While yet an apprentice, he became a member of the Providence Library (formed in 1754), was elected president, and continued to draw books until it was merged in the Athenæum in 1836. Always interested in preserving the traditions, and material of authentic history in original letters and written documents, he assisted in the formation of the Rhode Island Historical Society in 1822, and from 1833 to the day of his death, was elected and served as its president. He was a corresponding member of the Plymouth Pilgrim Society in 1820, the Society of Northern Antiquarians in 1835, and most of the State Historical Societies.

In 1789, he assisted in the formation of the Providence Association of Mechanics and Manufacturers, whose proceedings are identified with every effort to advance the industrial, social, and educational interests of the town and State. Most of the leading measures of this association originated with John Howland, from its first reply to a circular of Alexander Hamilton, down to 1848, when the infirmities of age compelled a cessation of all work-at the age of ninety-one. Of this society he was secretary, vice-president, and president. It was the parent of numerous societies of the same name and object in other cities. In 1820, he drafted the constitution of the Rhode Island Society for the encouragement of domestic industry; and in the same year, delivered the opening address, by which the first exhibition of the manufactures, agriculture, and commerce of the State was inaugurated.

In 1819, on his suggestion, the Mechanics Association held a public meeting, which eventuated in the establishment of the Providence Institution for Savings, of which he was chosen treasurer, and was annually reëlected till 1840, when at the age of eighty-three he retired, with a vote of thanks for his zeal, activity, and fidelity, from the Directors-who add 'that in his retirement from this public station at the advanced age of eighty-three, we trust he will continue to enjoy the comforts of social and domestic life, the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the satisfaction of witnessing the prosperity and usefulness of those institutions which he has so largely contributed to establish in this community.'

Labors in behalf of Public Schools.

Few biographies present a more honorable chapter than that in which Mr. Stone records the history of John Howland's labors in his own language to secure the passage of the first school law of Rhode Island, and the establishment of Public schools in Providence. It leaves no doubt as to the authorship of these important Mr. Howland died November 5, 1854.

measures.

Mr. Howland's narative of his own work is as follows:

In 1789, the Mechanics' Association was formed, and in this body begun the agitation that led to the establishment of Public schools. When we came together in our association, we made the discovery of our deficiencies. There were papers to be drawn, and various kinds of writing to be done, that few of us were competent to execute. Then we began to talk. The question was asked, ought not our children to have better advantages of education than we have enjoyed? And the answer was yes. Then it was asked, how shall those advantages be secured? The reply was, we must have better schools. So when we had talked the matter over pretty thoroughly among ourselves, we began to agitate. As I was something of a talker, and had practiced writing more than most of my associates, a good deal of this work fell to my lot. And I was very willing to do it, because I felt and saw its importance. So I wrote a number of pieces for the newspaper, and tried to induce others to do the same. I prevailed, however, with only one, Grindall Reynolds. He felt as I did about the matter, and wrote a piece for the Gazette in favor of schools. We had, indeed, the good will of many educated men. There were Thomas P. Ives, Thomas L. Halsey, David L. Barnes, and others, who had been educated in the Public schools in Massachusetts, all of whom understood our wants and favored our movement. Governor Bowen and the Bowen family, were also friendly. So was Gov. William Jones. We met no opposition from the wealthy, but they having the advantages for their sons and daughters that wealth can always procure, did not feel as we poor mechanics did. They were not active. In this beginning of the movement, they seemed willing to follow, but were unwilling to lead the way. It is a curious fact, that throughout the whole work, it was the most unpopular with the common people, and met with the most opposition from the class it was designed to benefit. I suppose this was one reason why the most influential citizens did not take hold of it heartily in the beginning. They thought its success doubtful, and did not wish, in a public way, to commit themselves to an enterprise that would curtail their popularity and influence. This was not the case with all, but it was so with many.

