the following abstract of the laws in force throughout the several States of the Union for the encouragement and support of education within their separate limits.*

In the State of Maine.-Every town is required by law to raise annually for the support of common schools a sum equal at least to forty cents, or about one shilling and eightpence sterling, for each person in the town, and to distribute this sum among the several school districts, according to the number of scholars in each.

New Hampshire.-Common schools are established throughout the State, and for their support a sum amounting each year since 1818 to $90,000. is annually raised by a separate tax. The State has a literary fund amounting to $64,000. formed by a tax of one-half per cent. on the capital of the several banks chartered by the State. The proceeds of this fund, as also an annual income of $9,000. derived from a tax on banks, are appropriated to aid the support of schools.

Vermont.-Common schools are supported throughout this State. The money raised by the general law for the support of schools at three per cent. on the grand list, (the valuation for taxes,) would be about $51,119-00, and about as much more is supposed to be raised by school district taxes. The State has a literary fund, derived principally from a tax of six per cent. on the annual profits of the banks.

Massachusetts.-Common schools are well supported throughout this State. The laws require that every town or district containing fifty families, shall be provided with a school or schools, equivalent in time, to six months for one school in a year; containing 100 families, twelve months; 150 families, eighteen months; and the several towns in the State are authorised and directed to raise such sums of money as are necessary for the support of the schools, and to assess and

* Principally taken from the compilation of Bishop Davenport, American Almanack, &c. &c.

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collect the money in the same manner as other town taxes. Each town is required to choose annually a school committee of three, five, or seven persons, to take the general charge and superintendence of the public schools.

Rhode Island.-Encreasing attention has of late been paid to education, and the State now pays annually for the support of free schools the sum of $10,000. which is divided amongst the several towns according to population.

Connecticut. This State possesses an important school fund, which was derived from the sale of lands, reserved by Connecticut, in the State of Ohio, and which amounted on 1st April, 1829, to $1,882,261. The income of this fund, which has since then very considerably increased, is appropriated to the support of primary schools. This fund in 1844, amounted to $2,044,354.

New York.-On the 2nd of April, 1805, an act was passed, appropriating 500,000 acres of the public lands, the proceeds of which should go towards the establishment of a permanent fund for the support of common schools, the interest of which to be added to the principal until the annual income exceeds $50,000, when it was to be apportioned amongst the schools. This was the commencement of the common school fund. From 1810 to 1821, the fees received by the clerks of the supreme court beyond their salaries and expences, were also added to the school fund; and the whole sum derived from this source amounted to $77,474. The common school system of New York was established by an Act of the Legislature of June 19th, 1812, and the first distribution of the income was made in 1814.

From the annual report of the Superintendent of Common Schools, January 15th, 1844, it will appear:

That the 59 counties of which the State consists, are divided into 897 towns and wards, and these again are subdivided into school districts. Of the 59 counties, all, with the single exception of Lewis, have appointed county superintendents. The total number of children between the ages of five, and sixteen, residing in the several school districts, exclusive of the City of New York, is returned at 607,996; while the aggregate number of children of all ages who have attended school for a longer

or shorter period, during the period ending January 1st, 1843, is reported at 610,354. In the City of New York it is estimated, that there are 75,000 children between the ages of five and sixteen; and of these, 47,428 have attended school for a longer or shorter period during the last year. This swells the aggregate number of children under instruction in the schools of this State, for the year reported, to 657,782; an increase of 50,000 over the number returned the preceding year.

The number of male teachers in the winter schools is stated at 5,170; of female teachers, at 635. In the summer schools there were 1,024 male, and 5,699 female teachers During the winter, the average monthly compensation of male teachers, exclusive of board, has been $14,28; that of the females $7. In the summer, the male teachers received, on an average, $15. per month, the females $6.

There are 9,368 school houses in the State; 969 of brick or stone, the remainder of logs, or framed wood. Of these 3,160 were in good repair; 2,870 in comfortable condition; and the remaining 3,319 "unfit for the reception of man or beast."

