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conviction, that it is not beyond the bounds of hu-man effort to devise a system, that will combine in its tendency, the prevention of crimes, and the reform-ation of convicts. Let us then ask any sagacious observer of human nature, what should be the inci-pient step in order to protect society against crime. The answer is plain. To afford them a common school education, and fasten on their minds a know-ledge of their duties towards God, and carefully in-struct them by means of the Holy Scriptures, in the principles of the Christian religion. Let, then, the present laws for common schools be cherished and improved, in such manner as will oblige parents of the poorer classes in society, to send their children to some one of the common schools, to be instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and in a knowledge of the Scriptures. By a legislative act, rules should be prescribed for enforcing a strict regard to the perfect cleanliness of the persons of the children, to their moral conduct, to oblige the teacher to read at the opening of the school, daily, a chapter from a work entitled Scripture Les-sons, which is, on many accounts, preferable to the Bible for the use of schools, as it contains the most important part of the Scriptures appertaining to vir-tue and good morals. This book has been translated into most of the languages of Europe, and is exten-sively used in the common schools in that quarter of the globe, and also in the United States. To make it the duty of all overseers of common schools, to em-ploy such teachers only, as are men of suitable quali-fications, sober and exemplary characters. Every inducement should be used to encourage parents (in every place where it is practicable) to send their children to school, as soon as they reach three years of age. This might be done, by making it the duty of overseers of each school, occasionally to visit the parents of the children, as has been done by the trus-tees of the New-York Free School Society. Although