zeal to absorb all the State apportionment to prevent it from being returned to the general fund, of drawing continuously upon the State fund until it is exhausted. This is wrong, as the fund is not intended to be used in the first four months, but to extend over the school year. Superintendents should see that the treasurers report to them the collections on county school taxes, as provided for in sections 361 and 362, just as fast as they are made, and should promptly apportion the taxes to the school districts. When this is done boards of trustees should see to it that these warrants are promptly paid, and if every officer will do his duty, and the teachers will assist by refusing to allow themselves to be victimized by the flippant excuse of the treasurer and the man with the ready cash, these complaints will cease, because the ground of complaint will no longer exist. When a teacher holds a warrant of a district board or superintendent for salary, it is prima facie evidence that the funds are in hand, or should be, to meet it, and it is the duty of the holder of the warrant to present it to the treasurer for payment. If the treasurer states that there is no fund in hand or refuses to pay it, then the holder should cause the warrant to be registered, in order that it may be paid out of the first money collected for that purpose, and if the treasurer persists in refusing to pay it the holder should take the same steps to enforce its payment that he would in the case of a county warrant. But teachers will say, that they had rather discount their warrants than to be bothered, which is natural, but very imprudent, for, of course, the treasurer is pleased with this arrangement as he had much rather the teacher would discount his warrant than to trouble him. It is the duty of the school officers to see to it that their teachers are not subjected to either loss or delay in collecting their warrants, as their salaries are not large enough to allow them to become successful litigants; but if school officers fail in this particular, then school teachers must join hands for mutual protection, and a few suits in the counties, where this disgraceful state of things exist, to compel treasurers to pay teachers' warrants would bring them up to par, and relegate the shaver of teachers' salaries to deserved oblivion.

Grandstaff Fund.

The law requires county and city treasurers to settle with the auditor the 15th day of December in each year, and to turn over all

money collected on account of taxes for said year, and in this settlement the auditor to allow the treasurer credit for every teacher's warrant that he has paid under the act approved March 6th, 1882. As the approximate amount due the schools was not reported to this office until the 17th day of December, two days after the treasurer's settlement with the auditor, it is clear that said treasurer could not have presented any teachers' warrants in part payment of his indebtedness for taxes. The act referred to is very emphatic in its language, and provides that all warrants "shall be accepted from such county or corporation treasurer as cash in all settlements for public revenue made by him with the auditor of public accounts, so far as paid by the warrants hereinafter provided for;" so that it is seen that the treasurer could not anticipate and hold back what he might think would be needed to pay the warrants due teachers for salaries for the current school year up to December 15th, but was compelled to pay over to the auditor all cash collected by him on account of the State up to that date; for it is provided that "any superintendent who shall issue his warrant to an aggregate amount greater than is provided for by this section, and any treasurer who shall pay any warrant upon the State's fund aforesaid, in violation of this act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and fined not less than five hundred nor more than $1,000." So that it is clear that until the superintendents receive the warrants from the auditor they could not draw any warrants in favor of teachers' salaries against the Grandstaff Fund, nor could a treasurer pay any such warrant until the superintendent had deposited with him the auditor's warrant for the amount of money apportioned to the county by the superintendent of public instruction upon the basis of the approximate amount due the schools of the State for the current year. As stated, this report from the auditor was not received until the 17th of December, two days after the law requires the treasurers to settle with him. The apportionment of the fund was made at this office the day it was received, but it is fair to presume that, with the greatest promptness on the part of the auditor, the warrants were not generally received by superintendents until the latter part of December, and there was no way in which they could have caused the money to be retained by their treasurer. The statement from the auditor has been heretofore received in time to enable the warrants to be sent to the superintendents, so that they could apportion the money among the school districts prior to the 15th of December, which, at least, offered a chance for most of the

warrants to be paid before the settlement with the auditor was due; but by the failure of the auditor this year to report in time this was rendered impossible. We, of course, do not know what caused the delay on the part of the auditor in forwarding the approximate amount in time; but we feel certain that in those counties where the treasurers do not collect State revenue fast enough to meet the warrants, after exercising due diligence, if the said treasurers and superintendents will join in a statement of all the facts in the case to the auditor he will furnish the necessary relief.

