"The establishment of schools in such m may be taught gratis," cannot mean to te and sciences;" because "the arts and scien to be taught to "the poor," but they are d moted," not "taught," "in one or more sem

"The Legislature shall provide for the est that the poor may be taught gratis;" but given to them "to provide for the establish teaching "the arts and sciences" "in semina to be "established" by them, but such as s by other means.

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'Taught" does not mean "promote ;" ciple passive of "teach," and means to "i means "to forward," "to advance," "to "to prefer." The definition of these word and their meanings in this Constitution are not only because they are not convertible they have been used to express different used in the same sense.

There is an obvious distinction betwee "forwarding, advancing, exalting, and after "instruction" has been given to the have power to "establish schools" for inst gratis;" but they have no power to "est learning," of any description, to "teach th Their authority in this is limited and confi advancing, exalting, and preferring semin the "establishment" of which, and the tea be managed by other persons, and not by the law.

The Legislature of Pennsylvania have no n seminaries of learning for teaching "the ar they have to "establish" a church; and an such, for example, as the High-school at there is "instruction" given in "the arts a sons appointed and paid under legislative

State,

tional provisions before mentioned, was in 1809. grants and appropriations had, and since then have to "seminaries of learning for the promotion of the sciences;" but no steps had been taken to establish s teach the poor gratis," until that year.

On the 4th of April, 1809, they passed an act Laws, 73). It is intituled, "An act to provide fo the poor gratis." It requires township assessors the names of all the children between the ages of five whose parents are unable to pay for their schoolin shall be informed that they may go to the private the expenses to be paid by the County Commission the public funds.

On the 3d of March, 1818, they enacted a law Laws, 52), reciting the words of the constitution, poor may be taught gratis." It makes a school dist city and a part of the county of Philadelphia, with comptrollers, who are authorized, at the public build school houses, and establish schools for all t orphan children; boys, between six and fourteen, between five and thirteen years of age," in said dist are to be in like manner ascertained and notified: to be managed at the discretion of the comptroller rules" as shall not be inconsistent with this act and

tution."

An act of March 27, 1819 (7 Sm. L., 206), pro four additional townships, which are named, may a selves of the same advantages, for the schooling of t children." These words, "poor children," are twi

this act.

In 1831 (7 Serg. & Rawle's Rep., 454), the S nized this restriction of free schooling to "the chil poor."

In the same year, a commission of nine persons by a resolution of the legislature (7 Sm. L., 451, vestigate the causes of pauperism in the county of Pl who reported at a subsequent session, that they wer

of poor chuuren ewucated at the public expe

An act was passed June 13th, 1836 (P page 525), "To consolidate and amend the ing to a general system of education by co tablishing and organizing several other se providing for teachers, and taxes to support acts were theretofore, and afterwards pass schools" to other parts of the State, and direction, management, &c.; but no chang character or qualification of the beneficiarie

On the 7th of April, 1849, an act w Laws, 1849, page 441), directing that " borough shall form a common school dis directors, with power to assess and levy houses, and appoint teachers, "for the edu vidual between the ages of five and twentyapply for admission."

By this recital it will be seen, that the provision, and which is restrictive of all I is, "that the poor may be taught gratis."

That the first enactment used the word the ages of five and twelve pay for their schooling."

years, whose 1

That the words in the next act are 66 orphan children, boys between six and four between five and thirteen years of age."

That the act next after this twice us children."

That the Supreme Court adopted this ro "the children of the poor."

That in this connection, commissioners vestigate the causes of pauperism;”—and t of poor children educated at the public exp

And that no other interpretation or cons years was put upon the words referred to except to determine the ages within whic taught gratis."

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was ascertained and determined in 1809, and repea Legislature and the Supreme Court, for more than t to be "children under the age of thirteen and fourteen and that all the legislative, judicial and popular inte of this "poor school" power has been limited to within these ages, "whose parents are unable to pa schooling;"—until in 1849, when the constitutio former laws on this subject are abolished, without an or suggestion from the people; and a common scho is established throughout the State ;—$200,000 of moneys appropriated thereto, with directors and co authorized to levy taxes for buying lands and buildi for supporting a "sufficient number of schools, for th of every individual between the ages of five and years;" and to confer academical degrees in the arts, conferred by the University of Pennsylvania (Pan 1836, 527), is a humiliating commentary on the repu fessions of contempt for titles! A more bold an invasion of constitutional and judicial law was never in a free country; and it may not excite the least su in less than seven months this luxuriant harvest-fi have stimulated the convocation of a self-constituted assembly."

These schools, at which "the poor shall be taug have been made a pretext for great wrongs.

The language is, "that the poor may be taught The argument that any other person but a par tended by the word "poor," is absurd; the word " in this connection, means what is understood by that is, what is necessary, and no more.

66

This construction has never been denied; the effor to dodge and get round its truth by plausible and s appeals to excuse, and not to justify the abuse.

The test of the constitution for admission to these wit: "the poor," is never put.

The result of its application would be a laughable
The palpable inconsistency between the rule and

tice will be shown

no infant children.

During this same year there were kep that county, two hundred and thirty-six fi the poor gratis," at which there was an a the time of 40,290 scholars, at an outlay school-houses, and an annual tax of $285 pense of "teaching the poor gratis"-mo expenses of that county! This will be at an annual expense of more than $7 70 habitant of the city of Philadelphia: and than there were persons between the age years, (35,752) by the census of 1841, in of Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania and Philadelphia are take same rules, it will be seen, apply to all th

No poor man ever asked for this; it is and the dishonest, and the political kna court them. The poor are abundantly p and bound out to learn pursuits of hones not ignorant of their rights, or backward they have had no occasion to complain; found fault with the benevolent solicitude House Guardians upon their children. this charity is performed with parental a the tear and the lisp of the pauper chil every heart.

A member of the American Congress, a debate upon, and in vindication of t north, said:

That a pauper boy in Pennsylvania h bound out from an almshouse to a farmer, school teacher, a surveyor, a prothonotary and Speaker of the House of Representat was the Attorney General of that State.

It would have been superfluous if the that his pauper boy was a gentleman of