The more we discussed the subject, the greater became its importance in our eyes. After a good deal of consultation and discussion, we got the Mechanics' Association to move in the matter. This was an important point gained, and an encouragement to persevere. A committee was chosen to take up the subject. Of this committee I was a member. They met at my house, and after due deliberation, it was resolved to address the General Assembly. I told them, that as neither of us were qualified to draw up a paper in a manner suited to go before that body, we had each better write a petition embodying our individual views, and bring it to our next meeting. Out of these mutual contributions we could prepare a petition that would do. This was agreed to, and the committee separated. When we next met, it was found that but two had been written according to previous recommendation. Those were by William Richmond and myself. Richmond then read his. It was in the usual petition style, ending, 'as in duty bound will ever pray.' I told the committee I did not like the doctrine of that paper. It was too humble in tone. I did not believe in petitioning legislators to do their duty. We ought, on the contrary, in addressing that body, to assume a tone of confidence that, with the case fairly stated, they would decide wisely and justly for the rising generation. I then took out my memorial and read it. It was not in the shape of an 'humble petition.' It expressed briefly our destitution, and the great importance of establishing free schools to supply it. It received the approbation of the committee, and was adopted.

This memorial was presented to the General Assembly in the name of our association. It was there warmly debated; and after pretty severe opposition, the Assembly referred the whole subject to a committee, with directions to report by bill. This bill, embodying a general school system, was drawn up by James Burrill, jr., Attorney General of Rhode Island. I was with him all the while, and he readily complied with my suggestions.

When the bill was reported, the Assembly was afraid to pass it, until the sense of the towns could be obtained. So it was printed, and sent out to the freemen for instructions. The great object now was to get the towns to vote

right. When the subject came before the town meeting in Providence, I moved that a committee be appointed to prepare instructions to our representatives, and report at the present meeting. This was carried, and William Richmond, Samuel W. Bridgham, afterward our first mayor, George R. Burrill, Wm. Larned, and myself, were constituted the committee. It was now late in the afternoon, and Bridgham said, 'Mr. Moderator, this is an important matter. It will require some time to draft instructions, and as it is now almost night, I think the subject had better be postponed until the next town meeting." 'Never fear,' replied Richard Jackson, the moderator, 'I guess Howland has them already written in his pocket.' 'O,' rejoined Bridgham, 'I didn't think of that-then we can go on.' The committee accordingly retired to the office of George R. Burrill for consultation. The questions then came up, what shape shall the instructions take? Who shall write them? Various opinions were expressed, but I kept silent. Bridgham then turned to me and said, 'what do you think, Mr. Howland? I had anticipated the course of events, and was prepared to answer the question. I had set up, the night before, till 11 o'clock to prepare a document I intended to submit to the town meeting. I therefore said to the committee, 'I have got my opinion in my pocket. If you wish to hear, I will read it.' 'Let us hear, by all means,' was the reply. So I took out my document, and read it. When I got through, Burrill said, 'well, that is just what we want. All we need do is to sign our names.' They accordingly signed it, without suggesting any alteration, and we returned and reported it to the meeting. The paper was adopted by the town, as its instructions to its representatives.

But though Providence was thus committed to the good work, the country towns generally were not so safe. In many, the movement was decidedly unpopular, and there was ground for apprehension that it might fail. One of the most influential men in the State councils was then a resident of Newport. I felt very anxious to secure the favorable expression of that town. I therefore wrote to the town clerk, urging him to get an article inserted in the warrant for the town meeting, to instruct their representatives to vote for the bill before the Assembly. And so fearful was I that this precaution would be neglected, that I made a special journey to Newport to secure the measure. Much to my gratification, Newport voted for the instructions, and valuable services were rendered by Mr. Geo. Champlin, the principal representative from that town. Essential aid was also rendered by a member from Smithfield.

