asking Congress to provide some other way for appointing Cadets for West Point, than that now practised.

THE following is the form of a public school teacher's oath of allegiance : STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF —

I do solemnly swear or affirm [as the case may be] that I will faithfully support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States against all enemies, whether domestic or foreign, that I will bear true faith, allegiance, and loyalty to said Constitution and Government, and that I will, to the extent of my ability, teach those under my charge to love, reverence, and uphold the same, any law or ordinance of any State Convention or Legislature, or any rule or obligation of any society or association, or any decree or order from any source whatsoever, to the contrary notwithstanding; and further, that I do this with a full determination, pledge, and purpose, without any mental reservation or evasion whatsoever; and I do further swear [or affirm, as the case may be] that I will support the Constitution of the State of California.

Subscribed and sworn to, before me, this hundred and sixty

day of

one thousand eight

SEC. 3 of An Act concerning Teachers of Common Schools in this State, approved April 27th, 1863, reads as follows:

SEC. 3. Any officer whose duty it is to draw warrants for the salary of teachers, or any treasurer whose duty it is to pay such warrants, who shall either draw or pay any warrants for the salary of any teacher, before the oath provided for in section one of this Act is filed with the recorder, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction, shall be fined in a sum not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not less than thirty days nor more than sixty days.

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect from and after its passage.

WISCONSIN S. T. ASSOCIATION.-This association met at Kenosha, July 28th. The report of proceedings, as published in the Wisconsin Journal of Education, proves that the teachers of that State are fully awake to their responsibilities. Few States have done more for public schools than Wisconsin. Among others, the following-resolutions were passed:

Resolved, That while we miss from our annual session many who have been wont to meet with us, we are proud of their self-sacrificing patriotism and devotion to the country; that we have heard with pride of their deeds of heroic bravery on the battle field; that we send to the living to-day a meed of praise from swelling hearts, and that the dead are embalmed forever in our memories.

Resolved, That we as citizens and especially as educators feel it our imperative duty to support the Administration under its present trying circumstances, and to instill into the minds of the youth intrusted to our care the most unswerving patriotism and love for our noble Republic.

CORRECTION. We are informed by the County Superintendent of Napa, that an error was made in our statement as to the relative number of teachers in attendance from Solano and Napa-there being seven from each county, and not an excess from Solano. We hope there will be more from each next time; and if the error shall lead to a healthful rivalry between the respective counties hereafter, in educational matters, we shall cheerfully chronicle the improvement, and aid in crowning the conqueror.

ESTIMATE OF TEACHERS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.-It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had, yea, and that among very wise men, to find out rather a cunning man for their horse, than a cunning man for their children. They say nay in words, but they do so in deed. For to the one they will gladly give a stipend of two hundred crowns by year, and loth to offer to the other two hundred shillings. God, that sitteth in heaven, laugheth their choice to scorn, and rewardeth their liberality as it should; for he suffereth them to have tame and well-ordered horse, but wild and unfortunate children; and therefore, in the end, they find more pleasure in their horse than comfort in their children. -Roger Ascham, Preceptor of Queen Elizabeth.

CORPOREAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS.-The following is a copy of a bill which has just been brought into the House of Commons by Viscount Raynham and Mr. Dunlop, entitled "A Bill to regulate corporeal punishment in schools and elsewhere:"

Whereas, it is expedient that provision should be made for regulating the use of corporeal punishment by schoolmasters, tutors, and other persons having the charge of young persons for the purposes of tuition or training: be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 1. From and after the passage of this Act it shall not be lawful for any schoolmaster, usher, tutor, or other persons having the charge, management, custody, or control of young persons, for the purpose of tuition or training, and not being the parents, guardians, or nearest surviving relatives of such young persons, to inflict any corporeal punishment on any such young persons otherwise than by the use of a birch rod; and every person who shall act in contravention of this Act shall be deemed to be guilty of an assault, and shall be punishable accordingly.

PAY YOUR SCHOOL-TAX WITHOUT GRUMBLING.-George Sumner, of Boston, who lately returned from Europe, where he spent several years, delivered a lecture in New York recently, on the educational character of that continent, from which we extract the following pregnant paragraph:

If there be any moral to the tale I have told, it may be summed up in a few words→→ pay your school tax without grumbling—it is the cheapest premium of insurance on your property. You are educating those who are to make laws for yourself and your children. In this State you are educating those who are to elect your judges. Build more school-houses, they will spare you the building of more jails. Remember that the experiment of other countries shows that the development of free and extended educa tion has been followed by public and private prosperity; that financial success and political tranquillity have blessed the lands which have recognized its importance. Remember that education without freedom-without the education of the moral sentiments, soon runs into anarchy and despotism-and that liberty will not linger long in those lands, where her twin sister knowledge is neglected.

PACIFIC MONTHLY.-We have missed, for two months, this valued magazine, whose face is ever welcome. Shall the publisher or the postmaster receive our maledictions? or may we be hereafter gladdened by its coming if we spare our expostulations?

AMADOR COUNTY.-A private note from the County Superintendent says: succeeded very well, indeed, with our County Teachers' Institute."

PROCEEDINGS OF THE STATE INSTITUTE.-This document has been received with great commendation, and is doing a vast amount of good in this State and at the East. We shall be happy to furnish a few copies to those of our readers who may not have received it, and who will take the trouble to send the postage stamps for pre-payment.

