The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-12-17

prosecution, and be imprisoned in the
county jail for the term Of six months
and each and every person who shall
pay or offer to pay to any such commits
sioner. any money or other valuable
thing in consideration of any appoint
ment as aforesaid, shall be liable to the
same penalty.
Approved, November II, 1856.
No. 4. Gan Act to establish Board of Ed
ucation
n is herc5y enacted. &c,
SEC |. The government shall an-
nually nominate aud by and with the
advice and consent Of the senate, shall
appoint board of education, consisting
of three persons, and the governor and
lieutenant governor of this state, shall
for the time being, be ex officio members
thereof
SEC 2 Said board shall hold an an
nual meeting in Montpelier, conmeuc
ing on Tuesday of the second week of
the session of the legislature, aud one
special meeting during the recess Of the
| legislature. and the time and place Of
holding snch special meeting shall be
designated by the governor.
SEC. 8 At their annual meeting
said board shall appoint q suitable and
competent person to be secretary Of said
board of education, whose duties shall
be first to keep record Of all the e.
fetal doings of said board ; second, to
exert himself constantly and faithfully
to premoie the highest interests Of edu-
cation in the state, by and with the ad
vice IF the board of education and to
this end he shall hold annually in con-
noction with tho academies and soniua-
ries of the state, at least one teachers
institute in each county in the state and
not more than two in any ono county,
and said institutes shall he holden at as
central point, in the several counties, as
is practicable, during the fall and spring
term of such schools. lie shall during
each year visit every part of the state,
deliver lectures upon subjects partain-
ing to the interest Of education, confer
with town superintondents, and visit
schools in connection with them, aud
furnish and distribute to them blank
forms for collecting statistics OF the va
rious schools in the state. lie shall
prepare and prcsant to tho board of ed
ucation. on the first day of their annual
session. a report Of his ofiicia doines
for the preceding year. and statement
Of the condition Of the common schools
of the state; Of tho expenditure OF the
school moneys therein. and such sngges'
tons for improving their organization
and modes of instruction, together with
such other information in regard to
systems of school instruction IN other
states and counties, as he shall deem
proper.
SEC. Town superintendent of
schools shall annually, on or before the
first day of September, make out and re-
turn to tho secretary of said board the
statistics of the schools 10 each district,
in thcr respective towns in accordance
with the forms prescribed by said sec
retary. agreeably to the third section OF
this act.
SEC. 5. Said board Of education
shall, from time to time, as they snail
Judge proper recommended to the leg
islature such alterations, rovlsious or
amendments of existing laws, relating to
common schools and scminaries of learn
ing as in their Judgment are demanded
in order to the perfecting Of a system OF
general education in the state, aud they
shall annually, when required by res
olution Of tho house of representatives,
so to de, make report Of their official
doincs, and o. the statc and condition
of the schools in the state, to the legis-
laturc.
SEC. 6 Said board may at any
time, fill vacancy in tho board or office
of secretary.
SIC. I, The secretary Of said board
is hereby authorized to employ the as
sistauce of trustees in academies AID
seminaries or assistance from other
sources, to give efficiency and interest to
the institutes which ne may hold, at an
expense to the state not exceeding thirty
dollars, in any one year to each county.
Src s. The compensation to she
members of said board, and thc secre-
tary thereof for their services shall be
MS follows To each member OF the
board for each days necessary atten'
dance on the meetings of the same the
sum of thrcc dollars. aud the same mi
lesge as is now provided by law for
members of the legislature; to the sec
retary the sum of thousand dollars per
year, and the expenses of procuring
blank forms, and postage all of which
allowances shall be paid by the trcasur-
er of the state, on certificate of the gos'
ernOr.
SDc Q. All that part of tho chapter
twenty Of the compiled statutes, which
provides for the appointment aud def.
nes the duties of state superintendent OF
common schools, and all other acts and
parts of acts inconsistent with the pro
visions Of this act, are hereby repealed.
SEC. TO- This act shall take effect
from and after It's passage, and the htst
annual meeting of said board shall be
held in Montpelier on due notice from
tho governor within thirty days after
this act is approved. aud said board
may in their discretion, dispense with
secretary aud neglect to appoint ono as
is provided 10 the third section OF this
act.