Mr. HUNT, of the Boston Normal School, asked Dr. Taylor whether a greater variety of forms made a language more perfect. Is German more perfect than French? Is the Chinese the most perfect language in the world?

Dr. TAYLOR in reply said, that Greek was more perfect than Latin; that there were sentences in Latin in which it was still disputed whether the perfect definite or the perfect indefinite was used. He did not, however, think that a great variety of termination was necessarily a great advantage.

Mr. HUNT asked if a boy, qualified to enter college, got any idea from Latin and Greek except that conveyed by the English words he used. If this is so, then, he maintained, we could dispense with the original entirely, and use only good translations, and get all the benefit.

Mr. PHILBRICK, Superintendent of the schools of Boston, desired Mr. Hunt to state definitely whether he believed that the study of the classics was useless. Mr. Hunt, while admitting that these should be pursued by those who desired a thorough classical education, stated his belief that for a general practical education it was better to use a good translation than to spend the time frequently occupied in these studies. Mr. Philbrick desired a more definite answer, as he did not think that the heads of the two leading schools in Boston ought to occupy antagonistic positions. This discussion was closed by Mr. Gardner, who stated that he and Mr. Hunt "agreed almost totally."

The "Special claims of Greek as a study " was the next topic taken up for discussion. Mr. Hammond, of Monson, in opening the discussion, said that he did not believe in discarding Greek, that our progress depended largely upon our progress in Greek.

Prof. GOODWIN, who was then called upon, said that he wanted some one to speak on the opposite side first; that he felt like one called upon to defend the Christian religion.

Mr. GARDNER, of the Latin School, promised to give him a text. He believed that both Latin and Greek would be swept out of the general schools of the country, and within a generation the Greek would be placed on the shelf in the colleges, as Hebrew has been. He thought the present tendencies were sufficiently strong to produce the change.

The world tends to material things to grow men. Pressure is crowding Greek out. Greek is taught to explain Scripture. He believed that an overwhelming majority of ministers would make more headway in their English Testaments. He did not believe that any boys comprehended the Greek and Latin orations when they entered college.

Once, a knowledge of the classics was considered essential to a good ed ucation, and as a means of distinguishing between a man of learning and those unlearned. Such was not the case, now; for a man might have a good education without a training in Greek or Latin.

Personally he would not hasten the abandonment of Greek, but he

thought that so far as any benefit resulting to the great mass of students was concerned there would be more by giving it up.

Mr. PHIPPS, of the State Board of Education, asked Mr. Gardner if Greek ought to be given up. To which Mr. Gardner answered, "Float with the tide, sir."

Professor GOODWIN said he wished to reply to some gentleman who really believed that Greek was useless in a general education.

The importance of Hebrew in a theological point of view had been overrated. In 1760 one of the questions discussed in a theme at college commencement was whether the faithful in the future world would use an articulate language, and, if they did, whether this would be the Hebrew. He thought the only chance to save Latin and Greek was to make them elective, and have those who do study them study them thoroughly. “In Göttingen formerly in order to get his degree the candidate was obliged to write his life in Latin. Many who thus put their lives under a curtain, he said, couldn't translate their lives to save their lives. More study Greek under the elective system than before. Now and then it took off the best scholars; but at any rate it took off the dunces. No one wishing to be liberally educated could afford to give up Greek and Latin. If French and German could be taught by Mr. Gardner they would discipline the mind.

The study of a language, as such, was of great value, and especially the study of a language so copious in its forms as Greek. A person cannot get the correct idea of the imperfect "did" without being acquainted with some other language; for the elucidation of such points the Greek was the best.

He could write six or eight different tenses, the present, the imperfect, the aorist, two or three optatives, - two subjunctives, which could be correctly translated by "did."

A legal document could not be drawn up accurately by a person acquainted with English only.

Mr. SMITH did not think the study of Greek was disappearing. There was a time when there was no such study.

The study of Greek began with the revival of learning at the time of the downfall of Constantinople. Plato was not going to be out of date. The hue and cry about the decline of the classics would be a nine days' wonder.

Mr. GARDNER thought that nearly all the students of the present day made use of translations, and that nine-tenths of the graduates of colleges profited nothing by the study of the two languages.

Mr. S. BURNHAM made some remarks upon the subject, claiming that Greek should be retained for the purpose of bringing an influence to oppose the materialistic and pantheistic tendencies of the age.

Mr. COLLAR, of Boston, presented the report of the nominating committee. The following is the list:

President, Dr. Samuel H. Taylor; Vice-Presidents, Elbridge Smith of Boston, Charles Hammond of Monson, M. C. Stebbins of Springfield, Albert C. Perkins of Lawrence; Recording Secretary, W. F. Bradbury of Cambridge; Corresponding Secretary, J. C. Parsons of Waltham.

Though he had previously declined a re-election, Dr. Taylor consented to serve, with the proviso that his duties be somewhat lessened.

The report was accepted, and the gentlemen named were unanimously elected.

