APPENDIX.

THE SCHOOL LAW OF 1782.

The law of 1782 is believed to be the first school law of Vermont. A copy is here presented:

AN ACT FOR APPOINTING AND SUPPORTING SCHOOLS, PASSED OCTOBER 22, 1782, FOR THE DUE ENCOURAGEMENT OF LEARNING AND THE BETTER REGULATION AND ORDERING OF SCHOOLS.

I. Be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted by the representatives of the freemen of the State of Vermont in general assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That each town in this State which can not conveniently be accommodated by one school shall have power, and they are hereby empowered in any legal town meeting by such ways and means as they shall devise, to divide into so many districts as they shall find convenient, and the same to alter from time to time.

And each town shall appoint one or more meet person, within each district, to continue until others shall be chosen, who together with the selectmen of the town shall be trustees of schools in such town. And such trustees, or the major part of them and their successors, shall have power, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, to lease such lands and real estates, and loan such moneys as do or shall appertain to such schools, or are or shall be given for the use aforesaid, and to commence any suit or suits that may be necessary for the recovery and obtaining of such lands, moneys, and other estates, and to take leases, bonds, and other securities to themselves and their successors for the use of such schools, and to sue and recover thereon.

And the trustees shall annually pay over the money arising from the lease of such lands and other real estate, and the loan of such moneys, to a committee of each district respectively, in proportion to the number or lists; and all such bonds, leases, and other securities shall, by said trustees, be lodged with the town clerk of the town, who is directed and required to keep an account thereof and hold the same under the direction of said trustees for the purposes aforesaid.

And such trustees shall render an account of their doings in respect to their trust to the town by whom they were appointed when thereunto required. And the inhabitants within the several districts are empowered from time to time to meet to transact the business of their respective districts, to choose a moderator, district clerk, collector of rates, and a committee of one or more persons to take care of the prudential affairs of the district for which they are chosen. And the committee shall have power, and they are hereby empowered, in their several districts to raise one-half of the money that shall be necessary for building and repairing a schoolhouse and supporting a school in their respective districts by a rate on the list of the polls and rateable estate of the inhabitants of such districts. And the several districts are further empowered, at any meeting warned for that purpose, to raise the other half of the money for the purposes aforesaid, either by a tax on the list of the

blows from the hills and mountains which beautify the view in every direction. A moral, refined, and intelligent people, interested in the university, afford the advantages of good society to the young men. educated here, and there are no temptations to dissipation.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The university has a considerable library containing some valuable books, and a reading room for the use of cadets where the current literature is to be found. The Reveille, a handsome magazine, is edited and published monthly by the cadets. There are two Greekletter societies, the Alpha Sigma Pi and the Theta Chi, to one or the other of which most of the cadets belong. They are of a literary and social character, approved of by the faculty and of value to their members. The cadets also maintain a military band of 16 pieces of a high order of merit.

On every Friday there are "rhetoricals" in which every student is trained in composition and extemporaneous speaking. Two prizes of $15 and $10 are offered by N. Louis Sheldon, esq., class of 1884, to those members of the sophomore and freshman classes who show the greatest merit in declamation in a contest held during commencement week. The member of the senior class who graduates with the highest general study average receives the faculty gold medal. Upon graduation, cadet officers receive commissions signed by the president of the university and by the adjutant and inspector-general of the State. At the close of the spring term, during the week immediately preceding commencement, the entire corps goes into camp on the parade ground and receives instruction in all the details of camp life. The cadets room in the barracks and board together at the mess hall.

An inspection of the military department of Norwich University was made June 9, 1890, by Col. R. P. Hughes, U. S. A., inspectorgeneral of the Atlantic Division. In his report to the War Department Colonel Hughes says of the university:

It has always been managed on a strictly military basis, and the discipline and method are excellent. * * * The students are organized into one company, the * * The present occupant of

officers of which are taken from the senior class.

