tant question, calculated to shed light upon it. But, upon the whole, I am of the opinion, after a careful examination of all the laws in relation to the naturalization of aliens, that the act of 14th April, 1802, was intended to be prospective, and to apply to the minor children of aliens, who should arrive in the United States and become citizens after the passing of that act. If this construction is correct, the son of Mr. Zule is not an alien, but has become a citizen by virtue of his father's naturalization, having been under age and dwelling in the United States at that time. He is, of course, liable to be enrolled at the age of 18 years.

There have been many changes in the provisions of the act of 1802 by laws passed since that time, but none which affect this case.

I am, sir, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Lieut. Col. JOHN I. SHEW,

JOHN A. DIX, Adjt. Gen.

122d Regt. Infantry.

EDUCATION OF TEACHERS.

The following Report is the basis of the system of education adopted by the State of New York for common-school teachers. It was prepared by Mr. Dix as chairman of a committee appointed by the Regents of the University, and presented to that body at their annual meeting at the Capitol, in the city of Albany, on the 8th day of January, 1835. TO THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY.—"At a meeting of the Regents of the University of the State of New York, held on the 22d day of May, 1834, a certified copy of an act of the legislature, entitled 'An Act concerning the Literature Fund,' passed May 2d, 1834, was presented to the Board and read; and it appearing that the subjectmatter of the said act related to the application of part of the income of the Literature Fund to the education of teachers of common schools, under the direction of the Regents of the University, it was thereupon

"Ordered, That it be referred to Messrs. Dix, Buel, and Graham, to prepare and report to the Regents, at some future meeting, a plan for carrying into practical operation the provisions of the said act."

IN discharging the duty confided to them under the foregoing resolution, the committee have become deeply impressed with the importance of the subject. They are satisfied that it will depend much on the measures which may be adopted by the Regents in pursuance of the authority conferred on them by the act of the 2d May last, whether the leading and acknowledged defect in our common schools

the want of competent teachers shall be remedied, or whether it shall continue to embarrass, as it long has done, the efforts of the legislature and of individuals to carry out our system of popular instruction to the great results which it is capable of producing. In its organization, and in the annual contributions which are made to its support, the liberality of the legislature, and of the people on whom the burden principally falls, is in the highest degree creditable

to the State; and if the effects of a large expenditure of money, continued for a series of years, have not been as beneficial as might have been anticipated from the amount of the expenditure, the causes are to be found in some defects of the system, for which an early remedy should be provided.

The committee have already said that the principal defect is the want of competent teachers; and the position is indisputable, that, without able and well-trained teachers, no system of instruction can be considered complete. Much may be accomplished by a judicious choice of the subjects of study, and by plans of instruction divested of everything which is superfluous; but to carry these plans into successful execution, talent and experience are indispensable, and if they are wanting, both time and money are misapplied, and the effort which is put forth falls short of its proper and legitimate effects.

In other countries, seminaries for the education of teachers have been deemed an essential part of the system of primary instruction. Mr. Cousin, in the year 1832, in his report "on the condition of public instruction in some of the provinces of Germany," asserts that "primary instruction is wholly dependent on the primary normal schools," or schools for the education of teachers; and he observes that in France thirty have been established, "of which twenty are in full operation, forming in each department a great focus of illumination for the people."

In Prussia, the system of public instruction had an earlier origin, and results far more extensive and beneficial have been obtained. It is more complete in its organization, and more efficient in its practical operation than any similar system of which we have any knowledge. In the year

1833, that kingdom had forty-two seminaries for teachers, with more than two thousand students, from eight to nine hundred of whom were annually furnished for the primary schools. The vocation of instructor is a public office, as

well as a profession. He receives his education almost wholly at the expense of the state; his qualifications to teach are determined by a board deriving its authority from the government; his salary cannot be less than a certain sum, which is augmented as occasion requires, and the local authorities are enjoined to raise it as high as possible above the prescribed minimum. Finally, when through age or infirmity he becomes incapable of discharging his duties, he is allowed to retire with a pension for his support. These provisions of law have made the business of teaching highly respectable, and have secured for the primary schools of Prussia a body of men eminently qualified to fulfil the elevated trust confided to them.

It must be confessed that the efficiency of these measures is derived in a great degree from their compulsory character, and that they could only be carried into complete execution by a government having the entire control of the system of public instruction. It was apprehended that the subjection of the system to the discretion of the persons on whose contributions the schools depend for their support might frequently thwart the government in its measures, and sometimes wholly defeat them. For this reason, parents are required by law to send their children to school, and they are punishable by fine, if they refuse or neglect to do so. For the same reason, the principal part of the expenditures necessary to comply with the law in maintaining the primary schools, paying the salaries of teachers, providing schoolhouses, with their appurtenances, furniture, books, maps, and apparatus, is paid by property and income in proportion respectively to the amount of each in value; and those on whose contributions the maintenance of the schools depends are neither allowed to judge of the extent of the provision required for the objects referred to, nor to have any voice in the selection of their teachers, those provided by the state being employed under the direction of an authority independent of them. These features of the system are in a great

degree irreconcilable with the spirit of our political institutions; but the committee believe that public opinion may be stimulated to a just conception of the importance of making more ample provision for teachers, and thus supplying deficiency, apart from which our system of popular instruction would be equal in efficiency, as it is now superior in extent, in proportion to our population, to any other in the world.

Common-school instruction in this State existed a long time upon the foundation of voluntary private contribution before it was recognized and reduced to a system by public law. The result was to put in requisition the services of large numbers of persons who by long practice had become familiar with the business of teaching; and it is doubtless to be ascribed, in no inconsiderable degree, to this circumstance, that the necessity of making some provision for the education of teachers was not felt at the time the commonschool system was established.

Although this important subject had been repeatedly recommended to the attention of the legislature by several of the governors of this State, no provision was made by law, in conformity to these recommendations, until the year 1827, when an act was passed adding to the capital of the Literature Fund the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, for the avowed object of promoting the education of teachers. But as the annual income of the Literature Fund has been heretofore distributed among the academies in the State, without any restriction as to its application, it has in very few instances been devoted to the object in view of the law. To this remark there are, however, several exceptions. The St. Lawrence, Oxford, and Canandaigua academies have each established a course of lectures and exercises for the preparation of teachers; and such has been their success with a very limited contribution from the public treasury, that an augmentation of the means of some of the academies is obviously all that is necessary to render such a course of