[Chapter 8.]

Passed June 18, 1789.

Whereas the Laws respecting Schools have been found not to answer the important end for which they were made; Therefore--

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in general Court convened, that all the laws of this State respecting Schools be, and they hereby are, repealed.

And be it further enacted, that the Select men of the Several towns & Parishes within this State be, and they hereby are, impowered and required to assess annually the Inhabitants of their respective towns, according to their polls and ratable estates, in a sum to be computed at the rate of five pounds for every twenty shillings of their proportion for public taxes for the time being and so for a greater or lesser sum. Which sums, when collected, shall be applyed to the sole purpose of keeping an English Grammar School or Schools for teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, within the towns and parishes for which the same shall be assessed; except said town be a Shire or half shire town: in which case, the School by them kept shall be a grammer School for the purpose of teaching the latin and greek languages, as well as reading, writing and arithmetic as aforesaid.

And be it further enacted, that no person shall be deemed qualified to keep any such School, unless he produce a certificate from some able and reputable School master, & learned Minister, or Preceptor of some Academy or President of some College; that he is well qualified to keep such school.

And be it further enacted, that if the Selectmen of any town or parish neglect to raise and appropriate, for the aforesaid purposes, the money required by this act to be by them assessed, collected and appropriated; such Select men shall forfeit and pay the full sum, which they shall be so found delinquent in assessing, seasonably collecting and duly appropriating. Which sum shall be recovered by bill, plaint or information in any court proper to try the same; and when recovered, shall be appropriated for the purpose of keeping a School in the town where such delinquency shall happen; which sum shall be paid out of the goods and estate of such Select men. And it shall be the duty of the Town Clerk for the time being of the respective towns or parishes to see that the sums recovered of such delinquent Select men be appropriated agreeably to the true intent and meaning of this Act--

Provided that this Act shall not be construed to extend to the lands of Nonresidents but that the Sum raised be in proportion to the value of the Polls & Estates of the Inhabitants--

Provided that the operation of this Act be Suspended until the first day of March next--

[Note: The full sum, which the Selectment may neglect to raise and appropriate, is to be recovered and forfeited toward the keeping of the town school.]

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