KENTUCKY.

HON. H. A. M. HENDERSON... State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Frankfort.

[OFFICIAL.]

-Teacher's wages are to be paid him, and not the parent or guardian, though a minor.

Children are to be paid for in the district in which listed, though they remove to another.

-Manufacturing corporations are liable to the tax voted in a district in which they are located.

-Money apportioned a district cannot be credited on tuition bills. The rate feature is abolished.

-No money raised under the law to pay a teacher is subject to garnishee or attachment. Tuition fees are.

A feme sole (unmarried woman) owning taxable property in a district is not a legal voter at a school election.

-A Commissioner, in anticipation of the Institute, cannot legally deduct the two dollars matriculation fee from the teachers' salary. The penalty for non-attendance is the forfeiture of the certificate.

-If a balance of debt is created for building a school-house, the Commissioner has no right peremptorily to levy a tax to pay it. Expenditures should always be kept within the limits of the resources.

-A Trustee has not the right to transfer a pupil (under Art. VI., Sec. 5,) in anticipation of the term of his successor. In fine, he can do nothing pertaining to the scholastic year 1877-8 but take the census and submit the question of district taxation.

-The Trustees now in office have not the right to employ teachers for the next scholastic year. A contract to that effect made now would be invalid. The State Board of Education has ruled that the Trustee elected the first Saturday in July has the right to employ the teacher up to the second Friday in July, when, if he does not qualify, the old Trustee may proceed to employ a teacher.

-All school officers are hereby warned against parties selling school furniture and apparatus in this State by deceiving Trustees into the idea that they can levy a tax to pay for the same. Trustees can submit the question'next June, to be voted on the first Saturday in July, whether the people will have a tax for the purpose; but if they make contracts and the vote should fail, they would be personally liable.

-The measels were in a district. The Trustees ordered the school closed. The teacher wishes to know whether he loses the time. The law requires twentytwo days of actual teaching. The legal holidays and the time of attendance upon the Institute can be deducted, provided the school was in session when the Insti

tute was held. The teacher should go to the school-house, and if nobody attends it is not his fault. The Trustee has no right to require the teacher to close his school and then make up the time after the epidemic has passed. The Trustee transcends his power unless the teacher agrees to it, when he requires the school closed for any cause.

--The Legislature has no power to abolish the common school system, because it is provided for in the Constitution. Its utmost power would be to repeal the fifteen-cent tax (on the hundred dollars) last levied, and this it dare not do, as the question was submitted to the people, who at the polls, by a majority vote of 24,665, decided in favor of its assessment. This was before the negroes were enfranchised, and at a time when there was fear that the hegroes, by Congressional intervention, might be introduced into our schools. It is fair to presume that now, when this latter danger is no longer apprehended, a much larger portion of the white vote would be in favor of sustaining the present tax. Opposition to the school system is to cloy its wheels. Unfriendly legislation is to provide conditions to fritter away the public money. The time has passed when it was proper to debate the fundamental principles upon which the system rests. The only question for statesmanship now is, What can be done to render the system effective? Whoever seeks to embarrass the officers in the discharge of their duties, or throw obstacles in the way of the progress or development of the system, is engaged in efforts which end simply in an unremunerative expenditure of the public money.

MISSISSIPPI.

HON. JOSEPH BARDWELL...............State Superintendent of Public Instruction. WILLIAM L. SUTTON.... ....Editor, Sardis.

[OFFICIAL.]

In an official circular to County Superintendents, the State Superintendent issues the following instructions:

"1. You will establish (if not already done) and maintain in your county the requisite number of public schools for five months during the present scholastic year; Provided, That if your county or separate school district thereof shall, at the beginning of the year, have had a debt against the school fund in excess of an amount that would be raised by a tax of one mill on the dollar, the school term in your county, or district thereof, as the case may be, may be limited to four months.

"2. In determining 'the requisite number of public schools' to be established and maintained, you will, of course, give due consideration to the judgment of the Board of Supervisors, and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of any city or town constituting a separate school district in your county, as also to the financial condition of your county and the people therein. But your duty in this matter will not have been discharged by maintaining just such a number, the minimum, as will meet the letter of the Constitution, in manifest violation of its spirit.

"3. You will, after exhausting what school funds you may have in the Treasurer's hands, from whatever sources, issue your pay certificates to teachers (and

your county or city clerk warrants for the same) on the tax to be levied and collected, during the present year, in preference to all former school warrantsthat is, warrants of former years.

"4. To this end, if necessary, you will prepare and submit to the Board of Supervisors, and Board of Mayor and Aldermen, as the case may be, at the proper time, an estimate of the amount needed to supply the deficit accruing after the exhaustion of all other school funds at your command, in maintaining the public schools of your county, and also see that these Boards discharge their duty in the premises.

"5. Influence the Board of Supervisors, if you can, to bond or pay off the school debt of your county, if so unfortunate as to have one; in no instance permit the fund which may be raised for the maintenance of the public schools, during the present year, to be absorbed in the payment of the school warrants of former years. By all means discountenance speculating in school warrants; and use every proper effort to bring the public school system of your county to a cash basis.

6. Finally, give special care to the selection of your teachers and their fidelity in the discharge of their duties; and, when needed, give them counsel and encouragement. Let not the inadequate compensation attached to your office tempt to a relaxation of duty. I am persuaded that faithful and efficient service, as performed by County Superintendents, will, ere long, be duly rewarded. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "JOSEPH BARDWELL, "State Superintendent Public Education."

-Marshall County gives six months free school per year.

-What objections could be made to compulsory education in our State? Some one please answer?

-The terms for the journal are one dollar in advance. Those not having paid, please forward their subscriptions to William L. Sutton, Sardis.

