the means of education, while his rich neighbor's portion of the tax would have been sufficient to pay the tuition of his whole family for a common term, and his own portion would have been about five cents! Can men long continue so blinded?

2nd. After careful consideration, the Committee recommend the election of a school committee of three, instead of six, as at present, and that they be paid for their services.

It will be altogether more convenient for three to transact the business than a larger number; and, as the fallow ground is broken, instead of fifteen, they will not be obliged to meet more than five times during the

year.

3rd. The Committee recommend more attention to the organization of districts, the election of trustees, &c., and especially the immediate qualification of such officers-a duty sadly neglected during the past year, and causing a great amount of trouble.

4th. A strict regard to the letter of the law, with respect to the erection of school-houses. Many that were occupied of necessity the last year, ought never again to receive the approval of the Committee; and many of those recently erected and repaired, ought to be better ventilated, or shut up, if the fear to expend five dollars for such a purpose can cause them to be closed.

5th. The supply of every school-room with a thermometer, one or more blackboards, Mitchell's series of outline maps, a map of Rhode Island, globes, geological specimens, and other cheap apparatus for illustrating. A good heating apparatus, mats, brooms, &c. The locations ought also to be graded and made better, suitable out-buildings provided, &c. All of these above named, could be furnished by the payment of a very small tax, or by subscription.

6th. A more rigid examination of teachers, and a refusal to recognize the claims of such as are unwilling to add to their stores of information and ability to impart instruction, by attendance on Teachers' Institutes, &c. We are happy to say that the teachers employed during the past year have manifested a commendable zeal in this respect; and we sincerely hope that the great cause of education in Rhode Island may soon receive a new and lasting impulse by the establishment of that only means of making good instructors of our own citizens, a Normal School. For this, the friends of common school education ought to labor.

7th. That more attention be given to that useful study, (which has been almost entirely neglected in some of the schools,) Mental Arithmetic. Also, History of the United States, Geology, Physiology, Orthography, Etymology, Composition, Declamation, and Vocal Music.

8th. The establishment of district libraries, by subscription or otherwise an indispensable requisite to make wise men of our children, after they leave the school where the foundation is first laid. Also, the formation of debating-clubs, reading classes, &c. &c.

Some of the inhabitants of this town have enjoyed the pleasure and rare opportunity of attending a course of Lectures on Elocution, given by Mr. Russell, one of the most able and distinguished instructors in this science. Such advantages cannot be too highly appreciated.

All of these improvements are needed, and some of them indispensable to ultimate success. And, in conclusion, the Committee are ready to ask, if this town, now as prominent as any in the country portions of this State in its manifest improvement, shall retrograde in this, one of the greatest reforms of the age? Shall this shameful destiny be ours?

Parents! Children! Remember that "genius and knowledge are endowments greater than nobleness and riches; foolish heirs may the two latter darken and expend, but immortality attends the former, making a man a God!"

Yes, the intellectual powers with which God hath blessed us, and education, or that extensive knowledge which we may attain by perseverance, are the most exalted endowments of heaven-aspiring humanity.

Why, then, will you sacrifice your all for that which is not bread? Or

if the narrow-minded question of interest even is to be consulted, why pay your money for that which satisfieth not?

Why labor so hard, nay, why sometimes fight even to win for your descendants, honors, titles, and riches, when the attainment of useful knowledge is an object so much more worthy of our exalted being and future destiny?

The few, in ruling the many, have deprived them, among other inalienable rights, of the means of educating themselves, and never, beside this glorious common school system, has anything been devised to restore the rights of the oppressed, and place the children of the poor on an equality in any respect with the children of the rich.

Will the poorer classes improve the rising wave that will elevate them and their children to positions of influence in society, by the attainment of knowledge, which is power? Or, will they suffer themselves to be overwhelmed in still deeper subserviency and ignorance in the retiring waters? This question, with the poorer classes, in all respects, is the great problem of the age, on the solving of which their freedom or slavery depends!

Respectfully submitted, by order, and in behalf of the School Committee of the town of Coventry. CROMWELL WHIPPLE, SEC'Y.

REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR 1848.

The committee aforesaid beg leave respectfully to submit the following report. On the 14th day of June, A. D. 1847, the committee met and were qualified by taking the oath required by law, to enter upon the duties of their appointment and immediately organized by the appointment of S. Arnold, Chairman, and B. H. Horton, Secretary,

Their first business was to appoint a sub-committee for the examination of teachers. This trust was confided to Benjamin H. Horton, Esq. who during the year has examined eighteen teachers, who have received certificates of qualification.

The committee also proceeded at an early day to apportion the public money among the several school districts, they having all so far complied with the law the past year as to entitle them to their portion the present. Most of the districts in the town have got their school affairs so settled that their children are enjoying the full benefit of the public school system, and many of them have schools both summer and winter. But the committee are sorry to say that there are a few districts in which difficulties and oppositions exist which prevent them from deriving that benefit from the school system which in districts that are unitedly in favor of the system, is now enjoyed.

In one or two districts it has required some exertion by the committee to get schools started therein, yet the committee believe that they are now enabled to report with confidence that every district in the town has maintained a school the past year a sufficient time to entitle them to their portion of the public money the present, provided they have and do comply with the law in other respects.

In several districts the schools have fully maintained the high standing in which they were reported for the year ending June 7th, A. D. 1847, while some are believed to have retrograded. But we are disposed to make allowance for this for the reason that several of the teachers were young and new beginners, and lack more by way of experience than education. The committee believe that should the same encouragement continue to be held out by way of compensation to teachers that has been held out the two years last past, in a short time the town will be well supplied with good and competent school teachers, raised up within its own borders.

The committee not having fully received the returns from the several districts, are not prepared to make out a full statistical report, and will therefore state only such facts concerning the progress of school affairs in this town as have come to their knowledge.

And firstly they would say that since their last report, district No. 3, called the Hopkins district, have erected a new school-house, at an expense of $300, and that now they have a beautiful, pleasant and convenient school-house, in place of an old, dark and inconvenient house, which occupied its place at the date of our last report, and the committee are fully satisfied that they do not regret the expenditure. In district No. 12, called the Whitman district, they have also built a new house, which is just finished, and though the committee have not visited this house since its completion, yet they can say with confidence that they believe that it is what it should be, for those who had charge of the building were careful to consult the committee with regard to the proper manner of building school-houses, and were anxious to erect such an house as would be approved of by the committee. This house will cost the district $390, which is money well expended, and the committee are highly gratified to think that the scholars of that district will no more be crowded into a room not half large enough to accommodate them. In district No. 14, Washington village district, they are erecting a noble house for the accommodation of their school, which will cost when completed, the sum of $2000, (has cost already $2300.) This house is much needed by the district, their old house not being large enough to accommodate the school. The committee believe

that when this house is completed it will be an honor to the district, as well as to the town. In district No. 16, Coventry village, an appropriation of $1200 to build a school-house has been made, and a building committee has been appointed. In district No. 17, called Taft's district, an appropriation of $1000 has been made to build a school-house, and the house is now being built. These houses, when completed, will add new and additional honors to our town, and the committee fully believe that it must be highly gratifying to the citizens of this town to behold the great advancement that has been made in the cause of common school education.

But we now come to the dark side of the picture, and it is with regret that we have to report that in district No. 5, called the Quidneck district, the people seem to be decidedly opposed to the public school system, and have voted not to build any school-house, and as the old school-house in said district is such as cannot consistently be approved of, they are in dạnger of losing their portion of the public money. The rising generation will have to suffer the consequences. District No. 10, called the George Greene district, is without a school-house of any kind, and have been obliged to keep their schools in private houses, which is also a course that cannot be approved of, and they too are in danger of losing their portion of the public money. They have had several meetings in the district for the purpose of deciding upon building a school-house, and thus far have decided against it. There are many children in the district that need the advantages of a good school, and the friends of education must regret if they are deprived of them. We now come to district No. 18, called the Harrisville district; in this district there are two school-houses, both private property, and neither of them exactly suitable for keeping a school in, but as they are private property and probably suit those who own them, we think we have said full as much as we have a right to say about them, but we think these houses in their present condition cannot be approved of as suitable to keep school in, we think the district needs a new house, and as we cannot believe that the people in this district are opposed to the public school system, we trust they will soon move in this business.

