Boston, up to
May, 1851, was 260,000l.; and the salary of the head-master is, within
a few pounds, equal to that of the governor of the State.

Say, then, reader, has some portion of the spirit of the Pilgrim Fathers
descended to the present generation, or not?--a population of 150,000
devoting 260,000l. to education.

Wherever parents are unable to provide books, &c., the children are
supplied with the use of them _gratis_. All corporal punishment is
strongly discouraged, but not prohibited; and all inflictions thereof
are recorded for the information of the Visiting Board. Having omitted
to make personal inquiries on the spot, I obtained, through the kindness
of Mr. Ticknor, answers to the following questions on the point of
religious instruction:--

1. "Are the pupils at your normal schools obliged to receive religious
instruction from some minister, and to attend some place of worship; or
may they, if they prefer, receive no such instruction, and attend no
church?"

"The State has put the normal schools under the charge of the Board of
Education, with no special law or instructions. The Board of Education
endeavours to act on exactly the same principles as those which the law
has laid down with respect to the common schools. The Board requires
that the pupils of the normal schools attend some place of worship, the
pupil making his own choice. These schools are opened every morning with
reading the Scriptures, singing, and prayer. The moral conduct of the
pupils is carefully watched over, and instruction is given in respect to
the best methods of training the young in religion and morals. The
religious teaching is ethical, not doctrinal."

2. "Are the children at your common schools obliged to receive some
religious instruction, or if their parents express a wish they should
not receive any at school, is the wish complied with?"

"The law requires all teachers to instruct their pupils 'in the
principles of piety,' and forbids any sectarian books to be introduced
into the public schools. The school committees of each town prescribe
the class-books to be used, and commonly make the Bible one of those
books. The teacher is expected to follow the law in respect to teaching
the principles of piety, without any instruction from the school
committee, and is almost always allowed to do this in his own way,
unless he is guilty of some impropriety, in which case the school
committee interferes. He usually has devotiona