a form of prayer to be used if thought best. The hymns seem to be judiciously selected, the texts of Scripture cover the whole ground of faith maintained by the church at large, and the forms of prayer are, in the main, simple and impressive.

We think that the adoption of this or some similar work as a compromise between those who favor, and those who oppose the reading of the Bible in school, would be a judicious measure, and tend to prevent the irritation and ill-feeling which must prevail where the matter is made a subject of discussion.

་་

Barnard's American Journal of Education.-We beg to call the attention of our educational friends to this cyclopedia of education. It is unrivalled in this department of investigation. The Westminister Review freely admits, that England has as yet nothing in the same field worthy of comparison with it." Chancellor Barnard has deposited several sets of this work, handsomely bound in cloth, with the Superintendent of Public Instruction for sale,-five volumes, averaging over 800 pages each, with over thirty engravings on steel of the most distinguished of American educators. The price of the set is $12,50. Any orders addressed to the State Superintendent, or the editor of this Journal will be attended to promptly, and the work forwarded according to directions.

The Great Republic Monthly for July is a superior number, giving nearly thir ty articles, some of them well illustrated. Valparaiso" and "The Pawnbrokers of New York" are very interesting sketches, as are also the two entitled "Gerald Massey" and "Posthumous Poem of Frances S. Osgood." The paper, print and illustrations are much improved, and the magazine is making its way, and making good its claims upon the reading public, As this number commences a volume, now is the time to subscribe. See terms in the June number of the Journal.

The Atlantic for July is received and presents its usual variety of readable articles. The following is the table of contents for this month: "Thomas Paine's Second Appearance in the United States; "Of Books and the Reading Thereof; ""After the Ball; "Rock, Tree, and Man; " "Chip Dartmouth;' "Seen and Unseen;""Percival;" "Zelma's Vow;" "Wm. Shakspeare, Attorney and Solicitor; "The Ministers Wooing; "9 "The Professor at the Breakfast Table;" "Art; ""Reviews and Literary Notices." The publishers offer premiums of valuable books to any person sending five, eight, ten, fifteen, or twenty subscribers names, accompanied with the money, at ihe rate of $2,00 for each subscriber. Address, Phillips, Sampson & Co., 13 Winter St., Boston.

The Ladies' Home Magazine for July is on our table, filled with good reading and good pictures. This is a first rate family magazine, especially valuable to mothers and house-keepers. We send it with the Journal to new subscribers for two dollars a year.

RAYMOND'S $10 FAMILY SEWING MACHINE.

The most valuable improvement of the age, which took the FIRST PREMIUM at the Maine State Fair in 1858, over all other Machines on Exhibition. Patented, March 9, 1858.

WISCONSIN,

BOWEN & PARKER, OF MADISON, Having purchased the entire right of this State in the above mentioned machine, are now prepared to sell County and Town Rights, and machines, upon very liberal terins.

This Machine takes from Eight to Sixty stitches to the inch, uses needles and thread of any size, and operates on thin or thick work.

This machine dees away with all that is expensive in the high priced machines, and is so simple that any lady can learn to run it well in half an hour, while it will run for months with little liability of getting out of order. Raymond's Ten Dollar Family Machine is just what is needed and wanted for all kinds of family sewing, and will soon prove itself to be an indispensable attachment to every well regulated family.

With these advantages we place it fearlessly before the public, with the full assurance that its real merits must be apparent to every discriminating eye.

READ THE FOLL✨WING :

From the report of the Committee on Machinery of the Agricultural Society of the State of Maine:

While it is conceded by your committee that the Wheeler & Wilson machine, exhibited,is the est of oll the machines, and that the other high priced machines exhibited, are excellently constructed, ond perform their work admirably, yet your committee agree in the opinion that the RA › MÔND $10 MACHINE IS EMINENTLY SIMPLE, THOROUGH, ÂND FIRM. * * So far as the several members of the committee can judge, they honestly believe, that there is A FAR GREATER DIFFERENCE IN THE PRICE of the several machines than in their USEFULNESS, and they consider the balance to be in favor of the RAYMOND MACHINE," etc.

