80305 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE American Institute of Justruction. LECTURES, DISCUSSIONS, AND PROCEEDINGS. NEWPORT, R. I., JULY 7-10, 1885. Published by order of the Board of Directors. W. B. WRIGHT, Stenographer. BOSTON: WILLARD SMALL. 1886. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION. Fifty-Sixth Annual Meeting, JULY 7, 8, 9, AND 10 1885. JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. FIRST DAY. — JULY 7, EVENING. THE fifty-sixth annual meeting of the American Institute of Instruction was called to order at Newport, R. I., on the evening of July 7, President Patterson in the chair. Rev. Warren Randolph, chairman of the local committee, Mayor Franklin, and Ex-Senator Wm. P. Sheffield welcomed the educators as follows: Rev. W. Randolph : We have invited you to come, not only to the real birthplace of "liberty and law," but to a town whose people cherish, with an unfaltering interest, their early traditions relating to religion and education. Should any of your members, skilled in archæology, unravel for us the mystery which for two hundred and fifty years has hung over the ancient pile of masonry in one of our public parks, he would be judged by our people entitled to rank with the benefactor who deciphered the meaning of the Egyptian hieroglyphics. The ancient temple is still standing among us in which the idealist, Dean Berkeley, worshipped, before he became the Bishop of Cloyne. And, if you will give us the time, we will show you the rocks, now called Paradise, whereon he sat studying the virtues of tar-water, and putting into shape the subtile statements of his Minute Philosopher. Coming still nearer to your line of thinking, as public and practical teachers, I may say that we take especial pride in the fact that here, in Newport, in 1640, two hundred and forty-five years ago, a public school, under the care of one Robert Lenthall, was established; the first public school, it is said, that was established in America, and, as many believe, the first of the kind in the world. Of the combined attractions of our town, in the old and the new, in the elegant and quaint, in nature and art, it is the province of his Honor the Mayor to speak, in the absence of his Excellency the Governor. The wider welcome given to you by the authorities and citizens of the State, Ex-Senator Sheffield will present. To our local committee and its indefatigable secretary, Mr. Geo. A. Littlefield, the accomplished superintendent of our public schools, no more congenial work could have been given than making arrangements for your coming to our fair city by the sea; and if your meeting here shall prove to you a pleasant one, and if it shall give such an impetus to the cause of good learning as your meetings have given elsewhere, it will be to us a great joy, and our highest hopes connected with it will be realized. Mayor Franklin : The people of Newport appreciate the honor you have shown them in selecting their beautiful city for your annual gathering. As their representative, I extend to you a hearty welcome, hoping that your exercises and discussions will be profitable, and lead to an increased interest in educational work. It is not expected that you will confine yourselves entirely to labor while among us, consequently, arrangements have been made to show you our city and its places of interest, and thus add to your pleasure. The natural attractions of Newport have rendered her famous as a summer resort, and justly entitle her to be called the "Brighton of America." Here can be found spots of historic interest, for our old town is full of these associations. The Old Stone Mill stands in yonder park, which is named in memory of one of our public benefactors. His remains are in the quiet city of the dead of which Longfellow has written: — "How strange it seems! These Hebrews in their graves, At rest in all this moving up and down. Gone are the living, but the dead remain, Still keeps their graves and their remembrance green." After allusion to other historic spots he said: These are not all. Time, however, will not allow me to mention others. I again bid you welcome to our beautiful "City by the Sea," one of the capitals, and a small part of the great State of Rhode Island, and gladly give way to Senator Sheffield, who will, for his Excellency the Governor, welcome you to the whole State and Providence Plantations. President Patterson then read a letter from his Excellency Governor Wetmore, expressing regret that important and unexpected business, making it necessary for him to be absent from the city, would deprive him of the pleasure of welcoming the Institute to Rhode Island, and stating that at the last moment Mr. Sheffield had consented to speak for him. Ex-Senator Wm. P. Sheffield: The Governor and Commander-in-chief of Rhode Island, having had laid upon him a very pressing necessity to be absent from the State at this time, has laid upon me his command to appear here in his behalf and in behalf of the State to greet your coming within our narrow borders, which I cheerfully obey, and in the name of the Governor and people of the State, I extend to you, in their behalf, a cordial greeting and |