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The Chair, in behalf of the Association, invited all gentlemen present, not members, to take part in the deliberations.

On motion of Mr. Field, of Boston, an invitation was extended to Rev. Mr. Peirce, late Principal of the Normal School at West Newton, to address the Association, and impart the results of his observation on the progress of education in foreign countries, and other items of interest collected in his late tour to Europe. Mr. Peirce spoke of the Peace Convention, and, in the course of his remarks, stated that at that convention, the eloquence of the French, in his opinion, threw into the shade that of all the other orators, whether from the United States, Germany, England or Italy. He mentioned, also, the deep enthusiasm which characterized the efforts of the French at that convention. The speaker stated that since his tour, he had become the more firmly impressed with the belief, that woman was destined to exert a momentous influence in elevating and improving the condition of the human race, and quoted a remark of Napoleon, in point, "Give me good mothers; with these I will elevate the character of the nation." He then spoke of the ascendency which the Romish Church seemed to be gaining over the public mind and heart of Europe; he considered the idea which seemed of late to have prevailed, a mistaken one, that that church was losing its influence. In reference to the Protestant place of worship which had been allowed the American citizens in Rome, he stated that that society was under the strictest surveillance, and the most jealous watchfulness of the Papal power, in fear of its influence. The gentleman spoke next of education in foreign countries, especially in England and Scotland; he thought those countries not in advance of us in the cause of popular education; he had investigated their principles, motives, methods, results, and he was convinced that we had adopted nearly all that was worthy of imitation. In closing his remarks, Mr. Peirce paid an eloquent tribute to the character of the late Secretary of the Board of Education; he believed that posterity would accord to him the highest place in the rank of those who had awakened the public mind, in the great cause of popular education.

The subject of Mr. Wells's lecture, on motion of Mr. Parish, of Springfield, was then taken up and discussed, Messrs. Parish, Peirce of Waltham, Field of Boston, and Wells of Newburyport, taking part. At 10 o'clock, according to appointment, Mr. Pennell, of Charlestown, delivered a lecture; subject,-" Motives and means adopted by teachers for success. Our limits will not allow us to quote from any one of the three admirable lectures delivered before the Association.

After a recess of ten minutes, Mr. Thayer, having the floor, spoke on the necessity of obliging the pupil to rely on his own resources. Mr. Vail, of Salem, referred to points in Mr. Pennell's lecture; further remarks were made by Messrs. Burbank and Philbrick, the latter gentleman dissenting somewhat from the views expressed by previous speakers on the necessity of making the pupil rely on his own ef forts; he thought there was danger of carrying the idea too far; after additional remarks by Messrs. Vail, Philbrick, Parish and Thayer, the latter gentleman insisting on the importance of inspiring in the pupil a love for the works of the standard poets, Mr. Philbrick introduced the following resolves:

Resolved, That the Act of the Legislature approved May 3d, 1850, concerning Truants and Absentees from school, meets with our hearty approbation; and we earnestly recommend its adoption by the cities and towns of the Commonwealth, where the evils contemplated in the act exist.

Resolved, That the best interests of Common School Education in this Commonwealth require, that the compensation of female teachers be materially increased.

Resolved, That we regard the recent decision of the people of the State of New York in favor of Free Schools, as an important step in the progress of popular education.

Resolved, That, in the opinion of this body, Physiology and Hygiene should be considered essential branches of a common school education; and that the law permitting its introduction should be so modified, as to require it to be taught in all the District and Grammar Schools of the Commonwealth.

The resolves were laid on the table to be discussed in the afternoon. On motion of Mr. Philbrick, voted, that a committee of three, nominated by the Chair, be appointed to take into consideration the subject of Prizes for Essays. The Chair appointed Messrs. Philbrick of Boston, Reed of Roxbury, and Eaton of Andover. Voted to adjourn to 2 o'clock, P. M.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

At two o'clock P. M. the meeting was called to order by the President. It being the hour appointed for the choice of officers, Messrs. King of Lynn, and Reed of Roxbury were appointed a committee to distribute, collect, sort and count the votes: having attended to that duty, they reported that the gentlemen nominated had been unanimously chosen. Mr. Field, of Boston, being in the chair,

On motion of Mr. Thayer, the committee appointed at the last meeting to memorialize the Legislature on the subject of truancy, for the purpose of obtaining an act to suppress that evil in schools, was requested to report. Mr. Sherwin, from the committee, reported that they had attended to the duty assigned them, and read an act of the Legislature on the subject, passed at the last session. The report was accepted. Mr. Philbrick, of Boston, remarked that the action of the Legislature had been adopted by the City of Boston; he then called up his resolution on the subject. On motion of Mr. Thayer, of Boston, the following amendment was added to the resolution. "And we, the members of this Association, will use our utmost efforts to carry out the provisions of the Enactment." The resolution, with the amendment, was then adopted..