*

the chair of military science and tactics is Second Lieut. J. McI. Carter, Third Cavalry, who assumed the duties in March last. Lieutenant Carter seems to be entirely capable, zealous, and interested in his work, and gives entire satisfaction to the authorities and to his fellow-professors. * * In conclusion, I wish to say that for its numbers there is no other school in my inspection where the military department presents a better condition than that at Norwich University, Vermont.

*

Owing to the practical military and scientific education received, the present graduates find no difficulty in stepping from the university into lucrative and honorable positions in the business and professional world. The strict discipline which holds every cadet responsible for his deeds and punishes him for his offenses prepares them for the battle of life in which væ victis is the rule.

APPENDIX.

THE SCHOOL LAW OF 1782.

The law of 1782 is believed to be the first school law of Vermont. A copy is here presented:

AN ACT FOR APPOINTING AND SUPPORTING SCHOOLS, PASSED OCTOBER 22, 1782, FOR THE DUE ENCOURAGEMENT OF LEARNING AND THE BETTER REGULATION AND ORDERING OF SCHOOLS.

I. Be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted by the representatives of the freemen of the State of Vermont in general assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That each town in this State which can not conveniently be accommodated by one school shall have power, and they are hereby empowered in any legal town meeting by such ways and means as they shall devise, to divide into so many districts as they shall find convenient, and the same to alter from time to time.

And each town shall appoint one or more meet person, within each district, to continue until others shall be chosen, who together with the selectmen of the town shall be trustees of schools in such town. And such trustees, or the major part of them and their successors, shall have power, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, to lease such lands and real estates, and loan such moneys as do or shall appertain to such schools, or are or shall be given for the use aforesaid, and to commence any suit or suits that may be necessary for the recovery and obtaining of such lands, moneys, and other estates, and to take leases, bonds, and other securities to themselves and their successors for the use of such schools, and to sue and recover thereon.

And the trustees shall annually pay over the money arising from the lease of such lands and other real estate, and the loan of such moneys, to a committee of each district respectively, in proportion to the number or lists; and all such bonds, leases, and other securities shall, by said trustees, be lodged with the town clerk of the town, who is directed and required to keep an account thereof and hold the same under the direction of said trustees for the purposes aforesaid.

And such trustees shall render an account of their doings in respect to their trust to the town by whom they were appointed when thereunto required. And the inhabitants within the several districts are empowered from time to time to meet to transact the business of their respective districts, to choose a moderator, district clerk, collector of rates, and a committee of one or more persons to take care of the prudential affairs of the district for which they are chosen. And the committee shall have power, and they are hereby empowered, in their several districts to raise one-half of the money that shall be necessary for building and repairing a schoolhouse and supporting a school in their respective districts by a rate on the list of the polls and rateable estate of the inhabitants of such districts. And the several districts are further empowered, at any meeting warned for that purpose, to raise the other half of the money for the purposes aforesaid, either by a tax on the list of the

polls and rateable estate of the inhabitants of such district or by subscription in proportion to the number of children any person shall send or subscribe to send to such district school.

And in every of the above cases the committee shall make the whole into a rate bill by a just estimation in money, according to the true intent and meaning of such rate or subscription as aforesaid, and if the same shall not be paid by the time appointed they shall deliver such bill to their respective collectors, with a warrant to collect the same, signed by some councilor or justice of the peace. And such collector shall have the same power in collecting district taxes as the collectors of town rates, and shall be accountable to their respective committees for the sum due on such bill.

And the district committees shall severally have the same power with respect to lands or any other interest or estate, given, granted, or in any wise set apart for the use of schools in their respective districts, as are in this act given to trustees of town schools, and shall be in like manner accountable to their respective districts.

And the judges of the county courts in their respective counties shall have power to appoint trustees of county schools, who shall have the same powers in all matters relating to their trust as trustees of town schools; and shall in like manner be accountable to the judges by whom they were respectively appointed. And said judges, calling to their assistance the justices of the peace in their several counties, shall have the power to lay a tax on the same for the purpose of building a county schoolhouse in such county, to be collected by a warrant from the county treasurer in the same manner that State taxes are.

