them, as will meet the expectations of the friends of popular education throughout the State. In carrying out these measures, they will have to rely, under Providence, very much on their Secretary. His personal agency,-calling into exercise all the suggestions which the Board may be able to impart, all the resources of his own talents and observation, and the counsels of the wise and experienced among his fellow-citizens, is indispensable to success. It is proposed that he shall visit, as far as practicable, all parts of the State, in order to accomplish the great object which the Board have in view,-the ascertaining the actual condition of the schools, and of popular education, with its various and deeply interesting statistical details; an accurate inspection of the practical working of the system as now in operation; and the devising of such modifications of this system, if found to be needed, as the great mass of the community, by comparing their opinions and views, may deem expedient to be recommended for the future action of the Legislature. County conventions will also be held, at suitable times and places, to aid in carrying forward this great work; at which the Secretary, and some one, or more members of the Board will be present. Efforts should be made in all the towns to send delegates to these conventions. School committees and visitors should attend; teachers, the clergy of all denominations, individuals in public stations, and the friends of education generally.

Circulars from the secretary of the board, and notices in the public prints, will give timely information of the holding of the conventions. These circulars will contain a series of inquiries, with regard to facts and views on the subject of popular education; the answers to which, and the discussions elicited by them, will contribute greatly to the stock of materials from which, before the next session of the Legislature, the board expect to prepare the report which they are required to make to that body. By these conventions, it is hoped also, that a vigorous impulse will be given to the cause of common school instruction throughout the State; and that its friends, by this interchange of sentiments, and acquaintance with each other, will form new bonds of sympathy and channels of united effort in promoting its success. It will be good and pleasant for the citizens of one republic thus to come together for an object so dear to them all; to feel conscious of the equality of freemen; to reciprocate the most kindly feelings; to find that they have a common interest; to provide for the improvement in knowledge, in usefulness, and in piety, of the thousands of children and youth who are soon to take the places of their fathers; to forget the distinctions of party and of sect; and to invoke the blessing of the Almighty upon their deliberations and doings.

The board, in addition to these measures to aid them in the discharge of their duties, propose, as soon as arrangements can be made to that effect, to establish, under their direction, a semi-monthly common school periodical. With an able editor, and contributors, and published at a moderate charge, its great object will be to promote the elevated character, the increasing prosperity, and the extensive usefulness, of the common schools of Connecticut. It will be needed, in connection with the public prints, as an organ of communication between the board and their secretary, and the public. It will aim to give information of what is doing in other States, and other countries, with regard to popular education. It will hope to assist in forming, encouraging, and bringing forward good teachers. It will contain the laws of the State in reference to common schools. It will assist school committees, and visiters in the discharge of their duties. It will be one means of ascertaining the real deficiencies that may exist in the schools, and of suggesting the suitable remedies. It will endeavor to excite and keep alive a spirit of efficient and prudent action on the subject of popular education, and to introduce upon its pages, from time to time, such other kindred topics as will subserve the promotion of this important end.

Peculiarities of local convenience and interest, render such periodicals desirable in each State. They already exist in different States, where they have a wide circulation. The one in Ohio is published by the authority of the Legislature. Our own State will, it is hoped, sustain by a general and generous support, this important auxiliary to all the other efforts which may be made for the benefit of its common schools. The teachers, and the schools themselves, will reap their full share of its advantages.

In concluding this address, the undersigned deem it unnecessary to enlarge on the importance of popular education, and of elevating our common schools to the

highest degree of excellence of which they are susceptible. Were they to begin on this theme, they know not where they would end. Its scope is commensurate with all that we hold dear in time and in eternity. It must be, that the freemen of a S ate like this, understand and appreciate its importance. It must be, that, as soon as the opportunity is afforded them, they will show that they do, by sustaining and cheering those whom they themselves have appointed to be their instruments in conducting such a glorious work to its completion.

