'It further appears, from the auditor's report of 1831, that the number of poor children in the state, according to the returns of the school commissioners, amounts to 27,598, which is one-twenty-fifth part of the whole white population, 694,440, and, probably, about one-fifth of the whole number of children between the ages of eight and fifteen; within which limits the above 27,598 children are believed to be comprehended.

When it is recollected that two years would be amply sufficient to give the elementary instruction proposed by the plan, that is, reading, writing, and arithmetic, the present annual appropriation seems to be quite equal to the education of all the poor children of the state, at a yet higher rate of expense than has been hitherto incurred. Thus, allowing 3,33 dollars for the annual cost of each scholar's tuition (which is the present amount), 45,000 dollars a year would, in four years, be sufficient for the instruction of 27,026 children, giving two years' schooling to each; and in six years it would give the same amount of instruction to 40,539 children, which is fifty per cent more than are supposed to require public aid in seven years. The number of schools in which the 14,169 children were taught in 1830, amounted to 2526, giving only about six children to each school, because few or none of the schools were for poor children exclusively.

'It appears from the mass of testimony exhibited to the legislature in the auditor's report, that although the plan has been attended with very different degrees of success in the different counties, according" to the personal character of the school commisioners, whose services are gratuitous, there has been a steady and continued improvement throughout the state in the execution of the law. The money is disbursed more judiciously and economically than formerly; the commissioners are more punctual and methodical in their annual reports; and their treasurers have been subjected to a stricter accountability by a recent law. The present plan, therefore, notwithstanding some inherent defects, is likely to be continued; and it is probably as good as any other that it would be practicable to substitute for it. It has already imparted the knowledge of reading and writing, with all their moral tendencies, probably to fifty thousand human beings, and, ere many years, it will have conferred the same inestimable benefits on twice that number.'

The next legislative measure on this subject was the establishment of a University. It was located at Charlottesville, where buildings and land had been obtained for a college by private subscription,

under the patronage of Mr Jefferson, Mr Madison, and Mr Monroe. These were given to the state to the amount of $40,000. Under the direction of Mr Jefferson, the erection of buildings proceeded to such an extent as to require new appropriations which ultimately amounted to $300,000. The result has been a large collection of buildings which present a very imposing appearance, and some of which are beautiful specimens of architecture. In 1824, they were so far advanced that preparations were made for opening the University, and a gentleman was sent abroad to procure professors. The public exercises were commenced in the spring of 1828.

'From the measure adopted it appears" that the legislature, by subjecting the university and the primary schools to its immediate supervision and control, has considered the highest and the lowest degrees of instruction as first deserving its attention, leaving the intermediate degrees to be provided and managed solely by the intelligence and liberality of individuals.'

In 1820, a law was passed authorizing the extension of the system of primary schools to all classes, but leaving it discretionary.

This law gave authority to the school commissioners of each county, whenever they thought the purposes of education would be thereby promoted, to lay off their county into districts, of from three to seven miles square; and as soon as the inhabitants of such district

