51

SCHOOL OF LETTERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND,

By the law of 1865, the sum of $3,000 was appropriated
annually to this College, in consideration of which amount
thirty young men, meritorious graduates of City and County
High Schools were to be educated free of charge.

This fact was communicated to the Faculty by order of
the State Board of Education. After a full conference in
which they were informed of the views of the Board and the
requirements of the law, the Faculty decided not to accede to
the terms proposed.

As The Central High School of Baltimore City having ex-
tended its curriculum to include a full College course, is now
known as the Free College of Baltimore City and no High
Schools having been organized in the adjacent Counties whose
graduates can claim the privilege of free scholarships, it is
recommended that the $3000 appropriated to the "School
of Letters" be paid to the Directors of the Maryland In-
s itute for the benefit of the several departments of Instruc-
tion under their control.

No more judicious use of the money could, in my judg-
ment, be made; none more likely to inure, strictly to the ben-
efit of the masses, who toiliUg by day, study by night to
improve themselves in the theory as well as practice of the
arts, by which they intend to procure the means of inde-
pendent support.

THE MARYLAND INSTITUTE SCHOOLS.

The Maryland Institute in its several Departments of la-
struction, constitutes an important agency in extending the
advantages of special education to a large number of young
men and women most of whom, engaged in the active duties
of life, devote the evening to study.

At a small cost to each pupil, facilities are afforded for In-
struction in Chemistry, Book-keeping, Penmanship, Vocal
and Instrumental Music and Drawing. To these is added
the use of a well selected Library of 19,000 volumes, illustrat-
ing the several departments of knowledge.

A course of lectures delivered weekly during the Winter
months, is open to the members of the Institute, thus addimg
this popular method of imparting instruction, to the syste-
matic work of the Classes. The Institute numbers several
hundred active members, participating in one or all of these
educational benefits.

My attention has been frequently directed to that depart-
ment of the laititute, known as the School of Design. I
have attended its classes and can safely assert that no person