USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1860-1869 > Part 1
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DUXBURY FREE LIBRARY
EXLIBRIS
IBRIS
EX
1913
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UTI
Duxbury Massachusetts
REPORT
5059 17ml+
OF THE
Selectmen and Overseers of the Door
OF THE
TOWN OF DUXBURY,
FOR THE
I YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 14, 1860.
BOSTON : PRINTED BY DAMRELL & MOORE, 16 DEVONSHIRE STREET. 1860.
Duxbury Room
974.48
352.0744 D987
1 8
3 8
REPORT.
IN accordance with a vote of the town, the Selectmen and Over- seers of the Poor submit their Annual Report of Receipts and Ex- penditures of the Town of Duxbury, for the year ending February 14, 1860.
STATEMENT OF SCHOOL MONEY.
| No. District.
PRUDENTIAL COMMITTEE
Balance
from 1858.
Assessment
for 1859.
Bank
Dividend
and
School fund
Total.
Amount of
orders
drawn.
Balance due.
1 Henry Wadsworth,.
$149 53
$200 84
$40 01
$390 38
$271 79
$118 59
2 Geo. P. Freeman, . .
154 95
217 15
45 20
417 30
271 63
145 67
3 David Chandler, Jr.,
110 13
170 55
30 39
311 07
214 91
96 16
4 John W. Brewster,.
42
207 83
42 23
250 48
100 50
149 98
5 F. W. Simmons, ...
3 22
128 61
17 05
148 88
79 28
69 60
6 Benj. Alden,.
24 95
112 30
11 87
149 12
76 00
73 12
7 Melzar Hunt, .
141 01
228 80
48 90
418 71
251 82
166 89
8 |James Wild, ..
146 73
210 16
42 97
399 86
251 23
148 63
9 Consider Burgess, ..
75 91
109 97
11 13
197 01
92 00
105 01
10 Luther Sherman, ...
75 06
137 93|
20 02
233 01
147 06
85 95
11 G. W. Witherill, ...
77 33
151 91)
24 45
253 69
178 19
75 50
12 | Nahum Keen, ..
123 95
15 58
139 53
60 00
79 53
$959 24
$2000 00
$349 80
$3309 04
$1994 41
$1314 63
TOWN'S DEBTS.
Paid Elbridge Chandler, services Selectman, 1858, -
$22 83
Daniel E. Bosworth,
11 83
6 Samuel Atwell,
66
16 50
66
Eayrs & Fairbanks, valuation book,
10 50
Remittance of taxes,
-
53 51
$115 17
Balance carried to incidental expenses, -
50 22
$165 39
. .
-
6
4
Contra, Cr.
By balance from 1858,
$165 39
INCIDENTAL EXPENSES.
Paid Zenas Winsor and others, digging snow, -
$36 34
William W. Holmes,
66
-
-
- 39 37
Peres Loring,
8 95
Otis White,
15 87
Martin Simmons, 66
66
-
-
16 57
Martin S. Chandler,
66
66
.
6 42
Samuel Atwell,
66
.
20 41
66 Samuel E. Ripley,
40 63
66 Eden S. Sampson,
20 97
Stephen Chandler, Jr.,
66
66
.
-
6 01
Barker Hunt,
8 50
John C. Lewis,
50
Judah Harlow,
2 67
66
Wm. W. Holmes and others, over-work on highways, John A. Harlow,
3 98
66
Benjamin Howland,
15 19
66 Otis White,
66
60
60
8 36
Martin S. Chandler,
66
66
66
6 83
Zenas Winsor,
4 76
Barker Hunt,
66
3 50
66 Samuel E. Ripley,
66
66
17 74
66 Simeon Chandler,
66
3 88
Stephen Chandler, Jr.,
66
66
3 15
Samuel Atwell,
66
66
5 86
66 Peres Loring,
66
66
66
66
27 64
66 66 Martin S. Chandler, Samuel A. Frazer, posts and rails for bridge, -
1 52
Samuel Stickney, over-work on highways, -
2 04
66 Wm. W. Holmes and others, over-work on highways,
13 12
Amount carried forward,
$363 46
-
66
-
-
-
-
.
