supervision, and, being appended as exemplifications, would render their biennial report more satisfactory and intelligible—and, moreover, such method of auditing the accounts would be most acceptable to all trust-worthy officers, who would thereby have the integrity of their conduct constantly verified. With the permission of your Honorable Body, we shall hereafter appropriate out of the funds of the Institution, a sufficient sum for the employment of said service. The cost of provisions and other means of living being reduced, we hope in the future to conduct the establishment on a still further economical scale, and, if possible, save something for investment in books and maps. The saving, however, will not fully satisfy our wants in this respect, and, if appropriations for the completion of the building should not meet with favor, we trust that some small amount may be spared for this worthy purpose. We shall take pleasure in furnishing facilities for any examination into the affairs of the Institution. Respectfully submitted, EDWARD H. EAST, JOHN M. LEA, T. H. ANDERSON, C. W. NANCE, SAMUEL WATKINS, A. V. S. LINDSLEY, December 30, 1878. Trustees REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, Report of the Superintendent of the Tennessee School for the Blind to the Trustees: GENTLEMEN.-In accordance with custom, I again present a biennial report concerning the welfare and general progress of the school under your care for the two preceding years, together with such suggestions as may tend to augment its future usefulness. The annexed schedule of receipts and expenditures will show what money has been received and how it has been disbursed. Your quarterly examination of vouchers containing all items of expenditures in detail, and the itemized estimate of requisite expenditure to be made in each succeeding quarter, although it has enabled you to know when and for what every dime has been drawn and paid out, yet the exhibit of a summary for two years will show more generally how far the wants of the school have been supplied, and the exigencies which have turned a portion of this expenditure aside from its ordinary channel. The purchase of musical instruments, amounting to $1,404.25; of furniture, $1,440.61; of books in raised print and apparatus especially adapted to the sense of touch, $882.15, all in accordance with Act of March 10, 1869, making a total of $3,818.26, are special expenditures under a special Act providing for them. The items for extraordinary repairs and improvements, $1,228.85, are such as of necessity follow the partial erection of a large building by contract, where certain particulars are not inserted in the contract because they are forgotten; repairs required because of the unfinished condition of the building, and the improvements that could not be postponed without making future expenditure for the same purpose greater. An item of this last expenditure may be mentioned for example: The grounds in front of the building were unsightly—they were being plowed up and gullied by the rain. The building committee were authorized to grade, improve and ornament these grounds, and had funds nearly sufficient to complete the work. They were graded, sodded and ornamented with trees and shrubbery, a gift from Truett's Sons & Morgan. Immediately after they were planted a drought came on, the grass was drying up, the trees dying; water pipes were laid, couplings made at various places and hose bought, all of which would certainly be needed at some future time; the sodding was preserved and a valuable portion of the gift kept alive. The money thus spent was needed for school purposes, but it would have been neither economical nor grateful to the donors to have withheld this expenditure. The aggregate of these sums, not ordinary expenditures, is $4,955.86, which, deducted from the total expenditure, $33,356.68, leaves the disbursement for ordinary purposes, $28,400.82. There have been employed : Hand and Machine Sewing, Cane-seating Chairs, Manufac- over. Persons to perform the following duties have been employed: Literary Teachers . 85 4 2 Handicraft 66 Female Servants. Engineer, Gardner and man of all-work Acting in triple capacity of Matron, Clerk and General Assistant. Acting both as Superintendant and Steward. For assorting Broom Corn, making over poor Brooms, Dozening and attending to Work-shop 1 The teacher of handicraft has also acted as messenger, mail-carrier and leader. The number of pupils admitted since the last report were 88; of these 39 have left or been discharged, 9 have been detained at home by sickness or other causes, leaving the present number 40. The average attendance has been 51. The probable return of 9 and the admission of 6 new applicants will make the number 55 next month. January 1, 1877, we had 46 pupils. April following, 54. The general appropriation Act passed March 26, 1877, limited the number to 60. The following June we had 62. Additional applications for admission were being made, and in the future still other applications were to be anticipated. It was therefore evident that some general rule must be adopted in order to keep the number within the limit prescribed by law. It was decided after careful consideration to discharge all males over eighteen years old who had attended school four sessions, the same rule to be applied to the females whenever the further increase in the number of pupils should make its application to them absolutely necessary, which accounts for the large number discharged. It was believed that if a choice must be made that the preference should be given to those who had never attended the school, and to those who had attended for a very short time. The propriety of this course was not for us to consider; right or wrong the law must be obeyed, and it was only optional to obey it in the way that would be the least injurious to the blind and that would best conduce to the general welfare of the school. That the enforcement of any rule clearly opposed to the interest and well-being of any particular individuals would create dissatisfaction, was to be expected, and the most eligible plan that could be followed would be disliked by all who suffered or fancied they suffered by its adoption. Its application must be unequal, for no two individuals would earn or get their living upon exactly the same terms, while in special cases its operation would be uncommonly severe. For instance, it would be hard that a young blind man without friends to clothe or shelter him, without money but with a half learned trade, should be thrust out into the world to take care of himself as best he might; that, another, equally poor in worldly goods, but richer in a certain amount of musical talent, who hoped to earn his living by teaching music, and who, with that object steadily in view, had diligently pursued his favorite study with hopes new-born of future self-support, perhaps of home and the care of loved ones in his old age, should be told that, although but half prepared for his chosen occupation, he must follow it as best he could. A man with good eyes, under like circumstances, would not have a very brilliant prospect before him--how much less cheering must it be to the young blind man, when he is sure he is but half fitted for the work he undertakes, and who knows that merely on account of the lack of sight he will encounter distrust at nearly every door where he seeks employment. The rule, however, has been rigidly adhered to, with but two exceptions. That it has worked hardship in certain cases is undeniable, but this has been a consequence of the law, and not of the rule adopted under the law. Next month we expect that the number of pupils will be 55. Should |