*As the plan of the buildings is somewhat singular, it may deserve a brief notice. It consists of four parallel ranges, about 600 feet in length, and 200 feet apart, each containing a line of low buildings used as dormitories for the students, relieved at intervals with buildings of greater elevation, which are occupied by the professors and other officers of the institution. Of the three spaces between these ranges, the middle one is a lawn or green, which is open to the south, but terminated at the north by a building which is a copy of the Rotunda at Rome, and just half its linear dimensions. The other two spaces form the back-yards and gardens of the adjoining dwellings. All the architectural decorations which this establishment can boast, are concentrated on the three sides facing the lawn. In front, the beautiful Corinthian portico of the rotunda; on each side, five pavilions, occupied by the professors, exhibiting the different orders of Grecian archi tecture, and all differing from one another, as well as from the opposite pavilions, either in front or roof, but yet exhibiting sufficient correspondence in their position and general character to form one consistent whole. having its entablature surmounted with a Chinese rail, runs the whole length of A low Tuscan colonnade, each range, save where it is broken by the loftier porticoes of the pavilions. These peristyles serve to protect the dormitories from the sun; they afford a good promenade in bad weather; and their flat roofs furnish to the families of the professors the ready means of intercourse, as well as of enjoying a prospect of the mountain scenery around. The view of the whole from the lawn is very imposing. But the first pleasing impressions of the beholder are somewhat diminished on a nearer examination. He regrets to perceive, from the incongruous mixture of wood and plaster, with brick, stone, and marble, which then meets his eye, that the plan exceeded the means of its undertakers, and that a structure which possesses in so high a degree the beauty of form and proportion, should be wanting in that of durability. The two outer ranges contain, with their dormitories, six larger buildings, which are occupied by those who board the students, and by some of the other officers of the institution. two detached buildings, one an anatomical hall, containing, besides a dissecting Besides these four ranges there are room, a museum of anatomical preparations; and the other a small observatory, provided with some excellent astronomical instruments.

shall have raised three-fifths of the sum required to build a schoolhouse in the district, the commissioners are authorized to contribute the other two-fifths, so, however, as not to exceed ten per cent of the county's annual quota of the 45,000 dollars. They are further authorized to pay a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars towards the salary of a teacher, provided the inhabitants of the district contribute an equal or greater amount; and, at the school thus provided, every white child in the district may be taught gratis. Each school is to be placed under the control of three trustees, of whom the school commissioners are to appoint one, and the private contributors two.

"The motives for the proposed change, were to give the 45,000 dollars greater efficacy in providing schools and teachers, by inviting the co-operation of individuals, and to remove the distinction between the rich and the poor, which was commonly found to be odious, even where it was not sufficient to frustrate the purpose of the charity. But the result of this experiment on public opinion is yet to be ascertained. Of the 105 counties in the state, the school commissioners in 12 only had, in the year after the law passed, either proceeded to lay off their respective counties into districts, or expressed a decided approbation of the law, whilst nearly an equal number, in their annual report to the auditor, seemed to prefer the former system. It remains to be seen, by the future returns from the remaining commissioners, whether their silence is to be attributed to their repugnance to the change, or merely to that tardiness or lukewarmness with which gratuitous public services are commonly executed.'

The subsequent account of the University and college of Virginia presents many interesting details of facts and principles, but our limits do not allow its insertion at present.

The account of the state of Education in Virginia, concludes with the following statement in reference to private schools.

"The private schools in the state are of various descriptions. Of these, the first in repute, and perhaps in usefulness, are academies. These are commonly established by a few public-spirited individuals in a county, or even in a neighborhood, who erect suitable buildings for the purpose, and provide the requisite teachers, commonly two in number. They are generally placed under the superintendence and control of trustees, who are appointed by the legislature, and vested with corporate powers. Their ordinary number of scholars is from thirty to fifty. The Latin and Greek languages, with the elements of mathematics, are all that is taught in these schools. Some of these academies, being in favorable situations, continue to flourish with their first vigor; but many others, after having been in successful operation for several years, gradually fall into disuse from the death or removal of their principal patrons or teachers. But though schools of this description often have this brief existence, their number continues nearly the same. There are at this time about fifty five in the state.

"Nearly of the same character as the academies, and often nowise inferior to them, are those grammar-schools which are instituted and

conducted solely by their respective teachers. In some of these, Latin and Greek alone are taught, and in others mathematics also. The number of these schools may be about twice or thrice as many as that of the academies.

"But the largest part of the youth of both sexes in Virginia receive their elementary instruction in domestic schools. It is very commonly effected in this way. A country gentleman, in easy circumstances, engages a teacher at a moderate salary, from 200 to 300 dollars, exclusive of his board; he then receives the children of his connexions and neighbors as scholars, and some of them also as boarders. In this way he procures for his own children the advantages of society and emulation among those who are of the same age, and pursuits; and the expense of thus educating them under his own eye but little exceeds the tutor's board, which, in a country where the means of living are abundant, is very insignificant.

