1826.) Letters: from. the United States of North. America. 383 
Epucation.(a work, of which I have had.oceasion. to \speak\already.)* 
Ht4s asreturn: or official report from the little state of Maine; .by,.whic 
it. appears) that «*there is annually raised. in the said state;;nearly,one 
dollar: ai, head, (4s. 6d.) for, every child, between four,and twenty-one 
years, and appropriated for the purposes of education,;”, that, ‘averaged 
upon these who usually attend school, it amounts to, one dollar and thirtys 
nine cents (6s. 3d.) a-year for each scholar... But, in addition to the 
public free-schools, there are twenty-one incorporated academies, (for 
males) in the same state, four of which have been endowed, in addition 
to: funds) derived from private sources, by the grant of a township. of 
land;and- seventeen by the grant of half a township ; six incorporated 
female academies, two, of which only are in operation, with half a.town- 
ship of land, each, and one respectable college: that there.are | but 
135,344 children between the ages of four and twenty-one ; ‘that. of this 
number 97,237.usually attend. school at the public charge; and that,the 
whole state is divided. into 2,419 school districts, under the control of 
inspectors, who are obliged to report on the discipline of thein several 
districts.” , 
.\ Mr. Ingersoll says, too, that, in the year 1823, “there were more than 
3,000 under graduates always matriculated at the various colleges and 
universities of the union authorized to grant academical degrees; not 
_ less than 1,200.at the medical schools, several hundred at, the theologi- 
eal-seminaties; and, at least 1,000 students at law ; that nearly all of these 
are under the tuition of professors, without sinecure support, depending 
Sor their livelihood on their capacity and success im the. science of imstruc- 
tion; that in, the, city of Philadelphia, without counting the private, or 
the charity schools, there are about, 5,000 pupils in the commomnwealth’s 
seminaries taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, at an expense to the 
public of little more than three dollars a-year (13s. 6d.) to each person.” 
They are establishing high schools (a sort of college) for girls, too, in 
several of the states (in New York, and at Boston with great success); 
agricultural, seminaries ; agricultural, mechanic, mercantile, and other 
libraries; for the exclusive use of particular trades and professions...“ It 
is no exaggeration to say (I quote from the Journal of Education, here) 
“ that every boy in Boston (the capital of New England), whatever may 
be the character and condition of his parents, may receive a thorough course 
of instruction, not only in the lower and more common branches of know= 
e, but also in classical literature and the sciences,—in the schools sup- 
ported at the public expense.” fa 
» When the candidates for the high, school for girls, at Boston offered 
themselves, for admission, it was found that there were 286, out of 
which number, after a, suitable inquiry, 135 were received, thirteen more 
than they intended to receive, This noble institution must succeed, and 
before long we shall see women educated here, in America, if we do 
| not see them so educated, any where else, for a worthy companionship 
_ and a proper equality with man. I do not mean to say that girls are to 
h e made boys of, by this or any other mode of education ; but I do mean 
to, say, that by this. mode they will be fitted for breeding | men, for 
pesocating with, and for, educating men ; fitted, in short, for all the 
/ leg t Ife to slqosq j Crk ag 
Falidqrurs f v [sy VISY & LA A : OLD We ihett al 4 
. og iy the agent forithis work, we perceive, and our friend is largely indebted - 
to it. —X. Y.Z. a y cot pete ras es 
J 1 910m 
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