II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all trustees and committees of schools shall have full power to purchase any lands or other estate, and to sell and alienate such lands and estate so by them purchased for the use of their several schools, under the direction of the judges, town, or district by whom they were appointed. And if any trustee or committee shall embezzle, misapply, or conceal any money or estate belonging to any town, county, or district, for the use of schools as aforesaid, he shall be liable to be removed and to be sued in an action of account by an agent or agents for that purpose appointed by the town, judges of the county court, or district by whom such trustee or committeeman was appointed.

And if it shall be found on trial that such trustee or committeeman has embezzled, misapplied, or concealed any money or estate, as aforesaid, judgment shall be rendered against him, or them, for double the sum so embezzled, misapplied, or concealed; and such action prosecuted by order of the judges of the county court shall be prosecuted and determined before the superior court in their proper counties.

Provided always, That this act shall not extend to any estate formerly granted by any person for the benefit of any particular school or schools; nor to grants of any interests formerly made by any person or particular town, for the use of schools, or for the use of any particular school wherein the grantor hath committed the trust thereof to any particular person or persons with particular directions for a continued succession in such lands, anything contained in this act to the contrary notwithstanding.

In the statute of 1782 nothing was absolutely required. The towns were empowered to divide into districts and to control the boundaries of them. The districts were empowered to organize and to act when organized, and the district committees were empowered to raise money. The town having divided into districts was required to appoint a committee, but this the only command laid upon the town was conditioned upon a previous voluntary act of the town.

The following important link in Vermont school legislation is not found in volumes of collected laws:

AN ACT IN ADDITION TO AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT FOR APPOINTING AND SUPPORTING SCHOOLS."

Whereas disputes have arisen respecting the mode of raising money for building schoolhouses and supporting schools in several towns in this State: Which to prevent, I. It is hereby enacted by the general assembly of the State of Vermont, That at any legal meeting of a district, warned for the purpose of raising money to build a schoolhouse or support a school, it shall and may be raised in whole or in part, by a tax on the polls and rateable estate of the inhabitants of such district, as they may vote to raise the same.

And,

II. It is hereby further enacted, That the clerk of any school district, which is or may be hereafter organized, shall have the same power to warn a meeting of said district, in the same manner which the selectmen now have in warning the first meeting; and that the committee of any school district shall have power and are hereby empowered to appoint and remove schoolmasters from their district; any law, usage, or custom to the contrary notwithstanding. And,

III. It is hereby further enacted, That all school districts which are organized according to law, shall draw an equal part of all public moneys arising to schools, in proportion to the number of children living in such districts, reckoning the number from the age of 4 to 20 years.

Passed October 20, 1795.

EARLY ACTION OF SEVERAL TOWNS RELATIVE TO SCHOOLS.

GUILFORD PROPRIETORS.

December 23, 1761.-Voted: That house lot No. 63 be sequestered for a school in said town, and there be one full share of land not yet drawn for left for said use, viz, three hundred-acre lots.

BENNINGTON.

January 19, 1763.-Voted: To send a petition to the general court of the province of New Hampshire to raise a tax on all the lands in Bennington, resident and nonresident, to build a meetinghouse and a schoolhouse and mills, and for highways and a bridge.

May 9, 1763.-Voted: To raise $6 on each right of land in said Bennington for building a meetinghouse and a schoolhouse. Quoted in Memorials of a Century, by Jennings.

October 5, 1763.—Voted: That the 12 pounds that was raised for the schools is to be divided into three parts equally, viz, 4 pounds apiece.

Voted: That each district was to build their schoolhouses on their own cost.

CHESTER.

February 15, 1773.-Voted: To build a schoolhouse for the use of the town 22 by 18 feet, and that 13 pounds York currency be raised on the inhabitants of said town for that purpose.

HARTFORD.

May 13, 1775.-Chose Amos Robinson, Stephen Tilden, and Benijah Strong a committee to take care of the school lands and rent them out.

GUILFORD TOWN.

April 7, 1777.-Voted: To sell the school right, the money to be applied to maintaining a school.