The subject of" The right interpretation of some grammatical symbols in Greek and Latin" was next taken up, and Mr. Chas. H. Taylor of Andover read a paper upon the Greek imperfect tense. He was followed by his father, Dr. Taylor, with a short essay upon the Greek symbols. After remarks had been made by one or two other gentlemen, the discussions were closed.

A vote of thanks to the School Committee of Boston for the use of the building was unanimously passed.

Proper notice was taken of the death of Mr. Thomas Sherwin, late HeadMaster of the English High School, and one of the Vice-Presidents of the association at the time of his death. Extended remarks were not made, as they had been made elsewhere and published. On motion of Mr. Hammond, the following resolution was unanimously passed:

Whereas: Thomas Sherwin, a member of this association, has been removed by death during the past year, therefore,

Resolved, that we hereby express our deep sorrow for the loss of our associate, who was honored through his long career as Head-Master of the English High School of Boston, as one of the very best educators and teachers of our times.

At half-past twelve the association adjourned sine die.

W. F. BRADBURY,

Rec. Sec.

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS.

Used at the examination of candidates for admission to the Girls' High and Normal School, Boston, July 21, 1869.

2. Find the greatest common measure and the least common multiple of 32, 42 and 64.

3. How is the value of a fraction changed by increasing its denominator? Give the reason.

4. Divide $62,000 between 5 men and 3 boys, giving each man 24 times as much as a boy: what will each receiver

5. Bought a horse for $200. What must I ask for him in order to gain 10 per cent, and still fall 10 per cent on the asking price?

6. What is the amount, from Jan. 1, 1868, of 75 cents for 1 yr. 7 m. 27 d., at 7 3-10 per cent?

7. The extremes of a proportion are 9 and 16; one mean is 12. Write the proportion.

8. Divide seven ten-thousandths by fourteen thousand.

9. Two men can do a piece of work in 7 days; one can do it alone in 10 days in how many days would the other do it?

10. Extract the square root of 7.5, finding four figures in the root.

GRAMMAR.

1. Write the nominative plural of deer, staff, it, Mussulman, penny, cattle. 2. Compare nigh, far, golden, richly.

3. Write a single sentence containing a personal pronoun, a demonstrative pronoun and a relative pronoun.

4. Define the following terms: antecedent, passive, nominative, ellipsis.

5. What is a proposition? A predicate?

6. Illustrate, by two or more sentences, the difference between the verb sit and set.

7. Give a synopsis of the verb see, in the third person plural.

8.

Correct the following sentences:

We done it better than him.

Whom do you think has been to our school?

Most all persons thinks so.

He who plants an oak looks forward to future ages, and plants for posterity. 10. Pass the verbs in the following sentence:

"Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green,

That host with their banners at sunset were seen."

3. Bound the State of New York. Name its exports, and four of its principal cities.

4. When it is winter in Boston, what is the season at Sydney, Australia? 5. Into what does the Rhine flow? The Don? The Volga? The Rhone? The Severn?

6. What mountains would you cross in going round the world on the fiftieth parallel of north latitude?

7. Why are the rivers of Europe smaller than those of America?

8. How many States and Territories in the United States of America?

9. Name the principal commercial city in each grand division of the earth. 10. How long is the longest day at the polar circles? At the Poles? At the Equator?

HISTORY.

1. Who discovered North America? South America? Who first circumnavigated the globe?

2. What civil communities in this country first recognized free toleration of religion?

3. State the successive encroachments of Great Britain upon the liberties of her American colonies.

4. What important measures did Congress adopt in the latter part of the year 1776?

5. Name two of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War, and give a reason for the importance of each.

6. What commanders were opposed to each other, and who were victorious, in each of the following battles: Trenton, Brandywine, Eutaw Springs, Cowpens?

7. What were the principal events of Jefferson's Administration?

8. What important acts were passed by South Carolina in 1832 and in 1860? 9. What is a protective tariff?

10. What war was terminated by the treaty at Versailles? Guadaloupe Hidalgo? Ryswick? Ghent?

INTELLIGENCE.

MASSACHUSETTS.

The report of ABNER J. PHIPPS, agent of the Board of Education, is not a bulky document, but a very suggestive one. In 1838, the value of the school-houses of Massachusetts was $550,000, an average value of $200. In 1868, the estimated value of 3,350 school-houses was $9,604,000, or $2,866 each. Last year, the amount expended for erecting school-houses was $1,037,388, and for repairing, $257,965. Still Mr. Phipps finds in some of the towns school-houses which are a disgrace to the State.

There are now in the State 175 high schools in 162 towns, in 35 of which they are not required by law. Mr. Phipps has visited 55 of them, and bears witness to their great efficiency. Two of these were under the entire management and instruction of lady teachers, and were as well, taught and governed as any he visited.

No profession, Mr. Phipps thinks, falls so far short of its objects as that of the teacher; and no other so imperatively demands such careful, thorough training. The normal schools can supply but a small proportion of the number of teachers required. The training schools established in some of the large cities are doing good work. The number of them should be increased. "Teachers' classes" in the larger academies, and high schools are also recommended. The necessity of a more thorough supervision of schools is urged.