] ■'. ... H 
 
 m 
 
 <r TIP*' ' i 
 
 SPEOAL RfePU5& fHIN . T) 
 
 ART***' 
 ON f 
 
 
 OF 
 
 JOSEPH HODGSON, 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 
 
 STATE OF ALABAMA, 
 
 XX> THE GOVERNOR, JANUARY, 1871- 
 
 MONTGOMERY, ALA. : 
 
 W. W. SCREWS, STATE Pfi'lNTEB. 
 
 1871. 
 
/ 
 
SPECIAL REPORT 
 
 GF 
 
 JOSEPH HODaSON, 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 
 
 OF TEE 
 
 STATE OF ALABAMA, 
 
 TO THE GOVEKNOR, JANUARY, 1871- 
 
 OF CC 
 
 
 i 
 
 MONTGOMERY, ALA. : 
 
 W. W. BCBEWS, STATE PEINTER. 
 
 1871. 
 
 - - 
 
 
 . ,. > » 3 • 
 
 ) ' > >' ' 
 

 
 
REPORT. 
 
 Department of Public Instruction, ( 
 January 28, 1871. \ 
 
 To His Excellency, 
 
 Robert B. Lindsay, 
 
 Governor of Alabama ': 
 
 Your Excellency has seen proper to address to the Su- 
 perintendent of Public Instruction the following communi- 
 cation ; 
 
 State of Alabama, Executive Department, ) 
 Montgomery, January 16, 1871. [ 
 Hon. Joseph Hodgson? Sup't of Public Instruction ; 
 
 Sir — Not finding in this office any report of the transac- 
 tions of your Department for the past year, I respectfully 
 ask you to furnish, at the earliest possible day, all neces- 
 sary and proper information in relation to the educational 
 interests of the State ; especially as to the success of the 
 system in the past, and its prospects in the future. 
 Yours, very respectfully, 
 
 EOB'T B. LINDSAY. 
 
 In obedience to your Excellency's wishes, the Superin- 
 tendent of Public Instruction would respectfully submit 
 the following 
 
 report : 
 
 Upon his entrance into office on the 22d day of Novem- 
 ber, 1870, he found the books and papers of the Depart- 
 ment of Education in great confusion. No system of book- 
 keeping appeared to have been observed by his immediato 
 
predecessors in office. It was with the greatest difficulty 
 that coirect information could be obtained as to the amounts 
 of money paid out to a county during a certain year ; and 
 no certain information could be obtained as to whether the 
 moneys paid out had been legitimately and properly ap- 
 plied. The only information that could be had froi^i the 
 records of the office, as to the operations of the Depart- 
 ment for the past two years, was derived from fugitive sheets 
 of paper, account books in which there were few balances, 
 and in which credits for large amounts were noted by pen- 
 cil marks which could be easily altered or obliterated, and 
 a journal or memorandum book which is not always verified 
 by the reports of the State Auditor. 
 
 Immediately upon the present Superintendent's acces- 
 sion to office, it became his constitutional duty to preside 
 over the Board of Education, which was then in session, 
 and which remained in session until December 15th. Du- 
 ring the entire session of the Board he was engaged assid- 
 uously in his duties as presiding officer, and in co-operating 
 with the committees of that body for reforms in the man- 
 agement of the system of public schools. It is with pleas- 
 ure that he bears testimony to the harmony which marked 
 the proceedings of the Board, and to their honest and la- 
 borious efforts for the improvement of a Department in 
 which the people feel so deep and universal an interest. 
 
 After the adjournment of the Board, it became the duty 
 of the Superintendent to revise and codify the school laws. 
 It was important that this work should be done at once, as 
 a new scholastic year was about to open, and in a few 
 weeks new machinery would be put in motion through a 
 popular election of Township Trustees and of a Board of 
 County Directors consisting of one County Superintendent 
 and two Directors, all of whom would need to be informed 
 as to the laws before they could enter upon their duties in- 
 telligently. 
 
 The difficulty of codifying the school laws was greater 
 than the Superintendent imagined when he entered upon 
 
the work. It became necessary to examine the whole leg- 
 islation of the Board of Education for the past two years, 
 much of it confused and inconsistent, and to embody it with 
 those provisions of the Revised Code which had not been 
 repealed by the Board. The whole mass of laws had, then, 
 to be classified, and arranged in appropriate chapters, and 
 in consecutive sections. .For the information of local offi- 
 cers, and for the convenience of this Department, an ap- 
 pendix was added to the Code, embracing forms for the 
 guidance of officers and teachers, and information as to 
 the mode of distributing the school fund, from what sour- 
 ces derived, and the amount due each county and township 
 from the sixteenth section fund. 
 
 The labor of transcribing and arranging the School Code 
 for publication devolved entirely on the State Superintend- 
 ent, and engrossed his attention during the vacation of the 
 General Assembly. 
 
 Your Excellency will perceive from this statement of 
 facts how unprepared is the Superintendent to offer for 
 your consideration the annual report for 1870, which it was 
 made the constitutional duty of his predecessor to prepare 
 and submit to the Governor at least five days before the 
 annual meeting of the General Assembly. He would there- 
 fore ask your indulgence, if the information now submitted 
 is not so explicit or correct as is demanded by the impor- 
 tance of a Department which receives and disburses so 
 great a proportion of the revenues of the State. 
 
 THE ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT. 
 
 According to the existing laws, the general elections for 
 certain State officers occur on the Tuesday after the 
 first Monday in November of one year, and for certain 
 other State officers on the same day of the succeeding 
 year. The General Assembly convenes on the third Mon- 
 day of November. Daring the short interval between the 
 election and the meeting of the Legislature, it becomes the 
 duty of the heads of departments to submit an annual re- 
 
{•> 
 
 port to the Governor. It happens this year, in the ease of 
 this department, and may happen every two years, that 
 the Superintendent is not re-elected to office, and that he 
 will no longer feel sufficient interest in the department to 
 prepare an elaborate report, after his successor shall have 
 been elected. It is submitted to your Excellency, whether 
 it would not be better to have the constitution so amended 
 as to require the annual report of this department to be 
 made to the Governor immediately after the close of the 
 fiscal year, with the month of September. Such a provision 
 would ensure a report from the officer who had supervised 
 the labor of the past year, and acquired the experience 
 that would give weight and consequence to his suggestions. 
 
 THE SCHOOL YEAR 1866 AND 1867. 
 
 Before the inauguration of the present constitution, the 
 law regulating the public schools provided that, by the 
 first of December of each year, the State Superintendent 
 must send to the county superintendents statements of the 
 amount per child which he would pay them at the end of 
 the scholastic year, (namely, on the first day of the follow- 
 ing December,) and also the amount due each township of 
 the county for the scholastic year then closed. The pres- 
 ent school system, which has gained an advantage in this 
 respect, by the hiatus of one year, resulting from recon- 
 struction of the State government, provides for a distribu- 
 tion at the beginning of the scholastic year, instead of at 
 its close, thereby facilitating the payment of teachers. In 
 this respect the present system has a great advantage over 
 the old system. 
 
 Upon the books of this department, under the old sys- 
 tem, the apportionment made on the 1st day of Decem- 
 ber, 1S66, covered the year beginning December 1, 1865, 
 and closing December 1, 1866. The apportionment made 
 December 1, 1867, covered the scholastic year December 1 
 1866, to December 1, 1867. 
 
The late Superintendent, in his last annual report (1869), 
 said : 
 
 " I would respectfully ask the attention of your Excel- 
 lency to the fact, that upon a careful examination of the 
 books in this office, upon taking possession of it, I found 
 that the previous government, under the administration of 
 Governor Patton, failed to pay the public school money 
 apportioned for the school year 1866, to quite a number of 
 counties of this State. It also failed to pay the public 
 school money apportioned for the school year of 1867, to 
 a much larger number of counties. Some of the County 
 Superintendents received the public school moneys thus 
 apportioned for the years 1866 and 1867, either in part or 
 in whole, as our books show ; but others received none 
 whatever, notwithstanding public schools were taught. 
 There seems to be no satisfactory reason to be had from 
 any source, explaining why it was that some of the coun- 
 ties received their apportionment of these public school 
 funds, while others did not obtain any portion thereof." 
 
 The superintendent thereupon made the following state- 
 ment : 
 
8 
 
 STATEMENT OF SCHOOL FUNDS DUE THE SEVERAL COUNTIES AS TEH APPORTION- 
 MENT FOR 186(5 AND 1867. 
 
 Counties. 
 
 Apportion- 
 ment of I860. 
 
 Barbour. . 
 
 Blount 
 
 Calhoun. . . 
 Chambers. 
 Cherokee. . 
 Choctaw. . , 
 
 Coffee 
 
 Clarke 
 
 Conecuh. . 
 Covington 
 Dale 
 
 Dallas 
 
 DeKalb 
 
 Fayette 
 
 Franklin 
 
 Greene , 
 
 Henry 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Jefferson 
 
 Lowndes .... 
 
 Macon 
 
 Madison. . . . 
 Marengo. . . . 
 
 Marshall 
 
 Mobile 
 
 Monroe 
 
 Montgomery. 
 
 Perry 
 
 Pickens 
 
 Randolph.. . . 
 
 Russell. 
 
 Shelby 
 
 St. Clair.... 
 
 Sumter 
 
 Tallapoosa... 
 Tuskaloosa.. 
 
 Walker 
 
 Washington. 
 
 Wilcox 
 
 Baine 
 
 Clav 
 
 Colbert 
 
 Hale 
 
 Lee . 
 
 Total 
 
 Due for 1866. 
 
 Amount 
 Drawn. 
 
 8,646 48 
 
 5,601 23 
 4,724 00 
 4,983 45 
 
 3,507 05 
 
 6,3% 19 
 
 11,577 67 
 
 522 75 
 
 2,940 00 
 "2J588 '74 
 
 5,297 15 
 
 Apporiion- 
 m'ntof 1867. 
 
 6,640 
 
 4,877 
 
 13,791 
 
 3,435 45 
 2,520 83 
 4,500 00 
 
 4,254 00 
 
 1,560 18 
 
 $74,990 19 
 23,365 10 
 
 $51,625 0! 
 
 $23,365 10 
 Duefori867 
 
 7,212 
 4,354 
 4,198 
 4,306 
 5,810 
 3,384 
 3,912 
 3,473 
 3,482 
 2,170 
 6,250 
 6,912 
 3,116 
 3,165 
 3,418 
 3,788 
 5,001 
 7,549 
 5,073 
 4,060 
 3,773 
 8,697 
 
 82 
 20 
 61 
 
 57 
 40 
 07 
 on 
 08 
 17 
 00 
 80 
 07 
 80 
 62 
 ■Hi 
 7-1 
 55 
 56 
 60 
 41 
 
 91 
 
 53 
 
 Amount 
 Drawn. 
 
 3,679 41 
 1,721 57 
 
 2,700 00 
 
 2,250 80 
 
 2,211 95 
 
 673 68 
 
 1,100 00 
 
 1,419 88 
 327 91 
 
 6,697 53 
 
 4,477 80 
 
 13,538 00 
 
 3,085 86 
 
 9,506 0. 
 
 6,479 35 
 
 6,7ij5 04 
 
 4,852 80 
 
 4,617 51 
 
 5,128 56 
 
 3,366 00 
 
 8,346 
 6,305 
 3,596 
 50-* 
 3,902 
 3,262 
 3,790 
 3,039 
 3,360 
 5,653 
 
 $205,662 90 
 48,611 61 
 
 $157,054 39 
 
 5,000 00 
 1,500 00 
 9,393 57 
 
 198 37 
 
 320 00 
 
 1,555 33 
 
 3,305 24 
 338 07 
 
 1,000 00 
 2,368 00 
 1,050 30 
 
 $48,611 61 
 
 Amount apportioned for 1866. 
 Amount drawn 
 
 Balance due . 
 
 Amount apportioned for 1867. 
 Amount drawn 
 
 $418,849 07 
 362,223 60 
 
 .$ 51,625 09 
 
 .1290,250 12 
 . 133,195 83 
 
 Balance due $157,054 29 
 
9 
 
 The General Assembly, in February, 1869, passed an act 
 appropriating the sum of 208,679 38-100 dollars to cover 
 the several amounts due and unpaid to those counties 
 whose school moneys had been used by Gov. Patton to 
 meet other pressing debts of the State. 
 
 This sum of 208,679 38-100 dollars so appropriated 
 was apportioned among the counties by the late superin- 
 tendent, according to the amounts certified to be due to 
 the respective counties in the above statement. 
 
 In what manner this money has been disbursed by the 
 County Superintendents the present State Superintendent 
 is not fully informed, as but few final settlements have yet 
 been made with this department by the several County Su- 
 perintendents who received the special appropriations for 
 1866, 1867, and 1868. 
 
 It will be observed that the act making the appropria- 
 tion fixes a proviso to it, a proviso which is doubtful, because 
 the fund was justly due to those teachers alone who were 
 employed under the then existing school laws. The pro- 
 viso reads thus : " That the provisions of the foregoing 
 act shall be so construed as to include all teachers who 
 have taught a free public school and have claims against 
 the State, without distinction on account of race or color." 
 
 The purpose of this proviso must be transparent. There 
 were no colored teachers of State schools before July, 
 1868, and no colored pupils, except such as were recog- 
 nized by the military commander between January and 
 July, 1S68 ; yet, as will presently be seen, an opportunity 
 has been given for the misappropriation of this entire fund. 
 
 THE SCHOLASTIC YEAK 1868. 
 
