Court, for a year, and were required "to take into their care the matter of the College to be erected for the conversion of Infidels.". A Declaration of the state of the Colonie in Virginia, 6, 3, 36.

In the Great Charter of Liberties, as it was styled by the people, or Frame of Government, as it was designated by Penn, and which, as its preamble sets out, was "contrived, and composed to the great end of all government, viz. to support power in reverence with the people, and to secure the people from the abuse of power; that they may be free by their just obedience and the magistrates, honorable for their just administration, for liberty without obedience in confusion and obedience without liberty is slavery" it was provided that the Governor and Provincial council shall erect and order all public schools and reward the authors of useful sciences and laudable inventions in the said province."

At a council held at Philadelphia the 26th 10th month (December), 1683, and at which Penn was present, this power seems to have been for the first time exercised, and the following entry which portrays the simplicity of the times, and the solicitude of the government upon the subject, may be found not uninteresting.

"The Govr and Provincial Council, having taken into their Serious Consideration the great Necessity there is, of a Scool Master for the Instruction and Sober Education of Youth in the Towne of Philadelphia, Sent for Enock flower, an Inhabitant of the said Towne, who for twenty year past hath been excercised, in that care, and Imployment in England, to whom, having Communicated their Minds, he Embraced it upon these following Termes: to Learne to read English 4, s. by the Quarter, to Learne to read and write 6, s. by ye Quarter, to Learne to read, Write and Cast accot 8, s. by ye Quarter; for Boarding a Scholler, that is to say dyet, Washing, Lodging and Scooling, Tenn pounds for one whole year.". Colonial Records, I, p. 91.

In the following month it was proposed, in the council "That care be taken about the Learning and Instruction of Youth to Witt: a scool of Arts and Siences." This proposition does not appear to have been carried out but the suggestion is remarkable as presenting the earliest indication in the history of the Province, of an attempt to secure advantages upon a scale more extended, than those afforded by instruction in the simpler branches of education. The Friends Public School which was established in 1689, had its origin perhaps, in this expression of the opinion of the Council. This noted Institution, which to this day in Philadelphia, flourishes in full vigor, was incorporated in 1697, and its charter was confirmed by a fresh Patent from Penn in 1701 and by another in 1708, whereby the corporation was "For ever there after to consist of fifteen discreet and

religious persons, of the people called Quakers, by the name of the over seers of the Public School, founded in Philadelphia, at the request, cost, and charges, of the people called Quakers:" Its last charter, confirming all the preceeding and enlarging the powers of the corporation was conferred in 1711. The benefits were not restricted to the Society, and Robert Proud the Historian of the State, and who at a subsequent period was the head Master thus speaks of it: "This was the first Institution of the kind, in Pennsylvania, intended not only to facilitate the acquisition of the more generally used parts of learning, among all ranks, or degrees, of the people (the poorer sort being taught gratis, and the rich or more wealthy, still paying a proportion for their childrens' instruction) but also the better, and more extensively to promote a virtuous and learned education, than could be effected by any other manner, was the end of the design; which to the preamble in the said present charter, is thus expressed, viz:

"Whereas, the prosperity and welfare of any people depend in great measure, upon the good education of youth, and their early introduction in the principles of true religion and virture, and qualifying them to serve their country and themselves by breeding them in reading, writing, and learning of languages, and useful arts and sciences, suitable to their sex age and degree; which cannot be effected in any manner so well as by erecting public schools, for the purposes aforesaid," &c.

"For these laudable purposes, therefore, a number of the principal inhabitants of Philadelphia, being Quakers, in the Fifth month the year (1689), agreed with George Keith, who then resided at Freehold, now called Monmouth, in New Jersey, to undertake the charge. He accordingly removed to Philadelphia, and was the first master of that school; but continued only about one year".-Proud's History of Penn., I, 343.

Keith who afterwards became famous in the controversial history of the Province was succeeded by his usher Thomas Makin.

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Makin was afterward clerk of the assembly, but is better known as the author of a Latin poem Descriptio Pennsylvania, Anno, 1729." In the following lines he alludes to his connection with the grammar school.

"Hic in gymnasiis linguæ docentum et artes
Ingenuæ hic multis doctor et ipse fui.

Una schola hic alias etiam supereminet omnes,

Romano et Græco quæ docet ore loqui."

Which Proud renders,

"Here schools for learning, and for arts are seen,

In which to many I've a teacher been:

But one, in teaching, doth the rest excel,

To know and speak the Greek and Latin well."-Proud, ii, 370.

The provision on the subject of public schools incorporated in the first and the succeeding frames of government of the province again found a place in the constitution of 1776.

"A school or schools shall be established in each county, by the Legislature, for the convenient instruction of youth, with such salaries to the masters paid, by the Public, as may enable them to instruct youth at low prices: And all useful learning shall be duly encouraged and promoted in one or more universities." Sec. 44, ch. ii.

At the period of the adoption of this constitutional enactment but one college existed in the province.. The academy established in 1749 through the agency of a few public spirited individuals among whom was Dr. Franklin, was incorporated in 1753. In 1755 a college was grafted upon it, and in 1779 the property of the institutions was vested, by an act of assembly in trustees, and the "University of the State of Pennsylvania" was created. Academies now began to multiply and were incorporated, and to some extent endowed by the state. Dickinson and Franklin Colleges were incorporated.

