of those who are coming on to a proper age, and will be admitted to the institution at the proper time.

It is true that there may be, in Pennsylvania, a strange state of facts, as stated by the venerable gentleman from that State, (Mr. Barclay), and for years, I have heard great astonishment expressed, that in a State like Pennsylvania, with nearly three millions of population, and twenty-five hundred deaf-mutes, that there should be so few found under instruction there, and we are permitted to learn that the fault lies not with the railroad companies. I can point to some Western States, not far from where we now stand, that have a little liberality beyond that which has been mentioned. They will transfer the officers of the institution from the institution to any part of the State and back again, when they go out to find these pupils and bring them in. And not only that, but they cheerfully transfer large numbers of pupils, fifteen, twenty-five, thirty or forty at a time, when they go out to give exhibitions for the purpose of arousing the community in behalf of the institution for the deaf and dumb, in the State.

The state of things that exists in Pennsylvania, does not exist in Indiana. We look around us to-day, and see an ample and abundant provision for the deaf and dumb of the State. We look around over this State, and find that there is only one large city in the State, and that, the city of Indianapolis, where the institution for the deaf and dumb is located. There can not, by any possibility, grow up in this State, a rival school.

As for Chicago: the local circumstances under which the Illinois Institution, for the time being, has been laboring-the scarcity of water-prevents our enlargement. The State will not enlarge it until an adequate supply is secured. The next best thing that the Board of Directors of the Illinois Institution can do, is to establish, at some other place in the State, another institution, where those who can not be admitted into the one now existing, may be educated. There are other things that go to make up our minds on this subject. We do not want to view principles of general application through the medium of a few bright examples. I think the essay was a little faulty in stating that a day-school is a more economical method of educating the deaf and dumb, than a general school. Now, economy is only one point to be considered. Individuals plan for a generation. States and communities look far down into the future, beyond the present.

I fear that there can not be any day-school established in the land that will educate the deaf and dumb, as they should be educated in every department. They can not organize and maintain a labor department in the day-school, and it is as important to educate the hands as it is to educate the heads of those who are deaf and dumb. If we send them forth educated in head only, and not in hand, they will be wards of the State in county jails and poor-houses all their lifetime; and the question for the State to consider is not a question for a few years, but for many years-for the lifetime of these pupils. We all know the predisposition of deaf-mutes to vagrancy. We have not been able to remedy it yet. I think the remedy is going to be found in a well ordered institution, having the proper attention given to the industrial department. I think, then, that it is a matter of economy for the State to continue and enlarge her schools as they exist, in preference to those that are mere dayschools. Facts are stubborn things. If I was called upon to state here what gives me more trouble about the admission of children into our school than anything else, I would say it was this: that the parents of our pupils, living near the institution, are so solicitous about getting admission for them, when we have not room for them in our boarding department. I advise the parents to come there from other parts of the State, and settle in close proximity to the institution, so as to be able to keep their children at home, and send them to school during the day. I remember one family where there are three deaf-mutes, and there has not been a term in the last five or six years that their mother has not come to me saying, "You must let my children board in the institution: the children love the institution, and they want its companionship."

Another point; these day-schools must be, necessarily, confined to cities. They are not practicable any where else. I would also add that caste, which we have not in our general schools, could not be excluded from the day-schools.

G. O. FAY.-I would like to have a statement, from Dr. Brown, as to the condition of the pupils of the day-school, out of school hours. There are many children in every large place, for instance in Cincinnati, under ten years of age, and whom, therefore, I can not legally admit into our Institution; and I believe that in that city children of that age do suffer materially from the various temptations of city life. They learn various vices there with that readiness and facility which springs from the peculiar stimulus that

always affects children. They stay in Cincinnati until they are ten years of age, and then come to us. Now, would it be worse for these children thus situated between the ages of six years and ten, when they can come to the institution, to go to a day-school and return home through the streets of Cincinnati every evening than to spend their whole time in roaming the streets? It seems to me, that with good teachers, their condition certainly could not be any worse than it is, and that it certainly might be much better.

