262 Their general powers. Report. Secretary of the board, his du STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. [Jan., years, except when appointed to fill a vacancy occasioned otherwise than by the expiration of the term of office, in which case the person so appointed shall hold office only for the unexpired term of the person in whose place he may be appointed; all vacancies shall be filled by the general assembly, but until so filled they may be filled by the governor and lieutenant-governor. SEC. 2. The board shall have general supervision and control of the educational interests of the state; may direct what books shall be used in all its schools, but shall not direct any book to be changed oftener than once in five years; shall prescribe the form of registers to be kept in said schools, and the form of blanks and inquiries for the returns to be made by the various school boards and committees; shall ascertain and keep informed as to the condition and progress of the public schools in the state; they shall seek to improve the methods and promote the efficiency of teaching therein, by holding, at various convenient places in the state, meetings of teachers and school officers, for the purpose of instructing in the best modes of administering, governing, and teaching public schools, and by such other means as it shall deem appropriate; but the expenses incurred in such meetings shall not exceed the sum of three thousand dollars in any Said board shall, on or before the Monday after the first Wednesday in January in each year, lay before the general assembly a report containing a printed abstract of said returns, a detailed statement of the doings of the board, and an account of the condition of the public schools, of the amount and quality of instruction therein, and such other information as will apprise the legislature of the true condition, progress, and needs of public *education. SEC. 3. The board shall appoint a secretary, who shall, under ties and salary. its direction and control, perform such duties, in the general supervision and control of the educational interests of the state, in visiting the public schools, and in the execution of the duties and powers of the board, as the board may prescribe. The secretary shall receive a salary of three thousand dollars a year, and may be paid his necessary traveling expenses, such expenses not to be paid until approved by a committee of the board duly authorized, and audited by the comptroller. The board shall have power to appoint a clerk, and to fix his salary not exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars a year; the clerk shall be assistant to the secretary, and perform such clerical and other duties as the secretary may prescribe. State Normal SEC. 4. The Normal School at New Britain shall be and Gen. Stat., p.147. remain a seminary for training teachers in the art of instructing and governing in the public schools of this state, receiving for that purpose such pupils as may be selected under the provisions of the two succeeding sections; and such sum as the board of education may in each year deem necessary for its support, not exceeding in any year twelve thousand dollars, shall be annually paid therefor from the treasury of the state, on the order of said board. 1883.] STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. 263 SEC. 5. The number of pupils shall not exceed two hundred Number of puand twenty. The school visitors in each town shall, on request, pils. annually forward to the board the names of four persons, two of each sex, whom they, after examination, can recommend as suitable persons in age, character, talents, and attainments, to be received as pupils in said school; but no persons shall be thus examined or recommended until they have signed and lodged with the school visitors a written declaration that their object in secuting admission into said school is to become qualified to teach in public schools, and that they intend to engage in that employment in this State. board. SEC. 6. Said board shall select by lot from the whole number selection of of applicants from each county the proportion of pupils to which pupils by the it is entitled by its population, of each sex an equal number; but not more than one pupil shall be admitted from any town, until each town from which an application is made shall have a pupil in the school. Said board may make regulations for the examination of candidates for admission, and may approve or reject the persons recommended by the school visitors. The board shall forward to each pupil appointed by it a certificate thereof, and shall return a list of the pupils so appointed to the principal of the school. If there shall not be a sufficient number of applicants from any county to fill the number of appointments allowed to it, said board shall fill the vacancy by lot from the whole number of remaining applicants; and in case the number in the school does not equal two hundred and twenty, graduates of high schools in this state, approved by the board, may be admitted by the secretary of the board on certificate of the principal of such high school. To all pupils admitted to the school, all its privi: leges, including tuition, shall be gratuitous. SEC. 7. The board shall expend the funds provided for the Regulation of support of the Normal School, appoint and remove its teachers, the school. prescribe its studies and exercises, and rules for its management and granting diplomas; shall file semi-annually with the comptroller an account of its receipts and expenses, an account of the Normal School for the preceding half year, which account shall be audited by the comptroller, and shall annually report the condition of the school and its doings in connection therewith to the general assembly. school. SEC. S. The board may establish and maintain a model pri- Model primary mary school, under a permanent teacher approved by it, in which the pupils of the Normal School shall have an opportunity to practice modes of instruction and discipline; may limit the number of scholars therein, and may discontinue it. instructed. SEC. 9. The board shall have power to appoint an agent to Agent to see secure the due observance of the laws relating to the instruction in children are of children (general statutes, pages 127 and 173). Such agent shall have a salary as fixed by the board, not exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars a year, and necessary expenses approved by a committee of the board duly authorized thereto, and audited by the comptroller, and shall make a written report of his work to the secretary semi-annually. 