questions, at which Judge Gould presides. The questions that are discussed, are prepared by him in the forms in which they generally arise. These courts are held once at least in each week, two students acting as counselors, one on each side: And the arguments that are advanced, together with the opinion of the judge, are carefully recorded in a book kept for that purpose. For the preparation of these questions, access may at all times be had to an extensive library. Besides these courts, there are societies established for improvement in forensic exercises, which are entirely under the control of the students. The whole course is completed in fourteen months, including two vacations of four weeks each, one in the spring, the other in the autumn. No student can enter for a shorter period than three months. The terms of instruction are $100 for the first year, and $60 for the second, payable either in advance or at the end of the year. Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb at Hartford. The American asylum owes its origin to the success which attended the efforts of the Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, to give instruction to the deaf and dumb daughter of a gentleman of that city. The attention of people being excited, it was computed that there were more than a hundred deaf mutes in Connecticut; and Mr. Gallaudet was induced to undertake the establishment of an institution at Hartford for their relief, having previously stipulated for means of personally examining the European institutions for the relief of persons thus afflicted. Mr. Gallaudet embarked for Europe in May, 1815. He returned in August, 1816, accompanied by Mr. Laurent Clerc, a distinguished pupil of the Abbé Sicard. The course of instruction commenced, with seven pupils, in April, 1817, and, in 1829, there were 143 pupils in the institution, under the care of Mr. Gallaudet and nine assistant instructors. 54 of the pupils were supported wholly by the legislature of Massachusetts; 15, in whole or in part, by that of New Hampshire; 13 by that of Maine; 21 by that of Vermont; and 13 by that of Connecticut. The institution, from its establishment to 1830, had imparted its benefits to 318 persons. The funds of the asylum have been derived from private donations, and from a grant of land in Alabama, made by the congress of the United States, in 1819. These have furnished the institution with a large and commodious brick building, in which the pupils reside and receive instruction; a dwelling-house for the principal, and convenient out-houses, including two brick workshops, in which the male pupils work four or five hours daily, in order to acquire a mechanical trade; and have enabled the directors to form a permanent fund of considerable amount. NEW YORK. ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.-'There were in the State of New York, on the last day of December, 1831, which was the date of the latest reports on the number of children, 508,878 children over 5 and under 16 years of age; of whom 494,959 received instruction in district schools. The whole number of organized school districts in the State is 9,600; of which 8,941 made their annual reports. These were kept open for the reception of pupils an average period of eight out of the twelve months. The average number of scholars instructed in those districts which made returns, was a fraction more than 55 for each school. In 1816, the number of organized districts was 2,755, and the children taught according to the returns, was 140,106. The increase of those districts which have adopted the system, in 16 years, has been of course, 6,845; and the increase in the number of children taught, in the same time, 354,853. The productive capital of the New York school fund now amounts to $1,735,175 28. The revenue it afforded for the year ending on the 30th of September last, was $93,755 31. But the revenue for the coming year is estimated at $101,250; for the fund is increasing. This revenue is paid over from the State treasury to the commissioners of the several towns in the State for the benefit of the schools; and it appears that so much is added from the general funds of the treasury, as to make up the round sum of $100,000. To this, if we add $188,384 53, the avails of a State tax; and $17,198 25 which is derived from local funds possessed by some of the towns, we have an aggregate of $305,582 78: and this usually is denominated the 'public money.' It appears that 761 towns paid to their teachers during the past year, by way of subscription, voluntary contribution, or taxation in their several districts, $358,320 17; and this added to the public money, makes an aggregate amount of $663,902 95 paid for teachers' wages alone, with the exception of about $60,000 otherwise applied in the city of New York. Thus where the State or the school fund pays one dollar for teachers' wages, an inhabitant of a town, by a tax upon his property, pays $1 28; and by voluntary contribution in the school district where he resides, $3 58 for the same object, to which