7 20
John A. Harlow,
-
-
66
66
-
8 15
66
66
7 33
66
-
66
-
5
Amount brought forward,
$363 46
Paid William Chandler, work on highways,
William M. Smith, over-work 66
2 17
Martin Winsor,
34
. . Luther Sherman and others, work on roads,
13 26
6 6 Elbridge Chandler 66 66
19 40
66 William Chandler, repairing bridge,
-
6 00
66 Otis White, 66 road, - -
3 00
66 David Chandler, 66
66
-
8 00
66 Eli Chandler, 66
-
10 00
66 Nath'l L. Chandler, and bridge, -
19 33
Rufus G. Chandler, dyke, -
-
16 45
Peres Loring, building road,
128 99
Peleg Ford, repairing bridge, -
12 50
66 John A. Harlow, stone for bridge, -
7 50
Lewis Simmons, Jr., repairing bridge, -
8 95
66 Jesse Simmons, building road near schoolhouse No. 5,
87 04
Rufus Randall, 66 66 66
69 42
.6 Michael Rooney, 66 66 66
35 44
66 Joseph F. Wadsworth, repairing dyke, - -
7 25
Isaac Torry, 66 66 - -
10 83
66 Joseph McFarland, blasting rocks,
2 00
Taxes remitted, assessed in 1855, '56, '57, '58, and '59, Engine men, No. 1, -
42 00
66 - " 2, -
39 00
Engineers of Fire Department, - 16 50 -
66 Rufus Holmes, rent of land for Engine house, -
3 00
Charles H.Chandler, notifying town officers, take oath,
4 92
66 William J. Alden, constable fees, - -
9 49
66 School Committee to pay for books,
-
-
29 00
66
-
50 45
66
66 - 10 00
66 Josiah Peterson, keeping and delivering school books, 15 00
recording births and deaths, - -
21 00
66
66 registering dogs, - -
-
6 70
66 Nathan C. Brewster, returning deaths, repairing stove, &c.,
15 07
" Printing School Committee Reports, 41 34
- $1,547 48 Amount carried forward, -
-
8 00
George Chandler, -
-
-
14 00
-
-
66
390 68
- -
-
6
Amount brought forward,
- $1,547 48 -
Paid printing Selectmen Reports, - 45 00 - 66 tax bills, - 7 38 -
John Alden, interest on note,
81 00
66 Enoch Freeman, sealing weights and measures, -
3 00
William R. Sever, « 66
1 00
Elbridge Chandler, services Selectman and Assessor, Samuel Atwell, 66 -
50 00
John Holmes,
-
40 00
66 Daniel E. Bosworth, for powder, blasting rocks, -
1 50
66 Gersham W. Witherill, stove-pipe for town house,
4 62
66 Consider Burgess, watching fire, -
1 50
66 Nathaniel A. Burgess, “
1 50
Charles Burgess, 66 66
1 50
66 Eden S. Sampson, over-work on highways,
5 80
" Peleg Wadsworth, lamps for town house, 12 10
1 25
Elbridge Chandler, cost of court, road complained of by George F. Hatch and others, 16 22
Samuel Stetson, surveying and other business, -
14 53
66 Town of Kingston, stone post, 2 50
66 Harvey Soule, Treasurer and Collector fees, - -
98 52
$1,979 30
Contra, Cr.
Received from School Committee from sale of school books, $48 16
Assessed for contingent, digging snow, deficiency of high- ways, overlays on taxes, book tax, -
1,619 01
Omitted taxes, - - -
29 25
Received of the town of Kingston, State and County tax, 17 17
Balance from town debts, -
50 22
Dog tax, -
-
77 00
Nathan C. Brewster, for town house, - . -
12 00
Overdrawn to balance, - -
.