 The House of Representatives, on the 14th day of De- 
 cember, last, adopted and transmitted to this department 
 the following resolution : 
 
 Be it resolved by the House, That the Superintendent of 
 Public Instruction be and he is hereby required to trans- 
 mit to this body, the amount of claims on tile in his office, 
 of teachers who taught schools in the year 1868, up to the 
 15th July, and which remain unpaid, and to state what 
 
10 
 
 percentage has been paid on such claims by his predeces- 
 sor. Also, to state the amount of the school fund for the 
 year 18G8, and to indicate what proportion of such amount 
 should equitably have been applied to the payment of the 
 claims originating during the part of the year 18G8 ante- 
 rior to the 16th of July, and such other information as is 
 in his possession relative to the subject. 
 
 The operations of this department were interrupted in 
 December, 1867, by the impending political revolution in 
 the State government. In January following, the Con- 
 gress of the United States took possession of the State, 
 under the reconstruction acts, and decreed for us a consti- 
 tution, which went into operation with a new State govern- 
 ment, in July following. The next school year was made 
 by the Board of Education, under the new constitution, to 
 begin October I, 1868. 
 
 Had the old State government remained in existence, 
 the interest of the trust funds due December 1, 1868, and 
 the various appropriations certified by the Auditor at that 
 date to be due to this department, would have' been paid 
 out to cover the operations of the past year. But, fortu- 
 nately for the public schools, the interregnum from Decem- 
 ber i, 1867, to October 1, 1868, resulted in the schools 
 catching up with the fund. On December 1, 1868, the 
 Auditor certified was due to this department the sum of 
 $524,621 68. This amount, instead of being apportioned 
 to cover the back year, was apportioned to the counties 
 for the year beginning October 1, 1868. Hence, it result- 
 ed that, as the school fund due December 1, 1867, was paid 
 out to cover the year closing on that day, and the school 
 fund due December 1, 1868, was apportioned to cover the 
 year beginning October 1, 1868, there was no fund to meet 
 the claims arising from December 1, 1857, to October 1, 
 1868. 
 
 It is well for this department, and for the interest here- 
 after of the teachers of public schools, that this interreg- 
 num occurred, and that the fund can be apportioned at the 
 opening of the scholastic year hereafter, rather than at 
 
11 
 
 the close. In the one case, teachers will know what to 
 expect. In the other, they were compelled to wait for their 
 money until the close of the year, and be subjected to fre- 
 quent disappointments. 
 
 If the informality by which this state of things has oc- 
 curred demands legislative action, it is to be hoped that the 
 present order of distribution may not be disturbed. 
 
 At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the 
 claims of teachers which arose between December 1, 1867, 
 and October 1, 1868, are a just debt of the State. The 
 General Assembly saw proper in October, 1868, to pass an 
 act (explained by an act of February, 1870,) appropriating 
 to the claims of teachers arising between Dec. 1, 1867, and 
 June 30, 1868, the sum of $15,411 46, which it was doubt- 
 less believed, at the time the bill was introduced, would 
 cover all just and legal claims embraced within that period. 
 
 It is not known to the present Superintendent upon what 
 was predicated this sum of $15,4L1 46. Nor is it known 
 what claims, or to what amount, are held against the De- 
 partment by teachers legally employed during the year 
 1868, either before or after July 15, 1868. Nor is it known 
 what per centage has been paid upon any claims held by 
 teachers for that year. The Superintendent can only say, 
 that under his predecessor the above-mentioned sum of 
 $45,41 1 46 was distributed to the several County Superin- 
 tendents without reference to the amount of unpaid claims 
 held in any given county, but in proportion to an enumera- 
 tion of white and colored children made in 1869. It is 
 with reluctance that he has been driven to the conclu- 
 sion that the acquisition and distribution of this sum of 
 $45,111 46, and the larger sum appropriated for the years 
 1866 and 1867, is the result of a deliberate scheme to di- 
 vert the public school fund of the years 1866, 1867, and 
 1868, from their legitimate use, and for the benefit of pri- 
 vate schools which were established and conducted for pri- 
 vate gain or for the promotion of political and sectarian 
 
12 
 
 ends. This conclusion is reached from an examination of 
 the following facts. 
 
 Among the first acts passed by tho Board of Education 
 at their first session, a few days after the inauguration of 
 the present constitution, was the following : 
 
 "An Act to provide for tho payment of outstanding claims 
 for the maintenance of schools. 
 
 " Be it enacted by the Board of Education of the State of 
 Alabama, That any moneys now in the hands of any offi- 
 cer, State or county, or municipal, raised by taxation or 
 otherwise for the support of schools, prior to July 1st, 1868, 
 shall be used for the payment of any unsettled claims for 
 services rendered prior to the 2oth day of July, 1868, 
 by any association, society or teacher, for the maintenance 
 of shools without regard to race or condition, upon the 
 warrant of the county superintendent, accompanied with 
 his certificate that the same are correct and justly clue. 
 
 "Approved August 11, 1868." 
 
 It is not possible that before the inauguration of the 
 present constitution there were any colored public schools, 
 or colored public school teachers, the colored people not 
 being embraced in the school system. The intent of this 
 act was evidently to give a color of authority to the newly 
 appointed County Superintendents for the disbursement of 
 public moneys to private schools of a certain character. 
 Under cover of this act large sums of money which had 
 been turned over by Township Trustees to the new County 
 Superintendents, as also the several appropriations referred 
 to, were squandered upon teachers of private schools who 
 were in nowise connected with the public school system, 
 and who had already received pay from their patrons for 
 their services. The Couuty Superintendent of Montgom- 
 ery county, who has lately been removed from office, paid 
 himself the sum of $ 1,692 60 for teaching a private col- 
 ored school, and his account was allowed by the State Su- 
 perintendent. The State Superintendent, in conjunction 
 with the County Superintendent of Mobile county, who has 
 
13 
 
 also been removed, paid to a colored institute, which was 
 supported and controlled by a missionary society, and whose 
 teachers had already been paid by that society, the sum of 
 $5,327 at one time, and $5,425 at another time. 
 
 It was the practice of the late State Superintendent to 
 allow such claims under color of the act above cited, and 
 when the sum of $45,411 46 was definitely appropriated 
 by the General Assembly to be "applied to the payment of 
 teachers who rendered service in the public schools of the 
 State" for what is known as the schclastic year 1868, he 
 apportioned it among the counties upon the basis of the 
 enumeration of white and colored children made in 1869, 
 and without any reference to the amount or locality of le- 
 gal claims held by teachers who " rendered service in the 
 public schools of the State." The following table exhibits 
 the apportionment of this special fund, as made by the 
 Superintendent in 1869, the several amounts which have 
 been paid out to the counties, and the amount of vouchers 
 returned to this office by the County Superintendents: 
 
14 
 
 ement of the Appropriation for 1S*>8, its Apportionment among the 
 < mties, date of payment to the County Superintendent*, and amount ac- 
 counted for by vouchers. 
 
 Counties. 
 
 2S 
 z 
 
 a 
 
 — 
 
 Autauga .... 
 Baker 
 
 Baldwin 
 
 Barbour 
 
 Bibb 
 
 Blount 
 
 Bullock 
 
 Butler 
 
 Calhoun 
 
 Chambers.. . 
 Cherokee. ... 
 Choctaw. . . . 
 
 Clarke 
 
 Clay 
 
 Cleburne.. . . 
 
 Coffee 
 
 Conecuh.. . . 
 
 Coosa 
 
 Covington... 
 Crenshaw . . . 
 
 Dale 
 
 Dallas 
 
 DeKalb 
 
 Elmore 
 
 Escambia. . . 
 
 Etowah 
 
 Fayette 
 
 Franklin 
 
 Geneva 
 
 Greene 
 
 Hale 
 
 Henry 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Jefferson.. . . 
 Lauderdale . 
 Lawrence. . . 
 
 Lee 
 
 Limestone. . 
 Lowndes 
 
 Macon 
 
 Madison . . . 
 Marengo... . 
 
 Marion 
 
 Marshall 
 
 Mobile 
 
 Monroe 
 
 Montgomery 
 
 $4,361 
 
 3,011 
 2,269 
 
 ■ 
 3,231 
 L193 
 8,954 
 5,761 
 5, 1 53| 
 5,945! 
 5.196 
 4.-34'.) 
 ■ 2.612 
 3.91b 
 3,448 
 3,049 
 3,190 
 5,41 
 
 5. 658 
 6,007 
 
 10.963 
 2,736 
 5.227 
 1,461 
 3,437 
 3,164 
 7,691 
 1,090 
 5,233 
 4,327 
 5.919 
 7,635 
 5,490 
 5,981 
 5,817 
 7,27i. 
 4,668 
 8,464 
 5,885 
 9,935 
 8,188 
 3,077 
 4,392 
 
 18,877 
 3,498 
 
 14,06c 
 
 ~l 
 
 i — 
 
 — - 
 
 - — 
 p 
 
 y. ~ 
 
 •§ 4 
 
 '- .". i 5 
 376 
 283 
 
 1.247 
 403 
 624 
 
 1,119 
 720 
 644 
 743 
 649 
 
 326 
 489 
 431 
 381 
 398 
 677 
 •2-4 
 707 
 750 
 
 1,370 
 342 
 653 
 182 
 429 
 395 
 961 
 136 
 634 
 540 
 739 
 951 
 686 
 747 
 727 
 90S 
 583 
 
 1,058 
 
 1.241 
 
 1,061 
 
 -• 
 
 549 
 2,331) 
 
 4: 57 
 1,758 
 
 12 
 37 
 
 - 
 
 01 
 
 -: 
 
 •_- 
 
 6-2 
 
 1: 
 
 12 
 
 54 
 
 62 
 
 51 
 
 7" 
 
 fii 
 
 12 
 
 75 
 
 12 
 
 12 
 
 25 
 
 June 16, 1-7". 
 Oct 26, 187 
 May 19. 1870. 
 
 " 21. 1870. 
 
 " in. 1870. 
 Nov. 1, 1ST '. 
 May 20, 1870. 
 ■June 28, 1870. 
 May 19, 1870. 
 
 " 10, 1870. 
 
 " 20, 1870. 
 
 May 16, 187 
 Inly 19, 1870. 
 June 9. 1870. 
 " 2, 1870. 
 " 1. 1870. 
 May 23, 1870. 
 June 24. 1870. 
 9,187 
 37 May 13, 187 
 
 0- 
 
 37 
 
 62 
 
 62 
 
 50 
 
 37 
 
 ■J." 
 
 12 
 
 -' 
 
 12 
 
 37 
 
 25 
 
 62 
 
 1- 
 
 75 
 
 51 
 
 : 
 
 62 
 
 -: 
 
 oo 
 
 62 
 01 
 62 
 25 
 
 Dec. 13, 1870. 
 May 14. 1-7"'. 
 18, 1370. 
 
 Oct. 24, 1870. 
 
 June 29, 1870. 
 
 June 11, 1870. 
 
 Jan. 21, 1870. 
 
 June 14, 1870. 
 
 " 6,1870. 
 Aug. 5, 1-70. 
 May 23, 1-7". 
 2, 1-7". 
 June 1. 1870. 
 Aug. 6, 1870. 
 Sep. 10, 1870. 
 May 13. 1870. 
 
 " 25, 1-7(1. 
 
 " 21, 1-7". 
 July 13, 187 
 Sep. 19, 1870. 
 
 > 
 _ a 
 - -. 
 ■-- z 
 
 c 1 
 
 376 16 
 
 497 34 
 
 624 12 
 
 362 25 
 720 25 
 
 654 74 
 
 301 65 
 
 •2;- "- 
 
 180 00 
 
 540 87 
 '954*37 
 
 624 80 
 460 "22 
 
 295 87 
 
15 
 
 statement of the appkopriations FOE 1868, &c — continued. 
 
 Counties. 
 
 p 
 Q 
 
 H 
 
 a 
 
 ►a B 
 2. ° 
 s° S 
 ST B 
 
 Pj p 
 
 d 
 o 
 
 V! a) 
 
 o 
 
 a p 
 f s 
 
 «< o 
 
 1 1 
 
 71 O 
 
 Morgan . 
 
 Perry 
 
 Pickens 
 
 Pike 
 
 Randolph. . . 
 
 Russell 
 
 Sanford 
 
 Shelby 
 
 St. Clair.... 
 
 Sumter 
 
 Talladega. . . 
 Tallapoosa. . 
 Tuskaloosa.. 
 
 Walker 
 
 Washington. 
 
 Wilcox 
 
 Winston 
 
 4,295 
 9,230 
 
 7,092 
 6,881 
 4,878 
 7,084 
 4,686 
 4,528 
 3,722 
 5,878 
 6,147 
 8,224 
 7,569 
 3,570 
 1,163 
 8,540 
 1,727 
 
 Total. 
 
 358,180 
 
 536 
 1,153 
 
 886 
 860 
 609 
 885 
 585 
 566 
 4fi5 
 734 
 768 
 
 1,028 
 946 
 446 
 145 
 
 1,067 
 215 
 
 87 
 75 
 50 
 12 
 
 75 
 50 
 7.-, 
 on 
 25 
 75 
 37 
 00 
 12 
 25 
 37 
 50 
 .-7 
 
 Aug. 16, 1870. 
 June 16, 1870. 
 Nov. 4, 1870. 
 May 23, 1870. 
 Aug. 9, 1870. 
 June 24, 1870. 
 4i 9, 1870. 
 Oct. 5, 1870. 
 
 $44,772 50 
 
 Dec. 14, 1870. 
 June 8, 1870. 
 " 29, 1870. 
 Aug. 22, 1870. 
 