is added the proportion of 17 cents, derived from the local school fund. So that the State pays less than one-sixth, and the inhabitants five-sixths of the teachers' wages. But the amount paid for teachers' wages is only about one-half of the expense annually incurred for the support of common schools. The yearly value of the capital vested in school-houses, the books, fuel, &c., is estimated at $462,579; which added to the amount paid for teachers' wages makes a grand total of $1,126,482 45, exAnd the pended annually in the State of New York on common schools. revenue of the school fund; that is, the $100,000 paid from the State treasury pays a fraction less than one-eleventh of the annual expenditures upon these schools. Before the last year it never has paid less than one-tenth of the whole. Thus, every year's experience of the tendency of the New York common school system should increase our confidence in the wisdom which devised a plan so excellent, and which makes a fund obviously beneficial to the State, instead of operating to paralyze the public mind on the subject of education, as has sometimes happened, especially in Connecticut. The superintendent appears to regard the incorporated academies, of which there are about 57 in the State, as destined ultimately to become the appropriate seminaries for preparing teachers for common schools; and also urges with great earnestness, the importance of employing competent teachers of common schools, at much more liberal prices than heretofore. He urges, too, a more rigid discharge of duty on the part of the inspectors of the schools, and, as we are very happy to see, expresses a deep conviction that something ought to be done to provide the means of instruction for the inmates of manufacturing establishments. Arrangements have been made for furnishing every school district in the State with a copy of Hall's lectures on school keeping: a measure of undoubted importance, and worthy of being imitated in other States. The sum apportioned to public schools in New York city, during the year 1832, was $90,748 86, being nearly $20 to each scholar instructed in the schools, which are allowed by the legislature to share in the funds. The culpable indifference of parents in availing themselves of the benefits of the public schools, is still felt as a serious evil in the city of New York. The public school society has endeavored to counteract this deplorable apathy, by employing a person at a salary of $800 per annum, to visit parents in all parts of the. city, and to invite and persuade them to send their children to school; and it appears by the report of the commissioners, that the corporation of the city have passed an ordinance, 'excluding from the participation of public charity, when it may be required, all out-door poor, whether emigrants or not, who, having children between the ages of five and twelve, neglect or refuse to send them to some one of the public schools.' About 4,000 families are usually aided as outdoor poor; averaging five to each family, it gives a total of 20,000, who will feel the benefit of this ordinance. The English reader is used in 549 towns in the State; Daboll's arithmetic in 472; Murray's grammar in 462; Webster's spelling book in 433; the New Testament in 166; Woodbridge's geography in 375; Walker's dictionary in 95; Olney's geography in 183; Cobb's spelling book in 235; Kirkham's grammar in 111, &c. ACADEMIES AND HIGH SCHOOLS.-'The incorporated academies,' says Mr. Flagg, in his last report, 'may be relied upon as seminaries for the education of teachers. There are now 57 academies in the State; in the erection and endowment of which about $400,000 have been expended by the State and by individuals; and to these academies a revenue of $10,000 is distributed annually by the State. In 1827, $150,000 were transferred from the general funds of the State, to the literature fund, for the avowed object of promoting the education of teachers of common schools, by increasing the apportionment to the academies.' In each senatorial district the sum of $1,250 is distributed. At Rochester is a manual labor school, which not long since commenced operations. At Whitestown, near Utica, is the Oneida institute, a manual labor school, which has been in operation a number of years. Rev. George W. Gale has lately been chosen principal. The Kinderhook academy is under the care of Messrs. Silas Metcalf, and James Johnson, Jr. The moral improvement of the pupils receives particular attention. The library contains nearly 400 select volumes. Board is about $1 75 a week; tuition from $3 to $5 a quarter. The Albany academy has 16 trustees, and 220 students. T. R. Beck, principal; Peter Bullions, Joseph Henry, Daniel D. T. Leach, and G. W. Carpenter, instructors. Buffalo literary and scientific academy. Rev. Charles Bishop, principal; Rev. G. O. Warner, and James Jarvis, Jr., assistants. Erasmus Hall academy, Flatbush, L. I., four miles from New York city, J. W. Kellogg, principal. The building is 100 feet by 36, with a wing of 50 feet by 25. Flushing institute for boys, Queens county. Rev. Mr. Muhlenberg, principal. Geneva academy for boys, connected with Geneva college, 86 pupils in 1830. The Troy female seminary was instituted in 1821; Emma Willard, principal, a vice-principal, and 19 assistants. Pupils between 200 and 300, one-third from Troy. The Brooklyn collegiate institute, opposite New York city, has a capital of $30,000, designed to afford young ladies the same advantages that are enjoyed by young men in colleges. 