126 49
$1,979 30
-
66 Martin Freeman, moving weights and measures, -
42 00
66
7
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Paid Aaron Josselyn, 1858, -
-
-
-
$40 00
" G. B. Weston,
-
-
-
-
-
-
40 00
" Josiah Moore, 1859, -
-
-
-
-
40 00
Balance to new account, -
-
-
-
80 00
$240 00
Contra, Cr.
Balance from 1858, -
-
-
-
$120 00
Assessed for 1859, -
-
-
-
-
120 00
$240 00
ENGINE,
Paid Joseph Goodspeed, cleaning Engine No. 1,
$2 84
Frank Pride, " 2,
-
4 41
" William Joice, use of horses for Engine,
-
1 00
" James B. Vinal, repairs on
-
1 51
Balance to new account, -
20 00
$30 00
Contra, Cr.
Money assessed, -
-
-
30 00
SETTLEMENT WITH LIQUOR AGENT.
By amount of Liquor purchased, - -
-
-
$244 20
" Agent's salary, - -
-
40 00
$284 20
Balance, -
.
1 07
$285 27
For Liquor sold, including barrels,
$285 27
-
40 00
" Aaron Josselyn,
8
We have also examined the Treasurer's accounts, and find them as follows : ---
Dr.
Balance in the Treasury at last settlement in cash, and
outstanding taxes, - - -
-
- $1,190 14
Received G. B. Weston, school-books,
-
49 16
66 School Fund, - -
100 80
16 Bank Dividend, - -
249 00
66 Town of Kingston, State and County tax,
17 17
Foot of tax bills for 1859, -
-
- 7,184 01
66 Omitted taxes, -
28 69
Town of Brookline, boarding Mrs. Hannah Crehore, -
- 19 50
Town Clerk, for Dog tax, -
. 77 00
66 Nathan C. Brewster, for use of town house, - 12 00
$8,926 47
Cr.
Paid County tax, -
-
- $1,636 06
State
579 00
Selectmen orders,
4,012 83
Overseers Poor orders, -
1,576 57
Uncollected taxes, -
475 62
66 Cash on hand,
638 39
Crows' heads, -
8 00
$8,926 47
OUTSTANDING DEBTS OF THE TOWN.
Due the several school districts, -
- $1,314 63
school committee, - -
- 80 00
66 John Alden, note and interest, - .
- 468 00
" Nathan C. Brewster, note and interest, -
162 64
selectmen, - -
74 84
Balance overdrawn from incidental account, - 126 50
$2,226 61
-
-
-
·
-
.
-
-
-
-
9
Available Means to pay the same.
Uncollected taxes, -
-
-
-
$475 62
Cash on hand, -
-
-
-
638 39
Leaving a deficiency of - - -
1,112 60
$2,226 61
The selectmen would recommend the following sums to defray the expenses of the town the ensuing year, viz :-
Schools,
- $2,000 00
Highways,
1,200 00
Contingent expenses,
- 500 00
School committee, - -
-
-
- 120 00
Engine, - -
- -
-
-
-
- - 30 00
Support of poor, -
1,800 00
$5,650 00
All of which is respectfully submitted,
ELBRIDGE CHANDLER,
Selectmen SAMUEL ATWELL, JOHN HOLMES,
of Duxbury.
2
-
-
-
10
REPORT OF THE OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.
Expenses of the Almshouse for the Year 1859, February 14, 1860.