 266 25 
 
 403 75 
 
 1,028 00 
 
 480 30 
 
 May 24, 1870. 
 Nov. 1, 1870. 
 
 Total amount appropriated by General Assembly. 
 " apportioned to counties 
 
 $9,019 02 
 
 $45,411 46 
 44,772 50 
 
 Appropriation not apportioned 
 
 Amount of claims paid by County Superintendents. 
 
 $638 96 
 $9,019 62 
 
 This is all the information in the possession of this De- 
 partment relative to the application made of the fund 
 voted for the relief of public school teachers, who ren- 
 dered services from December, 1867, to July, 1868. 
 
 The present Superintendent has called upon the County 
 Superintendents to report the disbursements of this fund 
 and to forward their vouchers ; but, thus far, very few have 
 reported ; and those who have found no claimants for the 
 money in their hands, propose to retain charge of it and 
 disburse it for unpaid claims of the years 1869 and 1870, 
 under a law enacted for that purpose at the late session of 
 the Board of Education. It is probable that the great bulk 
 of that fund has not been and will not be applied to the 
 
16 
 
 object for which the general assembly appropriated it. 
 Such is one of the evil results of having two legislatures 
 over this department. The disbursing legislature runs 
 counter to the spirit of the appropriating legislature, and 
 the State Superintendent remains powerless to provide a 
 remedy for transparent abuses. 
 
 THE SCHOLASTIC YEAE, 1869. 
 
 The scholastic year, 1869, opened October 1st, 1868, and 
 closed September 30th, 1869. For this year the State 
 auditor certified as due this department the sum of 
 $524,621 68, derived from the following sources, viz : 
 Appropriation, as per act approved October 
 
 10, 1868 * $200,000 00 
 
 Annual interest on $1,710,157 45, at 8 per cent. 
 
 (16th section) 136,812 59 
 
 Annual interest on $97,091 45, at 8 per cent. 
 
 (valueless 16th section) 7,767 30 
 
 Annual interest on $669,086 80, at 8 per cent. 
 
 surplus revenue , 53,526 94 
 
 Amount received from retail licenses 26,514 85 
 
 Appropriation as per section 957, Revised 
 
 Code 100,000 00 
 
 Total . $524,621 68 
 
 This sum, after setting aside $12,000 for normal schools, 
 was apportioned among the counties upon the basis of the 
 enumeration of children, as follows : 
 
17 
 
 Counties. 
 
 Autauga .... 
 
 Baker 
 
 Baldwin 
 
 Barbour. ..•. 
 
 Kibb 
 
 Blount , 
 
 Bullock 
 
 Butler 
 
 Calhoun 
 
 Chambers . . . 
 
 Cherokee , 
 
 Choctaw 
 
 Clarke 
 
 Clay 
 
 Cleburne 
 
 Coffee 
 
 Conecuh 
 
 Coosa 
 
 Covington. . . 
 Crenshaw . . . 
 
 Dale 
 
 Dallas 
 
 DeKalb 
 
 Elmore 
 
 Escambia 
 
 Etowah 
 
 Fayette 
 
 Franklin 
 
 Geneva 
 
 Greene 
 
 Hale 
 
 Henry 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Jefferson . . . 
 Lauderdale.. . 
 Lawrence .... 
 
 Lee 
 
 Limestone. . . 
 
 Lowndes 
 
 Macon 
 
 Madison 
 
 Marengo. . . . 
 
 Marion 
 
 Marshall 
 
 Mobile 
 
 Monroe 
 
 Montgomery. 
 
 Morgan 
 
 Perry 
 
 Pickens 
 
 Pike 
 
 Kandolph. .. . 
 
 Russell 
 
 Sanford 
 
 Shelby 
 
 St. Clair 
 
 Sumter 
 
 Talladega 
 
 Tuskaloosa... 
 Tallapoosa . . . 
 
 Walker 
 
 Washington. . 
 
 Wileox 
 
 Winston 
 
 2 
 
 Amount of 
 apportion- 
 ment. 
 
 4,361 
 3,011 
 2,269 
 9,976 
 3,281 
 4,193 
 
 $ 6.333 70 
 4,699 90 
 3,754 96 
 13,169 92 
 4,577 20 
 5,426 60 
 
 8,954 
 5,765 
 
 11,714 32 
 7,480 50 
 
 5,153 
 5,945 
 
 6,945 97 
 7,734 00 
 
 5,196 
 
 6,835 20 
 
 4,549 
 
 6,438 63 
 
 2,612 
 
 4,634 97 
 
 3,918 
 
 5,301 60 
 
 3,448 
 
 4,737 00 
 
 3,049 
 
 4,308 80 
 
 3,19n 
 
 4,605 60 
 
 5,417 
 
 7,500 40 
 
 2,273 
 
 3,171 56 
 
 5,658 
 
 7,522 93 
 
 6,007 
 
 7,883 40 
 
 10,963 
 
 W.^S 47 
 
 2,736 
 
 3,614 98 
 
 5,227 
 
 7,578 80 
 
 1,461 
 
 2,361 89 
 
 3,437 
 
 4,724 40 
 
 3,164 
 
 4,324 02 
 
 7,691 
 
 10.687 99 
 
 1,090 
 
 1,737 17 
 
 5,233 
 
 9,168 84 
 
 4,327 
 
 6,429 49 
 
 5,913 
 
 7,768 07 
 
 7,635 
 
 10,459 89 
 
 5,490 
 
 7,088 00 
 
 5,981 
 
 7,877 20 
 
 5,817 
 
 9,171 71 
 
 7,270 
 
 9,524 00 
 
 4,668 
 
 7,822 95 
 
 8,468 
 
 11,339 24 
 
 5,885 
 
 8,444 56 
 
 9,935 
 
 15,036 77 
 
 8,488 
 
 13,489 06 
 
 3,077 
 
 4.192 40 
 
 4,393 
 
 5.880 40 
 
 18,877 
 
 24,652 40 
 
 3,498 
 
 5,580 30 
 
 14,068 
 
 19,396 86 
 
 4,295 
 
 5,996 40 
 
 9,230 
 
 13,046 13 
 
 7,092 
 
 10,637 37 
 
 6,881 
 
 9,259 20 
 
 4,878 
 
 6,453 60 
 
 7,084 
 
 10,166 59 
 
 4,686 
 
 6,023 20 
 
 4,528 
 
 6,233 60 
 
 3,722 
 
 5,066 40 
 
 5,878 
 
 12,409 17 
 
 6,147 
 
 8,575 24 
 
 8,224 
 
 10,468 80 
 
 7,569 
 
 K',312 17 
 
 3,570 
 
 4,684 00 
 
 1,163 
 
 1,895 60 
 
 8,540 
 
 11,947 27 
 
 1,727 
 
 2,622 40 
 
18 
 
 The pay of local officers, chargeable upon the County 
 School Fund, was 
 
 For County Superintendents $52,624 00 
 
 For Clerks of Boards of Trustees 22,549 92 
 
 Total $75,173 92 
 
 It appears that there were taught 
 
 Public schools in 1869, (estimated) 3,225 
 
 Children attending public schools, (estimated) 160,000 
 
 A tabular statement showing the number of schools 
 taught in each county in the State during the scholastic 
 year, the number of teachers employed, and the salaries 
 paid them, may be found in a special report made from 
 this Department to the House of Representatives, and 
 bearing date February 10, 1870, to which I would call your 
 Excellency's attention. 
 
 The following exhibit shows the names of County Su- 
 perintendents, their salaries, and the amounts paid them 
 for the scholastic year 1869. 
 
19 
 
 Q 
 
 CO 
 
 CO 
 
 H 
 
 H 
 
 !zS 
 
 O 
 
 B 
 B 
 
 t 
 
 c 
 
 V 
 CD 
 
 B 
 rt- 
 CD 
 
 B 
 
 P-. 
 
 CD 
 
 C-. CD 
 P "* 
 H K" 
 Vj B_ 
 
 • CD 
 
 : p 
 : & 
 
 : b 
 
 r$ 
 CO 
 rt- 
 CD 
 CD 
 °« 
 CO 
 
 EL 
 <-> 
 
 o 
 
 e-t- 
 & 
 
 P 
 
 B. 
 
 Oi 
 >S 
 
 P 
 
 a 
 
 p 
 o 
 
 CO 
 
 o 
 B* 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 ¥— * 
 
 CO 
 
 ; 
 
 <n- 
 
 
 vj 
 
 
 Autauga 
 
 J. H. Booth 
 
 $1,000 00 
 
 $174 00 
 
 $6,333 00 
 
 48 
 
 
 
 800 00 
 1,000 00 
 
 244 00 
 249 00 
 
 4,793 50 
 3,706 16 
 
 36 
 
 Baldwin 
 
 Dr. S. Moore 
 
 14 
 
 Barbour 
 
 B. B. Fields 
 
 700 00 
 
 599 47 
 
 10,699 36 
 
 bl 
 
 Bibb 
 
 R. R. McPherson. 
 
 700 00 
 
 195 00 
 
 4,577 20 
 
 44 
 
 
 1. W. White 
 
 395 00 
 
 378 70 
 
 5,419 53 
 
 51 
 
 Bullock 
 
 0. J. Cunningham 
 
 900 00 
 
 280 00 
 
 10,295 75 
 
 50 
 
 Butler 
 
 Wm . Sea well 
 
 562 50 
 
 259 70 
 
 7,145 90 
 
 60 
 
 
 J. B. Williams 
 
 600 00 
 600 00 
 
 249 50 
 
 485 50 
 
 6,910 22 
 
 7,285 88 
 
 62 
 
 Chambers .... 
 
 B. L. Dyer 
 
 50 
 
 
 L. J Sanford 
 
 600 00 
 
 308 00 
 
 6,617 61 
 
 68 
 
 Choctaw 
 
 W. J. Gilmore 
 
 800*00 
 
 347 65 
 
 6,428 63 
 
 61 
 
 
 W. W. Wilson 
 
 800 00 
 
 172 00 
 
 5,351 58 
 
 23 
 
 Clay 
 
 A. A. West 
 
 600 00 
 
 352 00 
 
 5,240 69 
 
 37 
 
 Cleburne 
 
 J. M. Wiggins 
 
 600 00 
 
 283 00 
 
 4,735 70 
 
 37 
 
 Coffee 
 
 M. Miller 
 
 650 0i 
 
 251 00 
 
 4,308 78 
 
 37 
 
 
 Wm. P. Miller.. . 
 
 600 00 
 
 183 00 
 
 4,605 60 
 
 48 
 
 Coosa 
 
 J. W. McLendon. . 
 
 1,000 00 
 
 531 50 
 
 7,194 90 
 
 49 
 
 Covington . . . 
 
 J. McLoughlin 
 
 437 50 
 
 48 00 
 
 2,981 55 
 
 35 
 
 Crenshaw 
 
 J. H. Howard 
 
 733 33 
 
 433 00 
 
 7,522 93 
 
 32 
 
 Dale 
 
 G. M. T. Gibson.. 
 Jos. H. Sears 
 
 675 00 
 2,000 00 
 
 816 60 
 905 58 
 
 7,883 40 
 16,775 98 
 
 48 
 
 
 88 
 
 DeKalb 
 
 T. B. Collins 
 
 300 00 
 
 114 00 
 
 2,387 94 
 
 34 
 
 Elmore 
 
 J. A. McCutchen.. 
 
 600 00 
 
 522 50 
 
 7,578 80 
 
 64 
 
 Escambia 
 
 A. G. Martin 
 
 600 00 
 
 134 75 
 
 2,342 65 
 
 16 
 
 
 J.J. Brasher..... 
 
 600 00 
 500 00 
 
 224 00 
 222 00 
 
 4,724 40 
 3,982 24 
 
 44 
 
 
 J Middleton 
 
 50 
 
 Franklin 
 
 Dr. F. Anderson.. 
 
 1,400 00 
 
 454 00 
 
 10,687 99 
 
 73 
 
 Geneva 
 
 Dr. E. R.Porter... 
 
 421 87 
 
 1J4 00 
 
 1,940 22 
 
 19 
 
 Greene 
 
 A. A. Smith 
 
 1,500 00 
 500 00 
 600 00 
 
 156 00 
 335 00 
 322 01 
 
 7,987 66 
 6,033 89 
 7,009 15 
 
 40 
 
 Hale 
 
 M. H. Yerby 
 
 Geo. P. Kincey. . . 
 
 40 
 
 Henry 
 
 60 
 
 
 Jesse W. Isbeil. . . 
 
 800 00 
 
 839 83 
 
 10,444 00 
 
 53 
 
 
 
 500 00 
 
 394 40 
 
 7,126 34 
 
 58 
 
 Lauderdale . . . 
 
 Wm. R. Chisholm. 
 
 700 0( 
 
 498 0( 
 
 7,776 00 
 
 50 
 
 
 Jno. H. Preston... 
 
 900 00 
 
 603 66 
 
 9,205 21 
 
 66 
 
 Lee 
 
 J. E. Summerford. 
 J. B. Lentz 
 
 800 00 
 540 0( 
 
 384 01 
 511 1( 
 
 9,465 11 
 7,850 04 
 
 52 
 
 Limestone . . . 
 
 42 
 
 Lowndes 
 
 G. W. Neeley 
 
 1,500 0(1 
 
 388 50 
 
 11,746 2C 
 
 59 
 
 Macon 
 
 J. S. Caldwell 
 
 1,000 OC 
 
 342 00 
 
 8,lb2 86 
 
 43 
 
 Madison 
 
 A. W. McCullough 
 
 1,500 01 
 
 498 0C 
 
 14,630 09 
 
 88 
 
 Marengo 
 
 Geo. E. Pegram . . . 
 
