As

Bill providing for a distribution to the districts in proportion to the number of children between the ages of four and sixteen years. had been anticipated, it encountered a sturdy opposition from the City members; but by the mass of the Legislature so favorably were the provisions of the Bill regarded, that it was passed in the House by a majority of about 100, and in the Senate almost unanimously. And I am happy in being able to add, in this connexion, that during the great number of years which have succeeded its adoption, this feature of the law has remained unchanged.

2. In connection with our historical survey of the SCHOOL Fund, let us examine some of the more prominent features in the educational superstructure which that munificent foundation has sustained.

As the Commissioner of the School Fund for the space of four and a half years was, ex officio, SUPERINTENDENT OF COMMON SCHOOLS, it became under the law one of his important duties to administer that most admirable and beneficial feature of a Public School System, the organizing and supervising TEACHERS' InstituteS OR CONVENTIONS in every County of the State, by means of which, an interest in the cause of public education might be awakened among the people, and the experience of the different teachers in the prosecution of their work turned to a serviceable account through mutual counsel and an interchange of views. It is pertinent, therefore, in connection with a HISTORY OF OUR SCHOOL FUND, and peculiarly relevant to the occasion, to trace briefly before this CONVENTION OF TEACHERS the introduction of this highly important and valuable instrumentality for the improvement of Teachers and their schools, which stands connected with the leading and living events in our Common School history.

For nearly a quarter of a century antecedent to the establishment of Teachers' Institutes and a Normal School in Connecticut, distinguished educators had urged upon the Legislature and upon the people of the State the importance of the matter, but with little success. From 1825 to 1837 the various Governors of the State, in their annual messages, had called the attention of the Legislature to the condition and wants of the schools, and had recommended the devising of measures to meet the case; but after many Reports from Legislative Committees and much attendant discussion of the subject, nothing of practical importance had been effected, except as these preliminary movements had paved the way for more definite action which followed.

. In 1837 the Legislature required the School Visitors to report to

the State Comptroller the condition of their respective schools. Though returns were made by only about one half of the School Societies, the information elicited, was sufficient to induce remedial action; and at the session of 1838, under a recommendation of the Governor, the Legislature constituted a BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR COMMON SCHOOLS, consisting of the Governor, Commissioner of the School Fund, and eight persons, one from each County, with a Secretary, upon whom devolved the chief burden of the matter.

This Board and their efficient Secretary, Henry Barnard, LL. D., aided by the School Visitors, and other friends of Common School improvement, labored earnestly in their endeavors for the introduction into our educational system of a Normal School, Teachers' Conventions, and other requisite modifications. The proposed plan of the Board was at first and for a time favorably received, but the issue of its adoption by the Legislature proved unsuccessful. The Committee upon the subject reported that although the measures proposed were apparently sound in theory, the policy was impracticable, as being in advance of public sentiment. Although the State of Massachusetts had at an early day incorporated these features into her educational polity, with marked and manifest success, sustaining as the mainspring of its efficiency, three Normal Schools, and a similar exemplification was furnished in the case of New York,—in the face of these demonstrations of an accredited theory, under the deadening influences of a created prejudice against it, upon the capricious ground of its being of foreign origin, the first favorable impression which had attended the introduction of the subject, gave place to an absorbing indifference. And there was much truth in a remark made at the time by a distinguished advocate of public education, that our whole Common School system seemed struck with paralysis. All further efforts in this line of educational improvement, in Connecticut, were for the time abandoned; the Board of Commissioners was abolished, and the Secretary went into the Superintendency of popular education in Rhode Island.

After the lapse of several years, in which the tone of public sentiment had been enabled to rectify itself, the subject was re-opened; and at its session of 1844 the Legislature appointed a Committee of eight members, to take into consideration the state of our Common Schools and report to the next session such plans as might be found requisite for their improvement.

In their report to the Legislature of 1815, the Committee having examined the current working of the existent School system and

discovered the insufficiency of its means and appliances, recommended among other measures the establishment of a NORMAL SCHOOL AND TEACHERS' INSTITUTES. At this session the Commissioner of the School Fund was constituted ex officio Superintendent of Common Schools, to exercise a general supervision over the whole matter, and to make an annual Report to the Legislature. No provision, however, was made at that time for a Normal School or for Conventions of Teachers.

In 1846 the Superintendent reported the condition of the Schools as gathered from the School Visitors, calling attention to the existing defects and suggesting what seemed to his judgment the only adequate remedy. As seconding his own views, the Superintendent appended to his Report an able prize essay, furnished by a distinguished friend of popular education, in which, among other improvements, the establishment of a Normal School and Teachers' Conventions was advocated and recommended. The Joint Committee to whom this Report was referred, recommended a favorable consideration of both objects; but the Legislature, after the expression of a general approval of the plan, postponed direct action on the subject. Copies of the Joint Committee's Report were, however, directed to be forwarded to the several School Visitors throughout the State, requesting an expression of their views on the subject.

Having elicited full and detailed reports from the Visitors, together with a general commendation of the proposed measure, these Reports were presented to the Legislature of 1847, in connexion with the Superintendent's Report of that year. Thus a general approval of his plan by those more intimately concerned, was added to its recommendation by the Committee, and the way seemed prepared for that favorable Legislative action which had been so long desired. It came, at length, though not at first in its full measure, yet to such an extent as might test the practical utility of the proposed plan, in the shape of an experiment.

At its session of 1847 the Legislature passed a Resolve, authorizing the Superintendent to employ four or more suitable persons to hold CONVENTIONS in September and October, at two places in each County for that year only-for the purpose of eliciting, by an interchange of views and mutual counsel among the teachers, suggestions as to the best methods of instruction in our public schools. Under this provision the Superintendent employed several gentlemen of ability, who, in September and October following, conducted Teachers' Conventions at sixteen different places previously designated and

announced by the Superintendent. The interest with which this initial measure was regarded, may be gathered from the fact that at these Conventions more than 1,400 Teachers were in attendance.

No provision having been made under this Resolve of the Legislature for establishing a Seminary for Teachers, or NORMAL SCHOOL, a Committee was appointed to consider and report to the next session a plan which should embrace this object. Thus public sentiment, as indicated by Legislative policy, was exhibited as having advanced another stage in the progress of School improvement.

At the session of 1848 the Superintendent reported his proceedings in the past year, together with full statements of the doings at the several Teachers' Conventions; and the recapitulation of beneficial results so fully demonstrated the utility of the measure in a successful issue of the experiment, that a Resolve similar to the first, but more permanent in its provisions, was passed, authorizing the Superintendent to employ the instrumentality thus tested and approved, annually; and passing this into the permanent account, it served as the steppingstone to a further advancement in the onward march of school improvement. At this session a Bill for the support of a Normal School was passed in the House of Representatives, but defeated in the Senate.

At the session of 1849, from the Report of the Superintendent, in connection with the proceedings of the Conductors of Teachers' Conventions in the past year, as also from the Report of a Legislative Committee, it became clearly apparent, that the doubts and misgivings which had been entertained respecting the utility of Teachers' Conventions and a Normal School, were so generally removed, that these leading features in the plan for educational improvement had ceased to be regarded as of questionable expediency. At the same session, following upon this advantage, the Superintendent, with the co-operation of others, again pressed the subject upon the attention of the Legislature, urging the importance of their definite action; and as indifference had in turn given place to a living interest in the matter, and no opposition was manifested, it seemed conclusive that public sentiment in the cause of education was in advance of legislative action in this behalf, and that the politic and proper issue was a concurrence with the general desire.

At this session of 1849,-thus made memorable,-Public Acts were passed, providing for the permanent maintenance of Teachers' Conventions and for the establishment of a Normal School. Upon a recommendation in the Superintendent's Report, the duties of that

office were separated from those of the Commissioner of the School Fund, and made the basis of a distinct appointment in connection with the office of Principal of the Normal School. The Superintendent resigned his office in September following, and Henry Barnard, LL. D., having returned to his native State, was chosen as successor. After Mr. Barnard had held the office for five years, he resigned, and Mr. John D. Philbrick succeeded him for two years, when he also resigned. Mr. David N. Camp was next appointed; and we are happy to meet him here as the present incumbent.

Having already occupied more time than was originally contemplated in this survey, I must leave the prosecution of the subject at the point which marks the termination of my official connection with the Department of Public Education in Connecticut in 1849.

From the large attendance on the present occasion, and other manifestations of an earnest zeal in the cause of school improvement, it is fair to infer that the interest of Teachers which accompanied the inauguration of Conventions for their particular benefit, has suffered no abatement, and that the courses of public sentiment in this behalf point in the right direction.

The experience of the past and the observation of it in the present, confirm the correctness of a remark in my official Report to the Legislature of 1848:-"that the INSTITUTES OR SCHOOLS FOR TEACHERS should be regarded as part of our system of Common School instruction, and as such, should be appointed, organized, supported and supervised by those who are connected with the administration of the system, and feel themselves responsible to the State."

SCHOOLS IN CHINA.

THE Chinese have ever promoted education and honored educated men. The scholar has ever ranked high, compared with the mechanic and merchant, and since A. D. 600, the civil officers have been selected from literary graduates. The Chinese classics say, that among the ancients, villages had their schools, districts their academies, departments their colleges, and principalities their universities. These are for the benefit of boys. Chinese writers speak of the importance of female education, but we never see their girls in