Paid Rufus Sampson, superintendent, -
-
- $295 84
John Sampson, goods, - -
-
9 46
Martin Freeman, making two coffins, 9 00
Abraham Dawes, cedar post, - -
5 00
" Nathaniel Ford & Sons, goods,
101 23
" John Delano, Jr., teaming and beef,
24 09
George Bradford, meat,
13 29
Perez Loring, wood,
-
-
-
41 90
Otis Weston, shoemaking,
- -
-
-
-
-
-
-
4 50
Sylvanus Prior, teaming, -
12 25
Nathan C. Brewster, coal,
34 92
Ziba Hunt, wood, - -
8 62
6 Rufus Sampson, cows, -
21 00
Gersham Bradford, pigs, -
17 00
Melzar Brewster, returning Olive Brewster house,
1 00
.6 Peleg Wadsworth, goods, -
6 24
Allen Prior, flour and meal, - -
181 42
" Nathan C. Brewster, undertaker, -
6 00
66 Harvey Soule, goods, -
-
59 14
Samuel Atwell, alcohol, - -
-
1 00
Elbridge Chandler, keeping books, and to Plymouth, 8 33
Rufus Sampson, bill, articles for house, - 33 30
$896 48
Expenses for Support of Poor out of Almshouse, for 1859.
Paid Widow Galen Keen, support, - - -
- 38 25
Cyrus Churchill and family, support, -
48 00
66 Warren Brewster, support, 5 32 - -
Amount carried forward, - - $91 57
-
1 95
George Baker, wood, -
-
11
Amount brought forward, - -
$91 57
Paid Joshua Bryant, Jr., support, - - 6 00
John Sampson, goods, Mrs. Beach, support, 3 15
Widow Seth Hunt, support, - 33 50 - -
Josiah Morton, nursing, 56 00
Rich'd B. Chandler, wood, Mrs. Anderson & Barton, 6 12
66 John Porter, medical attendance, 17 00
State Lunatic Hospital, Taunton, -
395 40
.6 Nathaniel Ford & Sons, goods Mrs. Lucy Soule, -
3 00
Seth Jones, coffin for Joseph Freeman, -
6 00
" Ezra Anderson, nurse for wife, -
4 22
Benjamin Alden, wood for Charles Witherill, -
2 50
Nathan'l Ford & Sons, goods Wid. Steph'n Weston, 1 88
Jabez Peterson, wood Widow Stephen Weston, - 2 75
$629 09
By balance from settlement of 1858, $91 77 By appropriation for 1859, - 1200 00
Received of the town of Brookline, for boarding Mrs. Hannah Crehore, - -
19 50
Vegetables, milk, eggs, hay, and cow, sold from farm, 79 07
$1,390 34
RECAPITULATION.
The whole amount of available means for the year ending Febrary 14th, 1860, - .
- - $1,390 34
Balance overdrawn, -
- 135 23
$1,525 57
Amount of expenses in the house, - - $896 48
out of
-
-
.
629 09
$1,525 57
.
1
12
The whole number of persons admitted to the house during the year is sixteen : the largest at any one time is twelve ; the smallest is eight. Average number, ten. Average expenditures of the house through the year have been one dollar and seventy-two cents and four mills per week.
There have been raised the past season, upon the land connected with the house, crops sufficient to supply the house during the summer and autumn ; also, harvested for the benefit of the house, the following amount of produce, to wit : seventy-five bushels potatoes, sixteen bushels of turnips, six bushels of beets and carrots, eight bushels of parsnips, one bushel of onions, three bushels of beans, two bushels of corn, and three and one-half tons English hay.
An Inventory of Articles remaining in the House, Barn, &c., on the 14th day of February, 1860., viz .: -
Three-quarters barrel of flour, seven pounds of tea, four gallons of molasses, forty pounds lard, half-barrel of beef, one and a half barrels pork, one hundred pounds ham, ten pounds butter, two bushels corn, two bushels of meal, two bushels of beans, thirty-two bushels potatoes, five bushels of turnips, two-thirds barrel of soap, five cords white-pine wood, two cords oak wood, four tons coal, one ton of English hay, half a ton salt hay.
All of which is respectfully submitted,
ELBRIDGE CHANDLER,
Overseers SAMUEL ATWELL, of the Poor.