 1,500 01 
 
 164 0C 
 
 12,063 77 59 
 
 
 T. B. Nesmith.... 
 
 500 01 
 
 269 0C 
 
 4,192 4C 
 
 52 
 
 Marshall 
 
 F. M. Proctor 
 
 610 0C 
 
 370 0C 
 
 6,078 5C 
 
 43 
 
 Mobile 
 
 Geo. L. Putnam. . . 
 
 2,000 0C 
 
 455 54 
 
 24.652 4C 
 
 40 
 
 Monroe 
 
 Dr. J. W. Cotter. . 
 
 622 5C 
 
 262 U 
 
 I 5,580 3( 
 
 ) 48 
 
 Montgomery . . 
 
 Wm. M. Loftin... 
 
 2,000 0C 
 
 1 363 01 
 
 19,3b8 3f 
 
 ) 85 
 
 Morgan 
 
 C.C. Nesmith 
 
 600 0C 
 
 395 Vc 
 
 6,141 3J 
 
 l 72 
 
 Perry 
 
 C. C. Crowe 
 
 J, 125 0( 
 
 1 375 0( 
 
 1 13,044 4c 
 
 5 62 
 
20 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 P 
 P 
 
 Pickens 
 
 Pike 
 
 Randolph .. 
 
 Russell 
 
 Sanford 
 
 Shelby 
 
 St. Clair.... 
 
 Sumter 
 
 Talladega. .. 
 Tallapoosa.. 
 Tuscaloosa . 
 
 Walker 
 
 Washington 
 
 Wilcox 
 
 Winston 
 
 CO 
 P 
 
 CD 
 
 cd 
 
 P 
 Pi 
 cd 
 P 
 
 E. F. Bonchelle. . 
 L. G. McLendon. 
 
 C. 0. Enloe 
 
 T. T. Edmunds.. 
 
 G. C. Bums 
 
 J. W. Jones 
 
 Win. P. Lovett... 
 
 R. Bradshaw 
 
 J. G. Cbaudron. . 
 J. H. Lowrey 
 H. S. Whitfield... 
 
 J.L Gilder 
 
 T. J. King 
 
 C. C. Colton 
 
 W. H. Shipman. . 
 
 CO 
 
 H 
 
 00 y£ 
 
 t— » CD 
 
 a 
 
 05 
 
 p= ►-* 
 
 
 
 <n 
 
 • CD 
 
 CD 
 
 • P 
 
 IS 
 
 . Pi 
 CD 
 
 S» 
 
 . P 
 
 N 
 
 . c+- 
 
 <<j 
 
 03 
 
 
 1,000 00 
 
 462 00 
 
 1,(1(10 00 
 
 587 00 
 
 600 00 
 
 367 00 
 
 920 00 
 
 244 00 
 
 400 00 
 
 358 00 
 
 800 00 
 
 286 00 
 
 600 00 
 
 228 00 
 
 1,500 00 
 
 397 (id 
 
 1,000 00 
 
 255 00 
 
 600 00 
 
 404 00 
 
 800 00 
 
 362 00 
 
 400 00 
 
 222 00 
 
 500 00 
 
 76 00 
 
 1,270 00 
 
 447 50 
 
 550 00 
 
 426 80 
 
 o 
 
 9 
 
 9 
 
 A 
 P 
 
 10,633 
 9,063 
 6,542 
 
 8,595 
 6,023 
 6,192 
 5,004 
 
 11,171 
 8,575 
 
 10,451 
 
 10,312 
 4,670 
 1,972 
 
 11,545 
 2,622 
 
 61 
 
 ■H 
 
 (17 
 
 81 
 
 20 
 
 40 
 
 95 
 
 57 
 
 24 
 
 20 
 
 17 
 
 21 
 
 33 
 
 •J 7 
 
 40 
 
 5z{ 
 o 
 
 oo 
 a 
 P" 
 O 
 o 
 
 54 
 69 
 48 
 40 
 39 
 62 
 37 
 51 
 68 
 63 
 93 
 42 
 12 
 70 
 29 
 
 The sum of $12,000 was apportioned for the Normal 
 Classes. There are reported of these, three at Huntsville, 
 one at Portersville, two at Talladega, one at Montgomery, 
 one at Evergreen, and one at Mobile — making in all nine 
 classes with an aggregate of three hundred male and fe- 
 male pupils, who were under contract with the State to 
 teach for two years in the free public schools after having 
 obtained from the teacher of the class a certificate of com- 
 petency to teach. It is not known by the Superintendent 
 what progress had been made by these pupils, what inter- 
 est they exhibited in learning, what assurance the Depart- 
 ment had as to their capacity, intellectually and morally, 
 or whether any of them were prepared during the year 
 1869, or the year 1870, to assume the duties of teacher, or 
 whether any of them actually entered upon such duties. 
 The subsequent abandonment of the schools, it is fair to 
 presume, has resulted in a loss to this Department of 
 $12,000 for the year 1869 and $2-j,000 for the year 1870. 
 
 It was an unwise policy to have established such a num- 
 ber of Normal Schools at the outset. The State of New 
 
21 
 
 York for a quarter of a century had but four Normal 
 Schools, and last year had but six. 
 
 THE SCHOLASTIC YEAR 1870. 
 
 The scholastic year 1870 opened on the 1st day of Jan- 
 uary, 1870, and closed the 3 1st day of December, 1870, by 
 act of the Board of Education approved September Gth, 
 1869. It appears that there was an interregnum between 
 the close of the former scholastic year on September 30th, 
 1869, and the beginning of the new year, January 1, 1870, 
 but this interregnum did not interfere with the continuance 
 of the schools, nor with the regular apportionment of the 
 school funds, the Auditor having certified on the first day 
 of December as usual the amount due the public schools 
 for the current year, and an act of the Board having pro- 
 vided that the schools might be opened earlier than the 1st 
 of January, 1870, and be credited upon the school fund 
 of 1870. 
 
 The amount certified by the Auditor as due this Depart- 
 ment on December 1st, 1869, and appropriated by the 
 State Superintendent for the scholastic year 1870, is as 
 follows : 
 Annual interest on $1,710,347 70, sixteenth 
 
 section fund $136,921 74 
 
 Annual interest on $97,091 21, valueless six- 
 teenth section fund 7,767 30 
 
 Annual interest on $669,086 80, surplus reve- 
 nue 53,526 94 
 
 One-fifth annual aggregate revenue 137,^90 20 
 
 Section 957, Eevised Code 100,000 00 
 
 Special tax, act December, 1869 60,903 00 
 
 Alabama Mutual Aid Association 4,000 00 
 
 Total $500,409 18 
 
 On the 23d of February, 1870, the Auditor certified to 
 this Department that " under the provisions of an act ap- 
 proved December 29, 1868, the net proceeds of lands sold in 
 
22 
 
 Nebraska, amounting to $18,432, have this day been certified 
 and paid into the treasury to the credit of the following 
 townships in Alabama :" 
 Township 5, range 2 east $3,924 
 
 5, " 3 " 1,170 
 
 6, " 1 " 3,204 
 
 6, " 2 " 4,896 
 
 6, " 3 " 5,238 
 
 Total $18,432 
 
 This fund did not become available, however, during the 
 scholastic year 1870. It will be seen that interest is calcu- 
 lated upon it at the opening of the next scholastic year. 
 
 The $500,409 18 certified as due December 1, 18o9, was 
 apportioned as follows : 
 
 Number of children 387,057 
 
 White 229,139 
 
 Colored 157,918 
 
 Appropriation among counties $464,496 68 
 
 Classification of appropriation — 
 
 For white fund 269,569 24 
 
 For colored fund 191,927 44 
 
 County appropriations $464,496 68 
 
 For city of Selma 1,696 25 
 
 For normal schools 25,000 00 
 
 Balance unappropriated 9,216 25 
 
 $500,409 18 
 
 These figures are taken from the apportionment sheets 
 certified to the Auditor from this Department. The dupli- 
 cate sheets retained in this Department, which are the only 
 record of the matter to be found, have been tampered with 
 and do not correspond with the statement made to the 
 Auditor. Hence, it is with the greatest difficulty that the 
 present Superintendent can certify that a county is entitled 
 to any certain amount for the year 1870, or that any certain 
 sum has actually been paid to the townships. Indeed, such 
 
23 
 
 is the condition of the records for the years 1869 and 1870 
 that the Superintendent would ask the General Assembly 
 to appoint a committee to examine into the affairs of the 
 Department of Education and to make such recommenda- 
 tions as they may think best for its interests. 
 
 A supplemental report will be made hereafter, exhibit- 
 ing the operations of the public schools in each county for 
 the scholastic year 1870, as certified to by the County Su- 
 perintendents for their several counties. From the recapit- 
 ulation of the reports from County Superintendents thus 
 far received, appear the following results : 
 
 Number of counties 65 
 
 Largest number of free schools taught during 
 the year — 
 
 White 1,«S55 
 
 Colored 490 
 
 Total 1,845 
 
 Amount of school fund apportioned for coun- 
 ties $461,496 08 
 
 Amount drawn by Superintendents to January 
 
 20, 1871 364,670 81 
 
 Due counties January 20, 1871 $99,825 27 
 
 There seems to be no reason why such a large sum of 
 money should remain undrawn at so late a day as three 
 weeks after the close of the school year when teachers have 
 been clamorous for their pay for months. The only expla- 
 nation that can be assigned for such neglect is that num- 
 bers of incompetent men were appointed as County Super- 
 intendents in 1868, and that they have been either ignorant, 
 dilatory, or unmindful of their plain duties. 
 
 THE SCHOOL YEAR 1871. 
 
 The Board of Education at its late session wisely changed 
 the school year so as to make it correspond with the fiscal 
 year — to open October 1 and close September 30. But as 
 
24 
 
 the last scholastic year closed December 31, 1870, the 
 present year will cover only nine months, and extend from 
 January 1, 1871, to October 1, 1871. The next year will 
 begin October 1, 1871, and close September 30, 1872, and 
 hereafter the scholastic and fiscal years 'will agree. By 
 this arrangement the books of the Auditing and of the 
 Education Departments can be more easily compared and 
 all errors or irregularities instantly detected and remedied 
 Reports can, also, be made more conveniently from this 
 Department, and the operations of an entire year may be 
 laid before the General Assembly when it convenes in No- 
 vember. 
 
 Although by the change in the scholastic year the school 
 fund for the current year loses two months' interest on the 
 the trust funds, it appears that the amount certified by the 
 Auditor as due this Department to the 1st day of October 
 1870, is as follows : 
 
 Ten months' interest on $1,729,032 74, sixteenth 
 
 section fund $115,268 85 
 
 Ten months' interest on $97,091 21, valueless 
 
 sixteenth section fund 6,472 75 
 
 Ten months' interest on $669,086 80, surplus 
 
 revenue fund 44,605 78 
 
 One-fifth annual aggregate revenue 232,462 25 
 
 Poll tax 82,579 66 
 
 From section 957, Revised Code 100,000 00 
 
 ITnapportioned balance from last year 9,216 25 
 
 Total $590,605 54 
 
 From this statement it will be seen that the school fund 
 has swelled from $500,409 18 in January, 1870, to 
 $590,605 54 in January, 1871, an increase of $90,196 36. 
 This increase is due to the increasedrevenue of the State and 
 the better collection of the poll tax. Next year, if the rate 
 of taxation is not decreased, and a better plan is adopted 
 for collection of the poll tax, we may expect to see the 
 school fund reach $700,000. 
 
25 
 
 The fund for 1871, after deducting estimated expenses for 
 County Superintendents, Boards of Directors and the 
 clerkship allowed this office by the Board of Education 
 will give the sum of $1 33 1 per child, the number of chil- 
 dren reported being about 396,000. 
 
 Kate per child for 1869 $1 20 
 
 1870 1 15 
 
 1871 1 33£ 
 
 A statement of the apportionment for 1871 is now being 
 made out and in a few days will be sent to each County 
 Superintendent. After the election for school officers in 
 March the statement will again be sent to County Superin- 
 tendents, and, also, to the Township Trustees, so that each 
 township may be certain to know how much money to ex- 
 pect and may not employ more teachers or for a longer 
 time than it can pay. 
 
 SUCCESS OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE PAST. 
 
 Your Excellency desires the Superintendent to state 
 what information he has as to the success of the public 
 school system of Alabama in the past and its prospects in 
 the future. The pressing duties which are devolved upon 
 him at the outset of his administration, and the propriety 
 of submitting this report for the consideration of the Gene- 
 ral Assembly at the earliest moment, prevent his entering 
 upon a full criticism of our school system, or a disquisition 
 upon the necessities of public instruction. 
 
 Our public school system had barely time to gain the 
 good will of the people and begin to reap the fruits hoped 
 for by its founders, among whom your Excellency was con- 
 spicuous, before the outbreak of the war impeded and 
 thwarted its operations. You can gain a just idea, however, 
 of the success which was attending public instruction in 
 Alabama down to 1861 from reference to the final reports 
 of those accomplished gentlemen and noble heroes, (peace 
 to the memory of the one, and additional honors to the 
 
26 
 
 brow of the other,) General Wm. F. Perky and Captain 
 Gabriel B. Duval. 
 
