schools, shall constitute a quorum, due notice of any proposed meeting of said board under this act, having been given by the president thereof to all the members thereof.

3. Nothing in this act shall be construed to repeal or suspend the operation of any act of the General Assembly now in force, authorizing any particular school district to use unexpended county school money for erecting or repairing school buildings, or for other special district school purposes.

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

A BILL-To amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 47 of chapter 78 of the Code of 1873, in relation to teachers' institutes, approved March 17, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section forty-seven of chapter seventy-eight of the Code of eighteen hundred and seventythree, in relation to teachers' institutes, approved March seventeenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

$47. The board of education shall have power to authorize and require county and city superintendents to hold, in their respective counties and cities, at least one teachers' institute during each scholastic year, and to adopt such regulations as said board may deem expedient in regard to the organization and management of such institutes, the attendance of teachers, and all other matters properly pertaining to such institutes.

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

A BILL-To amend an act entitled an act for rearranging the dates for the ending of the school year, the making of annual reports by school officers, and holding of the annual meeting of the county school board.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That hereafter the school year shall end June thirtieth.

2. The annual report required by law, to be made by the clerk of the district school board shall be delivered to the county superintendent on or before the first day of August; the report of the

county school board shall be delivered on or before the same date (August first), and the annual report of the county and city superintendents of schools shall be delivered to the superintendent of pub. lic instruction on or before the first day of September; and the superintendent of public instruction shall deliver his annual report to the board of education on or before the first day of December.

3. The regular annual meeting of the county school board shall be held on or before the first day of August.

4. All acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage, and shall therefore apply to the present year.

A BILL-To provide for the appointment and removal of district school trustees, and to repeal chapter 138, Acts of Assembly 1883-'4, and the acts amendatory thereof, chapters 38 and 121 of Acts of Assembly, extra session of 1883-'4, and chapter 10 of Acts of Assembly 1885-'6.

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That the county judge, the commonwealth's attorney, and the county superintendent of schools of each county of the commonwealth shall be created a board, to be known as the School Trustee Electoral Board. The organization, powers and duties of said board shall be as follows:

2. The county judge shall be the chairman of the board, and the county superintendent of schools its clerk. Any member may call a meeting by giving due notice to the other two. Any two members shall constitute a quorum. A concurrence of a majority of the board, in a duly assembled meeting, shall be required to constitute a valid act.

3. The board shall have power, and it shall be its duty to fill by appointment all vacancies now existing or hereafter occurring in the office of district school trustees. Regular appointments shall be made for a term of three years. Appointments to fill vacancies, occurring within a regular term, shall be made for the unexpired part of such term provided that no person who is unable to read and write shall be appointed a trustee ; and provided also that nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize said board to interfere in any way with the appointment of school trustees as heretofore or now made by municipal councils, or to disturb in any way the present law bearing on the action of said municipal councils in the premises.

4. The board shall furthermore have power, and it shall be its duty to declare vacant, and proceed to fill the office of any trustee who fails to qualify, and to deliver to the clerk of this board his official oath in the usual form within thirty days after he has been notified by said clerk of his appointment. The board shall also vacate the office of any and every trustee who fails to discharge the duties of his office according to law. In the investigation of any such alleged failure, the electoral board shall have power to issue summons to witnesses to appear before it, and to require to be produced before it any official records, papers or books pertaining to the case. The chairman of the board shall have power to administer an oath to any witness appearing before it.

5. It shall be the duty of the clerk of the board to record all pro ceedings in a bound volume, which record book, together with such stationery and postage as may be required for correspondence with trustees, shall be paid for out of the county school fund on the warrant of the said board: provided the cost of the same shall not exceed five dollars in any one year. The clerk shall furnish the superintendent of public instruction with a list of the school trustees of each district of the county, their post-offices, and date of appointment, and such other information as may be called for. He shall also promptly notify the board when unexpected vacancies occur, and shall also notify the same thirty days in advance of the expiration of regular terms of office, so that the district boards may be kept full, and no members be left to hold over unnecessarily. He shall also promptly notify all trustees of their appointment, and also forward to the same blank copies of the official oath to be furnished by the superintendent of public instruction.

6. An act of assembly entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act approved January eleven, 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 section seven, chapter seventy-eight, of the Code of eighteen hundred and seventythree, in force February twenty, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and an act (chapter thirty-eight acts of assembly, extra session of eighteen hundred and eighty-four) entitled an act to amend and reenact sections one and three of an act entitled an act to amend and re enact an act approved January eleven, 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 section seven of chapter seventy-eight of the Code of eighteen hun

dred and seventy-three, in force February twenty, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, in force September three, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and an act (chapter one hundred and twenty-one acts of assembly, extra session of eighteen hundred and eighty-four) entitled an act to amend and re-enact sections five and six of an act in force February twenty, eighteen hundred and eighty four, creating the county board of school commissioners, and so forth, approved November twenty-seven, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section two of chapter one hundred and thirty-eight of the acts of assembly of eighteen hundred and eighty-three and eighteen hundred and eighty-four, in regard to filling vacancies in the county board of school commissioners, and all other acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed.

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

Fifth Annual Conference

Of County and City Superintendents of the Public Free Schools of Virginia, to be held in the city of Richmond, May 18th, 19th and 20th.

Circulars have already been forwarded from this department to superintendents conveying notice of the time and place of holding the Conference. Through the courtesy of Governor Lee, the Hall of the House of Delegates will be used for the meetings of the Conference, unless the Legislature should be in session at the time appointed. In that event, another room suitable and convenient will be provided. It is the desire and purpose of this department that the meeting shall be of substantial practical benefit to all who are present, and, therefore, a full attendance is not only desired but expected.

At a meeting of the Conference in 1885, a resolution offered by Dr. Dame, of Danville, was adopted, instructing "the president to select, some time before the annual meeting, subjects for discussion, and to appoint members to open the discussion." The National Department of Superintendence, at its recent session (March 15th, 16th and 17th) in Washington, D. C., held three meetings each day, at 10 A. M., 1:30 P. M., and 7:30 P. M. The program furnished nine subjects, one for each meeting. After the regular subject was disposed of, miscellaneous matters came up for consideration.

The time occupied by each meeting was from one and a half to two and a half hours.

Following the above suggestions, the President of the Conference has prepared the following list of subjects, and appointed the following gentlemen to open discussions :

1. Examination and Certification of Teachers in Cities and Counties.-R. L. Carne, Alexandria city. Discussion by Dr. J. F. Bryant, Southampton county; Dr. D. M. Brown, Petersburg; Wythe M. Peyton, Henry county; Dr. Thomas B. Lane, Mathews county.

2. Average Attendance of Pupils. How can it be Increased? Its effect on Teachers' Salaries and Discipline of Schools.-C. H. Chilton, Appomattox county. Discussion by Warren E. Coons, Culpeper county; J. S. Saville, Rockbridge county; Dr. Jno. E. Mapp, Accomac county.

3. Teachers' Institutes-County, District, and State.-J. B. McInturff, Shenandoah county. Discussion by Wm. M. Graybill, Roanoke county; George H. Hulvey, Rockingham county; Wm. A. Bowles, Richmond city.

4. School Literature-Reading Associations-Educational Journal of Virginia.-Professor W. F. Fox, Richmond city. Discussion by James Baron Hope, Norfolk city; W. C. Marshall, Fauquier county; R. B. Richardson, Montgomery county.

5. Sub-districting-Location of School-houses-Boards of Reference.-N. D. Hawkins, Bedford county. Discussion by W. S. Hale, Grayson county; D. P. Powers, Albemarle county; A. J. Richeson, Amherst county.

6. Relative Duties of District Trustees, Teachers and Patrons.— Thos. E. Barksdale, Halifax county. Discussion by Dr. Gavin Rawls, Isle of Wight county; G. E. Roy, Warren county; W. A. Blankingship, Chesterfield county.

7. School Laws-What should be abolished, amended, enacted.James O. Shepherd, Fluvanna county. Discussion by Major A. G. Pendleton, Smythe county; Frank T. West, Jr., Louisa county; W. H. Campbell, Hanover county; R. P. Carson, Washington county.

8. The Need and Best Means of Providing for Instruction in Branches above those in the Primary Schools. -Major R. C. Saunders, Campbell county. Discussion by O. P.' Chew, Highlar.d county; Jno. T. West, Norfolk county; Geo. W. Hardy, Lunenburg county.