JOHN HOLMES,
13
Taxes uncollected at the time of the Treasurer's Settlement with the Selectmen, February 14, 1860.
Eugene D. Winsor.
Isaac Sturtevant.
George F. Andrews.
Zadock Bradford.
Samuel Peterson, Jr.
Eugene A. Winsor.
James Randall.
Lucius A. Waterman.
Daniel B. Thrasher.
John Wild.
Benjamin Freeman.
Charles Delano, 2d.
Thomas Peterson, 2d.
David Farrington.
Bradford Holmes.
Edward Turner.
Estate Bradford Holmes.
William K. Turner.
Henry Holmes. John McIntire.
Samuel Chandler.
Weston Freeman.
Joseph D. Gerry.
Jerome Chandler.
Ezra Anderson.
Alonzo Chandler.
Nathan Chandler.
William Randall.
Levi Ford.
Alfred Drew.
Jonathan Glass, Jr.
Estate Charles Church.
William Perry.
Ellis Holmes.
Rufus Sampson, Jr.
Walter Winsor.
Judah Chandler.
Henry J. Dunster.
Proctor A. Damon.
Ellis F. Peterson.
George P. Peterson.
William Phillips.
Francis Randall.
Ahira Wadsworth.
Aaron Simmons.
Deborah Randall.
Martin Simmons. William Bowen.
Jabez Peterson.
George O. Peterson.
Peter S. Strang.
Elijah Peterson.
George S. Cushman.
James Thomas.
Charles Cox.
Westley Simmons.
George Lapham.
William E. Holmes.
Joseph W. Simmons.
Charles S. Weston.
John D. Woodard.
Estate Sylvester Eldridge.
William Fleming.
Estate Simeon Soule.
Nelson Stetson. Joseph S. Thomas. Elisha D. Thomas. Eben Taylor. Calvin Josselyn, Jr.
Simeon Soule. Austin Weston.
James S. Weston. Samuel A. Frazer.
Emma Whipple.
14
Frederich Simons. Henry Southworth. Edward Baker.
Peleg Cushman. George F. Dorr.
· Paul Baker. Lysander Howard. Estate Jabez Fuller. John A Chandler.
Nathan Dorr, 2d. Joseph Fish. John Gurdy. James Partridge.
Nathaniel Faunce
Cornelius Faunce. Charles Sprague.
Calvin B. Paine.
Lewis Taylor. Estate Albert Ames.
Nathaniel B. Weston.
Ezra Smith.
Nathaniel Delano, Jr.
Joseph Hewitt.
Nathaniel Delano, Gard.
Eliza Hewitt.
George A. Faunce. Nathaniel Winsor.
Alden Harlow.
John Baker.
Edgar H. Bailey.
Samuel Baker.
Stephen Chandler, Jr.
Ezekiel Rider.
John J. Peterson.
Horatio Baker.
ANNUAL REPORT 2
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF DUXBURY,
FOR THE YEAR 1859-60.
BOSTON: PRINTED BY DAMRELL & MOORE No. 16 DEVONSHIRE STREET. 1860
REPORT.
YOUR Committee for 1859-60, in concluding their labors for the year, would respectfully submit to their constituents and fellow-citizens the following Report : -
The system adopted last year, in the purchase and distri- bution of School Books for the use of the town, has been found to be practicable ; and, although attended with additional labor, it has operated well, and answered the purpose had in view. The books now purchased can all be accounted for, from the time of purchase, until their final distribution among the schools.
In procuring books, we have been governed by the actual present wants of the schools, as we have been desirous of avoiding an unnecessary accumulation, that hereafter we may not have on hand old and obsolete stock to encumber our shelves, or to be exchanged at a loss to the town ; in so doing we are enabled to balance accounts with the publishers at the end of the year, and leave behind no outstanding debts.
At the close of this year, there will be left of the present year's purchase only a sufficient number and variety of books to meet the wants of the schools at the commencement of the summer term, amounting in value to $77.99, which is but a little more than the amount remaining unsold at the close of the last year.
