"THE FOUNTAIN," York, Pennsylvania.-The April No. is laden with dainty intellectual fare, alike enjoyable by young and old. Original articles are presented as follows:-Shakespeare; Eng. lish Rulers; Geysers; Light; Mimosa: Stories from Shakespeare; Wood Girdling Beetle; Letter from Washington Territory; Vanished Years; New York Harbor; The Luxembourg Palace; Bamboo; A Song for Monday. Analysis-Parrhasius; High Pressure in Shcools; Penmanship; Drawing; Questions and Answers. Music "The Old Mill." This Magazine is worthy of a place in every home. Price, 10 cents per copy.

POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.-Contents for April: Brain-forcing in Childhood, by William A. Hammond, M. D. The History of a Delusion, by M. G. Valbert. Astronomy with an Opera-glass; The Stars of Spring, by Garrett P. Serviss, illustrated. Social and Physiological Inequality, by H. D. Chapin, M. D. Infection and Disinfection. by Dr. Robson Rouse. On Melody in Speech, by F. Weber. Scientific and Pseudo-scientific Realism, by Professor T. H. Huxley. Bird-Migration, by Barton W. Evermann. A Remarkable Explosion, by Professor L. R. F. Griffin. The Scientific Age by Dr. Werner Siemens. On the True Aim of Physiology, by Professor W. Preyer. Turpentinefarming, by L. W. Robarts. Rustic Superstition. Sketch of Leo Lesquereux, by L. R. McCabe, with portrait. Correspondence. Editor's Table: Science and Statesmanship-The Growth of Industrialism. Literary Notices. Popular Miscellany. Notes.

COMMON SCHOOL EDUCATION is admirably adapted to give aid in methods of instruction to teachers of all grades in our common schools on the various branches of study.

THE CHURCH REVIEW for March.-Contents: Mexico and Hayti and the Constitution, Rev. Ch. H. Hall, D. D. The Beatitudes of the Gospel, Rev. C. C. Tiffany. D: D. Naukratis, Rev. W. C. Winslow, Ph. D. Death. Rev. W. E Wilson, M. A. Locksley Hall Sixty Years After. Non-Theistic Ethics, Rev. W. L. Robbins. The Life, Times, and Correspondence of Wm. White, D. D., First Bishop of Pennsylvania, Rt. Rev. W. S. Perry, D. D., LL.D. Contemporary Literature. Published by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston. Price, $4 a year, 35 cents a number.

The advance that has been made in books for children has been immense-especially in the way of illustration. OUR LITTLE ONES and THE NURSERY ranks with the very best in adaptation to the wants of the class of children for which it is intended.

LIPPINCOTT'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE for April Contains: Douglas Duane, A Romance, Edgar Fawcett. Belgravian Bohemia, Lucy C. Lillie. The Mystery of Cro-a-tán, An American Ballad, Margaret J. Preston. My Lady's Maid, A True Story. A Spring Song, A Poem, Bessie Chandler. Experiences of a Public Lecturer, Will Carleton. Social Life at Princeton. E. M. Hopkins. My Grave, A Sonnet, Philip Bourke Marston. Our Monthly Gossip-Mr. Burroughs and Dr. Abbott, W. II. Babcock, Literary Log-Rolling. An Author's Complaint. Author of "Taken by Siege." BookTalk, W. 3 Walsh. Recent Volumes of Poetry by knowu and Unknown Authors. The Outlook for Poetry. Browning's Last Volume. Two Unconscious Humorists. Two Books of Travel.

OFFICIAL DEPARTMENT.

J. L. BUCHANAN, Superintendent Public Instruction, Editor.

[The Journal is sent to every County Superintendent and District Clerk, and must be carefully preserved by them as public property and transmitted to their successors in office.

National Department of Superintendence.

According to appointment, the National Department of Superintendence met at the lecture hall of the National Museum, Washington, D. C., March the 15th, 16th and 17th. The attendance, considering the number belonging to the Department, was quite large, a fact in no small degree due to the timely and judicious efforts of the President, Hon. C. S. Young, of Nevada. Besides the State and city superintendents of schools, a number of editors of prominent Educational Journals were present. The hall was well adapted to the purposes of the meeting. The museum itself, with the vast collection of specimens in its various departments of ethnology, zoology, mineralogy, etc., presents to every visitor an object lesson on a grand scale.

It was a specially noteworthy feature of the meeting that almost all the members of the Department appointed to read papers, and a large number of those also appointed to take part in the discussions, were present and filled the places assigned them on the program. The papers were well prepared, and embodied much careful thought and large experience touching educational work. The discussions were apropos and often pointed.

Senator Blair, of New Hampshire, was invited to address the meeting on "The Relation of our Public Schools to the General Government." He set forth in clear and well chosen language the history, objects, and present status of the Bill proposing National aid to education. Senator Stewart, of Nevada, also discussed the relation of the schools to the government.