At the autumn session, (1799,) the bill passed the House of Representatives, and was sent up to the Senate. That body was afraid to pass it, and did not dare reject it. So with other unfinished business, they laid it over until the next session. The Assembly met in February in this town. I resolved to persevere in my efforts to get the school bill passed. I saw the secretary, and at my suggestion, he placed the deferred bill among the papers first to be called up. One day, in the early part of the session, I met Joel Metcalf, a man of strong good sense, who had interested himself in the matter of public schools. Come,' said I, 'you and I must go up to the Senate to-day and get them to call up the school bill.' 'Well,' he replied, 'I don't know as we can influence that honorable body.' 'We can try,' responded. And so we went. We saw John Innis Clarke, a senator, and told him our errand. 'Well,' said he, 'the governor and senate are to dine with me to-day, and I will do what I can to secure favorable action.' We left, and went up to the senate chamber in the afternoon. As soon as I opened the door Clarke rose and came to me, and said, 'the school bill has just passed.' 'Was it opposed ?' I inquired. 'No,' he replied. 'I called it up, and it was passed without a word in opposition.' Thus we achieved our great State triumph-not of long duration, indeed, as the act was repealed in 1803,-but long enough to secure a permanent blessing to Providence.

I shall not confine my narrative to the strict order of dates, as I have no minutes of the events I am relating by me. My object is to give a brief view of the part I took in this work. The town resolved to establish four schools, three on the east, and one on the west side of the river. I was on a committee to carry out the design. Having made a motion in town meeting, June 3, 1799, that a committee be appointed to purchase the shares held by the proprietors

of 'Whipple Hall,' and the brick school-house, standing near the State House, I was made chairman, and entered at once upon my duties. The other members of the committee were Richard Jackson, jr., and John Carlisle. Afternoon after afternoon, accompanied by Paul Allen, I traversed the north end in search of the proprietors. Sometimes we found one at home, and another in the street. In this way we picked up forty-five shares, at $10 each-I making the contract, and Allen, as justice of the peace, legalizing it. Five of the old proprietors we never could find, nor could we ascertain who were their heirs. To this day, they have not been purchased. One of the proprietors, a sturdy, self-willed man, at first refused to sell. He wasn't going to educate other people's children.' But after being made to see that the system would go on, and his refusal would injure nobody but himself, (the town then owning over forty shares, and thus able to control the house,) he relented, and acceded to our terms. We next bought the brick school-house. This was more easily done, as the principal number of shares was in the hands of Moses Brown, and the town already owned the land on which the building stood. These shares were purchased at $10.50 each. It was not so easy, however, to obtain the lot wanted for a school-house site at the south end. This land belonged to a gentleman who was unwilling to have a school of two hundred scholars so near his house and garden. I was not on the committee to make this purchase, but when I heard he had refused to sell, I went to see him. I asked the ground of his objections. He said if a school were established there, the neighborhood would be a perfect bedlam every time it was dismissed. Besides, his garden would be robbed of all its fruit. These were very natural fears. But I assured him they were groundless. Under our rules, the school would be dismissed by classes, and not permitted to loiter about the premises; and as to his garden, so strict a watch would be kept over the scholars, that his fruit would be safer than ever. I can not repeat all my arguments on the occasion. It is sufficient to say, that before I left him, he consented to sell.

Some time after, when the schools had gone fairly into operation, the town council, accompanied by the school committee, made their first visit to this school. When opposite his residence, I requested the company to pause till I went in and invited him to go with us. They did so. I went in, and said, 'I have been deputed by the honorable town council and the school committee, to invite you to accompany them in their first visit of examination to the Transit street school.' He appeared gratified with the attention, and readily complied with our invitation. I will not say there was not a little policy in this. At all events, it had a good effect. Our skeptical friend was delighted with all he saw and heard, and was ever after a firm supporter of the public schools.

Among the exercises of this occasion, was a poetic address made to the gentlemen of the honorable council and committee. It was written by Paul Allen, and spoken by a lad of nine years.*

* Gentlemen of the Hon. Council and Committee:

Heroes of ancient and modern days

Have challenged, and receiv'd, the palm of praise,
The favored poets will their deeds rehearse,

And blazon forth their destiny in verse.

