THE CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. The Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences was formed at New Haven, March 4, 1799, and in October following was incorporated. It was established for the purpose of encouraging literary and philosophical researches in general, and particularly for investigating the Natural History of Connecticut. In 1811, it published a statistical account of New Haven, contained in a pamphlet of eighty-four pages. In 1815 it published a pamphlet of forty pages, containing the history of several towns in Litchfield County. One octavo volume of Memoirs has been issued. The Academy has stated meetings, at which subjects are discussed, and dissertations read, some of which have appeared in the "American Journal of Science and Arts." President Dwight of Yale College was the first President, and remained in office until 1817, when Dr. Day was elected to the Presidency. He was annually re-elected until 1836, when Professor Benjamin Silliman was called to preside over its deliberations. - American Quarterly Register, 1842. There are twelve meetings annually, in the city of New Haven, namely, on the third Wednesday of each month. The general meeting for the election of officers is on the fourth Wednesday of October. Officers for 1857-58:- James D. Dana, President. Chester S. Lyman, VicePresident. Josiah W. Gibbs, Denison Olmsted, James D. Dana, William A. Norton, Eli W. Blake, Council. Leonard J. Sanford, Recording Secretary. William Hillhouse, Worthington Hooker, William A. Norton, Leonard J. Sanford, Corresponding Secretaries. Edward C. Herrick, Librarian and Treasurer. Josiah W. Gibbs, Eli W. Blake, James D. Dana, Committee of Publication. CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETY. (First chartered 1825. - Re-chartered 1839.) Officers for 1857-58 (chosen May 26, 1857):- Hon. Henry Barnard, LL.D., President. D. S. Boardman, Hon. Jared S. Peters, Thomas B. Butler, John McLelland, Gurdon Trumbull, Edward C. Herrick, Samuel H. Parsons, VicePresidents. James B. Hosmer, Treasurer. J. Hammond Trumbull, Corresponding Secretary. Charles Hosmer, Recording Secretary. Frederic B. Perkins, Li brarian. The library of this Society contains not far from ten thousand titles, including the library of its late librarian, Rev. Dr. Thomas Robbins, which is especially rich in theology and English history; and a valuable collection of books, pamphlets, and manuscripts, relating to Connecticut, New England, and American history. No catalogue has yet been made of this library, except one of a portion of its pamphlets, by Elon Gleason, Esq. One is now in preparation by the librarian; and, it is hoped, will be published during the spring of 1858. The work is done on cards, upon the plan of Professor Charles C. Jewett, of Boston. LITCHFIELD COUNTY HISTORICAL AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. Officers for 1857-58:- Seth P. Beers, Litchfield, President. George C. Woodruff, Litchfield; John Boyd, Winsted; Charles F. Sedgwick, Sharon; Charles B. Phelps, Woodbury; Abijah Catlin, Harwintown, Vice-Presidents. Payne Kenyon Kilbourne, Litchfield, Secretary. Charles Adams, Litchfield, Treasurer. Edwin B. Webster, Litchfield, Auditor. The annual meetings of this Society are held at Litchfield, on the fourth Tuesday of August. CONNECTICUT SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. (Located at Hartford.) Officers for 1857-58:- Rev. William W. Turner, President. Dr. John L. Comstock, Henry W. Terry, Dr. John S. Butler, Vice-Presidents. Dr. William R. Brownell, Corresponding Secretary. John C. Comstock, Recording Secretary. Dr. George B. Hawley, Treasurer. John C. Comstock, Librarian. Charles H. Olmsted, Dr. David Crary, John P. Brace, Rev. W. W. Turner, Dr. Clarence M. Brownell, Curators. STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION. President, T. W. T. Curtis, Hartford. Vice-Presidents, C. Goodwin Clark, New Haven; Augustus Morse, Hart ford; C. W. Todd, New Mliford; A. S. Wilson, Bridgeport; John G. Lewis, East Haddam; Amos Perry, New London; E. R. Keyes, Brooklyn; J. Turner, Rockville. Recording Secretary, E. F. Strong, Bridgeport. Corresponding Secretary, Charles Northend, New Britain. EDUCATIONAL JOURNALS. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS. By Professors Silliman and Dana. Published every alternate month, at New Haven, at five dollars per annum. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION is published quarterly, at three dollars per annum. Henry Barnard of Hartford is Editor, and F. C. Brownell of Hartford, publisher. THE CONNECTICUT COMMON SCHOOL JOURNAL, published under the direction of the State Association, is issued monthly, at one dollar per volume. Circulation upwards of twelve hundred. Charles Northend, New Britain, Editor. F. C. Brownell, Hartford, Publisher. 12* VII. NEW YORK. Capital, Albany. — Area, 46,000 square miles. Population, 1855, 3,470,059. A COMPLETE history of the Schools of New York, detailing the origin, progress, fluctuations, and changes in the Common School system, would fill a volume. The most that can be done in our pages is to give a glance at these successive developments, and recite briefly their present condition. At the first session of the Legislature, after the adoption of the Constitution, a distinct recognition of the duty of the State to provide the means of public instruction was made, and the Board of Regents was incorporated on the 1st of May, 1784. Two lots in each township were set apart for Gospel and School purposes, by an act of the Legislature, in 1789. Governor George Clinton, under whose administration the first measures were inaugurated, has, in his wise policy touching this subject, handed down a richer boon than the material prosperity which is the offspring of De Witt Clinton's far-seeing policy in his system of Canals. In 1795 an act was passed for the establishment of Common Schools, and setting apart fifty thousand dollars annually, for five years, for their support and encouragement. Provision was made for the election of School Commissioners in each town. In 1798, there were 1,352 schools, in which 59,660 children were taught. Subsequent acts made temporary provision for the support of public edu cation, until, in 1805, the foundation of the "School Fund" was laid. This fund has increased, by appropriations, investments, &c., till it now amounts to $2,491,916.14. Without following the system of instruction, in its changes and progress, we append a table showing the present value of the funds belonging to the State, and invested for the support of her Schools. The various systems of supervision, under Town Boards, County Superintendents, and Town Superintendents, are, perhaps, too well known to require comment. The entire system of education in New York may be classed under the following heads: -STATE NORMAL SCHOOL; PUBLIC SCHOOLS, under the general School law; UNION FREE SCHOOLS, under the act of 1853; PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CITIES AND VILLAGES, under special acts; INCORPORATED ACADEMIES, COLLEGES, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, and SEMINARIES. SCHOOL OFFICERS. SUPERINTENDent of PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. The Legislature of the State, at its annual session in 1854, separated the School Department from the Department of State, and established a distinct Bureau, called the "Department of Public Instruction." The Superintend |