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children comfortable houses, and required parents under a
penalty to send their children regularly for a specified time.
The State that will first provide such legislation, will be fifty
years in advance of any of its sister States.

To make our system more nearly perfect, for God does not
prosper any thing without his love and mercy, would it not
be well to require the reading of the Bible in our Schools
mornings and evenings.

No system of education is perfect unless the heart as well as
the head is properly trained and cultivated. We should also
have some small work on Calisthenics for our Schools, not
only for the improvement of the physical system, but also to
give life and variety to the School room.

When we attend to the physical, the mental and the moral
nature, then will we have a system beyond all price.

A sound mind in a sound body with a cultivated heart, are
the necessities of the day.

In order to accomplish the above, I would suggest in addi-
tion to the reading of the Scriptures and a work on Calisthe-
nics, that the State Board of Public Instruction should prepare
for the Schools of Maryland a small Catechism, containing
the great fundamental principles or beliefs common to all
Christian Denominations.

Unless we have something of this kind, many of our teach-
ers will fail to introduce sacred subjects, or place them before
their pupils. But with a small book of this kind, the pre-
cepts of our Saviour would be placed before all the children
of the State.

Before concluding this report, I would remark, that as my
predecessor has placed before you most of the subjects of im
portance in his report, it is unnecessary for me to lay them
again before you.

I would also state, that with a fund of $12,000 less this
year, than was at the disposal of the Board last year, we shall
not be able to continue our Schools quite six months. I also
herewith return thanks to the citizens of Allegany County
for their kindness and hospitality extended to me wherever
I have met them in the discharge of my official duties.
Very respectfully,

JAMES M. SHOBER,
President of Board of School Commissioners,

Allegany County, Md.
Cumberland, Md.,

November 24th, 1866.