The Board, then, looking first to Almighty God, and inviting their fellow-citizens to do the same, for his guidance and blessing in the further prosecution of their labors, feel assured that the public will afford them all needed encouragement and aid. Let parents and teachers; school committees and visitors; the clergy and individuals in official stations; the conductors of the public journals, and the contributors to their columns; the friends of education generally; the children and youth with their improving minds and morals; the females with their gentle yet powerful influences; and all with their good wishes, and fervent supplications at the throne of grace, come up to the work. Then will we unitedly indulge the hope that wisdom from above will direct it,- —an enlightened zeal carry it forward, a fostering Providence ensure it success; and patriotism and religion rejoice together in its consummation.

WILLIAM W. ELLSWORTH,
SETH P. BEERS,

WILBUR FISK,

HENRY BARNARD, 2nd,
JOHN HALL,

ANDREW T. JUDSON,

CHARLES W. ROCKWELL,
LELAND HOWARD,

HAWLEY OLMSTED,

WILLIAM P. BURRALL.

From this address, drawn up by Mr. Barnard, it will be seen, that the Board did not claim any authority to interfere in the organization or administration of the system, to alter or amend the law, to correct illegal practices, to compel the attendance of children, or enforce better modes of school government and instruction. The office, was to collect and disseminate information, to discover, devise, and recommend plans of improvement. Upon the people, acting through the Legislature, school societies and districts, school officers, teachers and parents, rested the responsibility of amending the law, correcting abuses, and carrying out desirable local improvements. The specific duty of the Secretary was to awaken, enlighten, and elevate public sentiment in relation to the whole subject.

At the May session, 1839, the Board submitted their first annual report to the Legislature, including a report from their Secretary, with minute statistical information respecting more than twelve hundred schools. From these documents it appeared that the Secretary of the Board attended a common school convention in each of the eight counties; addressed more than sixty public meetings in different parts of the State; inspected more than two hundred schools while in session; received official returns from school visitors respecting more than twelve hundred districts; had personal or written communication with school officers or teachers in more than two thirds of all the school societies, and superintended the publication of the Connecticut Common School Journal, more

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than 60,000 copies of the twelve numbers of which were circulated for the most part gratuitously over the State.

The following are some of the facts in the condition of the schools, and of the public mind respecting them, as ascertained by the measures of the Board:

That out of the 67,000 children between the ages of four and sixteen returned, not more than 50,000 attended the common schools in the winter of 1838-9, or more than 54,000 of all ages, and that the average daily attendance did not exceed 42,000; that there were in the State, 12,000 children in private schools at an expense of more than $200,000, which exceeded all that was expended on the education of the 54,000; and that 4,700 children of the proper school age were returned as in no school, public or private, and the whole number could not be less than 8000 in the State;

That previous to the act of 1858 requiring annual reports, there was but one town or school society which had made provision for a written report from school visitors, as to their doings, or the condition of the several schools;—

That it was difficult to find any one who could give information of the common schools out of his own district ;—

That school meetings, both of school societies and school districts, were thinly attended;

That school officers were appointed at meetings, where, apart from the officers of the preceding year, there was not a quorum to do business;—

That the length of the school varied with the compensation of the teacher, which was governed not so much by his qualifications, as by the amount of public money accruing to the district;—

That there was not even a formal compliance with the law requiring teachers to be examined and approved, and schools to be visited twice during each season of schooling in regard to summer schools;

That certificates were returned to the Comptroller's office, that the schools had been kept in all respects according to law, by committees who had no personal or written knowledge on the subject, and when in fact there had been an utter disregard of its provisions, and on such certificates the public money was drawn ;— That the public money was appropriated to other objects than those specified in the law;—

That schools had been discontinued in the winter for the want of fuel;

That school-houses were very generally neglected, and it would have been difficult to point, in the country districts, to a model school-house, in reference to location, construction, ventilation, and the arrangements of seats and desks;—

That there was not a school in the State, where there was uniformity in the books used in the several district schools or in the same school;

That the diversity and multiplicity of studies attempted to be taught to children of every age in one school, had led to an alarming neglect of the primary studies, and of the younger children ;