The report of the committee made the 7th of June, 1847, was a very full report, embracing every particular connected with the public schools of this town, that presented itself to the minds of the committee, therefore it is considered unnecessary to go farther into detail at the present time.

The committee have to acknowledge that the schools of this town have not been visited the past year as thoroughly as they ought to have been visited. In the fore part of the year, the committee were obliged to spend much time to the neglect of their own business, in order to get the affairs of the districts so arranged that every district might have a school, and from the great amount of time required to perform the duties of the committee, the smallness of the compensation allowed, and the press of individual affairs, the committee have in some degree neglected a very important part of their duty. The committee do not hesitate to say that they fully believe that the visiting of the schools by the committee, or by some one appointed for that purpose, will be attended with good results, and they hope that some arrangement will be made whereby this duty will be faithfully performed.

And in conclusion they would respectfully recommend that for the present year a committee of three be appointed with this understanding, that one of said committee shall be secretary, examining committee, and appointed to visit the schools, with a compensation of $25 a year, for his services as secretary, and as a committee to visit the schools according to law, and fifty cents fees for each teacher by him examined, provided a certificate of qualification be given, to be paid by the teacher; that one of said committee shall act as chairman of said committee, with a compensation of $10 for his services, and that the other member of said committee shall receive for his services the sum of $5. This arrangement would secure a good examining committee,-the schools would be faithfully visited, and the expense would be but little more than the past year.

Respectfully submitted,

SAMUEL ARNOLD,
For the committee.

WARWICK.

REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE, FOR 1847.

To the freemen of the town of Warwick, in town meeting assembled, on the first Monday in June, 1847.

The school committee, in obedience to law, beg leave to submit the following annual report:

The labors of the committee the past year have been directed to carrying out the provisions of the new school law. Among their first acts, they ordered meetings to be holden in the several districts for the election of district officers, in all the districts excepting No. 11, (Potowonut,) meetings were holden and the districts duly organized.

They have also revised and defined anew, where the descriptions were not sufficiently explicit, the boundaries of the several districts, with the exception of No. 13, which is in the hands of a sub-committee.

The committee are much gratified in saying that the districts generally have manifested a decided inclination to carry into effect the new law in its spirit, and the consequence has been that a very perceptible and praiseworthy improvement in our schools has taken place.

Before the present law was passed, our school-houses were bad, and the public was destitute of a solitary house to accommodate its schools, depending entirely on individuals and associations for such buildings. During the year much has been done by the districts in furnishing them. selves with school-houses, and more is proposed to be done; and the committee trust, and are encouraged to believe, that it will be in the power of all the districts the next year, to have their schools taught in suitable houses.

Out of fifteen school districts, seven have already provided themselves with school-houses, four have houses provided for them by individuals, and two more have made arrangements to have houses built soon, while* two districts are unprovided for.

The whole number of scholars registered as having attended school is 1245, and the average attendance was 890. It would seem that the average attendance should have been greater out of so large a number of scholars. This evil may doubtless be very much ameliorated by particular attention to it by both parents and teachers.

The schools have been visited by the trustees and by the school committee to a commendable extent, and parents and others have manifested a lively interest in this way in the cause of education. The subject of visiting our schools is of an important character, and the committee would here urge it strongly upon all, and especially upon parents, to impose it on themselves as a duty to visit the district schools frequently. By such visits, both scholars and teachers will be delighted, and stimulated to renewed and persevering efforts; and social intercourse, and all the kindly relations of life, will be strengthened and will receive a salutary impulse. The moneys for the support of the schools this year were derived from the following sources, viz:

*Since this report was made, one of these districts has ordered a tax, and will furnish themselves with a house.