 Although the sixteenth section fund had been paid regu- 
 larly to Township Trustees for a number of years before, it 
 may be said that the public school system of Alabama was 
 first established by an act of the General Assembly of Feb- 
 ruary 15, 1854. For the year 1855 the apportionment of 
 the school fund was as follows : 
 
 Principal. Interest. 
 
 Sixteenth section fund on de- 
 posit in the State treasury 
 
 on the 1st December, 1854. $1,244,793 36 $74,687 60 
 Valuelesss sixteenth section 
 
 fund 97,091 21 7,767 SO 
 
 United States deposit fund. . 669,086 80 53,526 94 
 
 Direct appropriation 100,000 00 
 
 Special taxes 1,300 00 
 
 Escheated property 233 55 
 
 $237,515 39 
 Less amount appropriated as contingent fund 
 
 of this Department 5,000 00 
 
 $232,515 39 
 
 The number of children enumerated for that year was 
 145,518. 
 
 The report of operations for that year is quite imperfect. 
 It was the beginning of a system, and the new county offi- 
 cers were not yet familiar with their duties. 
 
 For the year 1856 we find the school fund increased as 
 follows : 
 
 Interest on sixteenth section fund $90,023 49 
 
 " valueless fund.... 7,767 30 
 
 " on surplus revenue 53,526 94 
 
 Income from retail licenses ... 16,372 68 
 
 Appropriation from treasury 100,000 00 
 
 Total $267,690 41 
 
27 
 
 The number of children enumerated for that year was 
 171,073. 
 
 The whole number of public schools taught during the 
 year (excluding those of Mobile county, which had a sepa- 
 rate system of its own, and those of Lawrence, from which 
 no report was received,) was 2,260. The number of pupils 
 registered was 89,013. The average length of time during 
 which the schools were taught was a small fraction over six 
 months. 
 
 There were embraced in the reports 197 private schools, 
 having 3,774 pupils ; 74 academies, with 3,955 pupils ; 20 
 colleges, with 1,690 students. A majority of the institutions 
 returned under the last head were unendowed female semi- 
 naries. • 
 
 If to the aggregate number of pupils in the public schools 
 as stated above, 89,013, be added those of Mobile county as 
 shown by the abstract of the Superintendent's report to the 
 Board of School Commissioners, 1,847, and the number at- 
 tending private schools, academies and colleges, 9,419, 
 there results a total (exclusive of the private schools of 
 Mobile county and all the schools of Lawrence) of 100,279. 
 
 These figures show an increase over any former year of 
 37,501 — equal to more than one-half the votes ever polled 
 in any election held to that date in the State. If a mode- 
 rate allowance be made for the numbers in the two counties 
 excluded, it appears that one to every four and one-third 
 of the total white population, as shown by the State census 
 of 1855, attended school during the year 1856. This was a 
 larger ratio than is exhibited by the school statistics of 
 twenty-five out of the then thirty-one States of the Union. 
 In 1857, three years after the inauguration of our com- 
 mon school system, we find that Alabama stands proudly 
 among her sister States of the Union. The following table 
 is taken from Appletons' Cyclopedia (Vol. V., title, Common 
 Schools) : 
 
28 
 
 State. 
 
 Alabama 
 
 Connecticut . . . 
 
 Virginia 
 
 Georgia 
 
 Mississippi .... 
 
 Maryland 
 
 New Hampshire 
 
 Vermont 
 
 Iowa 
 
 Louisiana 
 
 California 
 
 Massachusetts . 
 
 New York 
 
 Pennsjdvania . . 
 Indiana 
 
 o 
 
 ^3 
 
 s-i 
 
 00 H 5 
 
 ft ft - 
 
 C 
 
 «- o 
 
 pp^ 
 
 P 
 
 r-f- 
 
 o 
 
 P 
 
 B ft 
 
 Eta 
 
 B O 
 U5 
 
 of an 
 t exp 
 ools . . 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 CO i-u 
 
 • 2 s 
 
 
 
 B* ft 
 
 
 
 
 2 f 
 2-SL 
 
 • 00 
 
 ft 
 
 
 
 • 2 
 
 : o 513 
 
 
 • 00 
 
 • -i i' 
 
 i 841,704 
 
 89,160 
 
 $490,690 
 
 j A negroes. 
 
 
 
 370,792 
 
 71,269 
 
 322,253 
 
 1,4-21,661 
 
 41,608 
 
 156,000 
 
 935,000 
 
 77,015 
 
 
 606,526 
 
 18,746 
 
 36,000 
 
 583,034 
 
 33,111 
 
 
 317,976 
 
 85,245 
 
 263,625 
 
 314,120 
 
 90,110 
 
 265,623 
 
 509,414 
 
 79,679 
 
 198, 143 
 
 567,774 
 
 36,000 
 
 200,000 
 
 507,067 
 
 9,717 
 
 156,712 
 
 1,133,123 
 
 203,031 
 
 1,418,364 
 
 3,470,459 
 
 832,735 
 
 3,275,217 
 
 2,311,786 
 
 593,837 
 
 1,609,818 
 
 988,416 
 
 195,976 
 
 732,934 
 
 From this table it appears that in 1857 our State, in 
 proportion to her white tax-paying and school attending 
 population, was far ahead of nearly all the Southern States 
 and most of the New England States ; was the superior, in 
 the schoolroom, of even the boasted and the boasting Mas- 
 sachusetts ; and was almost the peer of New York and 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 During that year the public school moneys distributed 
 among the townships of the State paid 57 per cent, of the 
 entire tuition in the public schools, — the total expenditures 
 as estimated by the Trustees being $474,370 52. 
 
 This, it must be remembered, was but the third year of 
 the public school experiment. 
 
 For the year 1857 we find the following results : 
 
 School fund increased to $281,874 41 
 
 Number of enumerated children 178,0^5. 
 
 Estimating the school statistics of delinquent counties at 
 the same as they were reported in 1856, there appears an 
 
29 
 
 increase in 1857, over 1856, of 175 public schools, 6,008 
 pupils registered, and 4,974 average daily attendance. 
 
 The most encouraging indication which a comparison 'of 
 the returns for the two years affords, is the remarkable in- 
 crease of the amount paid teachers. In 1856 the total 
 cost of the public schools to the State and to the people, 
 as estimated by the trustees, was $490,278 19. In 1857, 
 it was $552,984 11 ; thus indicating greater liberality 'on 
 the part of the people in the compensation of teachers, an 
 increased demand for better qualifications, and a conse- 
 quent improvement in the quality of the instruction afford- 
 ed in the public schools. This improvement was undoubt- 
 edly the result of the operations of the previous year in 
 which the people saw more than half the tuition of the 
 children paid by the public fund. 
 
 Gen. Perry, in closing his annua] report for 1857, made 
 use of the following argument in support of public educa- 
 tion. It is so pertinent when considered in connection with 
 the present condition of the Southern people, and with the 
 now victorious banners of the Emperor of Germany, that 
 the present State Superintendent submits it without com- 
 ment : 
 
 " Fifty years ago, the Kingdom of Prussia was smitten 
 down by one terrible blow, and lay prostrate at the feet of 
 Napoleon. Her splendid army was annihilated. Her fort- 
 resses were garrisoned with two hundred thousand enemies. 
 Her treasury was exhausted, to meet the contributions 
 levied by the insatiate conqueror. She looked to the neigh- 
 boring nations in vain for succor. They were either leagued 
 with the foe, or, like her, had been crushed beneath his 
 iron heel. In her calamity and humiliation, she directed 
 her yet unsubdued energies to the development of the in- 
 tellectual and moral power of her people, as the only hope 
 of ultimate emancipation. An intense national spirit was 
 inculcated from the rostrum and the pulpit. Her schools 
 became objects of increased attention and care, and insti- 
 tutions of learning, and seminaries for teachers sprung up 
 throughout the land ; so that the educational system of 
 Prussia, baptized in the blood of the disastrous field of 
 Jena, rose to newness of life. Though the tracks of the 
 
30 
 
 conqueror have long since been effaced, her school system, 
 the most complete, perhaps, the world has ever known', 
 still remains, a monument of wisdom and patriotism, that 
 may well put to shame the narrow policy of some of our 
 republican statesmanship. 
 
 " Though there is nothing in our condition analogous to 
 what has been related, it were well that we learn from it 
 lessons of instruction. The relations of this portion of 
 our confederacy to the world are such as call loudly for the 
 rapid development of its vast resources, material and men- 
 tal. It is time that the worm-eaten doctrine were banished 
 from our councils, that the security of nations consists in 
 their vis inertice, and that ignorance is the true principle of 
 conservatism. It is true, that what has been accomplished 
 in the past has subserved the purposes of the past ; but it 
 would be folly to presume that our present development 
 will therefore meet our future necessities. Our experience 
 as a people is too short to justify us in judging of what 
 will be, by what has been. Already clouds, dark and low- 
 ering, hang upon our horizon. No prophet's vision can 
 foresee what the future has in store for us ; what fierce 
 trials await us ; what great battles we may be called upon 
 to fight. No human wisdom can now realize, what we may 
 yet be made painfully to feel, how much of strength we 
 have lost, through ignorance and vice, and how little of 
 strength we were able to spare. We want a population 
 that is equal to any and every emergency ; that is incapa- 
 ble alike of subjection and of anarchy ; that, in the sun- 
 shine of peace, or in the storms of revolution, will make 
 the eternal principles of right the rule of their actions, — a 
 population such, that, though our present political system 
 were ruthlessly torn asunder, and States were shot madly 
 from their spheres like comets in space, each one, true to 
 the memories of the past, and true to posterity, would 
 wheel into its own appropriate place, and revolve, in a new 
 orbit, around the same grand center of constitutional free- 
 dom." 
 
 PKOSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE. 
 
 Thus has been hurriedly sketched the results flowing from 
 the school system down to the approach of the war. From 
 1858 to 1869 no reports are found as to the operations of 
 the system, but there is every evidence that the public fund 
 
31 
 
 went for towards paying the tuition of half the children of 
 the State who attended private and public schools. 
 
 A new system went int9 operation in 1868, but not ma- 
 terially different from the old. Under the old system the 
 Township Trustees had complete control of the school 
 funds and could aid schools already established, upon the 
 excellent principle adopted by Mr. Peabody from the most 
 flourishing continental systems, in his munificent grant to 
 the Southern people ; but under the new system from July 
 1868 down to the present year it was held that the schools 
 should be absolutely free and public to all, and that no 
 school rates should be allowed to supplement the school 
 fund. The result of this rule was that a large number of 
 schools were opened ; but they were generally schools which 
 accomplished nothing. There were too many pupils for 
 the teachers and too many teachers for the fund. The 
 sum total of schools and pupils made a large show upon 
 paper, but the school was generally closed before the pupil 
 had time to learn the alphabet. The Board at its late ses- 
 sion went far to correct this error by allowing three schools 
 in a country township, (and an unlimited number in city 
 townships,) to be so far patronised by private contributions 
 as a supplement to the township fund, as to enable them 
 to be taught at least five consecutive months in the year. 
 It is undoubtedly true that what is gained at no cost is 
 lightly appreciated. The public school system could never 
 have prospered in Alabama, if the parents had been reliev- 
 ed of all obligations and the pupils of all restraints. The 
 Superintendent believes that this partial reversion to the old 
 system will enlist the active interest of the people and be 
 fruitful of greater results than was attained in 1857, when 
 Alabama stood proudly in the front rank of States. 
 
 The new system is under the control of a board of educa- 
 tion. In this respect the old system had the advantage. 
 There is no reason why the committees upon education of 
 the two Houses of the General Assembly, during their thirty 
 days session, cannot suggest as beneficial improvements 
 
32 
 
 for this department as can a board of education which sits 
 at a cost of several thousand dollars to the State. In 
 other respects the two systems are identical, if we may ex- 
 cept the fact that in the new System the county superin- 
 tendents have been given much of the power which for- 
 merly belonged to the township trustees. 
 
 There is not enough difference between the two systems, 
 however, to raise a fear that the good results which 
 attended public instruction before the war will not continue 
 to follow it hereafter. 
 
 THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT. 
 
 The duties devolved by law upon the State Superinten- 
 dent are the most onerous that fall to the lot of the officers 
 of State. Mr. Duval, in his report for 1858, thus alludes 
 to them : 
 
 " Besides, the receipt and disbursement of large sums of 
 money, the registry of 16th section notes, the issuing of 
 them for suit, the settlements with the Attorney General, 
 or his agents, the accounts kept with county superinten- 
 dents, and with the fifteen hundred townships in the 
 State, there is a large and increasing correspondence to be 
 kept up. Legal questions, involving the nicest distinctions, 
 are continually arising under the administration of the 
 law, and require careful examination; complaints are 
 made by trustees and superintendents, or of them, and 
 difficulties submitted for adjustment which demand thought- 
 ful consideration ; letters from teachers seeking employ- 
 ment, from school committees wanting teachers, from those 
 who write books, and those who have them to sell, request- 
 ing a recommendation, and those who want to purchase, 
 desiring advice ; applications for an extension of 16th sec- 
 tion debts by those who owe notes, and for patents by 
 those who have paid ; letters asking for information, and 
 letters volunteering it ; letters upon every imaginable 
 question that can be connected with the duties of the of- 
 fice, some presenting specimens of kakography, and a con- 
 
33 
 
 fusion of ideas that would tax the skill of an adept to de- 
 cipher, and the ingenuity of counsel to extract a meaning 
 from, and others an inexorable hostility to the Queen's 
 English, which destroy every hope of a peaceful solution 
 of the unfortunate difficulties it has created — and all equal- 
 ly requiring answers — all of these are constantly making 
 demands upon the time of the Superintendent. 
 