A more exalted task your time employs,

To watch the morals of the rising boys,

To teach their wandering feet to tread the road

That leads direct to virtue's bright abode-
To check the sallies of impetuous youth,
And in their bosoms plant the seeds of truth,
No more shall avarice presume to blind
With her dark shades, the eyesight of the mind,
Nor shall presumptuous ign'rance dare enslave
Those talents which the God of nature gave.
The tribute that from gratitude is due,
Our hearts rejoicing fondly pays to you;
Unostentatious virtue seeks the shade,
And by its own success is amply paid;
Thus the fair stream with silent steady force,

Through the long meadows winds its devious course,

And in its route, itself unseen the while,

Surveys the verdure spread and flow'rets smile,

Till all the meads in sweet luxuriance grow,

And tell the wonders of the stream below:

It was clear, that to carry out our system successfully, a larger sum of money than hitherto appropriated for schools must be secured. Here we experienced the strongest opposition, and were in greatest danger of defeat. I moved, in town meeting, for an appropriation of $4,000. Some said it was too much, and others, hoping to defeat the motion, opposed it on the ground that the sum was insufficient. After listening some time to the discussion, I rose and said, that as there appeared to be a difference of opinion in the meeting, with a view to obviate the last objection, I would move the insertion of $6,000 in the place of $4,000, first proposed. This was seconded by one of the opponents, thinking thereby to give the motion its quietus. Much to his surprise, however, the motion was adopted. When the result was announced, great excitement prevailed. Two of the strongest opponents came up to me and said, 'you have taken us in -you have taken us in-we didn't intend to vote you so much money.' 'You have taken yourselves in, and I am glad of it,' I replied. This agitation of the school matter induced many of the mechanics to attend town meeting, and take an active part in town affairs, who never went before.

April 16, 1800, the town appointed James Burrill, jr., John Corliss, Richard Jackson, jr., John Carlisle, Joel Metcalf, William Richmond, and myself, a committee to devise and report a plan for carrying the school act into effect. This plan I drew up. It was reported to an adjourned town meeting, April 26th, and adopted.

The first school committee under the act of the General Assembly, was chosen in August, 1800. It consisted of President Maxcy, Rev. Dr. Gano, Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, David L. Barnes, Jabez Bowen, Amos M. Atwell, James Burrill, jr., William Jones, John Carlisle, and myself.-The town council, in conjunction with this body, appointed a sub-committee to draw up rules and regulations for the government of the schools. On this committee were President Maxcy, Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, and Rev. Dr. Gano. had his warmest wishes for success, but as he was not much acquainted with When nominated, Dr. Gano said the schools the matter, and as Mr. Howland had done so much, and understood the wants so well, he would decline in his favor. His wish was complied with, and I was placed on this important committee.

When the work of drawing up the rules came to be done, to my surprise, the burden of the labor was assigned to me. the cares of the college, and could not conveniently attend to the duty. Dr. President Maxcy was pressed with Hitchcock's health was declining, and though warmly devoted to the cause of education, was unable to give the subject the attention it deserved. So it was left for me to go on with it. This was rather a forinidable undertaking, but as I had the approbation of the literary gentlemen, I boldly put my hand to the work. To aid me in the matter, I sent to Boston, and procured the rules established there, and also a list of the books used in school. After my rules and regulations were prepared, I submitted them to the committee and town council. They were accepted, and adopted October 16th, less than two months after my appointment.

Up to this time, I had never seen a grammar-a sorry confession for a school committee man, some may think-but observing that 'The Young Lady's Accidence' was used in the Boston schools, I sent to the principal bookseller in that town, and purchased one hundred copies for the use of ours. accuracy I have obtained in writing, I am indebted to observation and practice. For whatever The introduction of grammar was quite an advance in the system of education, as it was not taught at all except in the better class of private schools. The same was true of geography, which had never been taught before. Geographies could not be bought in this town, so I sent to Boston and purchased as many as were wanted for our schools. Dr. Morse, of Charlestown, had published the first volume of his geography, and that was the work we adopted.

Thus, while you wish industrious to conceal,
Those virtues gratitude would fain reveal,

The morals of the rising youth shall tell

The names of those whose deeds deserve so well.
Why should my infant tongue these deeds relate?

Your future glory shall adorn the State,

When Patriots yet unknown shall tread the stage,
And shame the parties of the present age.