for Supts. to make inquiry as to the cause of these failures. Such teachers have not only failed to receive benefit themselves, but excluded others who were anxious to attend, thus doubling the mischief.

RAILROADS passing through a county may now be taxed like other property for county and school purposes.

POLITICAL SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS are certainly not desirable characters in society. Nothing has been more clearly proved in the history of public education than that evil, and only evil, comes from the mixing up school officers with party politics. The evils of this were commented on in the last Report of the Supt. of Public Instruction, to which our school officers are specially referred at this juncture of public affairs.

SUPTS. WHO DO NOT READ THE JOURNAL, OR WHO READ AND FORGET. We are continually reminded (by letters seeking information given in official department of JOURNAL, and by disregard of requests made therein,) that we have too many of these in Virginia.

We have just revised our trustee list from the monthly reports for June, and although Supts. have been urged to inform us of all changes in their district boards in their monthly reports, giving in every case the address of the new trustees, and the office they hold in their respective boards, we have been compelled in every instance to write to the Supt. either for post-offices or present organization of boards. And then, too, we happen to know of changes that were made in certain district boards during the month of June, that have not been reported by the Supts.

THE EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL AND DISTRICT BOARDS.-No doubt some district clerks fail to receive the EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL by reason of the fact that their post-offices have not been reported here. The JOURNAL is sent free to clerks of district boards, and is the property of the board, and should be carefully preserved as such by the clerk. We have recently heard of a clerk who refuses to take the JOURNAL out of his post-office. That board certainly needs a new clerk, and that district a new trustee.

MANY OF OUR CORRESPONDENTS fail to name their counties, and some even omit to state their post-offices. We hope they will name both. We have on file some letters unanswered because we do not know the address of the writers. The little boy expressed great

Th

astonishment that everybody didn't know his father, and our ignorance of their address may be a matter of surprise to some of our correspondents.

OFFICIAL ENVELOPES.-If certain county Supts. could only have a month's pigeon-hole experience in this office, we feel sure that they would abandon the practice of sending their Monthly Reports in small envelopes, and also appreciate the convenience of folding them in proper shape. It is a small matter to smooth out a half-dozen creases, and put in proper shape for filing a dozen reports, but when the dozen is multiplied by a dozen dozen it becomes a matter of more consequence. Some of our Supts. doubtless forget that every communication to this office is endorsed with a digest of its contents, and filed away in alphabetical order.

TREASURERS' COMMISSIONS AND THE HENKEL ACT.—At a meeting of the Board of Education, held July 22, 1880, it was unanimously resolved, that in the opinion of this Board Treasurers cannot be allowed commissions out of funds disbursed under the act of March 3, 1879.

THE NEW CENSUS should be given in the statement of school population, and used in calculating percentages, &c., in making out the Annual Report.

TIMOTHY RIVES, JR., has been appointed Supt. of schools for the county of Prince George, vice W. H. Harrison, deceased.

MORE SCHOOL MONEY.-Auditor Massey has turned over $60,000 for public school purposes, in addition to the amount stated in the last JOURNAL. We expect to make an apportionment early in the new school year.

The University Normal.

[Extract from Richmond Dispatch.]

JULY 21, 1880.

thousand

The Normal School had a splendid opening. splendid opening. Not less than one persons were present at the time appointed-July 14, 5 P. M. The instructors were all present and about four hundred teachers. The exercises were opened with prayer by the Rev. T. W. Bledsoe, after which Dr. Harrison, chairman of the University Faculty, made a short address of welcome. Governor Holliday then made a cordial

and earnest address of half an hour. Hon. B. Johnson Barbour was expected to make an address upon the occasion, but it was concluded, at his request, to postpone his address to a future day. His place was well supplied by Professor Newell, principal of the school, who, upon short notice, made a happy and scholarly address on the science of education.

The proceedings of the day were, as a whole, singularly pleasant and encouraging.

The next morning at 8:30 the school work was commenced with brief religious exercises, continued with lectures and exercises by Professor Newell, Professor W. B. McGilvray, and Professor A. L. Funk. These were continued on Friday. Saturday was announced as a day of light duty, and was taken up with music and calisthenics. On Sunday morning Superintendent Sydnor, of Nottoway, preached, and in the afternoon Professor N. K. Davis gave a biblical lecture.

On Monday morning the regular courses were entered upon partially. Repeaters were appointed, and the schools was marched off in sections for drill to eight different lecture rooms. The names of the repeaters are as follows: Superintendent Hardaway, Superintendent Peay, Superintendent Cabell, and Messrs. Swartz, W. W. Robertson, Evans, Hottel, and Schell, and Miss Laube.

