MARION COLLEGE, MISSOURI.

THIS College, incorporated in 1831, like most American institutions of learning, commenced its operations without funds. By the interference and exertion, however, of three enterprising and patriotic men, belonging to the Board of Trustees, Messrs. Nelson, Muldrow, and Clark, $20,000 were borrowed in New York, for the payment of which they mortgaged, jointly and severally, their whole estate, as well as the land which they afterwards purchased. These three individuals afterwards succeeded in obtaining subscriptions or donations, in behalf of the college, to the amount of $19,000; but as the person who loaned the $20,000 was not in immediate want of the money, it was concluded to apply it, in addition to the rest.

With these two sums, then, amounting to $39,000, and a considerable amount of the private funds of three gentlemen, already mentioned, lands have been purchased for the institution, and a beginning has been made to erect good buildings, and bring the land under proper cultivation. The buildings have hitherto been sufficient to accommodate no more than one hundred students, in all the departments. The lands now in actual cultivation would be sufficient to support the one hundred pupils present and three professors, were the dwelling houses of the latter prepared ;—and when once fenced and ploughed, they will support a president and nine or ten professors. These lands, purchased at $1.25 an acre, are now worth from $4 to $10.

In addition to the brief account given of this college at page 336 of our last volume, we add the following particulars from a recent number of the 'Philadelphian.' The course of study does not differ materially from that of other colleges.

The expense incurred by fencing the college farm is $130 for a mile of fence. The ploughing of an acre of prairie ground cost $2, the harrowing and sowing of the same with timothy grass seed, $1.50. When this is accomplished, each acre will bear on an average two tons of hay; and the lands will require neither change of crop nor manure for a long course of years to come. If fifty students secure, and press, and sell the hay on 500 acres, and realize $12 a ton, their 1000 tons of hay will bring them $12,000 of which they will be required to pay one-third, after all expenses on it have been defrayed, to the professor, whose farm, for the time being, they have cultivated. This will leave for the students $8000, which will divide to each $160 for his support. Of this sum each pupil will pay $50 for his boarding and lodging one year, and $30 for his tuition, which will leave him $80 for clothing, books and travelling expenses.

Arrangements for Manual Labor.

565

'Should any deem this calculation too high, let him cut it down one-third, and still an ample support will be afforded to professors and pupils. The tuition fees are to be appropriated by the trustees to the support of assistant teachers, and the general objects of the college. Should there not be sufficient students able and willing to secure the crops of each professorship, the incumbent may rent his lands for the year to active and faithful farmers in the neighborhood, for one-half of the produce. Many farms are now rented for such a profit; and the writer has himself entered into a contract with a substantial yeoman, that he shall cut, cure, and deliver on the river Mississippi, the hay of 320 acres at the halves.

'Should any one prefer to raise cattle, Indian corn, hemp, or wheat, rather than hay, the soil is well adapted to his purpose. We have heard disinterested witnesses testify, that they last summer raised upwards of three tons of hay on a measured acre of land, without any effort to increase the native strength of the ground.

In the county of Marion, onions come to maturity from the seed in one season; and Marion college students might easily supply with onions, New Orleans and the West Indies, if not Philadelphia and New York, at as cheap a rate to the consumer, and as great a profi to the tiller of the ground, as the citizens of Wethersfield, in Con necticut, now do. A student may, therefore, easily earn for himselt at this college, in any department, if he is over sixteen years of age, at least $150 a year. If any other manual labor school affords equal facilities, we rejoice in it.

6

The college lands are situated chiefly in two lots; one portion being about twelve miles north-west, and the other nearly the same distance south-west from Palmyra, the seat of justice for Marion county. On the northern portion the department of the arts and sciences is located; on the southern beautiful prairie are the preparatory school and the theological department. It will be the effort of the trustees to establish, as soon as their funds will allow, professorships of Law and Medicine, for the purpose of affording to the students of the Literary and Theological Departments, jointly, the benefits which may result from the same; for no education should be deemed liberal, in which the students have not been introduced to an acquaintance with the general principles of jurisprudence, anatomy, and physiology.'

We learn, also, that Mr. and Mrs. Hyde, for many years the conductors of a Female Academy in this state, are about to remove to the West, and establish an academy for young ladies near the Preparatory School of Marion College, where, without being in any way connected with the latter, they will enjoy its patron

366

Common School Convention.

MISCELLANY.

ONEIDA COUNTY COMMON SCHOOL CONVENTION.

A Convention of Teachers and other friends of education in Oneida County, N. Y., was held at Utica on the 24th of September last, at which I number of spirited resolutions were passed, in which, besides expressng their entire confidence in the common school system of this country is an indispensable means of diffusing intelligence, they commend to public notice the wisdom of the New York Legislature in making provision for Common School Libraries, the efforts of Mr. J. Orville Taylor n behalf of common education in that State, the work called the 'Disrict School,' of which that gentleman is the author, and the Prussian system of common education. They also express great regret at the late uspension of the common school system in Pennsylvania. We should be glad to publish most of their resolves, but as our limits will not permit is to do so, we select the following:

Resolved, That we perceive great wisdom and patriotism in the act of the Legislature of this State, passed at its last session, by which each school district of the State is authorised to appropriate twenty dollars for creating a school library in such district, with such further sum as may be necessary for a book case, and also to raise ten dollars annually for the increase of such library.

