There is need, then, not only of the continued existence of the best Academies of New England but of their great enlargement and improvement. They are needed to supply that lack of the best culture which the local schools of the rural sections of the country can never supply. They are needed as places of resort for training the best minds of both of the city and country under certain influences, which few purely local schools can have under the best of circumstances. They are needed to prepare for the colleges the best material to make good scholarship, much of which is found among the hill towns of New England, though they may be as rough as Mount Helicon, on whose slopes the muses did not deign the less to dwell, because they were wild and barren.

We need them that the proper work of all the local schools, both of the city and the country, may not be interfered with, in the vain attempt to make them answer for uses and purposes not belonging to their proper design, in educating the whole mass of the popular mind to the highest possible average of attainment at the public expense. The duty of sustaining the local schools, in all their grades, will be met by the American people, and the local schools will have attained their limit of perfection, not when they shall attempt to fit one out of a thousand boys as he ought to be to enter college, but to educate the nine hundred and ninety and nine, who can not and ought not to go to college, in the best possible manner, for not the learned professions but for the not less honorable callings which society demands shall be filled by well-educated and good citizens. It is perhaps enough that the State confine itself to this great work, the education of the people, by improving to their utmost capacity the local schools of every grade.

With respect to colleges and middle schools, it is perhaps all that we can expect, if we demand the kindly regard of the State and such scanty appropriations as can be afforded. For the history of the higher education of society shows that, in all ages of modern civilization at least, universities and classical schools have had to depend on the enlightened liberality of a few noble and generous benefactors. All the colleges and universities of England and the Continent, all the colleges of this country, the oldest and the youngest, all the important Academies and professional schools, are monuments of private liberality, supported chiefly by the endowments of those who, blessed by Providence with wealth, have left it as a legacy of perennial good for the successive generations of men, who, as they receive the benefit of their benefactions, revere and bless their memory with "perpetual benedictions."

MASSACHUSETTS POLICY OF INCORPORATED ACADEMIES.

Tax earliest schools in Massachusetts, technically known as Free, Grammar, or Town schools, imparted secondary as well as elementary instruction; but the needs of families not residing within towns on which such schools were made obligatory by law, led to the establishment of a class of institutions known as Academies, the public pety of which is set forth in the following document:At the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, held on the 25th day of January, 1797,

ORDERED. That the secretary be, and be hereby is, directed to cause the report of a encomittee of both houses on the subject of grants of land to sundry academies within this Commonwealth, to be printed with the resolves which shall pass the general court at the present session.

And best filmer ordered. That the grants of land specified in said report shall be made to the trustees of any association within the respective counties menin sald report, where there is no academy at present institute d who shall -applicants to the general court for that purpose: provided they probe that the sum required in said report is secured to the use of such and pred that the place contemplated for the situation of the approved of by the legislature.

1

Export on the subject of Academies at Large. Feb. 27, 1797.

The committee of both Houses, to whom was referred the subject of academies at large, and also sundry petitions for grants of potlle lan is to particnlar academies, having woedazy evesidered the subject on general principles, and likewise the several petitions referred to them, submit the following report:

On a general view of this subject, the committee are of opinion that the system hitherto parsund, of endowing academies with State lands oczo1 to be ccatinued but with several material alterations: first, that no academy, at least not already erected ought to be encouraged by govemment, unless it have a neighborhood to support it of at least thirty or firty thousand inhabitants, not accommodated in any manner by any other academie, by any college or subool answering the purpose of an academy; secondly, that every suit purtice of the Commonwelt as to be considered as equally entitled to grants of State lands to these intrusions in aid of private docatives; and thirdly, that no State lands ought to be granted to any academy, but in aid of permanent funds: secured by tows and bividum d'oors: and then-fire, previcios to ACT grant of State lads, endence oczis to be produced that such finds are legally secured, at least asegase to erect and repair the necessity DOULDAs, to support the corporation, to procure and preserve such apparatus and books as may be necessary, and to put a part of the salaries of the premencors

In attending toe particular cases, the committee find that freen academies have already be teerpented in this Cremewaith Far Derby School which serves all the general porposes of an academy, but that the academy at Marblehead pros. And the I VIL OLJ Wrve the purposes of a 1 wa scroci. committee are of rosen that the three enveges estacisted and endowed by the State and pride donor will serve many of the promosses of academies in their respective 2ssorbond, an that of four or fire wademies peme stal be allowed in those parts of the Commonwealth where they may be most victed, there will be one academy to every 25 000 inhabitanta lad penaliz tervbra, they must strugge at nang d fenities ant the wealth and proasta í me State shall be very asidering (nereased: for boner gefi fueres and academies may for any purioses jet ́t a TAMT Press to the cut body of the people w.. and must enneate their studies

where they can be nem teď se myported by their parenta

The committee d that of the ifteen academies arendy neergoria:d, seven

MASSACHUSETTS POLICY OF INCORPORATED ACADEMIES.

THE earliest schools in Massachusetts, technically known as Free, Grammar, or Town schools, imparted secondary as well as elementary instruction; but the needs of families not residing within towns on which such schools were made obligatory by law, led to the establishment of a class of institutions known as Academies, the public policy of which is set forth in the following document:At the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, held on the 25th day of January, 1797,

ORDERED, That the secretary be, and he hereby is, directed to cause the report of a committee of both houses on the subject of grants of land to sundry academies within this Commonwealth, to be printed with the resolves which shall pass the general court at the present session.

And be it further ordered, That the grants of land specified in said report shall be made to the trustees of any association within the respective counties mentioned in said report, where there is no academy at present instituted, who shall first me application to the general court for that purpose: provided, they produce evidence that the sum required in said report is secured to the use of such instit and provided, that the place contemplated for the situation of the academy approved of by the legislature.

Report on the subject of Academies at Large. Feb. 27, 1797.

The committee of both Houses, to whom was referred the subject of academies at large, and also sundry petitions for grants of public lands to particular academies, having accordingly considered the subject on general principles, and likewise the several petitions referred to them, submit the following report:

On a general view of this subject, the committee are of opinion that the system hitherto pursued, of endowing academies with State lands ought to be continued-but with several material alterations; first, that no academy, (at least not already erected,) ought to be encouraged by government, unless it have a neighborhood to support it of at least thirty or forty thousand inhabitants, not accommodated in any manner by any other academies, by any college or school answering the purpose of an academy; secondly, that every such portion of the Commonwealth ought to be considered as equally entitled to grants of State lands to these institutions, in aid of private donations; and thirdly, that no State lands ought to be granted to any academy, but in aid of permanent funds; secured by towns and individual donors: and therefore, previous to any such grant of State lands, evidence ought to be produced that such funds are legally secured, at least adequate to erect and repair the necessary buildings, to support the corporation, to procure and preserve such apparatus and books as may be necessary, and to pay a part of the salaries of the preceptors.

In attending to the particular cases, the committee find that fifteen academies have already been incorporated in this Commonwealth; also Derby School, which serves all the general purposes of an academy, but that the academy at Marblehead probably will only serve the purposes of a town school. And the committee are of opinion that the three colleges established and endowed by the State and private donors, will serve many of the purposes of academies in their respective neighborhood, so that if four or five academies more shall be allowed in those parts of the Commonwealth where they may be most wanted, there will be one academy to every 25,000 inhabitants, and probably, therefore, they must struggle with many difficulties until the wealth and population of the State shall be very considerably increased; for however useful colleges and academies may be for many purposes, yet it is very obvious that the great body of the people will and must educate their children in town district schools, where they can be boarded or supported by their parents.

The committee find that of the fifteen academies already incorporated, seven