We have exchanged some more of the old stock of books for such as are now in use, and a few yet remain that cannot well be disposed of.
4
Some changes must necessarily be made in books to keep pace with the improvements of the times ; but we have made these sparingly, and only upon conviction that such changes would be for the good of the schools.
Mitchell's Geographies, though excellent in their day, have been superseded by others that have come into general circu lation, and which are thought to be better adapted to the purposes of instruction in that branch of study. These books have long been in our schools, and have, since their first introduction, passed through many editions ; so that those more recently purchased do not at all agree with those pur- chased some years since ; making not only classification difficult, but obliging scholars to learn what, though once true, now ceases to be so, on account of changes which have occurred in names and places concerning which it is the province of Geo- graphy to teach. Your Committee have, therefore, substituted Cornell's Geographies for Mitchell's, and have been at the trouble of collecting all the old ones in actual use in the schools, and of putting into them new ones instead, without any expense to the scholars, and with but little expense to the town. Many of the old books exchanged for new ones were nearly worn out, and could not possibly have been used much longer ; in this light, the terms of the exchange must be considered liberal to the town, as well as to the scholars.
By a vote of the town, in view of a recent Act of the Legis- lature putting the power of appointment and contracting with teachers (after July, 1859) into the hands of the Superin- tending Committee, we were entrusted with that authority at once ; and, consequently, were charged with duties and responsibilities of a critical and delicate kind ; but we have met these responsibilities, and discharged these duties, accord- ing to the best of our abilities, without fear or favor, having the welfare of the schools always in view in all our appoint- ments and contracts. How well we have done our duty, and how well we have succeeded, we are willing the candid should judge, after considering all the circumstances connected with our position in initiating a new system and carrying it into
5
practical operation ; for it must be borne in mind that it takes time to reconcile many minds to any system that is new, however good it may be. This is natural, and to be expected. But, to be persistently opposed to any order of things, simply because it is new, is certainly absurd, and would tend to prevent all progress and improvement. We should not be where we now are as a community, if our fathers had rigidly adhered to old customs and usages, refusing to be guided by the light of new discoveries.
Our School System has been from the beginning a creature of circumstances, and has been developed and matured from time to time as experience and observation seemed to dictate, until it has attained to such a state of excellence as to chal- lenge the admiration of the wise and good of every enlightened community. But it is undoubtedly capable of still greater improvement, and our State legislation has been shaped to bring about this desired object. Perhaps legislation has gone further and faster in some instances than the minds of the people were prepared for ; and, consequently, a reaction of a limited kind has taken place, and caused our legislators to retrace their steps, and wait a short time for the people to be better prepared for changes, that a majority think, even now, would be salutary.
Our District System has not existed in its present form from the beginning. It is within the memory of some of our citizens now upon the stage, that the town once had the entire control of the educational interests of the people within her limits. And equal and exact justice cannot be done to our children, until the town shall make such arrangements, in the location and building of school-houses, and in the equal distribution of the school-money, as will secure to the children of all parts of the town the same privileges, and the same amount and quality of instruction, which is now far from being done, as will be seen by a comparison of the schools with each other in these respects.
Our Schools, supported by the town, with the help of State Funds, are properly termed Public Schools ; for the reason that
6
they are not only sustained at the public expense, but are de- signed to be a public advantage, by shedding their benign influ- ence alike upon all classes of the community - upon children of every condition, whether rich or poor ; affording the means of moral and intellectual elevation to the child of the humblest citizen, as well as to those more favored in their circumstances in life. And it is the glory, as well as the aim, of our public system of instruction, that it brings out latent talent which might otherwise lie dormant, and makes it subservient to the interest and prosperity of the State. We have had all along in the history of our beloved Commonwealth many striking examples of the blessings conferred by our Free Schools.