264 School libraries SEC. 10. The board shall keep an account of the money and apparatus. drawn and paid out for school libraries and philosophical apparatus, under authority of section one, chapter nine, title eleven of general statutes (page 142), and the comptroller shall annually audit such account. Necessary expenses.. Orders, how signed. Repeal. Present board. SEC. 11. The board is authorized to expend such sum as may be necessary to perform the duties and execute the powers conferred upon it, and shall semi-annually file with the comptroller a detailed account of all state moneys received and expended during the preceding half-year, which account shall be audited by the comptroller. SEC. 12. All orders for drawing any state money shall be signed by the secretary and countersigned by a committee of the board duly authorized thereto. SEC. 13. Part six of chapter one, title three (page 14), and chapter twelve of title eleven (page 147), of the general statutes, and all acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed. SEC. 14. The board of education, as at present organized, passage. [Senate Bill No. 65.] School visitors to report what branches of study are taught. Secretary to furnish blanks, returns. CHAPTER LXXIV. An Act concerning Educational Statistics. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in SECTION 1. The school visitors in the towns of this state and the school committees in the consolidated districts shall annually report to the state board of education what branches of study are being taught in the public schools other than the common branches of reading, spelling, writing, grammar, arithmetic, geography, and history; and such reports shall specify as nearly as possible what proportion of the time of teachers in the schools is devoted to teaching the above enumerated branches. SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of the secretary of the board of and to compile education to furnish the proper blanks to the school visitors of the several towns to enable them to comply with the provisions of the preceding section, and said secretary shall compile and publish such returns annually in his report. Not applicable to graded schools. SEC. 3. This act shall not apply to the higher departments of graded schools. Approved, April 12, 1883. 1883.] VOTING DISTRICTS.-TAXES. [House Bill No. 141.] 265 CHAPTER LXXV. An Act to Divide the Town of Brooklyn into Voting Districts. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in two voting SECTION 1. The town of Brooklyn, in Windham county, is Brooklyn hereby divided into two voting districts for the accommodation divided into of the electors therein, at electors' meetings for the purpose of districts. voting for state officers and all other officers to be voted for at electors' meetings: Voting district number one shall consist of all that portion of said town lying westerly of the following described line, to wit: a line commencing at a point in the westerly line of the highway leading from Danielsonville to Pomfret Landing past the dwelling-house of Albert Day and in the southerly line of the town of Pomfret, thence running southerly in a straight line to the westerly corner or angle formed by the junction of the Allen Hill road (so-called) with the highway leading from Brooklyn village to Danielsonville, near the late residence of John R. Allerton, thence running southerly in a straight line to the mouth of Beaver brook (so-called), and the center of the Quinnebaug river. Voting district number two shall consist of all that portion of said town of Brooklyn lying easterly of the line above described. warnings and SEC. 2. The warnings for all electors' meetings shall be posted Places for at the place of voting, and also on the public sign-post nearest posting the place of voting in each district. The place of voting in the for voting. first district shall be in the first school district in said town of Brooklyn. The place of voting in the second district shall be in the borough of Danielsonville, in said town. Approved, April 12, 1883. [House Bill No. 147.] CHAPTER LXXVI. An Act relating to the Collection of Taxes in New Haven. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in SECTION 1. Haven tax There shall be allowed to the collector of taxes Salary of New of the town of New Haven, in addition to the sums now allowed collector. by law, the sum of fifteen hundred dollars annually, payable in the same manner as the salaries and expenses of his office are now paid. tax liens. SEC. 2. In consideration of said sum it shall be the duty of Collector to file said collector to cause liens to be filed on real estate liable for the taxes assessed in each year, which liens shall be signed and filed 266 To collect poll and military commutation tax. Taxes on personal property. List of taxes in arrear to be published. Trustees, etc., to liquidate taxes before final settlement. Fiscal year in When this act takes effect. Warrant to summon extra jurors to whom directed. JURORS. [Jan., as now provided by law; and no charge shall be made by said collector, or the town, city, or city school district for the filing of such liens, except the sum of one dollar and fifty cents for taxes due on each assessment list, which shall constitute a valid charge and shall be collected and paid over to the several municipalities in the same proportion that they bear said expenses; and the town clerk shall make no charge for recording and releasing such liens, but the same shall be regarded as within the services required in consideration of his salary. SEC. 3. It shall be the further duty of said collector to collect the poll and military commutation taxes due from persons who are not assessed for personal or real estate in said town, and if necessary to levy upon the bodies of the parties liable to pay the same, unless excused by the selectmen of said town in particular cases; which poll or military taxes shall be due March first in each year, except that in the year 1883 the same shall become due July first. And said collector may in writing depute any officer or indifferent person for the service of warrants for the collection of such poll and military commutation taxes, and for taxes assessed on personal property alone as hereinafter provided. SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of said collector to collect the taxes assessed on personal property (where there is no real estate on which a lien can be filed to secure the same) within six months from the time the same become due. SEC. 5. It shall be the duty of said collector to prepare annually and furnish to the town agent on or before November first, a list of all persons, firms, and corporations more than one year in arrear for taxes or assessments, that the same may be published with the town agent's report, as the board of selectmen may direct. SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of all trustees, executors, administrators, and conservators appointed by the court of probate for the district of New Haven to ascertain from the collector of the town of New Haven whether any taxes are due upon any of the estate which shall come into their hands in either of said capacities, and liquidate the same if there are sufficient assets, before making a final settlement of their accounts. SEC. 7. The fiscal year of the town of New Haven shall hereafter begin on the first day of November. SEC. S. This act shall take effect January first, 1884. [House Bill No. 39.] CHAPTER LXXVII. An Act in addition to an Act relating to Jurors. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in SECTION 1. Whenever during any session of the superior court, court of common pleas or district court in any county, a |