"and his necessary traveling expenses incurred in the performance of his "official duties, and all postages and other necessary expenses arising in "his office."

The legal provisions for Teachers' Institutes are in character similar, but in the means and appliances furnished unlike. In Vermont this law requires the Secretary to "hold annually, in connection with the Acade"mies and Seminaries of the State at least one Teachers' Institute in "each County in the State, and not more than two in any one County, &c." And to support these Institutes, the sum of "not exceeding one "hundred dollars" appropriated for each Institute, when the general supervision of the schools was intrusted to a State Superintendent was, by the law organizing the Board of Education, reduced to "not exceeding thirty dollars" for each Institute; and in the Revised Statutes of the last year all provision whatever was taken away. In Massachusetts, the number of Institutes is, within certain limits determined by the Board; a sum "not exceeding three thousand dollars" is appropriated "to defray the necessary expenses and charges and procure teachers "and lectures for such Institutes," and a sum "not exceeding three "hundred and fifty dollars" is appropriated to meet the expenses of each Institute. And in addition, Massachusetts has a generous provision for the support of four State Normal schools.

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In both States we find towns required to sustain schools-in Vermont "each organized town shall keep and support one or more schools, pro"vided with competent teachers, of good morals, for the instruction of "the young in orthography, reading, writing, English grammar, geog"raphy, arithmetic, history and constitution of the United States, and good behavior, and special instruction shall be given in the geography "and history, constitution and principles of government of the State of "Vermont." There is no compulsory or even directory provision in regard to the length of time during which schools shall be sustained, other than the provision by which the support of two months school in each district upon its own funds, is made the condition of receiving any portion of the public money distributed to the various districts.

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In Massachusetts the requirement of law is as follows: "In every "town there shall be kept for at least six months in each year, at the expense of said town, by a teacher or teachers of competent ability and good morals, a sufficient number of schools for the instruction of "all the children who may legally attend public school therein, in or"thography, reading, writing, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, "the history of the United States, and good behavior. Algebra, vocal music, drawing, physiology, and hygiene shall be taught by lectures or "otherwise, in all the public schools in which the school committee deem "it expedient."

The legal provisions for territorial organization into local districts are nearly identical in the two States, so far as the Vermont law extends; but there are certain provisions in the Massachusetts law not found in the other. In that State towns may provide for the support of schools

without forming school districts. Towns there cannot change the taxation of lands by redistricting oftener than once in ten years. There towns may abolish all school districts and support schools as a town, and are required to vote upon the proposition of so abolishing districts every third year. There school districts liable to provide suitable school houses are liable to a fine of two hundred dollars for each year's delay in so doing. There, towns may at any time abolishing the districts. take possession of the school houses and other district property, accounting therefor, and may provide school houses and all conveniences for the whole at the general expense. A provision is also there made for the support by towns who so elect, of either day or evening schools for the education of persons over the age established as the legal age of scholars in the common schools.

Attendance upon schools is entirely voluntary in Vermont, and the only inducement brought to bear upon either the pupil or the parent is that involved in the dependence of the share of public money distributed to each district, upon the average daily attendance of its children upon its schools. In Massachusetts there is a compulsory requirement in regard to attendance, which, as much discussion has been had in our State upon the subject, I here append

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Every person having under his control a child between the ages "of eight and fourteen years, shall annually during the continu"ance of his control, send such child to some public school in the city or town in which he resides, at least twelve weeks, if the public "schools of such city or town so long continue, six weeks of which time "shall be consecutive; and for every neglect of such duty the party "offending shall forfeit to the use of such city or town a sum not ex"ceeding twenty dollars; but if it appears upon the inquiry of the truant "officers or school committee of any city or town, or upon the trial of any prosecution, that the party so neglecting was not able, by reason "of poverty, to send such child to school, or to furnish him with the "means of education, or that such child has been otherwise furnished "with the means of education for a like period of time, or has already "acquired the branches of learning taught in the public schools, or that "his bodily or mental condition has been such as to prevent his atten"dance at school or application to study for the period required, the penalty before mentioned shall not be incurred."

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As a proper accompaniment to the above provision, the school committee in each town in Massachusetts, provide all school books, to be sold to pupils at cost, and supply every pupil with the required books, the parent or guardian paying therefor if able, and if not able, the town paying the cost.

The provisions of law for the examination of teachers for certificates and for dismissal are very like in both States. The variances are, that in Vermont the examinations of teachers are required to be public, while Massachusetts has no such provision. In Vermont the superinten. dent can revoke a certificate only for certain specific causes; and in

Massachusetts the phraseology of the law is: " The school committee "(of the town) may dismiss from employment any teacher whenever "they think proper, and such teacher shall receive no compensation for "services rendered after such dismissal."

The provisions of law in regard to school registers and the collection, arrangement and publication of statistics are very similar in both States. Provisions for the support of graded or higher schools which although not similar, are, or might be made to be, equivalent, are to be found in the systems of each State. In Vermont the voters in any school district may by vote, divide and grade their school and may direct such of the higher branches of study to be taught as they choose, without limit as to extent. In Massachusetts certain of the higher branches may, in the discretion of the committee be taught in any public school; while the following general provision is found:

"Every town may, and every town containing five hundred families "or house-holders shall, besides the schools prescribed in the preceding "section, maintain a school to be kept by a master of competent ability "and good morals, who, in addition to the branches of learning before men"tioned, shall give instruction in general history. book-keeping, survey"ing, geometry, natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, the civil polity "of this commonwealth and of the United States, and the Latin lan"guage. Such last mentioned school shall be kept for the benefit of all "the inhabitants of the town, ten months at least, exclusive of vaca"tions, in each year, and at such convenient place, or alternately at such "places, in the town, as the legal voters at their annual meeting deter"mine. And in every town containing four thousand inhabitants, the "teacher or teachers of the schools required by this section, shall, "in addition to the branches of instruction before required, be competent to give instruction in the Greek and French languages, astronomy, "geology, rhetoric, logic, intellectual and moral science, and political "economy."

