Natural History, viz. Geology, Mineralogy, and if desired, in Botany and Zoology.

This collection is to be made with reference to the various classes of society in a town, and deposited in some central place, where persons from all sections of the town, and of various pursuits and ages, can meet, according to arrangements made to accommodate the whole.

At one time, school teachers can meet, and discuss or illustrate subjects relating to their profession, and consequently for the benefit, not of themselves, but of their schools, and through them, for the benefit of the community and the world.

At the same or another time, misses and lads, young ladies and gentlemen, who frequently waste their time in school with little children, or have passed the age for common school instruction, may meet, and receive in a weekly or semi-weekly course of exercises among themselves, or under the assistance of a regular teacher, a clergyman, a lawyer, a physician, a farmer, a mechanic, a merchant, any gentleman or lady competent and disposed to teach, instruction fitted to their age, pursuits, and wants.

At the same place and with the same opportunities, farmers can meet, to bring together their own views and experience, and compare them with those related by authors upon the subject of consideration, it having been adopted at a previous meeting. By the aid of apparatus and tests, the correctness of views or principles, may, perhaps, be tried by actual experiment.

Mechanics can also make use of the same place, library, apparatus and specimens, to illustrate subjects, and prove or test principles, which they daily use, and a knowledge of which would increase both their satisfaction and success in their useful pursuits.

Societies of females, for literary or benevolent purposes, might improve the same opportunities, to give interest to their meetings, and greater efficiency and usefulness, to their exercises.

Besides exercises fitted to the pursuits or the wants of particular classes of society, others of a more general or popular character may be introduced, such as popular lectures on the sciences, or any other subject of useful knowledge and common interest; and these, either by a citizen or citizens, or by some one employed from abroad for the purpose.

To strengthen and facilitate the operations of the several branch Lyceums, all in a county are to be united by a Board of Delegates, who are to meet semi-annually, to adopt regulations,

and forward measures for the general and mutual benefit of the whole. A County Lyceum is intended also to adopt measures for the benefit of schools in their district-to collect facts respecting their state and their wants, suggest improvements, and perhaps act as a Board of examiners of school teachers in the county, and of course to take the place of town committees for that object.

Each County Lyceum in a State is to appoint one or more representatives, to meet perhaps, during the session of their Legislature, to organize and adopt measures, to advance the interests of education. A State Lyceum may act as a Board of Education; and by appointing committees for specific object, viz. one to examine and recommend school books; another to determine upon the most essential branches in a system of popular education; the proportionate time and attention proper to devote to each; the order in which they should be introduced, and the most efficient methods of inculcating them.

Not only the various subjects of instruction, but the different faculties of the mind, viz. judgment, memory, temper and imagination, might justly come under the consideration of this or another committee. The subject of such a committee would be to give both efficiency and symmetry to education.

From several State Lyceums a General Union might be formed, to be called the American Lyceum, and to perform the duties of an American Board of Education, in the most extensive sense of the word.

Under the patronage of the American Lyceum may be published, a Journal, or the Journal of Education; small, familiar and practical treatises on the sciences, scientific, biographical, or historical tracts, &c. for the benefit of the various town Lyceums, schools, workshops, taverns, steam boats, and private families.

More than fifty societies upon this plan are already formed, and from the greater or less success which has uniformly attended their operations, and from the great increase of strength and efficiency, which an extensive and GENERAL UNION of the plan could not fail to give to individual efforts, it is most earnestly hoped, that every town and village in New-England, at least, will take the subject into early and serious consideration, to determine whether they cannot, during the months of autumn and winter, participate in spirit, and engage in the exercises, that they may enjoy the benefits of an institution designed for the diffusion of knowledge and the benefit of the world.-Bost. Advertiser.

Progress of the Lyceum. The fifty or sixty branches of the American Lyceum already established, contemplate a National Institution for the diffusion of knowledge, and the introduction of a uniform and improved system of popular education. It is hoped that, early in the autumn season, every town and village in New England at least, will take its objects into consideration, in regard, both to the instruction it promises to those who associate, and the general diffusion of useful and practical knowledge through the community.

If farmers generally, throughout the country, should enter into the arrangement, and under it, hold weekly meetings, through the winter, to discuss subjects relating to their business, it could not fail to reward them abundantly with rich and useful instruction, and the most elevated and refined social enjoyment.

Perhaps, however, there is no class of the community, to whom the aid it offers is so important, as school teachers. Weekly meetings of teachers, where they could have books, apparatus, and other means of instructing each other, would immediately throw their benign and powerful influence into schools, and through them, into the whole mass of society.

Am. Trav.