VASSAR FEMALE COLLEGE.-We have received "The President's Visit to Europe," and the "Plan for the Organization," as reported by a committee of the Board of Trustees. Many valuable suggestions are contained in these documents, of which we purpose to avail ourselves in some future number of THE TEACHER.

JOHN A. COLLINS.-We regret to hear of the serious illness of this gentleman, whose praise is in the mouth of every man who believes in good, earnest workers in this new land. We do not propose to write a history of his deeds, for we hope the time is very distant when the record will be closed. Nevada cannot spare him yet, neither can his country.

BACK NUMBERS.-We regret to state that our back numbers are exhausted. As there is no doubt of the continuance of THE TEACHER, we have concluded to allow subscriptions to commence with any number, so that our friends need not relax their efforts to procure subscribers.

DISTANCES IN CHARLESTON HARBOR.—In the present juncture of affairs near Charleston, the following is of interest to the reader: Fort Sumter is three miles and three-eighths from Charleston, one mile and one-eighth from Fort Moultrie, three-quarters of a mile to the nearest land, one mile and three-eighths to Fort Johnson, and two miles and five-eighths to Castle Pinckney. The last named Fort is one mile from the town, and Fort Johnson is two miles and a quarter from the town. These measurements are from surveys from the United States Coast Survey Department.

REESE RIVER. Says the Reese River Reveille: "A school has been opened up town under a pine-bough shelter! Fast-ain't we? A school, printing office, numerous large stone and frame buildings, innumerable cabins and shanties, three mills are going up and two more to arrive in a few days, and all done since January!

NEW BOOKS.-We have received from H. H. Bancroft & Co., publishers, Montgomery Street, the following:

CLASSIC QUOTATIONS; A THOUGHT-BOOK OF THE WISE SPIRITS OF ALL AGES and ALL COUNTRIES, FIT FOR ALL MEN AND ALL HOURS. Collected, arranged, and edited by James Elmes; pp. 256.

A much more modest book than its title would indicate. Of course, there is no attempt at originality. We incline to the belief that our readers would be quite as much profited by collecting for themselves the choice passages which occur in their regular reading; but if they have not energy enough left to copy, and still wish to possess a fair collection of good things, let them invest in this little volume.

WAR PICTURES FROM THE SOUTH. By B. Estvan, Colonel of cavalry in the Confederate army; pp. 352.

This volume contains a history of the most important transactions which occurred from the opening of the present war at Charleston to the repulse of Gen. McClellan before Richmond. Col. Estvan seems to be a soldier of fortune, willing to fight merely for the excitement of the thing, but his book shows him to be a gentleman as well as a soldier. He has given the most dispassionate narration of the events in which he was concerned, that we remember to have seen among all the books which constitute the history of the war. His descriptions of the first battle at Manassas, the battle of Shiloh, and the seven days' battles at Richmond, will repay careful reading, and throw new light upon the condition of affairs on these eventful fields. We commend the book to our readers.

A MANUAL OF DEVOTIONS FOR DOMESTIC AND PRIVATE USE. By George Upfold, D.D., Bishop of Indiana; pp. 244.

We are inclined to think Mr. Bancroft made a mistake in sending this book. He must surely have designed it for the Advocate office or Pacific. But we are disposed to be thankful for the mistake, since we find so pure a devotional spirit on all its handsome pages. It is a book of prayers for the mornings and evenings of four weeks. We do not recollect any book which we can more cordially commend to those of our readers who may desire written assistance in their family devotions.

BANCROFT'S DIARY FOR 1864.

Containing useful memoranda, and tables for reference. In addition to the usual calendar, and blank spaces for events, this indispensable pocket companion contains the locations of public offices, buildings, and churches of San Francisco; hack fare in San Francisco; United States stamp duties; California State tax; value of foreign coins; weights and measures; effects of temperature; rates of postage; and a summary of the laws of California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, for collection of debts.

We have also received, from the same house, the following, of which we reserve full notice until our next number:

HEAT, CONSIDERED AS A MODE OF MOTION: Being a course of twelve lectures delivered at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in the season of 1862. By John Tyndall, F. R. S., etc.; pp. 480.

LEVANA; OR THE DOCTRINE OF EDUCATION. Translated from the German of Jean Paul Friedrich Richter.

THE BIVOUAC AND THE BATTLE FIELD; OR CAMPAIGN SKETCHES IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND. By George T. Noyes, Captain U. S. volunteers; pp. 339.

SCIENCE FOR THE SCHOOL AND FAMILY. PART I. NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. By Worthington Hooker, M.D.; pp. 346.

THE good effect of the provision requiring a uniform series of text books throughout the State is already felt-its wisdom is apparent to all. Would it not be equally wise, and productive of equally beneficial results, if the Legislature should pass an act requiring the State Board of Education to make out a course of study to be pursued in every unclassified school in the State? The former action of the Legislature seems to call for some such additional enactment. Among some of the advantages which would arise from such a general course of study are:

1st. It tends directly to secure system in Education. There is but one right way of educating. Expediency often causes us to hesitate, and even leads us aside from the truth. When it is once determined for what the schools are established-and the general opinion seems to be that they are for development-there only remains to discover and use the right means to this end. I am aware that it will be said that there may be more than one way to arrive at the same results, and it is immaterial what means are employed to attain this-the proper development of the child. I am not disposed to entertain this indifferent spirit, since it jeopardizes