It has been the settled policy of the State to make useful knowledge diffusive, and to have the doors of the Temple of Science not only open and accessible to all, but to make the Temple itself attractive and inviting, and not unseemly and repulsive. And when we come to put a right estimate upon the proper training and education of our children, we shall think almost any amount of labor and expense, when judiciously bestowed, justified by the end we have in view. But our labor and expense should be bestowed judiciously. It is not enough that we cheerfully vote our money to supply the necessary means, but such means should be employed in the manner that experience and observation teach us to be of the greatest practical utility.
Our State Board of Education, made up as it has been of high-minded, intelligent, and honorable men, has from time to time given us the benefit of their superior opportunities for right information upon the subject of public instruction ; and, we may add, there has been a remarkable harmony between their views and those that have been expressed by men of education generally throughout the State.
The policy adopted by the Board many years since, and followed by State legislation, has tended to the same end, viz., that the towns, acting in their corporate capacity, and in harmony with State laws, should take the entire charge of the schools, and make the arrangements for their accommodation,
7
and the supply of suitable teachers. A majority of the towns have already come into this policy ; and none, to our knowledge, that have done so, have relinquished it, and gone back to the old order of things.
In most cases where school-houses are to be built, the burthen bears heavily upon the district ; consequently the matter is delayed as long as possible, to the great detriment of the school. And even those districts that have houses in tolerable repair, generally find it difficult to keep them so, without appropriating a portion of the school-money to pay their small bills, under cover of " fuel, &c."
The districts are sometimes called "little democracies." They are certainly little, that is comparatively, as they are by no means as large as the democracy of the whole town; and nothing comes nearer to a true democracy than a town-meet- ing, where all the citizens can be represented in their own persons. If districts are of any special value independently of towns, why not contend for the right to do every thing within themselves - build their own houses, and keep them in repair -raise their own school-money, - provide their own teachers, and approbate them too ? If this matter were to be left entirely to the districts, and the plan carried out in extenso, the schools in some districts would go down faster and farther than ever the sun went down upon the dial of Ahaz, and the children of such districts would suffer an irreparable loss.
As things now are, under the district system, the town and district are often in a state of antagonism with each other, and nullify each other's proceedings. The superintending and prudential committees have a divided responsibility, and not unfrequently stand in each other's way. The prudential committee will send a teacher to the superintending com- mittee to be examined, of whom, perhaps, neither has any reliable knowledge ; and this is often done but a day or two before the school is to begin, leaving the committee the poor alternative of approbating such an one, or subjecting the school for which the teacher is designed to delay and dis- appointment, and giving great offence to the parties concerned.
8
But this is not all ; no committee can form a decisive opinion of any of the qualities of a proposed teacher, except in regard to literary attainments. Ability to govern and discipline a school, aptness to teach, &c., cannot be determined by a mere examination ; and, whatever the committee may think, the teacher offered under such circumstances must be taken upon trust to make an experiment. And again : the success of teachers depends very much upon their adaptation to the particular schools they are to teach ; and this car. ordinarily be best judged of by the committee, who have the oversight of all the schools, and observe their peculiarities.
Prudential committees rarely go into the schools to see how the teachers succeed, but throw the responsibility upon the superintending committee ; and they must, in case of failure, either let the school go on, or resort to the disagreeable remedy of dismission ; in either case instances happen when the whole matter is attended with serious embarrassment. Failures will sometimes occur, let the appointment be made as it may ; but the advantage of making a suitable appointment certainly lies with the committee who must be supposed, from their position, and the manner in which they are chosen, to be most capable of deciding such things. The responsibility, anxiety, and labor, however, of making such appointments for the whole town, are of such a character, that no committee would be likely to desire them for their own sake, or could be reconciled to them on any other ground than that of having the schools brought under a suitable system of instruction, and giving some stability to the employment and profession of the teachers, and not having them made liable to constant changes, as id the case when each district, through its agent, provides for itself.
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