The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-04-16

temberg, Hanover, Baden, Spain, France
Holland and Iroland2 Because tho
Legislature has never established such
schools by legal enactments. While 9th
er Legislatures make provision for an am.
pie supply Of well qualified teacher sours
leaves that important matter wholly to
fortuitous and unreliable contingencies,
Why have many of our schools such mis-
cradle teachers2 Because the government
has never taken effectual measures, to
give the schools better instructors. Why
have we not the same thorough instruc-
tiop Of schools, practiced in Europe and
America wherever popular education
fourishes? Because the Legislature has
never by the authority of law and of the
government, required such instruction
one of the most essential elements in
system Of popular educat tion. Why have
VIC no large school fund, Of 100000 or
more, to meet the present exigencies of
common school education,-a fund rem
dered secure and inCiolote by statute
provision, as in most of the other statesP
Because a dominant party, in politics,
which had the majority in the Legisla.
ture, catering to avarice, niggardliness,
and counting popular favor for party pur.
poses, some years since annibilated that
fund A fact which influences a citizen
Of CT. to say, "Such a Legislature de-
serves to have a mill stone hung about
its neck and to be cast into the depths
of the sea-" Why have We no state su-
pcrintendent, such as exists in about ev.
cry other state and territory in the Un-
ion, by constitutional provision, or by
the provision of special enactment, or
Board of Education, such as has existed
in Mass, with the Governor of the state
at its head, for about Is years, or a
Board of Commission for public educa-
tion, such as has existed in Ireland about
20 years; or Minister of Public In.
struction, an officer existing in almost
every state in Europo2 Because the
Legislature bas given US neither, ex-
cept from ls45 to 1852, when we had
state superintendent.
Why are the 5000 school districts of
the state furnished with no Libraries
School district libraries exist in great
numbers in Canada, Europe, and many
Of the United States; why has not Yer:
mont this essential auxiliary to the ac-
qnisiticn Of knowledgo2 The attempt
to create such a library was never made
by any Legislature Of Vermont, until
1854, and then the measure was rejected
Why have we not partakcn of the spirit
of Reformation, in the department of
Public Instruction. which has within the
last twenty FIVE years, taken possession Of
the civilized nations and states, through.
out the world, and enacted the laws need
cd here, as well as in other bodies poll.
tic2 The blame cleaves to the Lcgisla.
ture. They might have passed such
laws, if they had been inclined to do it,
at any session for more than 60 years,
and yet the Legislature has refused to
pass good thorough school laws, when
such laws have been presented for its
consideration-as may be asccrtained 6y
an examination of rejected bills in the
archires of the state.
Such is some of the evidence, that the
present low standard of our schools is
justly attributable to the neglect of du-
ty By the Legislature. OBSERVER.