258 Report of the "Regents of the University, 



Art. II. — Report of the Regents of the University, to the Legislu' 

 ture of the State of Mw York, Feb. 28, 1833. 



Through the kindness of the venerable chancellor of the Re- 

 gents, Simeon De Witt, Esq., we have again been favored with this 

 valuable annual document. 



The object of the Regents, the improvement and elevation of the 

 academies of the State, and the measures used to accomplish it, are 

 alike honorable to the legislature that provides the means, and to the 

 gentlemen who are charged with their application. 



The academies more particularly engage the attention of the board, 

 as any of them may receive an appropriation from the literary fund, on 

 complying with certain requisitions. They are required to make me- 

 teorological observations, and forward a copy annually to the chancel- 

 lor ; and each successive report has evinced the zeal of the instruc- 

 tors in foTwarding the views of the regents. The report of the last 

 year, is far in advance of any previous one, and presents a series of 

 meteorological observations and facts, which may be regarded as ele- 

 ments of future calculations. The academies furnish teachers to the 

 lesser or common schools, and also prepare the students of the col- 

 leges ; and the character of the academies has a direct and decisive 

 influence, not only upon each other, but upon all the schools and 

 seminaries of learning in the State. The adoption of the system of 

 registering scientific observations, by the literary institutions of every 

 State of the Union, and the annual publication of these reports, for 

 the information of men of science, and as an incentive to legislative 

 bodies, we hope may contribute to diffuse scientific intelligence, and 

 to promote both the physical and intellectual interests of our country. 

 Want of room prevents our giving extensive extracts from the last 

 annual report from New York, but we will endeavor to give a general 

 sketch. 



The returns from the university and the colleges of the State, re- 

 port 600 students ; of the medical schools, 379 ; — 65 academies, 

 which received ten thousand dollars of public money, reported 4856 

 students — showing an increase over the number in a previous report, 

 of 668. 



The regents have particularly recommended to the academies the 

 " preparation of teachers," as a subject of the first importance ; ac- 

 cordingly in several academies, there are lectures upon the principles 