** *

Office in Madison, in PARKER'S JEWELRY ¡STORE, Next to the Old U.S. Block.

EAST.-New favorite Route, via Detroit & Milwaukee and
Great Western Railways.

The First Class Side-Wheel Steamers "City of Cleveland," Capt Heber Squier, "Cleveland," Capt. Dougall, will leave D, & M. R.R. Dock, foot of Main St, Milwaukee, 12.00 M. Daily (Sundays excepted), for Grand Haven, arriving at 8:45 P.M, Detroit at 6A.M., Suspension Bridge 4.50 P.M. Albany 4.40 A.M., New York 10 A.M. 8.00 P.M. Daily for Grand Haven, arriving at 4.00 A.M., Detroit at 12.15P.M, Suspension Bridge 9.55 P,M., Albany 8.30 A.M., New York 1,30 P.M., Boston 400 P.M The 8 P.M. Boat on Saturday, connects with 4.00 A.M. Train on Monday morning. Making close connections at Detroit with trains for all points East, and with Steamers for Cleveland. No Extra Charge for Berths or State Rooms on the Steamers. Freight carried at extremely low rates, which rates include Lake Insurance. Fare by this route less, and distance shorter by ninety-six miles, than any other to the East. W, K. MUIR, Supt. Freight Agent, MilwauA. G. DARWIN, Ag't.

H. O. WILSON, General Western Agent, Milwaukee. WM. GRAHAM, kee. TICKETS for sale at Mil. & Miss. Depot, Madison.

Chicago, St. Paul, & Fond du Lac Railroad.-Spring Ar

rangement, 1859.

Until further notice, Two Trains Daily from Madison to Chicago, via Janesville, connecting at Clinton with Racine and Mississippi Railroad for Beloit, etc.

TRAINS LEAVE MADISON-Accommodation at 6 A.M; Express 12,26 PM TRAINS LEAVE JANESVILLE-Accommodation 8.10 A.M.; Expres 2,30 P..M. TRAINS ARRIVE IN CHICAGO AT-Express 12,25 A.M; Accommodation, 6.40 P.M Trains coming out of Chicago for Madison & Prairie du Chien, leave at Express 9.30 A.M; Accommodation 4 P.M.

Connecting in Chicago with trains on Michigan Southern, Michigan Central, and Chicago & Fort Wayne Railroads, for East & South,

FREIGHT TRAINS LEAVE DAILY, P.M.

Passengers from Madison, going to Chicago on business, can go through without change of Cars, and make good connections with all trains East and South-West. E. D. ROBINSON, Gen'l Ticket Ag't. G. L. DUNLAP, Supt.

H. D. FILKINS, General Western Agent

The committee on colleges, academies and common schools, on the points to be considered upon the question of abolishing the office of school commissioner and re-establishing the office of town superintendent, report:

1st. The relative efficiency of the two modes of supervision.

The object of any supervision is to become acquainted with the character and progress of the various schools; the methods of instruction; their comparative merit; the condition of the school houses; the degree of interest manifested by parents and patrons; the efficiency of school officers; and perhaps more than all, the standard of qualification of the teachers, as determined by literary attainments, an enterprising spirit, an intelligent apprehension of the nature and objects of education, and the best methods of promoting it, and by skill and tact as evinced in a successful experience; and then, upon the knowledge thus gained, to make such suggestions and adopt such plans for improvement, as shall be best adapted to promote the object in view.

The more extended and general this survey of the actual condition and wants of the school can be made, in order to secure a wider range of uni form influences favorable to improvement, the more efficient must be the action founded upon the information acquired. The prevailing difficulties and embarrassments in one town, will not greatly vary from those in a dozen other towns in the same locality; hence the best measures to im* Report of the Legislative Committee on Colleges, Academies and Common Schools, on the bill relative to abolishing the office of School Commissioner, New York.

prove the condition of things in one town, will in all probability be equally applicable to all. Thus from these wider surveys of the working of the system, a more comprehensive and intelligent idea of the educational needs of a community can be gained, a deeper and more thorough knowledge of the principles of educational policy will be derived, and a more consistent, thorough and general plan of means be adopted to correct existing evils,

Under a separate town supervision the standard of qualification for teachers may vary in each town. It is scarcely possible, indeed, to promote any uniformity in this respect, or any concert of action for mutual improvement under a local town supervision.