-The Normal School at Holly has more pupils in attendance this year than ever before. Some alterations are to be made in the building to accommodate this increase.

-State Superintendent Bardwell is working steadily for the interests of the schools, and is in full accord and sympathy with our difficulties and efforts to surmount them.

-D. E. Smith, Esq., Superintendent Tate County, has our thanks for his efforts in our behalf. He fully appreciated the value of educational journalism. County Superintendents throughout the State are invited to act as our agents.

-We want to raise the Mississippi subscription list to one thousand by December. Who will help us? Help us, teachers, and you are helping yourselves. Persuade each Trustee to subscribe. It is as necessary to them as to you.

-The colored schools at West Camp, D. W. Jennings; Popes, D. Johnson; Sledge Cross Roads, E. F. Joshua; Batesville, J. B. Bascom; Sardis, A. J. Oakes, and others, are in a prosperous condition and giving good satisfaction to patrons.

-Several schools are availing themselves of the intermission. Among the schools of North Mississippi we hear highly recommended: Eureka, in charge of Prof. Harry; Longtown, Prof. Youngblood; Looxahoma, Prof. McKay, and Hermans, Prof. Perkins.

-Having received several queries respecting the Normal Institute to be held in Sardis in June and July, we give the following: The first five or six weeks will be devoted to instruction in the common branches, elementary science and some of the higher mathematics, combined with drill in normal method of teaching. There will be two departments, white and colored. No text-books will be required except for reference. The instructors will be Prof. Rainwater, Superintendent of Panola County, and Prof. William L. Sutton, State editor of this journal. Terms will be published in due time. The last four days or week will be free for all bona fide teachers in the State of Missis, sippi, and efforts will be made to procure eminent educators from abroad to take part. The school proper is for the benefit of young teachers and those preparing to teach, and, we have every reason to believe, will be largely attended Further information may be obtained from either of the Principals, Sardis.

-Our reply to several queries of colored teachers in regard to our article published in the March number was crowded out last month. We now give a few suggestions as to the means by which incompetency may be got rid of First and foremost, avail yourselves of every opportunity for self-improvement. If opportunities are lacking, create them. Second-Make sacrifices to elevate the standard of scholarship. Any profession that is worth following is worthy of sacrifice, self-denial and patient, persistent effort. You cannot expect to obtain in a year or two the position and capability which it has cost your more fortunate co-laborors years of study and great expenditure of means to obtain. Third-Let the competent ones among you reach out a helping hand to those less favored both materially and morally. Read educational works; form institutes; educate your patrons to a true knowledge of education; talk to them privately and publicly. Urge them to give their help and support to honest men, men who will understand and look after their educational systems, and not mere politicians. Finally, do not be satisfied with merely obtaining a certificate to teach. Remember that the standard of qualification must be raised. What sufficed last year will not suffice for the next. The State, the people and educators demand this, and it is upon this progressive advancement that the success of our free schools depends. Let every one go to work.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

M. A. WARREN.

Editor, Columbia.

Was ever a Commonwealth more prostrate than ours? At her lowest estate and in the terrible war with Philip, the Netherland Republic founded the Uni. versity of Leyden. We, in our prostration, cannot even keep alive our common schools. Everywhere we hear of their abandonment; teachers are unpaid; no money is yet raised to pay for work long since done; and teachers must eat. In Columbia the Howard School (colored) and the Park School (white) are staggering along, with the aid of the Peabody charity. In Charleston, where the schools are upon a different foundation, they are continuing, as usual. But in our outlying country towns and country districts, suspension is the order of the

day. We do hope, however, that it is a faint gleam of light that we see ahead. We are sure of it. We have now a recognized Governor. Soon our Legislature is to meet, and soon thereafter we shall have an executive educational officer and money for the payment of our teachers. Such, at any rate, is our hope.

There is danger, however, in our expectation. Some there will be, but Governor Hampton is not among them, who prefer the old order of things, and who cannot consent to free schools and a common school system of education. How to pacify or outgeneral these, and how to revive and vitalize our present system, or how, in abolishing it, to put something a great deal better in its stead. These are the problems that our new minister in affairs educational will find in his algebra. We think the problem must be solved by elimination and proportion, Let us take out of the way all those teachers who are unfit, and then let us make as good schools as we can, treating blacks and whites alike.

Our present system of electing County Superintendents is full of evil. Let us have them appointed. This is our worst error. When we can appoint an efficient, earnest, consecrated man in each county to look after our schools, instead of leaving to politicians the power of designating some ignoramus to manage such vital interests, we have set our face toward the shortest way out of the slough.

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We do sometimes get a good man for Commissioner, even when he is elected. Such a man we deem Rev. J. S. Havener, County Superintendent of Barnesville; to be. Mr. Havener is an old teacher, and starts on his work with all the experience which a life-long service in the school-room brings. He wants books and other things for his schools, and wishes "that some of our Northern friends, instead of giving such large amounts to colleges, would invest some of it in furnishing the colored people of our State with school books." Does anybody know of anybody who wants to help him?

-Mr. J. C. Noisette, of Guthriesville, York County, in common with all other county teachers, has given up his day school, but wants some Sundayschool paper for his Sunday-school.

-Mr. C. C. Scott, of the senior class of the University of South Carolina, hopes to teach in Gainesville. We can assure the Gainesville folks that he is an excellent young colored man-a man of character and purpose. They will have a good school if they get him.

-We hear of a Kindergarten recently established in the Columbia Female College, but cannot verify the report from observation.

-Another month let us hope for a more shining face in the South Carolina

column.

O. N. HOLLINGSWORTH..

TEXAS.

Editor, Austin.

The following letter from Hon. O. N. Hollingsworth, formerly State Superintendent, and now performing the duties of that office under the title of "Secre tary of Education Board," explains itself.-[Ed.