"The chief difficulty in carrying on any of these schools, is that of obtaining suitable teachers, of whom only a small proportion are natives of the state. Some few of the teachers are Europeans, but the greater part are from the New England states, many of whose educated young men thus follow the occupation of teaching, before they engage in that of lawyer, physician, or divine. This plan would be a very good one for all parties, if the greater part of these youthful adventurers were not very superficially taught; and one of the greatest benefits which the friends of the university promise themselves from that institution, is, that it will supply the country with more competent teachers, and especially with teachers of the classics."

The closing remarks on female education will, we trust, be as deeply felt by our readers, as they are by ourselves.

"No branch of education has experienced more improvement of late years, than that of females. In addition to their participating more largely in the benefits of the domestic schools, which are sometimes attended indiscriminately by children of both sexes, there are many academies established solely for their education. In these, from thirty to forty or fifty young ladies are instructed in polite literature, geography, history, and the elements of useful science. The French language, music, and drawing, are also taught in the greater part of them. There are at this time in Virginia probably upwards of twenty of these female academies, of which there was not one before the revolution; and three fourths of them have been es tablished within the last thirty years. They here acquire that degree of mental cultivation, which, though not sufficient to make them authors or pedants, adds new sources of enjoyment in the secluded life to which most of them are destined, and fits them for discharging the most important duties of mothers. In this latter aspect, female education seems to merit an attention it has not hitherto received. When we consider how much the character of the man, both intellectual and moral, depends upon the impulses received in early childhood, which impulses are principally given by the mother, the due instruction of women seems to be indispensable to the best system of education for men. And he who is not indifferent to the progressive

improvement of society, should regard a well-conducted female school with peculiar interest, because its benefits do not terminate with its immediate pupils, but extend, in a multiplied ratio, to succeeding generations."

ART. III. SEMINARY FOR FEMALE TEACHERS,

AT IPSWICH, MASS.

MR EDITOR,- In a recent excursion into the country, I spent a day in the Female Seminary at Ipswich. I found it conducted, in general, on the same principles as that of Mr Hall, at Andover. But as it also presents some features which are a little peculiar, I have concluded to send you the following account of it, hoping it may at least, be entertaining to some of your readers.

The building occupied for instruction, is on an elevated spot, near the centre of Ipswich. It is tolerably large, and conveniently divided into rooms for study, recitation, &c. There are few, if any, pe⚫ culiarities in its internal structure, except that a much larger than the usual allowance of space is allowed to each pupil. The building is two stories high, and affords accommodations, I think, for at least 150 pupils. The present number is about 140. None are admitted under fourteen years of age.

The institution is furnished with maps, black boards, a good set of chemical apparatus, and a library, which is well selected.

All those branches which are considered indispensable to a thorough and useful English education, are pursued here. The primary object of the school seems to be to provide faithful and enlightened teachers; but the course of instruction is such, as to prepare the pupil for any destination in life.

The Seminary is under the superintendence of two ladies, as principal teachers, and from five to eight assistants; the number varying according to circumstances. The principal teachers, besides their duties to their classes, may be regarded as educators; for they pay a strict attention to health, discipline, and morals, both in school and out; though even in these respects, great assistance is afforded by the other teachers. Some of the teachers were educated in this very Seminary. As far as practicable, the pupils, especially those from abroad, board with the teachers. This is an excellent arrangement, and deserves imitation; at least, in female schools. It enables the teachers to maintain an important influence.*

* I have intimated that a considerable proportion of the pupils board at the same place with the teachers. Upon further inquiry, I find that the number of those who board with the teachers, is only about thirty. But the general arrangements are such, that they offer advantages almost as great as if this were actually the case. They enter those families and those only-whose character and habits, and general views are approved by the teachers. Only two pupils are allowed to oc