12 Penobscot; Friday next after the second Tuesday in 13 October; 14 Aroostook; Third Tuesday in October; 15 Washington; Friday next after the third Tuesday in 17 Hancock; fourth Tuesday in October; 18 Waldo; first Tuesday in November; 19 Lincoln; Friday next after the first Tuesday in No20 vember; 21 Kennebec; second Tuesday in November. 22 And each meeting shall be held at eleven o'clock 23 on the days aforesaid. SEC. 5. The members of the board of education 2 thus chosen, shall hold their first meeting on the first 3 Wednesday of May in each year, at Augusta, and 4 may meet thereafter, at such times and places as they 5 shall by vote determine. They shall appoint a chair6 man and clerk from their own number. Five mem7 bers shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. 8 In case of any vacancy in the board, or if in any 9 county an election shall not have been effected at the 10 county meeting herein provided, the members of the 11 board actually elected and in office, may fill such va12 cancy and supply such failure, for any county where 13 the same may occur. SEC. 6. The board of education first chosen, shall 2 meet for organization, and for the choice of the sec3 retary hereinafter provided, on the third Wednesday 4 of December next, at Augusta, and shall hold their 5 offices until the first Wednesday of May, 1848, and 6 the term of each new board of education, thereafter 7 shall commence on the first Wednesday of May, an8 nually. SEC. 7. The board of education shall, at their first 2 meeting in each year, elect by ballot, one person, who 3 shall be styled the secretary of the board of education, 4 and shall hold his office for one year, and until an5 nother shall be chosen. But the secretary first elect6 ed, shall hold his office, until the first Wednesday of 7 May 1848. In case of a vacancy in the office of sec8 retary, it shall be the duty of the board, as soon as 9 may be, after the occurrence of such vacancy, to elect 10 another for the remainder of the year. SEC. 8. The members of the board, and the secre2 tary, shall severally be sworn to the faithful perform3 ance of their respective duties, before any magistrate 4 authorized to qualify civil officers. SEC. 9. It shall be the duty of the board of educa2 tion, and especially of the secretary to devote them3 selves assiduously to examine the practical operation 4 of those parts of the constitution and laws of the State, 5 which provide for public education, and the diffusion 6 of knowledge among the people. In pursuance of 7 this object, the secretary shall, as far as practicable, S attend the county meetings herein provided for the 9 election of members of the board, and communicate 10 with the superintending school committees there as11 sembled, and with teachers and the friends of public 12 instruction generally. And the board of education, 13 directly, or through the agency of the secretary, are 14 authorized and required to collect and disseminate in15 formation in regard to the location and construction 16 of school houses, on the arrangement of school dis17 tricts and the use of the best school apparatus, to 18 consult with superintending school committees and 19 school agents on the best and cheapest method of in20 troducing uniform school books, and on the practica21 bility and expediency of establishing school district 22 libraries, to inquire and report upon the advantages 23 of normal schools, or schools for the education of 24 teachers, to consider the best methods of aiding and 25 promoting education in the new settlements of the 26 State, to devise improvements in teaching the branch27 es of instruction now pursued in the common schools, 28 and for the introduction of such other branches of 29 useful knowledge as may be practicable, and general30 ly to consult with school committees, school agents, 31 and other authorities and inhabitants of the State, for 32 the purpose of ascertaining, recommending and pro33 moting all such improvements in the common school 34 system as may be consistent with the constitution and 35 laws of the State, and the welfare of its inhabitants. 36 And it shall be the duty of the board in the month of 37 April, annually, to prepare a report of their doings, 38 and the results of their investigations during the pre39 ceeding year, which shall be presented to the gov40 ernor, and by him laid before the Legislature. SEC. 10. The secretary of state is hereby author2 ized, under the direction of the governor and council, 3 to furnish such blank forms for returns respecting 4 schools, as the board of education may recommend. 5 And all such returns may be addressed to the secre6 tary of state. SEC. 11. The members of the board of education 2 shall each receive for their travel from their several 3 places of residence to the place of their several meet4 ings, ten cents per mile, and one dollar for each day's 5 attendance at any meeting, but not exceeding in the 6 aggregate thirty days in each year. SEC. 12. The secretary of the board of education 2 shall receive an annual salary of one thousand dollars, 3 payable in quarterly payments. SEC. 13. The board of education, at such times as 2 they may appoint, shall make up their pay roll for 3 travel and attendance, which, when examined and 4 allowed by the governor and council, shall be paid to 5 them, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise 6 appropriated. SEC. 14. For the purpose of providing for the or2 ganization of the first board of education, the gov3 ernor, with the advice of council, is hereby author4 ized to appoint, before the first day of August next, a 5 provisional school agent for the State, whose duty it 6 shall be to communicate with the superintending 7 school committees of the several towns respecting the 8 duties required by this act, to make such arrange9 ments as may be necessary for the first county meet10 ings herein provided, and to obtain, from the returns 11 now in the office of the secretary of state, and from 12 other sources, such information respecting the actual 13 condition of common schools within this State, as may 14 be usefully laid before the county meetings, and the 15 board of education, at their first organization, to ena16 ble them to enter without delay upon the discharge of 17 their duties. The duties of such agent shall continue |