Mr. Philbrick then called for the reading of his resolution on the insufficiency of compensation paid to female teachers. On his motion, the resolution was unanimously adopted.

Mr. Sherwin, Chairman of the Committee on the Publication of the Massachusetts Teacher, reported the following gentlemen as editors for the ensuing year: Louis Agassiz, Cambridge; Joshua Bates, Jr., Boston; F. N. Blake, Barnstable; T. W. T. Curtis, Lawrence; W. C. Goldthwait, Westfield; Wm. W. Mitchell, Chicopee; Rufus Putnam,

Salem; J. D. Philbrick, Boston; Elbridge Smith, Cambridge; Wm. D. Swan, Boston; Gideon F. Thayer, Boston; N. Wheeler, Worcester, to edit in alphabetical order. The committee recommended that a page or two of each number should be reserved for items of educational news, and Messrs. Philbrick, Swan, J. Bates, and G. F. Thayer, of Boston, were recommended, as resident editors, to attend to that duty. Mr. Thayer made some remarks on the importance of increasing the subscription list of the Massachusetts Teacher, and Mr. Greene, of Boston, upon the suggestions of the report. After the acceptance of the report, the debate on the subject was continued by Messrs. Poor, of Hopkinton, Sherwin, of Boston, and Northend, of Salem, and the subject was then laid on the table.

Mr. Emery, of Charlestown, eulogized the character of the late Mr. Bradlee, and offered the following resolves:

Resolved, That in the death of Mr. Wm. C. Bradlee, late Principal of the High School, Charlestown, this Association has been deprived of an able and honored member, and that the cause of education has lost one of its most accomplished, earnest, and efficient laborers.

Resolved, That we sympathize most deeply with the parents and friends of the deceased, in this sudden and afflictive dispensation of Providence.

Mr. Thayer, of Boston, offered the following additional resolve :Resolved, That these resolutions be inserted in the records, and that a copy of them be sent to the relatives of the deceased. Mr. Philbrick enlarged upon the virtues of Mr. Bradlee. The resolutions were then unanimously adopted. Mr. Field, of Boston, paid a tribute of respect to the memory of Miss M. F. Foster, late of Boston, who died last September; and read some lines composed on the occasion of her death. The hour of three having arrived, according to appointment, Rev. Horace James, of Wrentham, delivered a lecture. Subject," How to enlarge the sphere, bring honor to the profession, and increase the usefulness, of the teacher."

Mr. Smith, of Cambridge, offered the following resolution :

Resolved, That the thanks of this Association be presented to Mr. James for his highly instructive and eloquent lecture, and that a copy of it be requested for publication.

Remarks on the subject of the lecture were made by Messrs. Smith, Northend, of Salem, James, of Wrentham, Dr. Martin, of Worcester, Thayer and Field, of Boston, and Wheeler, of Worcester. The resolution then passed unanimously. Mr. James declined furnishing a copy of his lecture for the press. Voted to adjourn to seven o'clock, P. M.

In the evening, at the appointed hour for meeting, the Association was called to order by the President. He then announced that there would be no evening lecture, on account of the inability of Professor Agassiz to be present. Voted, that the Chair nominate a committee to present subjects for the evening's discussion. Messrs. Northend, of Salem, Smith, of Cambridge, Green, of Boston, were appointed.

Mr. Smith, of Cambridge, explained the inability of Professor Agassiz to be present and lecture before the Association; he also referred to the deep interest which the Faculty of Harvard College had manifested in the cause of common school education.

Voted to take up the subject of prizes.