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That there was hardly an instance of the gradation of schools, by which the evils of crowding children of different ages, of both sexes, in every variety of study and school book, under a single teacher, were avoided ;

That teachers, although their qualifications were in advance of the public appreciation and compensation of their services, were employed, who had no special training for their duties, and who looked upon the employment only as a temporary resource;

That the late and irregular attendance of children in many schools was such as to amount to an almost perfect waste of its privileges ;

That the instruction actually given to such as did attend, and attend regularly, was not often of a practical character, or calculated to form habits of accurate observation and clear reflection, and inspire the love of knowledge; and to crown the whole, as at once the cause and effect of the low state of common schools;— That there prevailed a profound apathy in the public mind generally, a disheartening impression that nothing could be done, or that nothing need be done, to improve them.

As many of these evils could be remedied by a more vigorous and enlightened public sentiment in the community, in relation to the whole subject, the pulpit, the press, the lecture-room, and all the other agencies by which the general mind could be addressed and informed, were appealed to by the Board. So far as these defects resulted directly from the want of power in school districts, or the specific enumeration of the duties of school officers, or strict accountability on the part of all intrusted with its administration, an attempt was made to remedy them in the "Act concerning Schools," which passed both branches of the General Assembly, almost unanimously.

This Act contained several important provisions, among which may be specified the powers given to school societies, to establish

schools of different grades, without reference to districts, and to distribute the school money among the districts according to the actual attendance of children at school for a period of six months in each; to school visitors to, prescribe rules for the management, studies, books, and discipline of the school, and to appoint a subcommittee to visit schools, &c., to be paid by the society; to school districts to unite for the purpose of maintaining a gradation of schools, and to tax the property of the districts for all school purposes, to provide school books for poor children, and provide the schools with a library, and apparatus.

The action of the Board was thus introduced by Governor Ellsworth in his annual communication to the General Assembly in 1839.

The law which creates the Board defines the various and important subjects of inquiry, to all of which the Board have given their attention, chiefly through Henry Barnard, Esq. their Secretary. Mr. Barnard has assiduously devoted himself to the duties of his office, visiting diff rent parts of the State, spreading information before parents and teachers, organizing Conventions, instituting inquiries into the condition of common schoo's, and the practicability of their improvement. The result of his labors are embodied in a report which will be presented by the Commissioners. It is a work of much observation, critical examination and reflection, well worthy of your attention. When the real state of our schools is made known, and the facts developed, carefully cons dered, no man will question the expediency of the measures adopted by the last Assembly. The Secretary, who receives three dollars a day and his expenses while in the service of the Board, is the only person connected with this business who is compensated for his labor, and that compensation cannot exceed twelve hundred dollars. Who that wishes the rising generat on to be blessed with knowledge, and especially those indigent children who have no other advantages besides common schools, will look on this generous and Christian effort, with jealous feelings? We have in Connecticut long enjoyed a system of general education, the work of experience and time, which should not be altered in a spirit of experiment or rashness. Nor do I apprehend any thing of the kind from those who are most zealous in the cause of education. It is certain that our schools can be essentially improved, and that something should be attempted worthy of the subject.

In 1839 and 1840 the Board consisted of Gov. Ellsworth, Hon. Seth P. Beers, Henry Barnard, 2d, for Hartford County; Prof. Olmsted, for New Haven do.; Judge Judson, for Windham do. ; Judge Church, for Litchfield do.; Hon. S. D. Hubbard, for Middlesex do.; L. P. Waldo, for Tolland do.; Rev. D. H. Short, for Fairfield do.; and Thomas S. Perkins, for New London do. Henry Barnard, 2d, Secretary.

No change was made in the constitution of the Board in 1841, except the appointment of F. A. Perkins, as a member of New London County, in place of Thomas S. Perkins, resigned. The same measures substantially were pursued from 1839 to '42, to awaken and enlighten the public mind by the voice and the press, as in the first year.

In 1841 the Secretary, at the request of the Board, prepared the