 "Under such circumstances it is impossible that the 
 more important duties of thoroughly studying the systems 
 of education elsewhere adopted, and comparing their rela- 
 tive merits for the purpose of perfecting our own, or of 
 giving proper attention to text-books, the modes of teach- 
 ing pursued, and determining that which is best adapted 
 to the character and condition of our people, can be per- 
 formed as it should be. The clerical duties of the Super- 
 intendent occupy most of his time, and the minutiae of 
 business prevent any continuous or beneficial train of 
 thought." 
 Besides these duties,there is now devolved upon the Super- 
 intendent of Public Instruction the further duty of presid- 
 ing over the Board of Education. This year the greater 
 part of two months will be absorbed in attendance upon 
 that body. He must preside over the Board of Regents at 
 Tuscaloosa in June, and must therefore be absent from his 
 office just at the time when the county superintendents 
 will be sending or coming for their second quarter's fund. 
 It is also made his duty by law to collect information with 
 regard to the topography of the school districts, and the lo- 
 cation and construction of school houses. He must con- 
 sult and advise with county superintendents with regard to 
 the qualification or teachers. It is also made his duty to 
 visit every county in tli£ State annually (an impossibility) for 
 the purpose of inspecting the schools, awakening an inter- 
 est in education, diffusing information as to the public 
 school system by public addresses and personal talk with 
 the teachers and parents. He is commanded to open cor- 
 respondence abroad and seek for the latest ideas as to 
 3 
 
31 
 
 public schools. He must prepare blanks and circulars, re- 
 ports, rules and regulations. He must apportion the school 
 fund annually, which labor requires several weeks of close 
 and laborious calculation in completing, copying and post- 
 ing. He must keep a credit and debit account with each of 
 the fifteen hundred townships of the State. 
 
 To do all this the Superintendent must have a compe- 
 tent clerical force. He has been given one clerk by the 
 Board of Education, with a salary of $1,500. But one 
 clerk is not sufficient. It is absolutely necessary that the 
 department should have additional clerical force. By a 
 mock economy thousands of dollars may be lost to the 
 State, whereas they might be saved by an expenditure of a 
 few hundred. 
 
 The Superintendent would ask the General Assembly to 
 allow this department a contingent fund of fifteen hundred 
 dollars annually for the employment of clerical assistance, 
 purchase of postage stamps and other incidental expenses 
 when necessary, and that such sum be appropriated from 
 the general education fund. If the work in this depart- 
 ment, which demands more labor than all the other de- 
 partments together, is to be done, it should be well done. 
 
 Under the late Superintendent the pay of clerks in the 
 department of education was $2,997 75, for the year 1870. 
 This sum would not have been too great, if proper ac- 
 counts had been kept, and all the duties of the office had 
 been attended to. The present Superintendent proposes 
 to have proper account books and correspondence kept 
 with the sixty-five counties and the fifteen hundred town- 
 ships, with the thousands of purchasers and lessees of 
 school land, their assignees and their thousands of endor 
 sers. But, it cannot be done with the assistance of a sin- 
 gle clerk. 
 
 COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS AND DIRECTORS. 
 
 Gen. Perry, in his report for 1856, said : 
 
 " The substitution, by the law of 185C, of a single officer 
 
35 
 
 who is required to give bond, and who receives compensa- 
 tion for his services, for the boards of county school com- 
 missioners, was an advance movement of incalculable im- 
 portance. The wisdom of the change will be much more 
 apparent when it is remembered that the superintendency 
 has not yet had time to develope what it is capable of ac- 
 complishing. Many of the superintendents found their 
 counties almost entirely unorganized, the people listless 
 and indifferent, and the trustees ignorant of their duties ; 
 so that the preliminary labor of organizing occupied most 
 of the year 185li. It may be true, also, that the results in 
 some of the counties have not been fully satisfactory on 
 account of unfortunate selections of persons to fill the of- 
 fice, or because of the inability of the incumbents, from the 
 want of adequate compensation, to devote a sufficient 
 amount of time to their duties. These instances, however, 
 constitute mere exceptions to the rule. An unprecedented 
 impulse has unquestionably been given to the cause of 
 common school education in the State, and this is due, in 
 a large degree, to the faithfulness and efficiency of the 
 county superintendents. 
 
 " The idea is a most fallacious one that it is possible to 
 devise a self-executing school law. This mistake has been 
 repeatedly committed by other States of the Union, and, in 
 every instance, with disastrous results. It is true, that if 
 such a law had for its only object, as seems to be thought 
 by some, the distribution of a certain amount of money 
 among the people, as a sort of gratuity, it might be accom- 
 plished by imposing the duty of receiving and disbursing 
 funds upon State and county officers elected for other pur- 
 poses, and occupied with other engagements. This, as a 
 mere system of disbursement, would be defective and inef- 
 ficient. Under the present system, each officer is not only 
 required to pay out the funds coming into his hands, but 
 to hold his subordinate responsible for the proper applica- 
 tion of it on his part. Thus the Comptroller's office is so 
 complete a check upon this department, that an error of a 
 
36 
 
 single cent can be instantly detected. The State Superin- 
 tendent not only sees the money due each county into the 
 hands of its Superintendent, but holds that officer account- 
 able by requiring vouchers to be exhibited for the whole 
 amount thus received. In like manner the trustees are 
 held to a strict accountability by the superintendents ; so 
 that a misapplication of the public funds, or even the 
 slightest error, on the part of any officer, is speedily discov- 
 ered and corrected." 
 
 Mr. DuVal, in his annual report for 1858, thus speaka of 
 the office of county superintendent : 
 
 " Certainly, the experience of one who, if not the origi- 
 nator of the system in Alabama, was for four years its 
 most efficient support, and who preceded me in this office, 
 is entitled to great consideration. To his ability and zeal 
 some of its best results are attributable ; with sleepless 
 vigilance and solicitude he watched the progress of this ed- 
 ucational movement, and directed it b} the light of a long 
 experience as a practical teacher, and the highest concep- 
 tions of the magnitude of his duty. During his term of 
 service the system was thoroughly tried without a county 
 superintendent ; it was chiefly, if not solely, at his instance 
 this office was engrafted upon it. Comparing the two 
 modes of conducting it, at a time when, as he was about 
 resigning his position, he could be suspected of entertain- 
 ing no^other motive but an earnest desire for its success, 
 he uttered his deliberate opinion that " it could not have 
 survived until the present time (1858) under the adminis- 
 tration provided for it by the law of 1854." His position 
 had enabled him to survey the whole question, and is sure- 
 ly of mofe value than the crude opinions of those who have 
 only taken a partial and County view of a State system, 
 when such opinions are not always the result of practical 
 experience or careful thought. His conclusions are forti- 
 fied by those of the superintendents of nearly every State 
 whose reports are exchanged with this office. 
 
 " Extracts, at great length, might be made from them, 
 
37 
 
 showing the greater efficiency of educational systems in 
 which a similar office existed, would they not extend un- 
 reasonably this report. 
 
 " In Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Penn- 
 sylvania and California each county has a superintendent. 
 In Indiana circuit superintendents have been recommended; 
 in Wisconsin the State Superintendent earnestly urges the 
 creation of such an office. The advantages derived from 
 it are so briefly and concisely set forth in the reports of 
 the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Pennsylvania, 
 for 1856-7, that it is not inappropriate to insert them here : 
 " 1. Organized, well attended and efficient Institutes and 
 Associations by teachers for self-improvement. 
 
 " 2. Largely increased interest by directors (trustees) in 
 the duties of their office. 
 
 " 3. Improvement in school houses and furniture. 
 " 4. Great increase in uniformity of text-books, and im- 
 provement in classification. 
 
 " 5. The enlargement of the number of promising quali- 
 fied teachers in the profession, and the retirement of by 
 far more, who were found to be incompetent. 
 
 " 6. Increase in the salaries of teachers, and in their 
 standing and influence as members of society. 
 
 " 7. Manifest improvement in the schools, with a strong 
 tendency towards grading them, and the introduction of a 
 more liberal course of study. 
 
 " 8. More frequent visits to the schools by parents, and 
 a greater interest on their part in the means provided by 
 the State, for the intellectual culture of their children. 
 
 " 9. Numerous public examinations and exhibitions, at 
 the close of the term, well attended by parents, and show- 
 ing a noble conviction on the part of teachers, that their 
 duty has been so discharged as not to fear the public eye. 
 " 10. Strong emulation not only between neighboring 
 schools and districts, but between neighboring counties 
 and different and distant sections of the State. 
 
 « 11. Marked improvement in the methods of teaching, 
 
38 
 
 and more interest in the literature of the profession. 
 
 " 12. A pervading consciousness of the necessity of more 
 and better means for the education of teachers, as such, 
 and a determination to secure them at the shortest possi- 
 ble period. 
 
 The Board of Education, at its recent session, decided to 
 retain the County Superintendents and make them elective 
 by the people. They improved upon the old system by 
 providing that two Directors should co-operate with the 
 County Superintendent, and that one of the Directors 
 should represent the minority of voters. The three consti- 
 tute a Board of Directors to manage the business of the 
 county. r ihe County Superintendent is the disbursing and 
 executive officer. He may act alone if the Directors fail to 
 act. It results from this wise law that if the Directors are 
 careless of their duties the County Superintendent need 
 not be trammeled. If the County Superintendent is care- 
 less of his duties the Directors can control him. The ad- 
 vantage of having the minority party of voters in each 
 county represented on the Directory must be apparent to 
 every reflecting mind. 
 
 The Directors are paid three dollars a day, but for not 
 more than eight days of the year. It is respectfully sug- 
 gested to the General Assembly that they and the Town- 
 ship Trustees, who receive no recompense, be relieved from 
 military, jury and road duty. This relief, which the State 
 could reasonably give, would, undoubtedly, secure the active 
 services of competent men in every county and township. 
 
 Your Excellency will observe that the pay of County 
 Superintendents for the year 1809 amounted to $52,624. 
 Under the newly organized system the pay of county offi- 
 cers cannot be more than — 
 
 For County Superintendents — 
 
 Five per cent, on $600,000 $30,000 
 
 Traveling and visiting 6,5(J0 
 
 For 130 Directors, eight days, $3 per day 3,120 
 
 $39,620 
 
39 
 
 This amount averages $660 per annum to the county. 
 In the larger counties it will be much more, and in the 
 smaller counties so much less that the fear is a competent 
 man will not forsake other business to attend to the duties 
 of the office. 
 
 It has occurred to the Superintendent, as supervision of 
 the counties is absolutely necessary, and as a sum of not 
 less than $36,000 is required to secure the services of proper 
 officers, and as the whole time of an officer cannot be 
 secured for so small an amount to each county, that it 
 might be well, instead of County Superintendents, to have 
 Circuit Superintendents, with jurisdiction over a judicial 
 circuit, and with a salary«of $2,500 or $3,000. Such a sal- 
 ary, and the election of the circuit officer being reposed in 
 the Legislature, would secure the first talent of the State 
 and the undivided attention of the Superintendent. Pro- 
 posing a similar plan for Indiana in 1855, the State Super- 
 intendent of that State said : 
 
 " The experience of the past two years has developed no 
 defect in our system more fully and clearly than the neces- 
 sity of efficient supervision. The public interests demand 
 that this department be so organized that every township 
 shall be visited annually, more or less of the schools pass 
 under the scrutiny of an officer superior to the Township 
 Trustees, teachers' institutes be annually held in every 
 county in the State, and the school Trustees and friends of 
 education in every township be stimulated and encouraged 
 by the annual visits, lectures and counsels of men whose 
 zeal, tact, talents and attainments would make them worthy 
 coadjutors of the State Superintendent. Such an organi- 
 zation would impart life, energy and importance to this 
 department of the public interests and secure results of the 
 most cheering character. 
 
 "Let there be ten such subordinate Superintendents, 
 each of them would have, on an average, a circuit embrac- 
 ing nine counties, containing about ninety-four townships* 
 Let each be required to spend two days in every township 
 
in the following manner : in the forenoon visit, in company 
 with the Trustees, one school, in the afternoon another and 
 in the evening, according to previous notice, address the 
 young people of the township on self-improvement, or some 
 kindred topic, point out the value of such training and sug- 
 gest some of the means of obtaining it, call their attention 
 to the township library, show its value and connection with 
 self- culture, describe its treasures and show them how to 
 make these stores of knowledge their own by a judicious 
 course of reading ; let the next forenoon be spent in visiting 
 a third school, and the afternoon be employed in conferring 
 with, counseling and encouraging the teachers of the town- 
 ship, actual, ex and prospective, who might choose to meet 
 him. Such interviews would bring him into close contact 
 with the instructors of the several townships of his circuit, 
 enlist mutual sympathy and confidence, awaken esteem and 
 give him an influence over them that might result in great 
 good to the cause and to them individually. His two days' 
 mission in each of his ninety-four townships might very 
 appropriately close with an address to the citizens on some 
 topic connected with their educational duties. Such lec- 
 tures would tell effectively on school-houses, text-books 
 furniture, discipline, punctuality, moral and intellectual 
 training, domestic habits and kindred topics. They would 
 inspire fresh zeal in the friends of education, furnish them 
 with new arguments, disarm opponents, impart boldness to 
 the timid and convert foes of the cause into staunch and 
 reliable friends. 
 
