CONSTITUTION.

OF THE

WESTERN LITERARY INSTITUTE

AND

COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS.

The Convention of Teachers assembled in Cincinnati, deeply impressed with the importance of organizing their profession in the Valley of the Mississippi, by a permanent association, in order to promote the sacred interests of Education so far as may be confided to their care, by colleeting the distant members, advancing their mutual improvement, and elevating the profession to its just, intellectual, and moral influence on the community, do hereby resolve ourselves into a permanent body, to be governed by the following Constitution :

ARTICLE I.

1. This association shall be known by the name of "THE WESTERN LITERARY INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS.' ""

2. Its object shall be to promote, by every laudable means, the diffusion of knowledge in regard to Education, and especially by aiming at the elevation of the character of Teachers who shall have adopted instruction as their regular profession.

ARTICLE II.

1. This association shall be composed of such Teachers of good literary and moral character, and delegates from such societies, for the promotion of education as are now, and may hereafter be formed, and other persons who are actively engaged in promoting the cause of education, as may sign this Constitution, and pay to the Treasurer at the time, a fee of two dollars,

2. Any gentleman eligible to membership, by paying at one time the sum of ten dollars, shall become a member for life, and be exempt from any further assessment.

3. An annual assessment of one dollar shall be laid on each member (life-members excepted), an omission to pay which assessment for two years in succession, shall be considered a forfeiture of membership.

ARTICLE III.

1. The officers of this Society shall be a President, one VicePresident, and five Directors for each State represented in this Institute, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, a Librarian, and a Treasurer; all of whom shall form the Board of Directory, to be elected at the annual meeting, and serve until their successors be chosen..

2. The President shall preside at the meetings of the Society. In case of his absence, a Vice-President, or a President pro tempore, shall occupy the chair.

3. The Recording Secretary shall give notice of all meetings, keep a regular record of their proceedings, and have charge of the archives of the Society.

4. The Corresponding Secretary, subject to the Board of Directory, shall be the organ of communication with other Societies and individuals,

5. The Librarian shall have charge of the Library.

6. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due the Society, and pay them out at the order of the Directors; he shall keep a true account of all the receipts and disbursements, and make a report annually thereof, and oftener if required by the Directory. 7. The Board of Directors shall have the general management and supervision of the Society-with authority to devise and carry into effect such measures as will best advance its interests. They shall appoint competent persons to deliver the annual addresses and lectures, and recommend to the Society suitable persons to serve on standing committees. It shall be their duty to see that proper notice be given of the annual meeting, by the Recording Secretary, at least three months previous to the time of convening. They shall procure the annual addresses and lectures; they shall have the privilege of examining the reports of standing committees, and other communications to the College, and to publish such parts of all these documents as may in their opinion advance the cause of Education. They shall elect an Editor of their Journal ; they shall appoint their own Chairman and Recorder, and annually exhibit their proceedings, and report thereon. They shall have power to appoint from their own number, a local standing Executive Committee, with full power during their recess, to discharge all the duties of the Board, and to fill all vacancies that may occur in their own body, during the year; of which committee, the two Secretaries shall always be members.

8. Each section of the Directory with its Vice-President, in the

States represented in this Institution, shall have power to admit associates of this body, and shall be charged with the interests of Education within their State, responsible to the general Institute for their proceedings, which they shall report to, at the annual meeting of this body; they shall have power to establish their own by-laws, not inconsistent with this Constitution.

ARTICLE IV.

1. The stated meetings of this Society shall be held annually on the first Monday in October, in such place as the majority of the Directors shall determine at the annual meeting.

2. Special meetings may be convened by order of the Directory, having previously given two months notice.

3. The Board of Directory shall hold their stated meetings during the sitting of the Institute, and shall have power to make rules for their government.~

ARTICLE V.

1. By-Laws, in accordance with the Constitution, may be made at any meeting.

2. No alteration or amendment to this Constitution shall be made, unless recommended by the Board of Directory, and agreed to by a majority of the members present at an annual meeting.

NAMES OF MEMBERS.

It is with the most painful regret that we notice the decease of Mr. Kinmont, which occurred in September last.

In his removal the College of Teachers have been deprived of a master spirit, and the cause of Education of a most efficient and enlightened advocate. But while we deplore the early termination of his earthly labors, we rejoice to state that he left, among other memorials of his extraordinary genius and attainments, the manuscript of a course of lectures on the Physical, Intellectual, and Moral History of Man, which are now in a course of publication.

These lectures were delivered before a highly respectable audience during the last winter, and excited so great an interest that they requested of Mr. K. a copy for publica ion at their expense, which, it is a no less remarkable than gratifying circumstance, he lived just long enough to prepare. They evince much learning and deep research, and are fraught with the characteristic boldness and originality of the author. From the high encomiums we have heard upon them, we hesitate not to commend the work to the attention of the public, as a production of sterling merit. The work will comprise one octavo volume, of superior material and workmanship. Price two dollars, in boards. Orders addressed, post paid, to Albert Picket, Sen., Cincinnati, will receive attention.