A few months later on he gave his pupils—what many a ruler has since given his people—a Constitution:—
“I have long thought that the system of representation might be introduced with advantage into the government of a school; and soon after Christmas (1816), with my father’s approbation, I drew up a set of resolutions, which were unanimously passed at a general meeting of the school, appointing a mode of electing a committee for the management of the school. They have the direction of everything except the school hours and the quantity of work to be done. We were afraid then of entrusting them with the regulation of these things, but the committees have acted so very properly, and have showed so decidedly that they are fit to be entrusted with power, that I think no inconvenience would arise from their having the power to appoint the school hours and the work to be done in the school; however, they show no wish to be entrusted with such power. The committee is chosen monthly in the following manner:—We have a list of all the boys, which is arranged once per month according to general superiority.... The boy who stands at the top of this list names a committee-man; the two next boys name another; the three next a third, and so on. If there is not the exact number of boys at the end of the list to form a division, they are reckoned with that above. The election is by ballot. By a resolution passed at the first general meeting, all the teachers, with the exception of my father, are to be members of the committee ex officio; but I am the only teacher who ever attends the meetings of the committee, as we do not wish to mix too much aristocracy in the government of our little community. After a bill has passed the committee, it is presented to Mr. Hill for his approbation, without which it is not considered as a law. It is then read aloud in the school-room by the president of the committee, between certain hours of the day, and posted up against the wall for at least three days. My father has never yet found it necessary to refuse his approbation to a single law. The committee is obliged by the laws to meet at least once per week; sometimes it assembles oftener than that. They appoint the officers of the Court of Justice, who were before appointed by the whole school. We derive many advantages from this form of government in the school. One advantage, and that not an inconsiderable one, is that it teaches the boys the manner in which public meetings ought to be conducted; a species of knowledge in which, if we may judge from some late specimens, the present generation is particularly ignorant. But the effect of most importance attending this mode of governing is that it has the best effect upon the morals of the scholars. Of course the committee will consist of boys whose age or superior acquirements give them a lead in all the affairs of the school; and it is of the utmost importance that these boys should lead the others the right road, and not astray, as is too frequently the case. Now they feel themselves under some obligation not to break those laws which they themselves have assisted in enacting, and the scholars cannot complain that the laws are too severe, because, either in their own proper persons or in those of their representatives, they must have assisted in passing them. The consequence has been that, since things have been so constructed, we have gone on much more pleasantly to all parties than before.”
About the same time that the Constitution was granted, a Benevolent Society was formed amongst the boys:—
“In February last (1817) my father advised the boys to raise a subscription among themselves to be applied to benevolent purposes; and, that they might not become too soon tired, he recommended that they should subscribe small sums. They immediately entered into his views with great spirit; the names of subscribers were set down, and a general meeting was called for the next day. At this meeting resolutions were entered into for the regulation of the Society, and a committee, consisting of seven boys, was elected to dispose of the funds. The committee meets once per week. A general meeting is held once in every month to receive the report of the committee, to elect a new one, pass the accounts, &c. I was elected treasurer, and still keep the office. The weekly subscriptions amount to rather more than five shillings; donations and forfeits generally make it up to about six shillings. The boys have been able to relieve many poor families with bacon and potatoes, or bread. I consider everything of this kind as doubly advantageous, because at the same time that the distressed are relieved, the attention of the boys is directed in a good channel. It finds them something to do and to think about. Boys will be acting, and if they cannot do good, they will do mischief.”[50]
In the autumn of the following year further reforms were carried out:—
“October 10th, 1818.—A few weeks ago the following law was passed by the committee:—
“‘Resolved—That on the same day as that on which the judge is appointed, a magistrate shall be elected in the same manner (that is by ballot). This officer shall have the appointment of the constables, who shall be under his direction. These officers shall constitute the police, and their duty shall be the detection, and, in some cases, the punishment of crime. The magistrate shall levy all penalties not exceeding ten premial marks, and decide disputes respecting extra work, games, &c., the parties having the right of appeal to a teacher, or to the Court of Justice; but, if the appellant should be unsuccessful, the punishment shall be doubled. In cases which, from their importance, do not come under the cognizance of the magistrate, he shall order the attorney-general to bring the offending party to trial at the next assizes.
“‘The magistrate may hold his court in any part of the school premises, and if any one shall refuse to attend, either as culprit or witness, after having received a verbal or written order, from the magistrate in person, or from either of the constables, he shall subject himself to the fine of twenty premial marks. Any one thinking himself unjustly detained by the magistrate or his officers, shall have his action for damages, to be assessed by the jury. It shall be considered the duty of the magistrate to examine into every offence, and punish the aggressor as early as possible after the offence is committed. If the magistrate shall neglect his duty (that is to say if any offence shall come to the knowledge of a teacher which has not been punished within a proper time by the magistrate), it shall be considered the duty of the committee to remove him from his office. But if the magistrate shall go through his duty to the satisfaction of the committee, the master shall be requested to reward him with permission to give to any number of his schoolfellows, not exceeding six, an afternoon’s holiday, which he may enjoy with them. The magistrate may also reward his constables, by giving to each of them an afternoon’s holiday, and the privilege of choosing either one or two schoolfellows to enjoy it with them. When the magistrate shall be absent from school, he shall appoint a deputy, for whose acts he shall be responsible.
“‘This appointment of a magistrate has saved me a deal of trouble in punishing slight offences and deciding disputes. It appears quite to have put a stop to a practice which before we never found it possible to check—namely, that of throwing stones. Indeed, it is a very great improvement in the management of the school, as from the nature of the magistrate’s reward, every one is interested in his performing his duty as much as possible to the satisfaction of the master. Another improvement in the discipline of the school is a regulation made a few months ago, which is that when a boy above the age of twelve leaves the school, a subcommittee is appointed to draw up his character, subject to the revisal of the general committee, after which it is entered in a book kept for the purpose, and read aloud before the whole school. This law has had an excellent effect upon all; but particularly upon the elder boys. It is generally the case at schools that, a short time before a boy is about to leave, he finds his character at school to be less and less important as the time for his leaving approaches, the consequence of which is that he becomes careless about it, and gives a deal of trouble to his teachers. But with us the case is exactly reversed: as the time for leaving approaches, the boy is aware that his conduct will have a greater and greater effect upon the character he is to leave behind him, and his behaviour is accordingly better each day till the time of his removal arrives.’”