On the other hand a supervision by Assembly districts, tends greatly to promote uniformity in plans and methods, and concert, hence efficiency of action. The commissioner can demand and secure a uniform standard or grade of qualifications for teachers; can see that they are uniformly instructed in the principles and practice of teaching; can see and counsel them together in conventions and institutes, and thus inspire them with the zeal and enthusiasm which union and sympathy impart.

Again not only does the supervision of an extended area, give superior facilities for a general and comprehensive knowledge of the condition and wants of schools, and lead to more thoroughly studied, intelligent and systematic plans of action, but this supervision of necessity must be committed to a class of officers, who will consecrate to it all their time and energies, who will make the principles of education their study and bring to the survey of their field of labor, a mind disciplined by careful investigation and laborious study. It becomes his business for the time being, and if he be prompted by the common ambition of man, he can but be extremely solicitous of the highest success, which industry and zeal will serve to impart to his administration.

He can thus exert an extended influence, uniform, systematic, intelligent and effective, over the minds, feelings and action of the patrons of schools, and of those upon whom chiefly the success and efficiency of the schools must depend, the teachers.

A concert of action to effect a common purpose, by a system of uniform means and a community of feeling and interest, inspiring all with a laudable desire to excel, will thus be promoted.

But with a divided supervision, such as towns afford, each town is isolated from all others in its feeling, in its knowledge of existing defects, in its plans and purposes of action, in its general educational policy. The time devoted to the examination of schools, is that which best suits the convenience of the superintendent, and his connection with and thoughts concerning school matters, are confined to the brief period in which he is directly employed in his official duties, if even then he be not oftener engaged in ruminating upon those interests to which the chief part of his time is given.

But a town supervision is further inefficient, for the reason, that however intelligent and zealous the superintendent of a town may be, his power to enforce wholesome and salutary reforms is greatly restricted.He may establish an ideal standard of qualification for teachers, but all around him in adjoining towns, certificates are issued with little or no regard to the qualifications of the applicant. The result is obvious; the facilities afforded in the surrounding towns draw off to them the applicants for license; these towns are overrun with candidates who compete with each other, not upon the score of merit but upon that of cheapness, thereby insuring the engagement of the poorest and cheapest teachers; while the intelligent, zealous and conscientious superintendent, finding it vain to struggle against the popular sentiment all around him, or to advance and elevate the standard of teaching without the co-operation of superintendents in other towns, succumbs to the demand of the highest educational sentiment he can enlist or evoke, and thus while the schools under his supervision may exhibit a gratifying contrast when compared with those in other towns, they fall far below a just and rational standard, and serve rather to exhibit the deplorable inefficiency which schools may reach, than to give indications of healthful and progressive conditions.

Nor are these statements hypothetical-they are substantiated by the experience of many who have held the office of town superintendent, and by the observation of the intelligent friends of education throughout the state, as well as by the experience of the Department of Public Instruction.

Again, concerning the objects to be attained by supervision, it is clear that the visitation of schools even if it were done every week, can have no salutary influence of itself, without the knowledge to discern existing faults, without the ability or skill to arouse the zeal of trustees, parents or teachers, without the power to enforce any system of means for the improvement of the condition of the schools, or in any manner to practically determine their character or control their action. The visitation of the superintendent is a mere form, the omission of which would produce no unfavorable result.

Having shown that an intelligent and earnest town superintendent can do but little toward improving the character and elevating the standard of common school education, without consultation with his fellow officers in other towns, without their hearty co-operation with him in some uniform system of measures, we need hardly suggest the impracticability of such consultation and mutual co-operation; and hence necessarily follows the conclusion, that in considering the operation of the system of town superintendents, we must regard them as acting in their individual capacity.

We have also seen, how, in this individual capacity, the best and most zealous officers can exert but a limited influence upon the character of the schools, for the reason that they can do so little, comparatively, to deter