75 pupils can be accommodated as boarders with the principal. The Ontario female seminary was incorporated in 1825, capital $10,000, Miss Hannah Upham, principal; and 5 assistants; 100 scholars. The other principal female academies are Clinton, Hamilton, Cortlandville, Homer, Cooperstown, Whitesboro, Washington at Greenwich, Rensselaerville, Hobart in Delaware county, Mt. Pleasant in Westchester, &c. In 1830, there had been distributed to the various academies from the literature fund, $120,188 83; and given directly by the legislature, $27,268 82. COLLEGES AND HIGHER SEMINARIES.-Brockport college. The college, which the Baptists are here erecting, is constructed of free stone, 100 feet by 60, five stories high including the basement. Exclusive of the chapel, library room. &c., there are to be 90 rooms for the accommodation of students. Connected with the institution are five acres of land. The whole cost of the establishment is $15,000. Geneva college. This institution was established at Geneva in 1825. Rev. Richard S. Mason, D. D., president. The discipline exercised at this college, is as much as possible of the paternal character, by private admonition, rather than public censure, by the endeavor to produce correct conduct from the inculcation of correct principals-religious principals, if this can be effected-if not from the inculcation of honorable and gentlemanly feelings. A system of espionage and coercion is as much as possible avoided.' The following is the list of officers: Rev. Richard S. Mason, D. D., president. Horace Webster, prof. of mathematics and natural philosophy. prof. of Greek and Latin. M. D. Holstein, prof. of modern languages. Auburn Theological seminary. This institution was established by the Presbyterians at Auburn, Cayuga county, in 1820. The faculty are: Rev. James Richards, D. D., prof. of Christian theology. Hamilton college. This institution is located at Clinton, a village in the town of Kirkland, Oneida county. It was established in 1812. Rev. Azel Backus, D. D., was the first president. He was succeeded by the Rev. Henry Davis, D. D. Dr. D. resigned in 1832, and Rev. Sereno E. Dwight, formerly of Bos ton, is the president elect. The location of this college is delightful. The college buildings, three in number, four stories high, stand in a line, on the summit of a hill, commanding an extensive prospect of rich and picturesque scenery. A law professorship has been recently founded in this college, by the bequest of $20,000 of Hon. Wm. H. Maynard of Utica. The faculty of this college are: Rev. Sereno E. Dwight, president elect. John H. Lathrop, prof. of mathematics and natural philosophy. Josiah Noyes, M. D., prof. of chemistry and natural history. Ebenezer B. Maltbie, tutor. Hamilton Literary and Theological Seminary. This institution is at Hamilton, in Madison county. It was incorporated in 1819. The sum of $8,000 was raised. In 1822, the instruction of the students was committed to two professors. In 1823, a building was erected, sufficient to accommodate 40 students. Another building was finished in 1827. It is of stone, 100 feet by 60, four stories high, containing 34 rooms for study, as many for lodging, a reading-room, lecture room, and a chapel, sufficient to accommodate 2,000 people. The expense was about $7,000. Near the building there is a commodious boardinghouse, a joiner's shop, and a farm of 130 acres, owned by the Baptist education society. Rev. Nathaniel Kendrick, D. D., prof. mental philosophy and theology. Rev. Seth S. Whitman, prof. Hebrew, and biblical criticism. Rev. Daniel Hascall, prof. sacred rhetoric. Rev. Joel S. Bacon, prof. elect of math. and nat. philosophy. Asahel C. Kendrick, prof. of languages. William Mather, M. D., of Fairfield, gives a course of lectures in chemistry. Medical Schoot at Fairfield. This school is established by authority of the State, and is under its patronage. It has 190 students. The professors are: J. NcNaughton, M. D., prof. anatomy and surgery. T. R. Beck, M. D., prof. physic and medical jurisprudence. W. Willoughby, M. D., prof. obstetrics, &c. James Hadley, M. D., prof. chemistry. Hartwick Seminary. This institution owes its establishment to the liberality of the Rev. John C. Hartwig, of the Lutheran church, who bequeathed a large estate in land for the purpose of founding a seminary, for training ministers of the gospel, particularly in the Lutheran church. It was incorporated in 1815, with the proviso that the principal and first professor of theology should always be a Lutheran. It is in the eastern part of Hartwick, in Otsego county. The