 " Having spent the legal time in township visitation, he 
 would be prepared to gather around him a large number of 
 the teachers of each county in a teachers' institute. Many 
 teachers who might be materially improved by the exercises 
 of such institutes could be induced to attend them from 
 their acquaintance with and confidence in the Vice Super- 
 intendent who, under any other circumstances, could not be 
 reached by this mode of culture. This programme of 
 township visitation and teachers' institute* of a week's 
 
41 
 
 duration in each county would close his annual circuit, re- 
 quiring about forty weeks' labcr. The institutes would 
 more appropriately occur in the spring and autumn, five 
 weeks in the former and four in the latter, introductory to 
 the summer and winter schools. 
 
 " A man competent for such functions would take rank 
 with, if not above, our Circuit Judges, both in attainment 
 and emolument." 
 
 TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES. 
 
 The fault found with Township Trustees under the old 
 system is thus expressed by Mr. DuVal : 
 
 " The absence of any directions as to the mode of ap- 
 portioning the public funds belonging to a township has 
 already been alluded to as a serious evil, and a remedy 
 suggested. The power of the trustees in locating schools 
 and determining the number which should be established, 
 should be restrained, and an appeal given from their de- 
 cision to the County Superintendent, whose position re- 
 moves him from the influence of the local quarrels which 
 distract a township. Some penalty should be imposed upon 
 the trustees for failure to make their reports in the time 
 and manner prescribed by the law ; not only do the teach- 
 ers suffer by this neglect in any given year, but a failure 
 to report for two consecutive years forfeits to the general 
 fund the entire appropriation belonging to the township 
 within that period." 
 
 The Board of Education at their late session obviated 
 these difficulties, by placing the County Superintendent 
 and Directors in immediate relation with the schools and 
 teachers. The Board of Directors must see to it that the 
 township funds are carefully guarded and appropriately 
 applied. They may remove Trustees and appoint others. 
 If the Trustees fail to act the County Superintendent is 
 authorized to act in their stead. This power virtually de- 
 volves upon the County Superintendent the duty of seeing 
 
42 
 
 in person that no more teachers are employed in a town- 
 ship than the fund will justify, that they forward their re- 
 ports, and that they are paid properly and promptly. 
 
 The teachers must no longer look to the Trustees for 
 payment, but to the County Superintendent. In order to 
 secure prompt payment to the teachers, the present State 
 Superintendent has decided, in apportioning the school 
 fund, to deduct the amount which will be required to pay 
 the County Superintendent and Directors, and then appor- 
 tion the remainder among the townships. At the begin- 
 ning of the first quarter the County Superintendent can 
 draw the first quarter's fund, but will not be allowed to 
 draw his ealary or the pay of the Directors until he reports 
 the vouchers covering that fund. The law allows him five 
 per cent, upon the amount of disbursements, and one hun- 
 dred dollars for traveling expenses. But it can not be 
 known what he has disbursed or how much traveling he 
 has done until the vouchers and reports are returned to 
 this office. As the reception of salaries will depend on the 
 correctness and expedition of the reports and vouchers for 
 the quarter, it is hoped that we may have more promptness 
 hereafter in the payment of teachers and in the forward- 
 ing of reports. 
 
 By relieving the Trustees from military, jury and road 
 duty, it is believed that the County Superintendents can 
 secure the co-operation of active and intelligent men in 
 each township. 
 
 In 1869, the pay of Trustees amounted to $22,549 92. 
 For 1870 the expenses of Trustees can not at present be 
 definitely ascertained, but will swell up to a great amount. 
 Hereafter the Trustees will receive no pay. 
 
 The power given to the Board of Directors " to super- 
 vise the general interests of the free schools of the county," 
 meets another difficulty which has destroyed the efficiency 
 of our public schools during the past two years, the es- 
 tablishment by the Trustees of too many schools. Gen. 
 Perry alludes to this difficulty as follows : 
 
43 
 
 'There are few townships whose density of population 
 or peculiarities of surface require more than three or four 
 public schools, yet five or six are not unfrequently estab- 
 lished. The public fund is thus frittered away upon a 
 multitude of small schools, whose existence proves injuri- 
 ous, if in no other way, by dividing the strength of neigh- 
 borhoods, and preventing the establishment of such as 
 deserve to be sustained. The labor of four men is per- 
 formed by six, and one of two things must follow ; either 
 the burdens of the people must be greatly increased, or 
 the compensation of teachers reduced. The first is wrong, 
 because unnecessary ; the second, disastrous to the inter- 
 ests of the children, because it leads to the employment of 
 cheap teachers, in other words, those who are totally unfit 
 for the business. Should it be thought advisable to im- 
 pose a check upon this tendency, perhaps the most effec- 
 tual method will be to assign a limit, — varying according 
 to the educational population of the townships — beyond 
 which the Trustees shall not go in the establishment of 
 schools, without the consent of the County Superintend- 
 ent." 
 
 DISBURSEMENT OF THE SCHOOL FUND. 
 
 Under the old system, on the 1st of December of each 
 year, the State Superintendent sent to the County Super- 
 intendents, statements of the fund due each county for the 
 year just closed. The Tax Collector of each county was 
 required to deposit by January 1st with the County Su- 
 perintendent the amount thus declared by the State Su- 
 perintendent to be due, or so much as he had collected by 
 that time. The receipts taken for this amount, when ap- 
 proved by the Probate Judge, were received by the Comp- 
 troller in payment of so much taxes due the State by such 
 tax collector. The advantage of that plan of disburse- 
 ment is obvious. It keeps the money at home and pre- 
 vents the necessity of delay and of express charges in 
 forwarding it to the State Treasury aDd then returning it to 
 the county. 
 
14 
 
 Under the present system the school fund goes out from 
 the State Treasury to the counties. This is inconvenient* 
 The small salaries of County Superintendents will not 
 justify their coming after the money. If they send pow- 
 ers of attorney to draw the money, there is risk of loss. 
 It has been discovered that a large amount of the school 
 fund due several counties last year was drawn from the 
 Treasury upon powers of attorney and embezzled. Such 
 provisions should be made by law as will henceforth place 
 such a catastrophe beyond possibility. 
 
 It is respectfully suggested that we return immediately 
 to the old plan. If the taxes of any county should not 
 equal the amount apportioned to that county for the 
 schools, it might be provided that the tax collector of an 
 adjoining county shall meet the deficit. It was thought 
 that the Board of Education had no power to impose du- 
 ties upon tax collectors, and hence the perfecting of a plan 
 for reaching the school fund conveniently must devolve on 
 the General Assembly. 
 
 It is also respectfully suggested, that the poll tax of each 
 county, or even each township, be applied to the schools 
 of such township and county. This provision would doubt- 
 less enlarge that fund. Your Excellency will observe that 
 the receipts from the poll tax for last year are about 
 $82,500. This amount was collected from less than 54,0.0 
 persons. 
 
 Would it not be well for the County Superintendent to 
 be empowered to collect that tax, giving him five per cent 
 on the amount collected, and providing that the tax be 
 collected in November ? One of the difficulties in the way 
 of collecting the poll tax at present is, that large numbers 
 of persons change their locality on the first of January, 
 after the tax is assessed and before it can be collected. 
 
 INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING. 
 
 There is no report in this department from the institute 
 for the deaf and dumb, or from the medical college at Mo- 
 
45 
 
 bile both of which institutions properly fall under the su- 
 pervision of the Board of Education. The Board have 
 taken no action for the benefit of those institutions, and 
 no steps to revive the Law School at Montgomery. 
 
 It comes within the province of the General Assembly 
 alone, to put in operation the Congressional grant in aid 
 of an Agricultural College. 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA. 
 
 For the past two years, this institution has been in a 
 deplorable condition. The Superintendent has no report 
 as to its operations for the past two years ; and can find no 
 record in the department as to the money which has been 
 paid out for it, or as to the result of its operations, except 
 the following communication from Hon. Wm. R. Smith, 
 the present President : 
 
 University oe Alabama, 
 President's Office, Tuskaloosa, Jan. 25, 1871. 
 
 To the Hon. Joseph Hodgson, 
 
 Superintendent of Public Instruction 
 
 ' of the State of Alabama : 
 Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of 10th inst, I submit 
 the following brief statements relative to the present condi- 
 tion of the University. It is unnecessary to refer to the 
 embarrassed condition of the institution when I took 
 
 charge of it. 
 
 In July last, 1870, upon being advised of my election, 
 as President, I entered upon the discharge of my duties. 
 There were then four Professors, as follows : 
 
 J.DeP. Richards, Prof, of Nat. Sciences and Astronomy. 
 
 N. R. Chambless, Prof, of Mathematics. 
 
 D. L. Peck, Prof, of Ancient Languages. 
 
 H. S. Whitfield, Prof, of English Literature. 
 
 On the 30th July, 1870, Prof. Chambless resigned, 
 and I transferred Prof. H. S. Whitfield to the chair of 
 Mathematics, and took upon myself the discharge of the 
 
46 
 
 duties of his chair. At this time, there are but three Pro- 
 fessors, as above, omitting the name of N. E. Chambless. 
 
 The annual expenses of the University, as matters now 
 stand, may be estimated as follows : 
 
 The President's salary per annum $3,000 00 
 
 Each Professor $2,500 7,500 00 
 
 The contingent expenses, so far as I am prepar- 
 ed to judge, may be set down at about $1,200 
 
 per annum 1,200 00 
 
 There is a carpenter's shop attached to the 
 University, and a carpenter kept in constant 
 employment at $50 per month 600 00 
 
 Total $12,300 00 
 
 This employee has been engaged heretofore, as he is at 
 present, in attending to the ordinary repairs of the build- 
 ings, and in making and repairing the tables, desks, &c, at 
 the establishment. 
 
 THE BUILDINGS. 
 
 Besides the new building, recently completed, which is 
 ample for the accommodation of 200 cadets, affording at 
 the same time, commodious offices and recitation rooms, 
 there are five (5) houses for Professors ; the President's 
 mansion, and the observatory. Some of these buildings 
 especially the old ones, are more or less dilapidated, and it 
 will require considerable expenditure to make them com- 
 fortable. Outside of the college enclosures there are two 
 other buildings, which afforda small income in the way of 
 rents. 
 
 I do not know the exact number of the acres of land 
 owned by the University at this locality, but I think not 
 less than five hundred acres. Attached to each building 
 are ample gardens ; and there is abundant room here for 
 agricultural experiments. 
 
 The University owns some valuable coal lands ; and it 
 may be proper to state, that one of these coal mines yields 
 
47 
 
 an annual rental of 2,300 bushels of coal delivered. (Am- 
 ple fuel for all present purposes.) 
 
 The catalogue of cadets now reaches the meagre number 
 of twenty-one ; and there is not much probability of an in- 
 crease to any great extent, under present auspices. 
 
 The library consists of about 1,200 volumes. This is 
 the remnant of the burnt library. The attention of the 
 Regents should be directed, at an t early day, to this sub- 
 ject. 
 
 I will, at the proper time, submit a more formal and 
 elaborate report ; and in the meantime ^will be pleased to 
 furnish you any special^information on] any subject not 
 here referred to, if you win ^ direct! my attention to it. I 
 have not thought proper, in."this communication, to offer 
 any suggestions as to what ought to be done on the many 
 vital questions involving the future prosperity of the Uni- 
 versity, but will probably avail myself of another opportu- 
 nity to do so. Yery Respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 W. R. SMITH, 
 President U. A. 
 
 The'Board of Regents will meet at Tuskaloosa in June, 
 and take such action it is to be hoped as will give the Uni- 
 versity an efficient corps of Professors who may enlist the 
 sympathies and co-operation of our people. Tuscaloosa 
 will soon be of easy access. The health of the locality is 
 excellent. The buildings are ample. The endowment of 
 the University is munificent. There is no reason why the 
 five hundred youth who leave the State annually to attend 
 other colleges may not be induced to matriculate at our 
 own University. All we need is a good, laborious faculty. 
 
 The principal of the University endowment is $300,000. 
 The annual interest is $24,000. This sum should give the 
 University a president with a salary of $2,500, eight full 
 professors at $2,000 each, three adjunct professors at 
 $1,500, each and a contingent fund of $1,000. If a univer- 
 
48 
 
 sity cannot be built up with such an endowment to sustain 
 it it will be because the Board of Education refuse to se- 
 lect as professors men who have the highest confidence and 
 sympathy of the people. 
 
 It is respectfully suggested that in view of the untoward 
 circumstances which have destroyed the usefulness of the 
 University since the war, the collection of the debt due the 
 State for money loaned for rebuilding be either remitted or 
 postponed for several years. Equitably, the loss of the 
 buildings by the torch of the United States troops should 
 fall rather upon the State than upon the University. The 
 State converted it into a military academy and ordered its 
 cadets into the field. 
 
 If, however, the finances of the State do not admit of a 
 complete remission of the debt, it is urged upon the General 
 Assembly to postpone the payment of installments until 
 1874 to enable the University to rise from its ashes and 
 overcome the obloquy under which it rests. 
 
