Resident Editor's Department.

What is Doing for the Improvement of our Schools?

The first good thing we have to record under this head the present month, is a notice of the progressive ideas on the subject of popular education, contained in the recent message of His Excellency, Governor Minor. We keep aloof from the political arena. That is not our sphere. But may our tongue be dumb and our hand palsied, if we ever hesitate to speak or write, if occasion requires, our hearty commendation of the words and deeds of public men, of whatever party or name, which are calculated to promote popular education, the education of the people, in our estimation the great interest of society; or on the other hand, to express our unqualified disapprobation of indifference or opposition, from political or selfish motives, to this paramount object of public concern. We shall in this way do what is in our power to open the eyes and hearts of the people to this great interest, irrespective of party or sect. Happily for the cause in this State, it has been lifted out of the strife of party politics. Let it never again be involved in the contests of political warfare. Let us take warning from the example of other States, as well as from our own experience. Let this subject be kept sacred from the polluting hand of the demagogue.

We have had occasion to speak of the cordial co-operation of Gov. Seymour in our efforts for the improvement of our schools. We shall ever remember his encouraging words and deeds with affection and gratitude. Gov. Dutton has shown himself an intelligent and firm friend of the cause. And now we rejoice in the abundant assurance we have of the interest of our present Chief Magistrate in the improvement of the means of educating the rising generation.

From his message, we gather these views: he believes the School Fund is not intended as the sole support of schools without other means; he believes in the wisdom of the policy which established the Normal School; he believes that every town should have a school of a "higher order;" he believes that every school district should be provided with a library, especially with Webster's Unabridged Dictionary; he believes it to be the true policy of our government to make the schools free; and he believes that legislation on this subject is not yet exhausted.

It remains to be seen whether the present Legislature will act up to his suggestions. The following is his own clear language:

"The Report of the Commissioner of the School Fund will give in detail the present condition of that fund. Its income the past year has amounted to $129,108.75, which has been divided according to our present laws among one hundred thousand, one hundred and thirty-eight children, at the rate of $1.25 to each child. There has been an increase of the number of children between the ages of four and sixteen, during the past year, of one thousand, three hundred and fourteen. If the same increase should hereafter continue, and the income of the fund remain the same, the dividend to each child must necessarily be diminished in a ratio corresponding with such increase. Our Present School Fund is an example of the munificent provision made by those who have preceded us, for educational purposes. Its originators did well their duty to the times in which they lived-but I cannot for a moment suppose that they intended to throw upon that fund the entire burden of educating the youth of this State, and to relieve parents and the community generally from any responsibility in the matter. Former legislatures have deemed it proper to establish a Normal School peculiarly for the education of teachers— they have made appropriations for county conventions of teachers, and have provided for the appointment of a Superintendent, whose duty it is to look after the interests of Education in this State. The report of that Superintendent and of the Trustees of the Normal School will be before you, demonstrating the great benefits that have already accrued from these provisions. But legislation in this State is not yet exhausted, to make our common schools what they should be-second to none, equal to the best. Every town should have within its limits a common school, in which not only the rudiments of an ordinary education may be acquired, but every thing requisite to qualify its pupils to become useful and honorable citizens of a free republican government, in whatever situation they may be placed. If a library of reference books. should be provided for every school district in the State, a great impulse would be given to education-new thoughts and suggestions would be originated in the minds of the pupils, and facilities of communicating information would be furnished to the teachers, which they could derive from no other source. I do not believe that the State should be called upon to furnish such libraries, but if the Superintendent of Common Schools should be directed to send to each school district that in his opinion should be entitled to receive the same, from its improvement and manifest interest in education, one copy of Webster's unabridged dictionary, an inducement would be presented to the district to procure other books of the same character. Our sister states of Massachusetts

and New York have pursued this course with good results to the cause of education. If you are satisfied that it is right to adopt the suggestion, an additional reason may be found in the fact, that the author of this great standard American work was a native of Connecticut, and expended almost the whole of his life in untiring labor upon the composition of that work which will remain an imperishable monument to his name. But the education of teachers at the Normal School, and their preparation for the noble work to which they are to devote their time and talents-the appropriations for the encouragement of county conventions of teachers, and the establishment of libraries in every school district will be in vain, unless the entire community are brought to feel an interest in the moral and mental training and discipline of the whole youth of the State; and if no other method can be devised, I shall cheerfully co-operate with you in making our common schools free; for such, in my opinion, the true policy of our government requires that they should be."

Of the State Reform School, he speaks as follows:

"Intimately connected with this subject of appropriations for humane and charitable purposes. is the reformation of juvenile delinquents. The General Aesembly, at its session in 1851, made an appropriation of $10,000, for a Reform School, which was subsequently established at Meriden. Since that period, the school has received in direct appropriations, and from bank bonuses, $41,500. A little more than a year since, the school went into operation with 144 acres of land, and buildings capable of containing 116 boys. There have been confined there since the commencement of the school, 152; and on the 16th of April last, 140 boys from all parts of the State were there, not confined as criminals, upon whom the deep mark of infamy should remain stamped during life, crushing out hope from their souls; but their minds and morals cared for, and their reformation attempted. Experience has shown that a successful appeal to the hope and ambition of a youthful offender will work a complete reformation; and it has also been shown that the confinement of such offender with the hardened criminal almost invariably makes the two, companions in crime and in feeling. The object of punishment is the prevention of crime, and no more certain means can be devised to prevent crime than the reformation of the offender. I have the fullest confidence that the State Reform School is accomplishing great good, not only to those confined there, but also to the State. You will have before you the report of the trustees of this institution, particularly calling your attention to its wants, and detailing its benefits. Any legislation that