4. The first meeting of such united district shall be called in such manner as may be agreed upon by the respective districts, at the time of forming the union; and the united district may, from time to time thereafter, prescribe the mode of calling and warning the meetings, in like manner as other school districts may do. Ib. § 52.

5. Such district, at the first meeting, and annually thereafter, shall choose a prudential committee, who shall receive and expend the money, raised and appropriated in each town, for said united district, and shall possess all the powers and discharge all the duties, allowed or prescribed to the prudential committees of other districts. Ib. § 53.

6. The inhabitants of every such united district shall, at the time of voting to raise such moneys, determine the amount to be paid by the inhabitants in each town, which shall be in proportion to their respective polls and estates; and the clerk of the district shall certify such vote to the assessors of each of the said towns. Ib. § 54.

7. All moneys, duly voted to be raised by any such united district, shall be assessed, by the assessors of the respective towns, upon the polls and estates of the inhabitants of the district, and collected in the same manner, that taxes are assessed and collected in other school districts. Ib. § 55.

8. The respective school committees of the towns, from which such united district is formed, shall discharge the duties of school committees for the district, in alternate years, commencing with the most ancient towns. Ib. § 56.

VIII. SCHOOL RETURNS AND DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL FUND.

1. School Committee to make report.

2. To make returns to the secretary of state.

3. Form of blanks, &c, to be prescribed by Board of Education.

4. School Committee to ascertain, yearly, the number of persons

between 4 and 16 years of age, and the sum raised to support schools; to certify to the secretary of the Commonwealth; form of certificate. 5. Secretary and treasurer to apportion income of school fund

among towns, that return certificate, according, &c.

6. Income of committee may be withheld in case of forfeiture of income of school fund through their neglect.

1. The school committees shall annually make a detailed report of the condition of the several public schools in their respective cities and towns, which report shall contain such statements and suggestions in relation to such schools as the said committees shall deem necessary or proper to promote the interests thereof; and a certified copy of such report shall be transmitted by said committees to the office of the secretary of the Commonwealth, on or before the last day of April. Said report shall also be deposited in the office of the clerk of the city or town, and shall either be read in open town meeting, in the month of February, March or April, or, at the discretion of the school committee, shall be printed for the use of the inhabitants. Stat. 1838, ch. 105, 1. Stat. of 1846, ch. 233, § 4.

2. The school committees of the several towns and of the city of Boston shall, on or before the first day of November, in each year, make official returns, to the secretary of the Commonwealth, of all the public schools in such towns and city, respectively, whether such schools are kept for school districts, or for the common benefit of all the inhabitants. R. S. ch. 23, § 65.

3. The form of the blanks, and the inquiries to be answered shall be prescribed by the Board of Education; and the school committees shall fill the blanks and answer the inquiries contained in such form. R. S. ch. 23, § 62. St. 1838, ch. 105, § 5. St. 1841, ch. 17, § 4.

4. The school committee of each city and town shall in each year, as soon as may be ascertained, after the first of May, by actual examination or otherwise, the number of persons between the ages of four and sixteen years, be

longing to such city or town on the first day of May, and shall make a certificate thereof, under oath, and also of the sum raised by the city or town for the support of schools, including only wages and board of teachers, and fuel for the schools during said year, and shall transmit the same to the secretary of the Commonwealth, on or before the last day of the following April; which certificate shall be in the following form to wit: We the school committee ofdo certify, from the best information we have been able to obtain, that on the first day of May, in the year there were belonging to said town the number of persons, between the ages of four and sixteen years; and we further certify that said town raised the sum of dollars for the support of common schools for the said year, including only the wages and board of teachers and fuel for the schools.

SS. On this

day of personally

appeared the above named school committee of

and

made oath that the above certificate by them subscribed

is true. Before me,

Justice of the Peace.

St. 1841, ch. 17, § 1. St. of 1846, ch. 23, § 2.

5. The income of the Massachusetts School Fund to the first day of June in each year, except the sum of two hundred and forty dollars, appropriated to the support of schools among the Indians, shall be apportioned by the secretary and treasurer, and paid over by the treasurer, on the tenth day of July, to the treasurers of the several cities and towns, for the use of the common schools therein, according to the number of persons therein between the ages of four and sixteen years, ascertained and certified as in the preceding section; provided, however, that no such apportionment shall be made to any city or town which

shall have failed to comply with any of the provisions of St. of 1846, c. 223, given under this title, or which shall not have raised by taxation, for the support of schools, including only the wages and board of teachers, and fuel for the schools, during the said year, a sum equal at least to one dollar and twenty-five cents, for each person between the ages of four and sixteen years, belonging to said city or town, on the first day of May of said year. Stat. of 1846, ch. 223, § 5.

6. Any city or town may withhold such compensation as the school committee of such city or town, are by law authorized to receive, if such town or city shall have forfeited its own portion of the income of the school fund, through the failure of such committee to comply with the provisions of the fourth section of this title. St. of 1848, ch. 173.

IX. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

1. Duties of instructors in col-|ceive and appropriate sums forfeited. leges, &c,

2. Duty of ministers and town officers.

3. Forfeiture, if towns neglect to raise money for schools; and how appropriated.

5. Provisions not to affect funds, &c. of corporations for supporting schools.

6. Land may be taken for school houses, when, &c.

7, Owner of land may have jury to revise proceedings.

4. School committee, &c., to re. 1. It shall be the duty of the president, professors, and tutors of the University at Cambridge, and of the several colleges, and of all preceptors and teachers of academies, and all other instructors of youth, to exert their best endeavors, to impress on the minds of children and youth, committed to their care and instruction, the principles of piety, justice, and a sacred regard to truth, love to their country, humanity and universal benevolence, sobriety, industry, and frugality, chastity, moderation, and temperance,

and those other virtues, which are the ornament of human society, and the basis upon which a republican constitution is founded; and it shall be the duty of such instructors to endeavor to lead their pupils, as their ages and capacities will admit, into a clear understanding of the tendency of the above mentioned virtues to preserve and perfect a republican constitution, and secure the blessings of liberty, as well as to promote their future happiness, and also to point out to them the evil tendency of the opposite vices. R. S. ch. 23, § 7.

2. It shall be the duty of the resident ministers of the gospel, the selectmen, and the school committees, in the several towns, to exert their influence, and use their best endeavors, that the youth of their towns shall regularly attend the schools established for their instruction. 1b. $ 8.

3. If any towns shall refuse or neglect to raise money for the support of schools, as required by R. S. ch. 23, such town shall forfeit a sum, equal to twice the highest sum, which had ever before been voted for the support of schools therein; and, if any town shall refuse or neglect to choose a school committee to superintend said schools, or to choose, for the purposes mentioned in said chapter, prudential committees in their several districts, when it is the duty of the town to choose such prudential committee, such town shall forfeit a sum not less than one hundred dollars, which shall be paid into the treasury of the county; and one fourth thereof shall be for the use of the county, and three fourths thereof shall be paid by the county treasurer to the school committee of such town, if any, and if not, to the selectmen of the town, for the support of schools therein. 1b. § 60.

4. Every such school committee, or board of selectmen, shall forthwith receive, from the treasurer of the county, any money so payable to them, and shall apportion and