The committee on that subject reported it as expedient to offer two prizes, of ten dollars each, to the female teachers, on the following subjects: 1st, Choice and use of motives. 2d, On teaching spelling. And that two prizes, of ten dollars each, be offered to gentlemen, who are members of the Association, for essays on the following subjects: 1st, Physiology, as a branch of common school education. 2d, On teaching grammar. The essays to be sent to the President before the 1st of October, 1851;- that the President, and four associates from the list of officers, constitute the judges; and that the successful essays be considered the property of the Association. After some discussion, the report was recommitted with instructions to nominate a list of judges. Messrs. Reed and Philbrick being absent, Messrs. Bates and Wheeler were appointed in their places.

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The Committee on Questions for Debate, reported the following:"How can teachers operate on the public mind in relation to popular education?" How shall moral instruction be best secured?" The former question was chosen for discussion, and the debate was sustained by Messrs. Northend, Green, Field, Burbank, of Newton, and Sherwin. Mr. Field in the chair,

Mr. Parish, of Springfield, offered the following resolve :

Resolved, That we, as teachers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, highly appreciate, and acknowledge with gratitude, the liberality of the State in placing within the reach of the pupils of every school district a copy of Webster's or of Worcester's large dictionary. The resolution was passed.

The Committee on Prizes reported on the subject recommitted to them as follows: They would amend their former report in such a manner that two prizes of twenty dollars each be offered, instead of four of ten dollars each; and that both the prizes be offered to the lady teachers of Massachusetts. Subjects, 1st, Choice and use of motives: 2d, On teaching spelling. Messrs. Greene, of Boston, Northend, of Salem, J. M. Lassell and Mansfield, of Cambridge, with the President, were recommended as a committee of gentlemen to examine the essays, and award prizes. The report, with these amendments, was then adopted.

Mr. Bates, of Boston, made some remarks in favor of publishing the reports and lectures of the Association, and moved that the Counsellors act as a committee, in relation to the subject, and report at the next meeting, which motion was passed.

Mr. Smith, of Cambridge, offered the following resolve, which was unanimously adopted.

Resolved, That the thanks of this Association are due to Mr. Sherwin for his services as President during the past year; to the editors of the Teacher for their able and successful labors; —to those editors of newspapers who have gratuitously advertised our meetings;-to the City Government of Worcester for the use of the City Hall, and also for warming and lighting it; to the Superintendents of the various railroads, for the extra facilities they have afforded us for attending the meetings; -to the citizens of Worcester for the very liberal hospitalities which they have extended to the members of

this Association, and especially to the lady teachers attending its meetings; and to those gentlemen who have favored us with so appropriate gratification and instruction by their lectures.

On motion of Mr. King, of Lynn, the resolve commendatory of the action which the people of New York have lately taken on the subject of free schools, was taken from the table and unanimously passed.

On motion, it was voted, that the President have power to authorize the Treasurer to draw on the State for the money appropriated by it, for the benefit of the Association.

After singing "Old Hundred" the Association adjourned, to meet at such time and place as the Directors might hereafter appoint. CHAS. J. CAPEN, Sec'y.

HIGH EDUCATION.

[The following very sensible and spirited remarks on the need of " high education," as distinguished from that which is usually denominated practical, we clip from the editorial columns of the New York Recorder.]

THAT those who are opposed to high education of any sort, wish to throw contempt on these higher studies, is not strange. The same course of reasoning that proves to the mind of such the inutility of Greek, Latin, and Mathematics, proves also the inutility of all higher studies in any department of inquiry-of all whose relation to the physical well-being of man is not obvious to the superficial observer. The objections of such men lie not against this or that branch of profound or elegant learning, but against all. They would make the problem to consist in this: Given a dozen boys of fair minds, what course of training will insure the greatest return in dollars and cents? The principles which guide their minds in educating a boy and a horse are just the same. If a college will solve this problem correctly according to their principles, it will receive their support; otherwise it will not, and they join in the cry against teachers of the higher science and literature, as "non-producers." Men thoroughly pervaded with this mercantile, material view of education, look upon training the conscience, and the religious affections from the same point of view. Religion is a good thing, say such; we support it because it is a security to property. The distinction between meum and tuum must be kept up, or there will be no safety in doing business. They look upon a minister as a more respectable sort of a police officer-cheaper, on the whole, than those under the direction of Mr. Matsell. There are, we regret to say, many Christians who look upon high education very much in the same way. They think it not a thing that a Christian should labor for, as