The total amount of taxes raised in the city is, in round numbers, 250,000l.; of which 65,000l., or more than one-fourth, is devoted to schools.  The total value of all public school estates of 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 devotional exercises at the opening of the school, and reads the Scriptures, or causes them to be read, as an act of worship, whether they are prescribed by the committee or not.  Many teachers take that occasion to remark upon topics of morality, and thereby aim to prevent misconduct.  Indeed, the Bible is much relied on as a means of discipline rather for preventing wrong-doing, than for correcting it.