In the afternoon Professor Mallett delivered a chaste and very practical lecture on "Natural Science-Its Application to the Work of Primary Schools."

Dr. Ruffner has exhibited his usual zeal and good judgment in arranging the details of this enterprise most satisfactorily. His presence gives great encouragement to the work. He presided at the opening exercises, has made some brief addresses, and continues to exercise general supervision of the work.

This morning the regular lectures of the professors of the Normal School were continued, and at 12 o'clock the classes were turned over to repeaters for drill and examination.

At 5 o'clock this afternoon the school met in the public hall to take part in the memorial exercises in honor of the lamented Dr. Sears, the great friend of normal-school education. Superintendent Newell presided, and explained the object of the meeting.

Dr. Ruffner then gave a sketch of the life and labors of Dr. Sears, and offered the following paper, which was unanimously adopted by a rising vote:

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, July 20, 1880.

To the Trustees of the Peabody Education Fund:

May it please your Honorable Body: We, the undersigned, teachers of Virginia, assembled as a normal institute at the University of Virginia, with our instructors and the State Superintendent and county superintendents present, desire to express our reverence for the character of Dr. Barnas Sears, and our high estimate of the important work he was enabled to do in the cause of southern education. There was probably not another man on the continent so well qualified as he was for the administration of the great fund given by that noble man George Peabody. Dr. Sears, during the entire period of his administration, seems to have avoided errors, to have acted wisely and effectively, and to have endeared himself to the entire southern people. Probably few men have ever been able to effect so much for the public good in thirteen years as did

he.

We are indebted to him, under the wise regulations of your Honorable Body, for the means out of which has been created the summer normal school at the University of Virginia-a work of much importance in many aspects.

As a citizen of Virginia Dr. Sears was highly beloved and valued. We mourn his departure. We will cherish his memory. We feel sure that his name will be honored in Virginia by future generations.

After the adoption of the paper it was resolved that it should be signed by the instructors, all county superintendents of schools who are present, and all teachers belonging to the school.

At 51⁄2 o'clock P. M. Professor Holmes delivered a lecture on the recent discoveries in the Geography of North America, replete with original and instructive matter. The school is attracting great interest in the neighborhood, and many attend regularly and take notes. The large galleries are reserved for spectators.

Thus you have a brief history of the University Normal School for its first five days.

The following school superintendents are or have been present: Superintendents Sydnor, Jones, Peay, Hardaway, Morrison, Cabell, Holtzman, Powers, Wysor, Gresham, Pigg, and Davis.

ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR HOLLIDAY AT THE OPENING OF THE UNIVERSITY NORMAL.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This gathering is.of no common import. The Hall in which we are now assembled has been filled many times before with scholarship, beauty, and refinement, to hear discussion upon high themes and to witness incidents that belong to the life of a great University. But never before has such an assembly met within these walls. The teachers of the children and youths of the State have come together to this Temple of Learning, that, drawing inspiration from its atmosphere and from each other, they may go forth again to their noble work with broader views and more intense enthusiasm to secure its vast promises.

In the name of the Board of Visitors, and of the Faculty, I bid you most cordial welcome! Welcome to the seats you now occupy! Welcome to the lecture-rooms, library and museum! Welcome to the beautiful scenes which on every hand surround you, hallowed by so many associations! Welcome to the enjoyment and profit of those abilities with which, as Professors, they are gifted, or which long years of labor and study have brought them from the fields of Literature, Science and Art! Welcome to the Genius of the Place and her delightful fellowship, as she looks out from this Acropolis, crowned with that success which belongs only to earnest devotion, and with few rivals in all the domain of Letters.

The time seems to have come at last when the ardent wish of the illustrious founder of this University is to be fulfilled, and the Pyramid of Education as he designed it, to be finished. The teachers of the children are holding counsel in the places whence go out accomplished scholars to act their part in the gravest as well as loftiest work that it has ever fallen upon men to do. The activities that are now prevailing in the world have never before been equalled, and are calling for the greatest vigilance and labor. Education in all its phases, is forcing itself into every department and sphere, and demanding an audience; and whilst fitting men to grapple with life's mysteries, is carrying in its arms the destinies of both the State and the Republic.

At no former period have the forces of nature been evoked into such constant and powerful play. Scarcely a day passes that some one of them, hitherto unknown or but faintly acknowledged, is not drawn out and subjected to control. Whilst this is so, it is equally true that at no time has it been so keenly experienced how completely