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Your Committee would not be understood to question for a moment, the propriety of all former appropriations for the education of the Deaf and Dumb. On the contrary, they would refer to the liberal allowances made in their behalf, as among the beneficent acts, which every generous friend must strive to imitate, and which even her enemies cannot but applaud.

As a further consideration, pertaining to this subject, your Committee would state, that the Blind are generally the children of poor parents, because the poor are more exposed than the rich to the accidents occasioning the loss of sight, and because they are more likely to postpone such medical advice, as can be useful only in the early stages of diseases of the eye. Blindness, too, being often hereditary, tends to reduce to poverty, the family upon which it is entailed. The same causes may perhaps be adduced to explain the fact of the greater prevalence of blindness in the country than in the city. In Boston there are but two blind persons of a suitable age for education, while in many towns in the State, containing a population of not more than two or three thousand inhabitants, there are three, four, or five young blind persons.

Were the subject to be regarded, then, only in an economical point of view, it becomes a matter of State policy to educate the blind, since nine out of ten of this class of persons, if left to themselves, would, in some way, burden the community with their support; while every one who is educated and thereby enabled to provide for himself, is a citizen rescued from the almshouse and made a happy and useful member of society.

Considering then, the peculiar wants of this infant Institution; that they are in need of a printing press of a construction totally different from those in common use; that they require some musical instruments to instruct the Blind in an art in which they usually excel; and that they are in want of many other implements and means of acquiring knowledge altogether unlike those used in common schools; and considering further the ability which this Institution seems to possess for the extensive diffusion of usefulness, and comfort and happiness, your Committee recommend an adoption by the Legislature of the accompany Resolve.

All which is respectfully submitted,
SAMUEL P. LOUD, chairman.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Three.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, That there be paid out of the Treasury of the Commonwealth to the Trustees of New England Asylum for the Blind the sum of six thousand dollars annually, in quarterly payments, the first payment to be made on the first day of April next, and the subsequent payments upon the first day of each successive quarter; and the whole to continue during the pleasure of the Legislature and no longer. Provided, that in consideration of said sum of six thousand dollars the said New England Asylum shall receive, board, lodge and educate twenty poor persons belonging to the State, to be placed there under the direction of the Governor and Council; and to be dismissed from the Asylum by the same authority; and provided further, that no individual under the age of six years nor over the age of twenty four years shall be placed in said Asylum by said authority, nor any person who shall be excluded by the standing by-laws of the Asylum.

Be it further resolved by the authority aforesaid, That the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of Council be, and he hereby is requested to draw his warrant upon the Treasurer of the Commonwealth for the benefit of the said Asylum, for the same sums and payable at the same times as are mentioned in the preceding Resolve.

OFFICERS OF THE NEW-ENGLAND INSTITUTION FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE BLIND.

JONATHAN PHILLIPS, President.
WM. B. CALHOUN, Vice-President.
RICHARD D. TUCKER, Treasurer.
SAMUEL G. HOWE, Secretary.

TRUSTEES.

EDWARD BROOKS,
T. G. CAREY,
PLINY CUTLER,
JOHN D. FISHER,
JOHN HOMANS,
SAMUEL P. LOUD,
HORACE MANN,
WILLIAM P. MASON,
SAMUEL MAY,
STEPHEN C. PHILLIPS,
WILLIAM H. PRESCOTT,
ROBERT RANTOUL.

SAMUEL G. HOWE, Director.

MR. TRENCHERI, Principal Teacher.

LOWELL MASON, Professor of Music.

N. B. Institution is open to the public from 3 to 5 P.M. every Saturday