It has been our endeavour to inculcate the desire of usefulness, regard to character, and the love of learning, as inducements to industrious study. We give our decided preference to such motives as these, above any artificial stimulants that have ever been devised. The rank of each member of our school depends upon his exemplary conduct, and excellent scholarship. To facilitate the attainment of this object, and to make the effects of regularity and industry the more apparent, the following plan has been adopted :-The teachers and monitors are selected with reference to their standing. The duty of the teachers is to hear the recitations of certain classes assigned to them, and mark against each name, on a slate prepared for the purpose, a credit, or several credits, a check or several checks, according to the character of the recitation. The duty of the

monitors, who sit at the head of the seats, each of them having a list of those occupying the row of desks immediately before him, is, to copy off, at the expiration of each hour, the accounts made out by the teachers. At the end of each half day, these bills are read aloud, together with the marks for misdemeanours, irregularities, and tardiness; and excuses may be offered by the delinquents. Whenever these are deemed valid, the mark is erased. Each monitor has a right to set down any one on his list, for disorderly conduct; but this is more particularly the province of two monitors of order, who are constantly at the desk, and overlook the whole school. At the expiration of the week, the accounts are balanced, and the amount of credits, checks, merits, forfeits,* misdemeanours, &c. is again read aloud, and every scholar is at liberty to correct errors. The bills thus adjusted, are transferred into a large book, containing a catalogue of all the members of the school; against whose names the weekly accounts are recorded. Thus the progress and character of each individual, are subjects of record in the annals of the school a method, in our opinion, well calculated to awaken a sentiment of self-respect, a desire of improvement, and an honorable ambition to excel. Besides which, it is our intention to have an exhibition at the expiration of each term, the performances of which, will be assigned in strict reference to regularity of conduct, regularity of attendance, and standing in scholarship. Such motives to exertion have not been found inefficient thus far, and it is believed the result will fully justify the reasoning on which they are founded.

*Two credits equal 1 merit; ten checks 1 forfeit. Other punishments are used, such as probation, or suspension from intercourse with the school.

INTELLIGENCE.

APPRENTICES' LIBRARY IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.

AT a meeting of the citizens, held at the City Hall, in the City of Washington, on Thursday evening, the 24th instant, for the purpose of organizing a Library Association for the use and benefit of Apprentices-the Rev. Reuben Post was called to the chair, and J. Elkins appo.nted secretary.

The committee appointed for that purpose at a previous meeting, submitted the following Constitution for the government of the Association, which was unanimously adopted.

Constitution of the Apprentices' Library Association.

Art. 1 This Association shall be denominated the Apprentices' Library Association of Washington City.

Art. 2. The officers of the Association shall be a Board of Directors, consisting of five persons, to be chosen after the present year on the first Monday of May, annually, by ballot, who shall appoint their president, a treasurer, and librarian, and have the general control and direction of the library.

Art. 3. The president must be one of the directors elect, shall preside in all meetings of the board, and sign orders of the treasurer.

The treasurer shall collect and safely keep all money, accounts, and bonds, belonging to the association, pay all orders of the board, and render. annually, an exact account of all the receipts, expenditures, and funds of the association. The librarian shall have charge of the books belonging to the library, arrange and preserve them in good order, keep a catalogue of the same, deliver and receive books at such times as the board may appoint, keep a record of every book taken from the library, the name of the person taking it, at the times of taking and returning the same, together with all fines and forfeitures arising from default. He shall also act as secretary to the board of directors.

Art. 4. Any person who shall pay to the treasurer three dollars or upwards, on subscribing this constitution, or who shall contribute to the library books, approved and estimated by the directors, to the value of ten dollars or upwards, shall be a member of this association: and, in addition to his voting in elections, and eligibility to office in this association, he shall have the privilege of using the books of the library, on the same terms as the apprentices themselves.

5. Any apprentice, and any member of this association, who shall pay to the treasurer the sum of twenty-five cents per quarter, shall be allowed to take from the library one folio or quarto volume, two octavos, or under, and keep the folio, six weeks; the quarto, four weeks; the octavo, three weeks; and the duodecimo, two weeks, with the privilege of renewal and shall be subject to a fine of six and a quarter cents on each book, for every library day it is detained beyond the limited time.

Art. 6. If any person shall lose or damage a book, he shall make the same good to the librarian; and if the book lost be one of a set, he shall pay, at the discretion of the board, the value of the entire set, and be permitted to take the old set as his own.

Art. 7. This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting of the association, by a majority of the members present; and the board of directors may, at any time, adopt such rules and regulations, for attaining the object of the association, as they shall think best; provided they do not contravene any part of this constitution.

The meeting proceeded to the election of directors for the present year, and the following gentlemen were chosen, namely:-Hon. William Cranch,