National Educational Association at New Orleans.

The Governor of Louisiana, Hon. McEnery, will welcome the members of the committee appointed to attend the International Cotton Exposition at New Orleans, February 24th, "and also the Department of Superintendents of the Association which meets there February 24, 25 and 26. Every possible arrangement is being made by the local committee at New Orleans for these meetings," which will doubtless be both interesting and instructive. Dr. J. L. M. Curry, and many other distinguished men, are to deliver lectures on different educational topics. Superintendents who can should avail themselves of the opportunity of attending the meeting of the department of superintendents.

Conference.

The third annual conference of superintendents bids fair to rival successfully any of its predecessors in point of interest. The exhibition of school-work is a new feature, and judging from the contributions already received it will be a success. Some of the work sent in is surprisingly good.

Outline of Work for County Institutes.

We notice in the December JOURNAL that Editor Fox has commenced the publication of the outline of work lately adopted for the county institutes of Indiana. We commend this subject to the at

tention of our Superintendents and suggest that steps should be taken at the coming Conference looking to the adoption of a complete plan of institute work for our State. Much of the effectiveness of our county institutes is lost by the want of a well-digested system af conducting them.

Acts Passed at the Extra Session of the Legislature.

STATE FEMALE NORMAL SCHOOL.

Approved August 23, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section seven of an act entitled an act for the establishment of a State Female Normal school be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

$ 7. There shall be appropriated annually out of the treasury of the state the sum of ten thousand dollars to pay incidental expenses, the salaries of officers and teachers, and to maintain the efficiency of the school: provided, however, that the commonwealth will not, in any instance, be responsible for any debt contracted, or expenditure made by the institution in excess of the appropriation herein made.

BOARDS OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

In force September 3, 1884.

1. That the general assembly shall quadrennially, commencing at the session of eighteen hundred and eighty-three-four, elect three citizens of each county of the commonwealth, who shall be known as county school commissioners, and shall be and constitute the county school electoral boards of their respective counties. The members of said boards shall go into office on the first day of April next succeeding their election, having first taken and subscribed the oaths of office prescribed by law to be taken by officers of the commonwealth, and shall hold their offices for the term of four years, until their successors shall be duly elected and shall have qualified: provided, however, that it shall be lawful for any of said county school commissioners, who were elected at the regular session of the general assembly of eighteen hundred and eighty-three-four, to

qualify by taking said oaths of office, and to go into office at any time within sixty days after the passage of this act: and provided further, that the qualification and official acts of any of said school commissioners who may have taken the oaths of office after the first day of April, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and before the passage of this act, shall be, and shall be taken, deemed and held to be as legal and valid as though said commissioners had qualified and taken the oaths of office on or before the first day of April, eighteen hundred and eighty-four.

3. The general assembly may elect said county school commissioners by a joint resolution for that purpose, embracing any or all of the counties of the commonwealth; and the general assembly may, at any regular or extra session thereof, in like manner, fill any vacancies which may have occurred, or may hereafter occur, in any of said offices. Any county school commissioner, so chosen to fill a vacancy, shall qualify by taking the oaths of office prescribed as aforesaid, within sixty days after his election, and shall hold his office for the unexpired term of the office which he was elected to fill.

DISTRICT SCHOOL TRUSTEES.

Approved November 27, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sections five and six of the act in force February twenty, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act approved January eleventh, eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, entitled an act to provide for the appointment and removal of district school trustees, and to repeal the fourth clause of the seventh section of the seventy-eighth chapter of the Code of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

5. The said county board of school commissioners shall have power, and it shall be their duty to declare vacant, and to proceed to fill the office of any trustee in their respective counties who fails to qualify, and deliver to the secretary of the board his official oath in the usual form within thirty days after he has been notified of his appointment; which notification shall be promptly given by the secretary. The board shall also vacate the office of any and every trustee who fails to discharge the duties of his office according to