 The University fund might be greatly increased by an 
 act converting the ninety-nine years leases of University 
 lands into fee simple at the option of the holders upon 
 payment of principal and interest to date. Large quanti- 
 ties of valuable lands were leased rather than sold in order 
 to enable poor men to become purchasers. These leases 
 have been running thirty and forty years. In many cases 
 the holders have died and their children ceased paying in- 
 terest years ago. The law provides that upon failure to 
 pay the interest the lands revert to the State. It is sug- 
 gested that if the State were to hold out the offer the occu- 
 pants of those lands would gladly convert their leases into 
 fees simple. If it is objected that the lands are more valu- 
 able now than when they were leased, and that they should 
 not be sold in 1870 for what they were leased for in 1825, 
 it is answered that the principal upon which the lessees 
 have been paying interest for forty years is, probably, a 
 greater sum than that for which the lands could have been 
 sold at the time of lease. If the lessees choose now to pay 
 
49 
 
 the principal and interest in full to date they will occupy 
 the same position with those who purchased fees simple at 
 that date. They certainly should not occupy a worse posi- 
 tion. The money for which the lands were sold was paid 
 into bank and drew six per cent, interest. The principal 
 of the money for which the lands were leased was, so to 
 speak, vested in the poor settler, and drew eight per cent, 
 interest. It is fair that the poor settler who wishes to 
 leave his homestead to his children should be allowed to 
 occupy as good a position as the purchaser who was able 
 to buy a fee simple. 
 
 Tour Excellency's attention is asked to the following 
 communication from Colonel J. L. Tait, who was em- 
 ployed, under direction of the Board of Education, to ex- 
 amine into the condition of the apparatus at the Univer- 
 sity : 
 
 Montgomery, Ala., ) 
 January i4th, 1871. ) 
 
 Col. Joseph Hodgson, 
 
 President of the Board of Regents: 
 
 Sir: Having received your instructions under authority 
 of the Board to inspect and report upon the character 
 value and state of preservation of the scientific and other 
 instruments of the University, together with the cabinets 
 of natural history, palaeontology, lithology and mineralogy, 
 belonging thereto, I proceeded at once to Tuskaloosa and 
 placed myself in communication with the executive com- 
 mittee of the faculty who afforded me every facility for the 
 purposes of my visit. The valuable property which forms 
 the subject of my report was luckily contained in the ob- 
 servatory, and being a detached building at some distance 
 from the University, escaped the destruction by fire with 
 which the main building was ruthlessly destroyed, and by 
 this most fortunate circumstance, at least forty thousand 
 dollars worth of costly and rare instruments and cabinets 
 that could not easily be replaced, and that evidently had 
 4 
 
50 
 
 been the work of years to collect and arrange, has been 
 saved for the future use and instruction of the students of 
 the University. 
 
 The largest and most valuable instrument examined was 
 an Astronomical Telescope, which is mounted in the obser- 
 vatory on a rotary table, and the dome revolves in con es- 
 pondence therewith. The largest object glass has been 
 removed, and as it could not be replaced for a less cost 
 than probably two thousand dollars, it is to be hoped that 
 it may be recovered. I was informed that probably Dr. 
 Garland, a former president of the institution, might be 
 able to give some information respecting it. In other re- 
 spects this high class instrument appeared in good order 
 and fair preservation. There are three other telescopes 
 graduated in size, that appeared to have all their parts 
 adjusted for immediate use, and will be found valuable for 
 astronomical use in the future. These telescopes are all 
 of the highest order, having been manufactured by a firm 
 of the most eminent philosophical instrument- makers in 
 London, and are constructed on modern scientific princi- 
 ples. There is a large spirit level adjusted to the largest 
 Telescope for determining the position of its axis, and a 
 couch, the position of which can be adjusted by the stu- 
 dent at will when in use. 
 
 There are two astronomical clocks supplied by Dent, of 
 London, contained in the building, that appeared to be 
 complete in all their parts, and the well known character of 
 that eminent maker, is a guarantee for their quality and 
 value. 
 
 These six instruments could not have cost the State less 
 than thirtv thousand doliars, and should be carefully ex- 
 amined, adjusted, cleaned and covered up, as their preser- 
 vation is a matter of much importance for the future of the 
 institution in a scientific point of view. In addition to the 
 above, I observed a variety of scientific and chemical in- 
 struments and apparatus of considerable value, many of 
 the parts of which were detached and scattered about in 
 
51 
 
 the cupboards and cases of the Observatory. A large air 
 pump and receiver and blow-pipe apparatus, of a large 
 size ; also, a goniometer, a large microscope, with slides 
 containing specimens of entomology, an instrument for 
 determining specific gravity, and others for generating 
 gasses, were among the number. 
 
 The greater number of these smaller apparatus were in 
 a very unsatisfactory condition as to preservation, and will 
 be a great loss to the University if not soon attended to. 
 There was also a large assortment of chemical re- agents, 
 as also German flasks, Wolfe's bottles, retorts, test tubes 
 graduated glasses and acid bottles of various sizes for a 
 chemical laboratory. The Cabinets contain Lithological 
 and Palfeontological specimens illustrative of various 
 geological formations. A large assortment of fossils from 
 the carboniferous formation of Alabama, most important 
 as illustrative of the mineral geology of the State and 
 various fossils illustrative of the Silurian Permian and 
 Tertiary periods in Geological time were observed. 
 
 There was also a number of minerals and crystals that 
 will be found valuable in the practical teaching of the 
 science of mineralogy. 
 
 A number of specimens of Natural History were also 
 scattered about and intermingled with fossil remains and 
 specimens of conchology, many of which were rare and 
 delicate, and the loss of which, I fear, would be irreparable. 
 
 It would take at least a month, and possibly two, to as- 
 sort, arrange and label these specimens so as to render 
 them useful for class purposes. 
 
 The great value of these articles, the difficulty of re- 
 placing them in a reasonable time, and the comparatively 
 small expense of having them arranged and preserved be- 
 fore they become altogether useless, is too obvious to re- 
 quire any comment from me. When it is considered that 
 the students of the near future are the men, who, it is to be 
 hoped, will be by their knowledge of the natural sciences 
 called upon to develop the great mineral resources of the 
 
52 
 
 State, and that to do so practically, they must have speci- 
 mens to familarize them with their counterparts in nature, 
 it will be at once seen that simple text books will not alone 
 answer the purpose of practical knowledge. If we con- 
 sider fuither, that cabinets of specimens are the careful 
 collections of years, and that in most instances no money 
 can purchase them, it is of the utmost importance that 
 when once obtained, they should be preserved with care as 
 precious heirlooms for succeeding generations. 
 
 The limited time at my disposal, precluded me from 
 making anything more than a general inspection, and the 
 large number and great value of the articles inspected, 
 leads me to hope that authority will be given me to place 
 them in a state of preservation for future usefulness. 
 I have the honor to be sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 J. L. Tait, P. G. S. 
 
 NORMAL SCHOOLS. 
 
 For two years past there have been a number of Normal 
 schools in operation, but, as before stated, this department 
 has no information as to the good they have done. At 
 the last session of the Board, the old schools were abol- 
 ished, and a bill was passed establishing thirteen normal 
 schools, seven for the training of white teachers, and six 
 for the training of colored teachers. This was three times 
 as many as the State of New York possessed for twenty- 
 five years, and more than twice as many as she possesses 
 to-day. Your Excellency has seen proper to withhold 
 your signature from that bill. 
 
 But, after a short while, we will be compelled to train 
 teachers for our public schools, if we wish them well 
 taught. The day for importing teachers should be past. 
 If we have the wages to offer, it is true we can always se- 
 cure teachers among our home people, but it must be re- 
 membered that one dollar will accomplish better education 
 under a trained teacher than two dollars under an inef- 
 
53 
 
 ficient one. It is economy to have good Normal schools. 
 For the present and for some time to come, it appears to 
 the Superintendent that one Normal school for white teach- 
 ers in connection with the University, another for white 
 teachers in connection with an Agricultural college to be 
 located in the Tennessee Valley, another for colored teach- 
 ers in connection with the Swayne Academy at Montgom- 
 ery, and another in connection with some colored Academy 
 at Mobile, would meet all the wants of this department. 
 
 As this question of Normal schobls is of much interest, 
 and as it is desirable that the peoplo should be informed 
 as to their benefits and become interested in their estab- 
 lishment, attention is respectfully asked to the following 
 remarks of Gen. Perry in his report for 1857: 
 
 " It is growing quite common to hear unmeasured de- 
 nunciations against the encouragement of teachers and 
 text-books from certain localities. Our public journals 
 often become eloquent on the theme, and grave delibera- 
 tive assemblies make it the burden of many a " resolution." 
 All this is natural enough, and if kept within reasonable 
 limits, is not improper. But it ought to have occurred to 
 those who are so zealous for home teachers and a home 
 educational literature, that to secure them, we need acts 
 much more than resolves ; and that the only method which 
 the laws of trade have ever discovered to prevent the im- 
 portation of an indispensable article, is to create a home 
 supply. 
 
 But to resume. There are, no one can tell how many, 
 thousands of young men and women iu our State, before 
 whom stretches out the prospect of a life of unprofitable 
 toil, if not of vicious indolence and crime, that would eager- 
 ly seize the opportunity to qualify themselves for an occu- 
 pation so useful, so honorable, and, compared with what 
 they can now hope to pursue, so profitable. It is a great 
 mistake to suppose that other pursuits, by the higher re- 
 wards which they offer, have monopolized all the talents 
 which the country affords. The expenses attending a 
 
54 
 
 course of instruction in our higher seminaries of learning 
 are so great, that most of those who can afford them are 
 able to live without engaging in a vocation so laborious 
 and responsible. The talents that might be thus engaged 
 are, therefore, left to rust and decay, while the cultivated 
 intellect either lapses into indolence, or seeks other fields 
 of labor. 
 
 " Nor need the fear be entertained that the people would 
 frown upon the movement which we have been consider- 
 ing. The singular unanimity with which they have declar- 
 ed in favor of our public educational system, the tenacity 
 with which they clung to it in the days of its infantile 
 weakness and inefficiency, and the dignified retirement with 
 which, as a general thing, they have honored those aspi- 
 rants for place who have taken a stand against it, consti- 
 tute sufficient assurance that they will sustain every judi- 
 cious effort to impart to that system the greatest possible 
 capacity for good." 
 
 STATEMENT OF NORMAL SCHOOLS TAUGHT IN 1870 — THE AMOUNTS APPOR- 
 TIONED AND THE AMOUNTS PAID OUT. 
 
 Amount 
 apportioned 
 
 Amount 
 Paid. 
 
 Hnutsviile. 
 Talladega.. 
 
 Marion. 
 
 Mobile 
 
 Athens 
 
 Ely ton 
 
 Eufanla 
 
 Evergreen and Sparta. 
 
 Montgomery 
 
 Mountain Home 
 
 Portersville 
 
 Prattville 
 
 Scott sboro 
 
 Selina 
 
 Tuscaloosa 
 
 Tuscumbia 
 
 3,t>18 60 
 
 3,784 22 
 
 486 36 
 
 1,328 00 
 
 800 00 
 
 185 95 
 
 1,500 U0 
 
 800 00 
 
 593 70 
 751 05 
 800 00 
 800 00 
 400 00 
 533 32 
 
 Total $25,000.00 
 
 516,582 10 
 
55 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 The people of Alabama feel a deep anxiety in the suc- 
 cess of public instruction. They have passed through 
 those preliminary stages through which Prussia, Scotland, 
 Virginia and New England passed — an opposition to being- 
 taxed to support a public school fund, and an opposition 
 to public instruction, because it can offer but little more 
 than the rudiments of information. They have lived to 
 see the school house of the State diminish the number of 
 paupers and felons. They have lived to see the possession 
 of simply the alphabet a talisman in the hand of the 
 humblest citizen for increasing the aggregate wealth of the 
 State and intensifying patriotic devotion. They have lived 
 to see public instruction survive its last enemy, and to be- 
 hold its power illustrated in the recent fall of one mighty 
 empire and the rise of another. 
 
 The remembrance of what public instruction accomp- 
 lished in Alabama, under Perry and DuVal, in 1857, 1858, 
 and 1859, has not been forgotten by the people. They 
 remember that in those years, when the system had hardty 
 been organized and before the war had stricken it down, 
 more than half of the tuition of the children who attended 
 school was paid by this department, and that the propor- 
 tion of children to the whole tax-paying population, who 
 attended school, was greater than that of twenty- five of 
 the thirty-two States of the Union. They remember also, 
 that in those years, the average number of months dur- 
 ing which the schools were taught, was more than six. 
 They remember that when only one-twentieth of the popu- 
 lation attended school in France, one-tenth in Eugland, and 
 one-sixth in Prussia, the proportion in Alabama of schol- 
 ars to the white population was 89,150 to about 450,000, 
 or nearly one- fifth. 
 
 They believe that what was accomplished in those years 
 may be accomplished again. Although the number of 
 children to be provided for is twice as great as then, the 
 school fund is also twice as great. 
 
56 
 
 How the school fund is to be made most effective for the 
 future, is a question which rests with the General Assem- 
 bly and the Board of Education. It would not be becom- 
 ing for the Superintendent, with an experience in this De- 
 partment of only a few weeks, to suggest to your Excel- 
 lency, or to recommend ta the General Assembly, anything 
 further than will occur to every intelligent mind from the 
 facts stated in this report. 
 
 There is one thing, however, against which he would 
 raise a word of warning — too much legislation for public 
 schools. The bane of Alabama for some years has been 
 too much government, and with two Legislatures over this 
 department the fear is that the public school system may 
 be legislated to death. Public education requires the op- 
 eration of government only as a public trustee. It must 
 be left in a great measure with the people themselves in 
 their respective townships to carry into effect the general 
 directions of government. After the State supplies the 
 fund and provides the most efficient means for its prompt 
 and just disbursement, the filling up of the details should 
 be left to the people as much as possible. The more the 
 management of details is taken from the people and 
 brought nearer to the central power of government the less 
 efficient will become a system of public instruction. 
 I am, very respectfully, &c, 
 
 Joseph Hodgson. 
 
\ 
 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 021 481 1B9 
 
 8 "• 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 / 
 
 ;