American Journal of Education and College Review

ordering, and regulating societies," and then organize themselves into societies, and "transact any other business on the subject of schooling in general, and touching the monies hereby appropriated to their use, in particular, according to law."

Societies, or parishes for religious purposes, were first established within the limits of incorporated towns to accommodate settlers too far removed from the old place of worship, about 1700,-were authorized to choose a clerk in 1716, a committee in 1717, a collector in 1721, a moderator in 1726, and a treasurer in 1764. In 1726, a general law was passed providing for the organization of new societies, and directing the time and manner of holding meetings. In 1717, the right of taxation for support of the ministry was extended to schools, and by the above act of 1795, the inhabitants were authorized to meet and organize in a new capacity, and in 1798, this organization was perfected and substituted in the place of towns and ecclesiastical societies in our school system.

In 1795, the statutes were again revised,* and published in 1796. In this revision the acts respecting the education of children, and the supporting of schools, remain as in the revision of 1784, with the addition of the act already described, of 1794 and 1795.

In 1797, the law relating to school districts was modified so as to require, that before a tax could be laid, to provide a site, build a school-house, or furnish the same with accommodations and appendages, all the inhabitants must be notified of the time and place of meeting by the committee man appointed by the society.

In 1798, at the May session, an act was passed in addition to and in alteration of the acts relating to schools, by which the organization and administration of our school system was materially modified.

In this act, for the first time THE TOWN-the old recognized agency through which the regularly settled and approved inhabitants first commenced the system of common schools, and had for a century and a half maintained a teacher for a period in each year in no case less than six months, and in a majority of instances for eleven months,—and in addition to paying in the general State or county tax, a rate equal to 20s. or 40s. in every £1000 of their lists, (which on the list of 1852 would have amounted in 1853, for the whole State, to $110,000, at only $2 on every $1000 of the

The committee to revise the law, appointed in May, 1795, were Chauncey Goodrich, Jonathan Brace, and Thomas Day.

grand list,) when the sum thus raised was not sufficient, were required to make up the deficiency, one half by the inhabitants in the way of tax, and the other half by the parents or masters of the children attending school-disappears from the school system, and its place is supplied by a corporate body, provided for in the act of May 1795, and from this date (1798) known in the law on the subject of schools as a SCHOOL SOCIETY-with territorial limits sometimes coextensive with a town, in some cases embracing part of a town, and in other parts of two or more towns. For a time the effect of this change was not apparent, but coupled with a change in the mode of supporting schools, provided for about this time by public funds, and dispensing with the obligation of raising money by tax, the results were disastrous.

Each society was required to "appoint a suitable number of persons, not exceeding nine, of competent skill and letters to be overseers, or visitors of schools," with power "to examine, and at their discretion to approve schoolmasters, and to displace such as may be found deficient in any requisite qualification; to appoint public exercises, at their discretion, for the youth, and to give honorary marks of distinction to such as are found to excel."

The head or county towns were no longer required to maintain a Latin, or Grammar school, but in place of them every society might "by a vote of two-thirds of the inhabitants present in any legal meeting warned for that purpose, institute a school of a higher order for the common benefit of all the inhabitants, "the object of which shall be to perfect the youth admitted therein in reading and penmanship, to instruct them in the rudiments of English grammar, in composition, in arithmetic and geography, or, on particular desire, in the Latin and Greek languages, also in the first principles of religion and morality, and in general to form them for usefulness and happiness in the various relations of social life" No pupil could be admitted into the school, "except such as have passed through the ordinary course of instruction in the common schools and shall have attained to such maturity in years and understanding, as to be capable of improvement in said school in the judgment of the overseers, and shall by them or any three of them be admitted therein: and if at any time, it shall so happen that more pupils are admitted than can be accommodated or instructed in said school together, they shall be instructed in such course and order as to give all an equal opportunity." A committee was to be appointed to manage the general concerns of the school, and to

draw a proportionate part of the public money accruing to each district, according to the number of pupils admitted from each.

The act was again revised in 1799, with a few additional provisions defining the powers of school districts, and enlarging the power of school societies over the whole matter of erecting, altering, and abolishing the same. This revision remained, except in one important particular, unchanged until 1838. Before giving the law as it was left in 1799, we will refer to the regulations of the schools in the town or school society of Farmington, from which most of the above alterations were introduced.

The revision was made by Governor Treadwell, who was also the author of the following regulations for the schools in Farmington, which were adopted at a meeting held April 4th, A. D. 1796.

Voted, The following regulations for schools in the first society in Farmington. 1. There shall be appointed in the meeting of the school society, a suitable number, not exceeding nine, of discrete persons of competent skill in letters and science, to the overseers of all the schools in said society, during the pleasure of the society, and to exercise the powers and perform the duties herein after described, which overseers shall meet the first Monday of October, November, and December annually, and oftener if they think proper.

2. The district committee in the several school districts, shall in no case contract with any person to keep a school within any such district, without the consent and approbation of the overseers, or the major part of them, in a regular meeting of the said overseers, first had or obtained.

3. The overseers will take care that no persons be employed as schoolmasters in the society, except such as have a thorough acquaintance with the best mode of instructing children in spelling and reading the English language, in the principles of English grammar, and in a good handwriting, and who are persons of reputation and a good moral character.

4. It is expected that the overseers will introduce into the schools, besides Webster's Institute in all its parts, as great a variety of reading, both in prose and verse, as the circumstances of the people will admit; among these Dwight's Geography, by question and answer, for its cheapness and simplicity, would be highly proper, as an easy introduction to that branch of science; and common newspapers would be of great use; also see that the Bible is statedly read by those forms who are capable of it, at least as the closing exercise in the afternoon, and with marks of reverence and respect as the word of God, and that the mas ter of the respective schools close the whole at night with prayer.

5. It shall be the duty of the overseers, at least two of them together, to visit all the schools in the society, quarterly, or oftener, if they think proper; to take notice of the proficiency of the scholars, and to excite in them a laudable emulation; and they will from time to time give such general or special rules or directions, not inconsistent with these regulations, as they shall think proper, with regard to the mode of instructing and governing the schools, so as best to improve the children in letters, in morals, and in manners; and if they judge fit, they may at the expense of the society distribute small premiums of trifling value, to such as they shall find, by their own observations or by information from the masters, to excel in either of the aforesaid respects, or to enable the master himself to do it, as they shall think best; and the said overseers will, at their discretion, from time to time, appoint public exercises for such of the children in the several schools, as may have made the best proficiency, either in reading, spelling, speaking, rehearsing, composing, or such like exercises, either in the schools separately, or in a general meeting; and confer on such as most deserve it, some honorary mark of distinction.

6. In addition to the separate districts which are or may be made, the society