The common school fund on 30th September amounted to $1,975,093. and there belong to it also 357,824 acres of land, valued at $178,412. The amount of public money expended in all the school districts in the State, during the year reported, was $660,727, and the amount contributed by the people in these districts was $509,376. making in all nearly $1,100,000. expended in the payment of teacher's wages, and the purchase of books for school libraries.

New Jersey. This State has a school fund, which in 1842 amounted to $344,495.63. which is all in productive stocks, yielding an interest on an average of about 5 per cent. A tax of half of one per cent. on the amount of the capital stock of the several banks, subscribed and paid in, is also appropriated in this fund.

Pennsylvania.-The ordinary appropriation of school money is $200,000. payable to the districts in the ratio of their taxable inhabitants. In addition to this, the legislature, in 1837, made a school house appropriation of $500,000. to be distributed in

1838.

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The condition on which the districts receive their portion of the State appropriation, are, that they accept the school system, and assess a tax at least equal to their proportion of the appropriation. The whole number of school districts on the 1st of June, 1842, exclusive of the city and county of Philadelphia, was 1,113; the number of accepting districts paid during the year, 905; the number that reported, 861. The whole number of schools in reporting districts, is 6,116. The total amount of expenditure in 1842 was $255,852.92.

By an Act of 1838, there is an annual appropriation of $1,000. made to each incorporated university and college, which maintains four professors, and instructs at least one hundred students ;-also to each academy, and each incorporated female seminary, if fifteen pupils are constantly taught in either, or all of the following branches, viz. Greek and Roman Classics, Mathematics, and English, or English and German Literature, an annual appropriation of $300.; if twenty-five pupils, $400. ; if forty pupils by at least two teachers, $500.

Delaware.-This State has a school fund of $183,000. the income of which, with taxes on tavern licences, &c. is divided among the free schools About $20,000. are thus obtained, and the districts raise an equal or greater sum by tax or voluntary contributions. There are 182 public schools now in operation (1843), in which 6,148 scholars are taught. Provision is made by law for a free school within every three mile square of territory. The number of white children in the state, between five and fifteen years of age, according to the census of 1840, is 14,801.

Maryland.—The Maryland school fund is composed of the free schools' fund, derived principally from the tax levied on bank stock, and in this State's share of the surplus revenue received from the United States. The free schools' fund is equally divided among the several counties and the city of Baltimore; and the portion which fell due to each in the year 1838, was $1,341.36, a greater amount than in any previous year. The interest on the surplus revenue for the year 1838, was $36,118.76, of which the sum of $1000. is appropriated to the

indigent blind of the State; and the remainder is distributed, one-half equally among the several counties and the city of Baltimore, and the other half among the same according to population.

Virginia.- Education in this State is much neglected, especially amongst the lower classes; academies and common schools are nevertheless established in several towns. This State has a literary fund, created in 1809, which amounted in 1840, to $1,413,555.6; income, $102,590.46; appropriation, $98,296.64. All escheats, confiscations, and derelict property; also, all lands forfeited for the non-payment of taxes, and all sums refunded by the National Government for the expences of the late war, have been appropriated to the encouragement of learning. The sum of $15,000. per annum is settled on the university of Virginia; the sum of $45,000. is appropriated to the support of primary schools; and the residue forms a surplus, held in reserve by the legislature, and distributed occasionally at its discretion among the colleges and academies. Number of primary or common schools, 3,068; poor children, 46,069; number sent to school, 25,963. The price paid for instruction for each pupil is from two and a half to four cents a day.

The primary or common schools are for the poor only. The sum of $45,000. is apportioned among the counties in the ratio of their state taxes, and managed by commissioners appointed by the county courts. The commissioners are required to seek out, in their respective counties, those children whose parents cannot pay a teacher, and enter them in some cheap neighbouring school. But not much more than half of such children are actually sent to school, and these not more than seventy days in a year. Great reluctance to avail themselves of this fund is found in both parents and children; their pride revolting at the receipt of a mere charity. The system must, therefore, be regarded as very inefficient.

In 1829, a law was made empowering (not requiring) the commissioners of any county to lay it out in school districts, and pay out of the public funds two-fifths of the cost of a school house, and half a teacher's salary, whenever the inhabitants