The space allotted to the official department of the JOURNAL is too limited to allow the insertion of extracts from the proceedings of the meeting. The editor of the JOURNAL, it is hoped, will find room in his department for some of these.

School Legislation.

Quite a number of bills relating to school matters have been introduced during the present (extra) session of the Legislature. Very

few of these bills, however, have as yet been enacted into laws. Some of them are general, a good many are local. We print below most of the bills of general interest. Upon these we shall be glad to have any criticisms which superintendents, or other school officers, may think proper to make. If any objections to, or modifications of, the bills are to be suggested, it should be done promptly, so that they can be duly considered when the Legislature re-assembles on the 27th of this month:

A BILL-To amend and re-enact an act entitled an act for the relief of school teachers, approved February 16, 1886.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That an act entitled an act for the relief of school teachers be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

1. That in cases where the monthly salary of a public free school teacher has been reduced in consequence of the average attendance of pupils during any month or months of the school term falling below that required by law, and it further appears, from the term report made at the close of said school term, that the required average attendance for the term has been made, then such teacher shall be entitled to a warrant for the amount of the deficit, or any fractional part thereof as the term average shall indicate: provided the whole amount of salary allowed shall not exceed the maximum salary specified in the teacher's written contract. Warrants for said deficit shall be issued and paid in the manner prescribed by law for issuing and paying other warrants for teachers' salaries.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage, and shall apply to the current session.

A BILL-To prevent county, district school and corporation officers and school trustees from purchasing county and corporation warrants and school claims.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That it shall be unlawful for any county, district or school officer, school trustee or corporation officer in this commonwealth, to acquire by purchase, directly or indirectly, by contract, express or implied, any warrant or other evidence of indebtedness issued by any board of supervisors, or any common council or board of aldermen of any county, city or town in this commonwealth, or any warrant or claim issued by any of the free school officers or free school boards of this

State for the pay of free school teachers, or the building of school houses, or purchase of school books, school furniture or apparatus. Any such officer or trustee violating the provisions of this act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, and be imprisoned in the county or corporation jail not less than six nor more than twelve months; and the judge of every county and corporation court in this commonwealth shall give this act specially in charge to every grand jury empanelled therein.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage.

A BILL-To extend the time within which the several treasurers and collectors of taxes due the State may make their final settlements with the auditor of public accounts of the State taxes on real and personal property for the year 1886; and to provide for the payment of the free school teachers during the period of such extension, so far as may be necessary, out of funds in the State treasury.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That the several treasurers and collectors of taxes due the State be allowed until the first day of September, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, to make their final settlements with the auditor of public accounts of the State taxes on real and personal property for the year eighteen hundred and eighty-six: provided that the extension of time hereby granted shall not apply to taxes already collected and in the hands of such treasurers and collecting offices, which shall be paid into the treasury of the State as now provided by law.

2. The auditor of public accounts is hereby authorized to issue his warrant on the treasury in favor of the treasurer, of any city or county, for an amount sufficient to pay the free school teachers in his county or corporation any sums due them by the State, which the taxes collected by such treasurer, and properly applicable thereto, are insufficient to pay; and the amounts of such warrants of the auditor on the treasury shall be accounted for by the several county and city treasurers, in the final settlements herein before provided for, to the extent of the State taxes collected, or which should have been collected by them.

3. The several treasurers and collectors of taxes due the State are hereby required, during the year eighteen hundred and eighty-seven,

to make payment on the first day of every month of all the moneys received by them for the State during the preceding month.

4. The several treasurers of the counties and cities of the commonwealth shall make out lists, as required by law, of real estate which is delinquent for the non-payment of the taxes assessed thereon for the year eighteen hundred ard eighty-six, as soon as practicable after the first day of September, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, and not before. The proceedings in respect to such lists, and in respect to the land therein mentioned, shall be in all other respects as now provided by law.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.

A BILL-To amend and re enact section 75, chapter 79 of the Code of 1873, in regard to unexpended school funds.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section seventy-five of chapter seventy-nine of the Code of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

$75. All sums of money derived from State funds, which are unexpended in any year, in any public free school district, shall go into the general school fund of the State, to be reapportioned for the ensuing year; all sums derived from county funds unexpended in any year, in any public free school district, shall remain to the credit of such district for the ensuing year, to be applied to the payment of teachers' salaries: provided, however, that any county school board shall have power, three-fourths of the members present concurring, to order the reapportionment among the several districts of such county of any county school money unexpended in any year in any public free school district thereof: and provided further, that any county school board shall have power, two-thirds of the members present concurring, to authorize the school trustees of any public free school district of such county to apply any county school money unexpended in any year in such district, and remaining to the credit thereof, to the erection or repair of school buildings or to the payment of any debts due therefor. All sums derived from district funds unexpended in any year shall remain a part of the district fund for use the ensuing year.

2. For the purposes of this act, a majority of the members of any county school board, exclusive of the county superintendent of