city, may file their petition in the Circuit Court of any city or county, or the Corporation or Hustings Court of any city, or before the judge thereof in vacation, asking leave to sell or exchange any public school property which, in their judgment, it is desirable to sell or exchange, and upon evidence being produced before the court, or the judge thereof in vacation, that such sale or exchange is proper to be made, the said court, or judge thereof in vacation, shall make such order as may be proper, providing for the sale of said property, or that the same may be exchanged, and in case of the sale of any property, for the proper investment of the proceeds of the same. The court may make such order as to costs as to it may seem proper. 2. This act shall be in force from its passage.

IV. SETTLEMENTS OF TREASURERS WITH AUDITOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

AN ACT 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 (approved April 6, 1887).

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 officers, 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 hereinbefore 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 and 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.

V. VIRGINIA NORMAL AND COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE-SUMMER SESSION.

AN ACT to provide for a normal school in the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, &c. (approved May 21, 1887).

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That the president, professors and teachers of the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute shall be required during each and every year to conduct a summer normal school for the benefit of the colored teachers of the public schools of this State, and those who expect to become teachers in the public schools; said summer normal school shall begin on a day to be designated by the superintendent of public instruction, not later than the first of July, and to continue for a term of five weeks. In said summer school shall be taught such branches as relate to the academic and professional improvement of teachers. 2. The annual salary allowed the president, professors, instructors and other employees in said normal and collegiate institute shall be regarded as covering the time during which they are on duty in said summer normal school: provided, that nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the superintendent of public instruction from employing other competent and skilled normal instructors to assist the regular faculty in conducting said summer normal school.

3. The president of the institute, with the approval of the superintendent of public instruction, may issue circulars or adopt such other

means as may be deemed expedient to convey to teachers due notice of the time when said summer normal school shall begin, and the course of instruction to be given. The teachers attending said summer normal school shall receive such certificates of merit as the authorities of said institute may prescribe.

4. While in attendance upon said summer normal school the teachers may occupy the institute buildings and be furnished accommodations as to board in like manner as are the regular students of the institute. They shall be subject to such rules and regulations as to government and discipline as shall be approved by the board of education. The charge for board and lodging to each teacher shall not exceed two dollars per week. All regular employees of said institute shall perform such service during the summer normal school term as the authorities of the institute may require.

5. Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent the superintendent of public instruction from conducting institutes or teachers' meetings in any other part of the State for the benefit of colored teachers of the public free schools: provided, that no public free school funds shall be used for this purpose.

6. That an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact chapter three hundred and forty, sections one, two, three, four, five, six and seven, session Acts of eighteen hundred and eighty-three and four, in relation to the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, and the independent sections two and three of said act, approved December one, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and all other acts and parts of acts in conflict herewith, be and the same are hereby repealed. 7. This act shall be in force from its passage.

To bring the preceding legislation more forcibly before school officers, the following brief comments on the more important acts are made:

I. School Trustee Electoral Boards.

Under an act of the General Assembly, in force February 20, 1884, the appointment of district school trustees was vested in county school electoral boards, composed of three citizens of each county, elected by the General Assembly. This law has been repealed, and the old law, providing that the County Judge, Commonwealth's Attorney and County Superintendent of Schools shall constitute the school trustee electoral board of each county, with power to appoint and remove trustees, has been re-enacted.

This is a very important change in the law, and county superintendents should see that its requirements are promptly complied with. The County Superintendent is clerk of the electoral board, and as such it is his duty to obtain all records, etc., in possession of the clerk of the former board, and to carefully preserve the same with his official papers.

II. Pay of Teachers According to Term Average, etc.

This act amends the act approved February 16, 1886; defines more clearly the claims for which payments are authorized, and provides that warrants for such allowances shall be issued and paid in the manner prescribed by law for issuing and paying other warrants for teachers' salaries.

V. Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute-Summer Session.

Under the former law the summer session was fixed at eight weeks, and county superintendents were required to revoke the license of any colored teacher in the public schools who failed to attend one session, or any part of said summer course for three consecutive school years,"

of Education.

* * unless such teacher was excused by the Board

The present act reduces the length of the session to five weeks, and relieves the teachers of the severe penalty imposed for nonattendance. The fact, however, that teachers are not now compelled to attend should not abate their desire to avail themselves of the advantages offered through this agency, or create any lack of interest in this department of the Institute. On the contrary, it is hoped that the good attendance at the summer sessions will show the appreciation of the teachers of relief from the compulsory feature of the law.

The Fifth Annual Conference of Superintendents, held in the City of Richmond May 18, 19 and 20, 1887.

It is proposed to publish the proceedings of the late Conference in some suitable form, as soon as time can be spared for preparation of the matter. In the meantime we print below such a synopsis of the proceedings as space will allow.

The Legislature being in session, the day sessions of the Conference were held in Central Hall, Fifth street. The Hall of the House

of Delegates and the Senate Chamber were kindly placed at our disposal for the night sessions.

Colonel John B. Cary, superintendent Richmond city schools, cordially welcomed the Conference to the city, and Superintendent C. T. Jordan, of Augusta county, responded on behalf of the body.

The sessions were arranged as follows: 10 A. M., 2:30 P. M., 8 P. M. The hour of adjournment from time to time was determined by vote of the members.

A programme was prepared in accordance with the plan published in the April JOURNAL. The first person named in connection with each subject selected, read his paper on that subject. The speakers appointed to discuss the same were called in the order in which their names appeared; then the subject was open for general discussion. While not disparaging other subjects, it is perhaps fair to say that the following evoked the most animated discussions of the meeting: Examination and Certification of Teachers, "School Literature," "Teachers' Institutes," "Relative Duties of Teachers," &c., "School Laws."

A very strong desire was expressed to have the EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL in the hands of every public school teacher in the State. The President stated that he wished the views of the members of the Conference in regard to the most judicious expenditure of the Peabody money donated for institute purposes. After much discussion the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That a committee consisting of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and two superintendents from each Congressional district, be appointed to recommend to the Conference suitable places for holding the summer normal institutes.

This committee was appointed, and after full consideration recommended that the matter be referred to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to which the Conference unanimously agreed.

As the result of the very interesting discussion of school laws, the following resolutions were adopted:

Resolved, That the President of this Conference appoint one superintendent from each Congressional district, who, together with himself, shall constitute a committee, whose duty it shall be to examine into the school laws of the State, and make and consider suggestions as to the needed changes in said laws. Said committee shall meet at such time and place as shall be designated by the chairman, consider the proposed changes in or modifications of the school laws, and take such steps as they may deem advisable to secure the passage of such laws as they may determine will increase the efficiency of the school system.