In 1770 a new constitution was established in which was this direction. "Article vii, sect. i. The Legistature shall, as soon as conviently may be, provide by law, for the establishment of schools throughout the state, in such manner that the poor may be taught gratis.

“Sect. ii. The arts and sciences shall be promoted in one or more seminaries of learning."

This requirement of the constitution was disregarded for twelve years, when, on the first of March, 1802, an act of assembly was passed, by which the guardians and overseers of the poor in the city of Philadelphia, of the district of the Northern Liberties, and of every township and borough throughout the commonwealth, were directed to ascertain the names of all those children whose parents or guardians were judged to be unable to provide an education, and to subscribe at the usual rates, and send such children to any neighboring school. This act expired in 1805, but was in terms reenacted in 1809.

It was almost immediately from necessity, an unpopular statute, and although in some instances obeyed, it was in many abused.

In 1818 the city and county of Philadelphia was erected into the first school district; and the first general act which appears to have been of any benefit was passed in the same year. The foundation of our present system of common schools in Pennsylvauia was laid in 1824.

Eleven years afterwards (in 1835), the number of schools in Pennsylvania was 762; of teachers, 808; and the average number of scholars in

attendance was 32,544. By the report of the superintendent for the year ending first June, 1864, the number of schools had increased to 12,930; of teachers to 15,907; of scholars to 471,267; and the amount expended in the state, exclusive of Philadelphia, was over two millions of dollars.

The annual message of Mr. Alexander Henry, mayor of Philadelphia, to the councils, presented in April, 1865, states that the amount expended in that city during the year 1864, by the board of controllers was $875,889; and that the number of pupils, irrespective of 3,297, "whose admission was denied for want of accommodation," was 71,838, exceeding in the city alone, according to the best computation, by 22,000, the entire amount of taxables in the province one hundred years ago.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN NEW JERSEY.

We are indebted for the following interesting sketch of the origin of the system of public instruction in New Jersey to the valuable report of Mr. F. W. Record, state superintendent, made to the legislature of that state in the year 1863.

"There was a period in the history of our commonwealth when the governor, council and deputies in general assembly arrived, for the first time, at the conclusion that the cultivating of learning and good manners tends greatly to the good and benefit of mankind;' and, under the impression that it was a part of their business to do some little good and benefit' for mankind, they passed an act, entitled 'An act to establish Schoolmasters within this Province.' This was actually making a beginning, and a very good beginning too, and, perhaps, it was all that was necessary at the time; but no sooner had the work of establishing schoolmasters fairly commenced, than it was found necessary to do something more than make a mere beginning. It became apparent, within three years, that the cultivating of learning and good manners' was destined to be a flourishing business, and that the general assembly must do something more than 'establish Schoolmasters.' Accordingly, we now find them discussing the propriety of appointing men in the different townships to look after the schoolmasters, and to make good bargains with them, and to see that they moved their respective schools around from one locality to another, so that all the inhabitants of each and every township should have a fair chance at the cultivation of learning and good manners.' Thus from time to time, as circumstances required, other laws were passed, whose object was to extend the work, the beginning of which appeared so insignificant; and in the process of years, educational matters were reduced to something bearing a resemblance to system. Schools and schoolmasters became, in time, a necessity; and when, after the revolution, neighboring states

began to make provision for their permanent establishment and maintenance, a desire was also manifested here to do something in the same direction. Various projects for creating a fund for the support of schools were discussed, but nothing could be agreed upon that did not call for an onerous tax upon the people. In the year 1813 the state came into possession of forty thousand dollars, by the sale of certain bank stock which it was deemed undesirable for her to hold; and the friends of education, believing this to be a favorable opportunity, undertook to make this surplus in the treasury a nucleus for a permanent fund for the support of schools. Mr. James Parker, of Perth Amboy, still among the honored living, was unwearied in his efforts to secure the appropriation of this money for purposes of education. He introduced into the legislature a resolution to this effect; but the session being near its close, the subject was postponed, and, when brought up again during the following year, was once more put off in consequence of the demands of war. Faithful, however, to the cause which he had so nobly espoused, Mr. Parker, on his return to the assembly of 1816-17, again revived the subject, introducing the following resolution, which was adopted on the 1st of February, 1817.

“Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of creating a fund for the support of free schools in this state.'

"Placed, according to parliamentary usage, at the head of this committee, he acted with so much promptness that on the fifth of the same month a bill was reported, entitled 'An act to create a Fund for the Support of Free Schools,' which was passed by the assembly on the eleventh, and was introduced into and passed by the council on the twelfth. Thus the foundation of the school fund of New Jersey was laid."

From the report for the year 1864, of Mr. C. M. Harrison, the state superintendent of public schools, and the annual message, presented in January, 1865, by Governor Parker, it appears that the total amount expended in 1864 for school purposes was $637,079.82; that the number of school buildings was 1,452, of teachers 2,012, and of scholars 149,672.

Note 16, page 48.

The suggestion in the text is derived from Yarranton's England's Improvements, who, in referring to the success of the Dutch, mentions as one of its causes, first that "they have fitted themselves with a public register of all their lands and houses, whereby it is made ready money at all times, without the charge of law or the necessity of a lawyer." "Thirdly, By a Public Bank, the great sinews of trade, the credit thereof making paper go in trade equal with ready money, yea, better, in many parts of the