our own, and that it is fruitless to confound the eternal distinctions of things. Nothing can be more unkind to the object of our sympathy, than to encourage him in the hope that these distinctions will not meet him in after life. His modest virtues have their reward in an approving conscience and the esteem of his fellow-men. But the hand of the Creator has assigned to greater powers and to higher intelligence, another class of rewards which he can never attain. When he leaves his school, he will find that the fame of the orator cannot be gained without the gift of speech, or the wealth of the merchant without the talent for business; that the high salary of the expert accountant depends upon facility in calculation, and the success of the physician on the power of rapid observation and accurate induction. To these fall the prizes of life. There are other and higher rewards which the Ruler of all things bestows in this world, and has promised in that which is to come. But it is a fraud upon the child, to begin his education by concealing from him his real place in the world; it is to sow what he will reap in a harvest of disappoint ment. One topic only remains, in concluding our report; and that our fellow citizens may think has been presented often enough to be passed over for a single year. But we consider it the duty of every Committee, until the end is attained, to urge upon the public the expediency of entrusting to this Board the expenditure for schools and school houses. We say the expenditure; for we lay no claim to the right of controlling the appropriations. It is just that the City Council, which lays the tax, should also hold the purse. But the distribution and application of the money to schools no body of men can make so promptly, so prudently, or so wisely, as the Board who are entrusted with their supervision and control. We certainly suffer enough from the present arrangement to know its disadvantages. As one instance, we may state that our Primary Schools have but just received the appropriation for desks asked for three years ago. We do not suppose that this addition to their cares is coveted by the City Council; and we think that the tabular view to which we have before called attention, is sufficient to show, that though the School Committee have not been selected with a view to their financial ability, perhaps their supposed deficiency in the power of raising money has made them more frugal and judicious in spending it. We ask, therefore, of our fellow citizens, to make this needful reform, and thus to complete what the experience of the last five years has shown to be a well considered and well ordered system for the government of our schools. Respectfully submitted. F. E. PARKER, JOHN C. STOCKBRIDGE, HENRY BURROUGHS, Jr., OTIS KIMBALL, WILLIAM W. DEAN. LATIN SCHOOL. In compliance with the requirements of the Rules of the Board of School Committee, the Committee on the Latin School respectfully report, that they have attended to the duties which have devolved upon them during the past academical year. In discharge of the trust confided to them, they have made the usual annual and quarterly examinations of the pupils in all the rooms of the school under their charge, have made frequent visits to the school, and have been present at the public exhibitions of the pupils, both on the usual Exhibition days, and on the Public Saturdays. No better opportunities than those which the Committee have enjoyed, could be well afforded for obtaining thorough information respecting the general condition of the school; the efficiency of the instructors, and the progress of the pupils: for they have been able to witness the general discipline of the institution, and the particular manner in which it has been carried out by each of the instructors; and, by hearing the recitations of the several classes under the different teachers at various times, they have also had proper and sufficiently adequate means for judging of the general and relative proficiency of the young gentlemen of all the classes and divisions in the school, in respect to the different branches of education made the subject of study there, and also of the thoroughness of the system of instruction. The condition of the school was found at these visits and examinations to be highly satisfactory, the reputation which the institution has acquired for thorough instruction in the Greek and Latin languages, and in the elementary branches of an English education being fully sustained during the past year. The public declamations of the pupils of the several classes, and the original debates of the members of the first class, which regularly take place on the Public Saturdays, have been of a very satisfactory character. At the July visitation the Committee, besides making a thorough examination of the whole school, directed their attention particularly to the examination of the highest class, for the purpose of deciding upon the annual award of the Franklin medals, six of which were adjudged to the same number of young gentlemen, whose marks for the year and appearance on examination proved to be the best. The condition of the class was found to be excellent, the proficiency being as great as in former years, and reflecting the greatest credit upon the energy and enthusiastic zeal of the indefatigable master of the school. This year the usual number of young gentlemen left the school, having completed the course of instruction at the institution. Of these, fourteen presented themselves for examination at Harvard College, and were admitted to the Freshman class, among those best fitted to take an honorable position in the university; three entered. Yale College in an equally satisfactory manner, and one the college at Waynesburg, Pa.; thus making in all, eighteen graduates of the school who have entered upon a college course the present year. It is a matter of great satisfaction to the friends of the school, that its purpose of fitting young men for a university edu cation is so fully carried out. Most of the young persons who join the classes of the school, preparatory to a mercantile and active business life, leave the school generally before reaching the highest class. Since the restoration of the school to its proper standing by Benjamin A. Gould, Esq., in the year 1814, the average numbers of persons fitted annually for college and admitted to the several universities, during the terms of the successive principals of the school, are: Mr. Gould's annual average of thirteen years, 12.15 10.66 7.80 12.07 14.71 It will be perceived that since the accession of the present distinguished head of the school, the average annual number of pupils admitted to college has largely increased, and is twenty per cent. greater than that of any of his predecessors. Unfortunately an opinion has become somewhat prevalent that the boys of the Latin School are too well grounded in the elementary knowledge of Latin and Greek, and that their preparation for college is more thorough than is necessary and advantageous; and that in consequence of this they are induced on |