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. | School-Houses. Official reports from superintendents show that during the present year a good deal has been done in building and repairing schoolhouses. Such has been the case every year since our school system began. Some of the annual school reports of Virginia, notably those for the years 1874 and 1875, treated the subject of building school-houses somewhat fully and explicitly, giving, among other things, a number of school house plans with specifications, &c. The JOURNAL has occasionally touched on the same subject (see especially JOURNAL for January, 1884). But much yet remains to be done, and, therefore, a few general remarks on the subject are not deemed inappropriate : 1. The first question to be settled in regard to a school-house is, where shall it be located? It is easy to answer this question in word, but often hard to get it properly answered in deed. Several points must be consulted-healthfulness of site, accessibility, nearness to water and fuel, susceptibility of improvements. It is not necessary to elaborate these points. No argument is needed to prove that the site of a school-building and the grounds immediately around it ought to have good natural drainage, and that a building designed for the equal benefit of the people of a neighborhood ought to be, as far as practicable, centrally located. District Boards having charge of this matter ought to regard exclusively the public interests, and not those of individuals. But especially ought more attention to be paid to grounds about school-buildings. The time ought to be considered as past when any kind of an unused, unsightly nook or corner will do for a school house. The grounds about every school-house ought to be neatly enclosed and planted with shade trees, and the location for a building ought to be selected with an eye to these things. Any good school-building ought to serve for at least a score of years, and therefore no ignorance, carelessness or selfishness ought to be allowed to determine its location or surroundings. The size of the building, of course, depends on the number of children to be accommodated. It ought to be large enough to avoid all necessity of crowding the pupils together too closely. In works on school architecture it is maintained that not less than a certain number of cubic feet of space ought to be allowed for each pupil, and therefore not only the area of the floor but the height of the ceiling must be taken into the account. In the construction of school-buildings the three things which demand special attention are light, heat, and ventilation. Those who have made a specialty of school architecture have devoted much study to these subjects. In some subsequent publication we hope to give our readers the results of the best scientific observation and experience touching these most important matters. In fact, if a good, sensible, practical work on school architecture can be found or made, one thoroughly well adapted to our needs, we shall favor placing a copy of it in the hands of every District Board in the State. These general remarks have been made in the hope of stimulating an increased interest in this important subject. New school-buildings will go up every year; a good many now in use, badly located, unsightly, uncomfortable, inadequate, need to be replaced by others in better locations and in better style. The Blair Bill. What is known as the Blair Bill was a subject of discussion in the recent canvass in Virginia. This bill, or some modification of it, will doubtless come before Congress at its approaching session. personal interview with Mr. Blair we know that it is his purpose to renew his efforts to secure its passage. As, therefore, it is still a living question, it is deemed not inopportune to publish in the JourNAL the text of the bill as it passed the Senate of the United States, May 13th, 1886. It received the votes of forty-four Senators and is held to be constitutional by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Attorney General of the United States. The friends of the bill hold that its enactment is authorized by the following preamble (Constitution United States): We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure Tranquility, provide for the Common Defense, promote the General Welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. The "text" of the bill, as here given, contains material additions to some of the sections, and other important modifications as compared with the text of the bill published in the JOURNAL for March, 1886. 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. School-Houses. Official reports from superintendents show that during the present year a good deal has been done in building and repairing schoolhouses. Such has been the case every year since our school system began. Some of the annual school reports of Virginia, notably those for the years 1874 and 1875, treated the subject of building school-houses somewhat fully and explicitly, giving, among other things, a number of school house plans with specifications, &c. The JOURNAL has occasionally touched on the same subject (see especially JOURNAL for January, 1884). But much yet remains to be done, and, therefore, a few general remarks on the subject are not deemed inappropriate : 1. The first question to be settled in regard to a school-house is, where shall it be located? It is easy to answer this question in word, but often hard to get it properly answered in deed. Several points must be consulted-healthfulness of site, accessibility, nearness to water and fuel, susceptibility of improvements. It is not necessary to elaborate these points. No argument is needed to prove that the site of a school-building and the grounds immediately around it ought to have good natural drainage, and that a building designed for the equal benefit of the people of a neighborhood ought to be, as far as practicable, centrally located. District Boards having charge of this matter ought to regard exclusively the public