The subject changes entirely in its aspect, when the child reaches the age of ten years. Then there is some room for difference of opinion among intelligent educators. But it would surely be well for those who have the care of the education of these children, to take some steps toward the looking after those between the ages of six and ten years. It is not true, in Ohio, that we do not know where these children are, or that the parents do not wish to get them into school. We have not that to contend with, to any great degree.

I would like to hear a statement from Dr. Brown as to whether these children, out of school hours, are miserable and wretched, or otherwise.

DR. BROWN. I believe the majority of the pupils prefer being at school to being at home; I know, at least, that when our vacation occurred the pupils did not want it. And the reason is plain: when they were at home they were isolated; they had no companionship at home. We have had children in the school that we could not keep there, but it was because we had not kept them there long enough for them to develop any social feeling with those who were there.

THOMAS GALLAUDET.-We should do all we can to make the State institutions just what they should be. I do not believe in asking any person to say whether he is able to send his child to a deafmute institution or not. If the parents are able, and take pleasure in paying the expenses of the education of their children, let them do it; but do not ask any such question as that of the parent of a deaf-mute child. I believe we should enter now and at once upon some course of action, with a view to have the education of the deaf and dumb perfectly free, so that we can reach out our hand of benevolence and put it upon every deaf-mute in the State, without putting families to the mortification of going before a magistrate and saying they are not able to pay for the education

responsibility of the situation, and the perplexities it frequently involves, is of doubtful propriety. The laborer is worthy of his hire, and he who faithfully discharges a great public trust, is no less deserving of appropriate remuneration. Still the paramount consideration is not so much the individual, as the welfare of the institution; and it is not to be denied, that there have been periods in the history of some of our institutions when it was important that some means be devised to secure for these boards of trust, men who were actuated by a desire to serve the cause, more than by the hope of reward. This provision has the additional advantage of relieving the situation from the nature of a reward for political service, a consideration by no means trivial, as the success of an institution imperatively demands permanence among its officers, of which the liability to change with political parties would be subversive. Party politics, and super-denominationalism would be the bane of any public institution. It should be a fundamental principle in the organization of every institution supported by the public, that its board of trust shall be composed, as far as practicable, of men who represent all the principal classes of society, who, while they are men of decision of character, never surrender themselves to partisanship.

The number composing a board of trust should be large enough to prevent its responsibilities becoming burdensome to its members, and to prevent its falling under the exclusive control of a single member. As its functions are deliberative rather than executive, the number of its members should be sufficient to secure a variety of opinion on subjects arising for its consideration; yet small enough to insure a sense of responsibility upon all its members, and to secure the presence of a quorum at its meetings a matter of comparative ease; usually five or seven will meet these requirements.

The board of trust being organized, all authority and responsibility rests with it, and the questions at once arise to its members: What shall be the governing principles in carrying into effect the purposes of our appointment? How far shall authority be delegated to others, and what shall be reserved to the board? What officers and employes will it be necessary to secure, and how shall their relations be adjusted?

Their first and most important duty will be one which involves more of good or ill than any other one act which, in the proper

free passes; and I think that, by representing this thing properly to the Legislatures and to the railroad corporations, we can be enabled to look out and find every deaf and dumb person in all the States.

I think that, in many of the States, the institutions are not doing the work that they should, because the States are not properly canvassed by those who represent the interests of the deaf and dumb. When you inform the State fully in regard to the wants of these unfortunate children, you will have no difficulty in securing the proper and suitable provision for them. We have never had an appropriation refused us in our State, and during the past ten years, upon representations being made of what our Institution required, it has uniformly been granted without a dissenting voice-with but a single negative, and that came from a man who said he came there pledged not to vote for anything.

MR. MAC INTIRE.-The usual time for adjournment has already passed, and I therefore move that the Convention now adjourn till three o'clock.

Adopted.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The Convention was called to order at three o'clock by the President.

A paper entitled "The Purity, Dignity and Antiquity of the Sign Language" was then read by P. G. Gillett, for the author, J. C. COVELL, as follows: