thing to remove tumors from the person, but it may be necessary. It does not seem to be any more wrong to inflict a reasonable penalty in the form of a flogging, than to perform a surgical operation. The fact that some man or woman uniformly uses the rod, is no argument against flogging. I might say that through the stupid act of a physician a dear friend was sent to the grave. I might have said such a thing as that; but it would be very unkind and very unjust to charge all physicians, as a class, with want of skill on that account. So it is unjust to charge teachers, as a class, as being unfit for their duties, because, now and then, one uses the rod improperly.

I say there are cases of necessity for the use of the rod; and I do not say as a last resort. would use the highest motives first, and then one less high; and then the only one which you find will influence the child. But there may be cases in which the teacher knows the highest motives will not influence the child, and to save the child it may be necessary to use the severer measures at once.

My own practice has been to whip once in about seven years. So that I am not speaking as one who feels that he must defend himself. But I do not think it is fair to say to the young teachers present, you must not whip a child under any circumstances, because it is infamous. I stand as an encourager of those who, in a good conscience and in duty, feel it necessary to whip a child. I have whipped my own children, not in anger, but in love, and because I love them. And let me say, that never has a child of mine shown more affection toward me than immediately after I have justly and lovingly punished him. (Applause.)

Mr. Hammond, of Monson. I feel that this subject is very important, and that the discussion should be continued.

I therefore move that the subject be postponed to some future time, that there may be a fuller expression. I think such a subject should have precedence with teachers. Within the past year there have been influences in Boston and Cambridge, those centres of influence, which are important. I therefore move that the further consideration of the subject be postponed till to-morrow forenoon at eleven o'clock.

After some further suggestions, the resolution offered by Mr. Strong was referred back to the mover, that it be presented in a new draft.

Mr. Lincoln, in answer to the claim that Horace Mann was opposed to the use of corporal punishment, read from the published declarations of Mr. Mann, a few sentences, such as, "I coincide with those who think that corporal punishment should be used;" "I admit it is a less evil than occaasionl disobedience;" "I blame no teacher for corporal punishment;" "It must be a reality, and not a sham;" "The object of it is to avert an evil greater than itself - a permanent evil, by a temporary one."

The whole subject was then postponed till to-morrow forenoon, at eleven o'clock, and the Institute adjourned till a quarter before seven o'clock in the evening.

EVENING SESSION.

Prof. Seelye, of Amherst, who was expected to give the lecture this evening, was unable to be present on account of sickness in his family, and C. O. Thompson, Esq., Principal of the High School in Arlington, was introduced as the lecturer, who gave a very interesting lecture upon the subject

of Teaching as a Profession, discussing the subject under the three following heads:

1st. There is no such profession recognized.

2d. There is a field to be occupied, to be determined by the organic structure of American society.

3d. The times demand immediate action on the part of the public, as well as of teachers themselves, to establish such a profession.

SECOND DAY.

THURSDAY MORNING, Aug. 1, 1867.

J. W. Bulkley, Esq., of Brooklyn, New York, one of the Vice-Presidents, called the Institute to order this morning at nine o'clock.

The Institute was opened with prayer by Rev. Mr. Stebbins, of Springfield.

DISCUSSION.

The subject of discussion assigned for this morning was, "The place Natural History should occupy in a Course of Instruction."

Isaac F. Cady, Esq., of Rhode Island, opened the discussion by reading a well-prepared paper on the subject, which will be found in another part of the volume.

The subject was then open for discussion by members of the Institute.

Mr. Cruttenden. This paper does not need a discussion. I feel free to say that it is the best presentation of the subject to which I have ever listened, or have ever read. It carries its own conviction with it. Said an old pioneer to me, a man whose back was crooked with rheumatism and who was out of shape generally, "You see how I am deformed?"-"I do.". "That was done by hard work.” you think," said I, "that you have spent your life wisely and well in laboring thus while others come to enjoy your fields?" Said he, “I am content; I have done good, and I leave my family a nice home which they will enjoy." I admired the old pioneer; I admire pioneers in teaching. Words, words,

"Do

nothing but words, was the teaching of my early school-life. Now what is the consolation in those words? One lesson, such as we have had to-day, in the right spirit, would have been worth more than all the spelling-book which was ever crammed down me. Of course we have lost the time and opportunity to be thus taught. But shall we go with the book of nature open before us and not read it? I cannot have the consolations that I might, of the works of God as I have seen them. Why? Because the whole system of school supervision, when I was in school, was wrong; it was made up of abstractions, - words instead of ideas and thoughts.

This question will help answer the question in regard to school discipline. If the mind of the scholar is occupied with studies of this sort, the idle mind, which is " the devil's workshop," will become occupied, and the old workman will not succeed. I rejoice that the time has come when the youth will be put upon the right track of study, in the right time and place, when there will be no more five, or six, or eight dreary years of not much to be done, and trying to find something to employ children till they are old enough to learn something.

How frequently we have said it was important to learn the words of the dictionary. Why? Because it kept the children busy. It is exactly the argument of Mrs. Toodles, when she bought the wheelbarrow, and the old lamp-post, and the door-plate with the name "Tompkins" upon it. When her husband expostulated; she replied, "Yes, I know we have no use for it now; but if we should have a daughter, and she should marry a man by the name of Tompkins, how nice it would be to have a door-plate ready for them!"

The whole system of teaching words, was nothing but sound to me at least. After I left college, I had one day of shooting; and in my travels I walked across a bridge, whilst