interests, and not those of individuals. But especially ought more attention to be paid to grounds about school-buildings. The time ought to be considered as past when any kind of an unused, unsightly nook or corner will do for a school house. The grounds about every school-house ought to be neatly enclosed and planted with shade trees, and the location for a building ought to be selected with an eye to these things. Any good school-building ought to serve for at least a score of years, and therefore no ignorance, carelessness or selfishness ought to be allowed to determine its location or surroundings. The size of the building, of course, depends on the number of children to be tively, in the proportion that the white and colored children between the ages of ten years and twenty-one years, both inclusive, in such State or Territory, and in the District of Columbia, bear to each other, as shown by the said census. The foregoing provision shall not affect the application of the proper proportion of said money to the support of all common schools wherein white and colored children are taught together. SEC. 3. That the district of Alaska shall be considered a Territory within the meaning of this act; but no acceptance of the provisions of this act, report of the governor of the district, or expenditure by the district for school purposes shall be required; and the money apportioned to said district shall be expended annually, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, in the manner provided for the expenditure of other appropriations for educational purposes in said district; and for the purpose of ascertaining the amount to be apportioned to said district the Secretary of the Interior shall ascertain, in such manner as shall be deemed by him best, the number of illiterates therein. SEC. 4. That no State or Territory shall receive any money under this act until the Governor thereof shall file with the Secretary of the Interior a statement, certified by him, showing the common-school system in force in such State or Territory; the amount of money expended therein during the last preceding school year in the support of common schools, not including expenditures for the rent, repair, or erection of school-houses; whether any discrimination is made in the raising or distributing of the, common-school revenues or in the common-school facilities afforded between the white and colored children therein, and, so far as is practicable, the sources from which such revenues were derived; the manner in which the same were apportioned to the use of the common schools; the number of white and colored children in each county or parish and city between the ages of ten and twenty-one years, both inclusive, as given by the census of eighteen hundred and eighty, and the number of children, white and colored, of such school age attending school; the number of schools in operation in each county or parish and city, white and colored; the school term for each class; the number of teachers employed, white and colored, male and female, and the average compensation paid such teachers; the average attendance in each class; and the length of the school term. No money shall be paid out under this act to any State or Territory that shall not have provided by law a system of free common schools for all of its children of school age, without distinction of race or color, either in the raising or distributing of school revenues or in the school facilities afforded: Provided, that separate schools for white and colored children shall not be considered a violation of this condition. The Secretary of the Interior shall certify to the Secretary of the Treasury the States and Territories which he finds to be entitled to share in the benefits of this act, and also the amount due to each. SEC. 5. That the amount so apportioned to each State and Territory shall be drawn from the Treasury by warrant of the Secretary of the Treasury, upon the monthly estimates and requisitions of the Secretary of the Interior as the same may be needed, and shall be paid over to such officers as shall be authorized by the laws of the respective States and Territories to receive the same. And that the Secretary of the Interior is charged with the proper administration of this law, through the Commissioner of Education, and they are authorized and directed, under the approval of the President, to make all needful rules and regulations, not inconsistent with its provisions, to carry this law into effect. SEC. 6. That the instruction in the common schools wherein these moneys shall be expended shall include the art of reading, writing, and speaking the English language, arithmetic, geography, history of the United States, and such other branches of useful knowledge as may be taught under local laws; and copies of all school-books authorized by the school boards or other authorities of the respective States and Territories, and used in the schools of the same, shall be filed with the Secretary of the Interior. SEC. 7. That the money appropriated and apportioned under the provisions of this act to the use of any Territory shall be applied to the use of common and industrial schools therein, under the direction of the Legislature thereof. SEC. 8. That the design of this act not being to establish an independent system of schools, but rather to aid for the time being in the development and maintenance of the school system established by local government, and which must eventually be wholly maintained by the States and Territories wherein they exist, it is hereby provided that no greater part of the money appropriated under this act shall be paid out to any State and Territory in any one year than the sum expended out of its own revenues or out of moneys raised under its authority in the preceding year for the maintenance of common schools, not including the sums expended in the erection of schoolbuildings. SEC. 9. That a part of the money apportioned to each State or Territory, not exceeding one-tenth thereof, may, in the discretion of |