seminary commenced its operations in 1815, under the care of the Rev. E. L. Hazelius, D. D., as principal. At his resignation, in August, 1830, Rev. G. B. Miller was elected principal. Rev. C. B. Thummel is assistant teacher and librarian. The seminary is divided into two departments, the theological and academical. In the academical, the students are fitted for college, or for the active duties of life. Union College. Schenactady, where this institution is established, is on the south-east side of the Mohawk, 15 miles from Albany. The Erie canal passes through it, and it is connected with Albany by a railroad. The population in 1830, was 4,256. The college was founded in 1795. The first president was the Rev. John Blair Smith, brother of the president of New Jersey college. He presided over it with great reputation for three years. His successor was the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, D. D., who continued in the office from June, 1799, till his death, August 1, 1801. The present incumbent is Rev. Eliphalet Nott, D. D., LL. D. The professors are: Rev. Robert Proudfit, Greek and Latin. Rev. Alonzo Potter, mathematics and natural philosophy. Rev. John A. Yates, oriental literature. Joel B. Nott, botany and mineralogy. Rev. John Nott, assistant prof. of languages. Rev. P. A. Proat, I. W. Jackson, Thomas C. Reed, assistant professors. Columbia College. This institution, in the city of New York, was founded by royal charter, in 1754, under the name of King's College, by which title it continued to be known until the revolution. The presidents under the charter were Rev. Samuel Johnson, 1754-1763. Rev. Myles Cooper, LL. D., 17631775. During the interval between 1776 and 1784, the business of instruction was necessarily suspended, and the college edifice appropriated to the services of a military hospital. The regents of the university, (individuals appointed by act of the legislature to superintend the general interests of education in the State,) discharged the duties of trustees till 1787, when an act was passed, by which the original charter of the college was confirmed, the name of the institution altered to Columbia College, and the government intrusted to a board of trustees. The presidents under this new charter, are William Samuel Johnson, LL. D., 1787-1800. Rev. Charles Wharton, D. D., 1801-1801. Rt. Rev. Benjamin Moore, D. D., 1801-1811. Rev. William Harris, D. D., 1811-1829. Hon. William A. Duer, LL. D., 1830. The faculty are: William A. Duer, LL. D.. president. Rev. John McVicar, D. D., prof. mor. and men. phil. rhet. and polit. econ. Charles Anthon, Jay prof. Latin and Greek. James Renwick, prof. natural philosophy and chemistry. Henry J. Anderson, prof. math. and astronomy. James Kent, LL. D., prof. law. Lorenzo da Ponte, prof. Italian. Rev. Antoine Verren, prof. French. A grammar school connected with the college, under the care of Professor Anthon, contains 100 students. University of the city of New York. This university was chartered by the legislature in 1831. It is projected on the liberal scale of the universities on the continent of Europe. It funds have been raised by the subscription of individuals, It is governed by a council of 32 members, chosen by the stockholders, together with the Mayor and four members of the Common Council of the city. There are two general departments in the university. The first comprises professorships and faculties for instruction in the higher branches of literature and science, which may be increased according to the progress of discovery and the wants of the community. The second embraces what is usually deemed a full course of classical, philosophical, and mathematical instruction, and also a complete course of English literature, of mathematics, and sciences, with their application to agriculture, to the arts, and generally to the ordinary purposes of life. The emoluments of professors arise from salaries and from fees. The professors are divided into faculties of letters, of science, and the arts, of law, and of medicine. The last is not yet appointed. In the first general department, there are attending members, who are subjected only to such general regulations as are necessary to secure the payment of fees, and good order within the precincts of the university; and matriculated members, who are candidates for honors, and who are subjected to examinations and to the discipline of the institution. In the second general department the course of instruction is by lectures, examinations, recitations, compositions, and public speaking. Every student has an unlimited choice of the branches taught. The instructors appointed are: Rev. James M. Matthews, D. D., chancellor and instructor in sacred antiquities. professor of the evidences of revealed religion. Rev. Henry P. Tappan, professor of mental and moral philosophy and belles lettres. Henry Vethake, professor mathematics and astronomy. D. B. Douglass, professor natural philosophy, architecture, and engineering. Edward Robinson, D. D., professor Greek and oriental literature. |