Education, States represented. On motion of Mr. Webster, of responded for Massachusetts. There has been little change, he said, since I had the pleasure of speaking on this subject

2.

a year ago. The returns made to the Legislature last winter show that we had at that time two hundred and thirty-eight thousand children of what we call the school age, that is between five and fifteen. We had between four and five thousand common schools. We had between seven and eight thousand teachers engaged in them, of whom a little more than eleven hundred belonged to the male persuasion, the others to the female. I will say, that in consequence of the prevailing opinion in Massachusetts in respect to the value of the services of the two sexes in the common schools, and in consequence of the heavy drafts made upon us for young men in the great national school, the ratio is rapidly changing; female teachers are increasing in number, and males are decreasing.

Our schools were taught on an average of a little more than eight months during the year. We raised that year, by what may be called voluntary taxation, six dollars and four cents for each child in the State between the ages of five and fifteen. We raised by taxation, and the interest on a small amount of funds which some of the towns hold, one million five hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars, which was expended upon our public schools, besides the amount spent upon our school-houses.

I am sorry to say, sir, that the average wages paid to both male and female teachers diminished a little during that year, for it was the year after the war broke out, and before we had got fairly settled to the work; but I am happy to state that towns which then threw off a portion of their taxation have since taxed themselves higher than ever before for the support of their schools.

You know very well, sir, that our system of public schools culminates in the high school. We have one hundred and twenty-eight towns which are required by our statutes to

maintain high schools of two grades; they are substantially, however, of one grade. We reported, last year, one hundred and six towns that maintain high schools, in which the Latin and Greek languages are taught, together with the other branches common to other schools. We have, therefore, some delinquent towns, but the number is gradually diminishing.

Mr. Eberhart, of Illinois, responded for that State. After describing the physical characteristics of Illinois, he said, In the matter of education, we have tried to imitate you; to take from you all the good we could, and appropriate it. We have a State Superintendent and County Superintendent; we have Township Trustees and District School Directors. We have County Institutes in nearly all the counties, and we have a State Teachers' Association, attended annually by from four to eight hundred teachers. Our present system of instruction was planned by the State Teachers' Association, and adopted by the Legislature. We also have a State Normal School, which numbers, I think, some four or five hundred students. The buildings and grounds cost over two hundred thousand dollars, and the annual appropriation for the school is about fifteen thousand dollars, I believe. We have not done much yet: not near as much as we intend to. In fifteen or twenty years you may hear from the West.

I will add, before I take my seat, that Illinois is one of the loyal States of the Union. (Applause.) We never yet have had a draft there, and I don't think we ever shall. Before this last call for troops was made, Illinois stood thirty-six thousand ahead of all calls. She has supplied the country with several very good men. I presume you have heard of "Uncle Abe." (Loud applause.) We claim General Sherman, too; and away up in the northern part of our State is a place called Galena, which is a point from which some other