Such in brief, are the main points both of resemblance and of variation between the organized machinery for the support of schools in these two States; and a very close resemblance is, upon the whole, apparent, although important differences exist. The chief variant and therefore in this connection, characteristic features of the system of Massachusetts are: first, the compulsory requirement by which each town is obliged to sustain sufficient schools for at least six months in each year; second, the compulsory provision by which every person having control of children is required to enforce their attendance upon the public schools for at least twelve weeks annually; third, the compulsory provision requiring towns containing five hundred families or house-holders to sustain schools of a higher and fixed grade, and towns containing a population of four thousand to sustain sufficient schools of a still higher grade; fourth, the provision for the support of Normal Schools; fifth, the provision by means of which a possible equalization of taxation for necessary expenses of school houses may be attained by the abolition of dis

tricts, and the assumption by the town of district property and the furnishing by the towns of necessary conveniences for schools; and sixth, the provisions for the more generous support of Institutes, associations and other agencies for the carrying out of the school law and the awakening and informing of the public mind.

If superiority be claimed for the Massachusetts system in regard to each of the six points last enumerated, and as to the most of them at least, it may be claimed with justice; there are features in reference to which the system of Vermont is preferable.

The provision of the Vermont law for the public examination of teach. ers, is more efficient and less liable to abuse than any requirement of simply an examination in private. The arrangement for local supervis ion, in simplicity, economy, and possible efficiency, is a good one. The limitation of the power of revocation of certificates to certain and specific causes, furnishes a valuable safeguard to the exercise of a very necessary but a very delicate and dangerous power. The legal provision by which the distribution of the public money to the various districts is caused to tend to the increase of the attendance upon the schools, by making the proportional share of each district to depend upon the daily average attendance of its children, is a simple but effectual means of attaining an important result. And the provision for an authorized list of school text books, is as simple and free from objection as it has been effective, and deserves the commendation it has received in other States. It is douthful if an uniformity of text books in schools has, with so little disturbance and opposition, ever been so rapidly and fully attained elsewhere.

Regarding solely the differences disclosed by the brief comparison made between the two systems, we do not find enough of organic variation to account for any very striking difference, other things being equal, in the character or extent of the results accomplished. But an impar tial inspection of the operation of the two systems will show conclusively that in Massachusetts a much higher rate of attendance upon the public schools has been attained than ever prevailed in our own State; and no less conclusively that in Massachusetts a much wider range of studies and a higher grade of attainment have been reached than in Vermont.

The average attendance upon our common schools during the year just past was, as ascertained by the school Registers 52 per cent; the average attendance upon the schools of Massachusetts for the same time was 76 per cent. The causes of a difference so remarkable are well worthy of investigation. This is one of those differences which may well be attributed mainly to the effect of the law requiring parents and guar dians to send children to school, and to the legal requirement in Massachusetts that every town shall sustain sufficient school or schools for at least six months in every year; while in Vermont nothing of the kind can be found, except that towns are required to sustain a school or schools; and each district is given the choice, to sustain a school upon its own funds for two months in each year or lose its proportionate share of the

public money. And any legitimate force of the law thus cited, is much enhanced in Massachusetts by the effect of a constant agitation of the public mind that has prevailed for a long succession of years. Institutes, associations, public educational meetings, annual reports, published statistics, and the frequent addresses of the ablest men in the commonwealth have 'so long and so thoroughly stirred and aroused the public attention that a positive pride is felt in the State school system, and a deep interest displayed for its success by every inteligent citizen.

But by far the most apparent and the most important distinction in the operation of the school systems of these two States respectively, consists in the wider range and scope of the branches actually taught, and the higher grade of the attainments really made in the public schools of Massachusetts. This distinction is more apparent to all impartial observers from without both States than it can be to citizens of either. In the National Almanac for 1863, which purports to give a succinct account of the civil government, state officials, resources, educational and charitable institutions, &c., of each State in the Union, as well as of the Union itself, and which is generally characterized by impartiality, as well as correctness, the variant condition of the public schools in the two States referred to, is made painfully as well as almost ludicrously apparent, as it discovers itself to such an observer, in the brief mention made of each. After giving the educational statistics of each State, with a short sketch of their respective school systems, of Massachusetts it is said:

"The public schools of Massachusetts are of higher character and "maintained with greater liberality of expenditure than those of any "other State. In all the larger towns they are graded, and the child of "the poorest citizen, entering at the age of five the primary school, may "pass, by regular gradation of rank and attainment, through the in"termediate grammar and high schools, and in the last named may "acquire an education hardly inferior in extent and thoroughness, "to that of the colleges. If after this course he desires the advan"vantages of the college or university, the State has reserved a con"siderable number of scholarships in the higher institutions, which "are at the disposal of the Board of Education; and if he or she desires to become a teacher, the four Normal schools of the State "afford the opportunity of becoming qualified, without charge for instruction. In 105 of the high schools of the State the Latin and "Greek languages are taught, and in the other high and grammar "schools, the branches taught include most of those, aside from the "classics, taught in the best academies."

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Of Vermont it is said-"The instruction in the public schools is "for the most part quite elementary; 62,036, were taught reading; '61,827, spelling; 40,999, arithmetic; 28,337, penmanship; 23,459, "(but little more than of the whole) geography; 13,364, (one-fifth) grammar; 5,580, composition (only about 1-13); 2,442, history; and 3,542, other studies. There is no provision for normal education."

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