Resolved, That this Convention consider the appointment of agents to visit and examine into the actual condition of our Common Schools, as of vital importance, and absolutely necessary, in order to derive the greatest possible benefit from our common school fund.

Resolved, That the members of this Convention use their influence, and invite the co-operation of their fellow citizens, to procure the appointment of such agents, under the direction of the Legislature.

Resolved, That the teachers of the several school districts in the county of Oneida, be requested to act as a committee in their several districts, for the purpose of awakening the attention of the inhabitants to the provisions of the law relating to the district libraries, and forming libraries in pursuance of that law.

Resolved, That this Convention deem it absolutely necessary as a first step to be taken for the improvement of our Common Schools, that the intelligent, prominent men of every school district give their influence, respect, and patronage to the district school.

Resolved, That this Convention believe that the character of our Common Schools is in a great measure in the hands of parents; and that it is the high duty of parents to their country, to the peace of society, and the individual happiness of their children, to adequately reward, respect and co-operate with their common school teachers,

·Boston Primary Schools.

567

Resolved, That this Convention, to insure the natural and necessary working of our excellent school system, most sincerely and earnestly request every commissioner, inspector and trustee, parent and teacher, to co-operate with the school act, which is wisely intended, with such a cooperation on the part of the people, to give every child and youth in our State, that kind and degree of knowledge which our institutions demand.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE SUPPLY OF TEACHERS.

An Association has recently been formed in Philadelphia under the name of the 'American Association for the supply of Teachers,' of which S. S. Fitch, M. D., is secretary. The name of this society indicates its leading object. They have adopted a constitution and issued a circular explanatory of the means by which they hope to promote the great purpose of their association, which we should be glad to insert entire, did our limits permit. We have, at present, room only for the following 'preamble' to the constitution; by which it will be seen that like the American School Society' of Boston, which however embraces a much wider sphere of action, this new society has in view, as a primary object, the elevation of our common or district schools.

'Impressed with the conviction that under Providence, the most effectual means of improving the moral and intellectual condition of man is the extensive diffusion of sound and practical instruction, and that the common schools of our country, in which the greater portion of the people receive their knowledge both of the rudiments and of the higher branches of learning, are often inadequately supplied with Teachers, and unable to obtain such as are competent to their important task, therefore the subscribers have associated themselves for the purpose of facilitating the aggregate of teachers of either sex, qualified to take charge of schools and seminaries, in their several grades, and also of children in private families.'

BOSTON PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

From the report of the standing committee, who have just completed their semi-annual examination of these schools, we learn that their whole number, including one recently established at East Boston, is 71;-pupils belonging to them 4512; number present at the examination 3284; absent 1229. We are sorry to see such a disparity between the whole number of pupils and those present at the examination. Efficient measures are said to be in operation, however, to improve the condition of this important grade of schools; and we learn with great pleasure that several new and improved school houses have been erected for their accommodation during the past year; and that others are soon to be erected. These schools have received during the last six months 282 examinations by their several committees; and 303 visits,

568

Education in the Mississippi Valley.

CONVENTION OF TEACHERS AT CINCINNATI.

The Fourth Session of the Western Literary Institute and College of Professional Teachers,' was held at Cincinnati during the first week of October, and continued six days. We have seen no report of their proceedings, but we learn from the Cincinnati Mirror that both the report and the lectures, of which there were many, will be published in a volume shortly. The editor states that the debate of one evening turned on the subject of Common Schools; and expresses much regret that so 'narrow' a debate should have taken up the time, while he asserts that, 'Whether a nation is not bound to educate every child in it, well and thoroughly; whether children ought not, as in Prussia, to be by law obliged to attend school; what system of tax-gathering, and school regulation, is best suited to our country; and what is a good and thorough education ;—all these are questions worthy of much thought, and much cool debate.' We know not how such a subject can be regarded, by Americans, as narrow. The following excellent thoughts are said to have been elicited during he debate. They are from the profound and disciplined mind of that experienced instructor, Mr. Alexander Kinmont.

'It is the purpose and business of life to educate each human being; all that is, and is done by us, should conduce to this point. It is also the duty and the privilege of each to educate others as well as himself; and of course, even were it not politic and economical to make each human being all he can be, it would still be the law of Christ that it should be done. It is not enough that we as men and christians do no sin; that is but negative virtue: we must do positive good, we must yield our wealth to aid others, we must give our time to aid others. Under the strict rule of right, those that sit in luxury while so many are without the means of knowledge, virtue, and self-improvement, are sinners:-there is no neutrality-no common ground between doing right or wrong. No one can do all, it is true, that is to be done; but each can do all that he is required to do;—and the plea of inability is the most cowardly and narrow of all pleas. And on the other hand, though we cannot oblige all to be educated by law because it is a christian duty, we can upon the all-powerful ground of public policy. The same reason which allows us to take from men their wealth for the public good, would allow us to take from children a portion of their liberty for the same reason. You may thus, then, on one side, address men as christians bound to raise their fellows, and on the other hand, as citizens bound to suffer all to be raised,'

EDUCATION IN THE MISSISsippi Valley.

There are now in the Valley of the Mississippi, says the 'Pioneer,' of Illinois, nearly ONE MILLION of children destitute of elementary instruc