ers had their selections thoroughly committed, and spoke with an ease and naturalness that was highly commendable.

Much praise is also due the young ladies who presented original essays. There was a pleasing variety of subjects, and all of the essays displayed care and thought.

A reward of three prizes had been previously offered the three best specimens of composition reading, also the same for elocution, which at the close of the exercises were awarded as follows, viz:

For reading, to Misses E. L. Stillman, A. L. Stanley, and Mary E. Bassett.

Edward M. Booth, Isaac S. Lee, and George L. Dewey, were the successful competitors for the prizes in declamation.

A parting song was then given, benediction pronounced, and we felt fully convinced that there is for Connecticut a bright as well as a "dark side." AN OBSERVER.

COMMON SCHOOLS OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GOV. POLLOCK'S MESSAGE.

A new feature in the system, adopted in the law of last session, creating the office of County Superintendent, has not, as yet, been fully tested; and there evidently exists some diversity of opinion as to the wisdom of the provision. It is already very obvious, at least that its beneficial workings must depend mainly upon the character of the agent selected to carry it into operation. Competent and faithful Superintendents may produce the happiest results; whilst the agency of the ignorant or inefficient will be attended by the reverse consequences. In order to give this new feature of the law a fair trial, it will be necessary, therefore, for the directors, in the respective counties, to select Superintendents with sole reference to their adaptation to the duties of the station.

Of the many obstacles in the way of the complete success of our Common School system, the one most prominent, and most difficult to remove, is the want of competent teachers. In some communities, I regret to say, the syst em has fallen into comparative inefficiency, because good teachers cannot be found; and in others the most vexatious conse quences have arisen from the employment of the illiterate and incompetent. Nothing could exercise a more prejudicial influence; indeed between a very bad teacher and none at all, the latter alternative might, in instances, be preferred. This deficiency is clearly manifest and hard

to obviate. Some of the best minds of the state have been occupied and perplexed with it; and until recently no general and practicable plan for its removal has been devised.

The plan of granting permanent professional certificates, by officers skilled in the art of teaching, and eminent in literary and scientific acquirements, to teachers who satisfactorily pass a thorough examination in the several branches of study which the act of May, 1854, requires to be taught in every district, and also in the art of teaching-is already obviously effecting decided improvement in this regard, and it is believed will do much towards placing the profession upon a high and firm basis. Normal schools, it is urged, could in addition, to some extent, supply the deficiency, but the expenses of such an institution would be heavy.

The source of this difficulty, it is clear, can be traced, in a great measure, to the want of a proper appreciation in the public mind, of the position and business of a teacher. The profession for this reason, in addition to the absence of fair compensation, has not been attractive. Indeed, it has scarcely been regarded as a profession at all, but rather as a preliminary step to some other pursuit Well directed efforts have recently been made to change the general sentiment on this point, and I rejoice in the belief that these have not been in vain; and that the day is not far distant when the profession of teachers will be equal to the aspirations of the most ambitious of our people, when its distinctions, dignities and pecuniary rewards, will command the time and attention of the most gifted. I can see no reason why this state of feeling should not prevail; why the profession of teacher should not rank in honor and profit with the other learned professions; why the science of developing the human intellect-of giving scope and force to the mind-of elevating the moral faculties of our race—of controling the passions and tempering the desires, should not be esteemed as highly as those professions and callings whose ornaments have received all their capacity and polish at the hands of the comparatively humble and illy rewarded teacher.

I earnestly recommend the common school system to your guardian care, as the most sacred of all institutions. The offspring of a constitutional injunction on the Legislature—the extension and perpetuity of its usefulness, is the plain duty of all. Resting at the very foundation of the government, its practical workings should be a true reflection of our republican system, and its blessed opportunities made available to all, re gardless of rank, or condition, or persuasion. It should aid the poor, advance the rich, and make the ignorant wise,

I confidently anticipate for it, a day of greater perfection and wider influence. No better object can engage the attention of government, or

consume its means, than the education of the people in the most comprehensive sense of the term; embracing the use of letters, the cultivation of the moral faculties, and the diffusion of Christian truth. In this we have the surest guarantees for the perpetuity of our republican government of civil liberty and religious freedom. Such an education may be safely claimed as the potent means of preventing crime-of increasing individual happiness and national dignity-of promoting Christianity and civilization of extirpating moral and political evil-of elevating, dignifying and adorning our social condition.

EDITORIAL BREVITIES.

What a pity that we poor teachers were not made with caoutchouc consciences and with cast steel nerves. If any other materials could be needed in our composition, it might do possibly, to indurate the same flexible caoutchouc into an impassive and inelastic impression-gatherer, and take out all the spring of the same stubborn steel. What a handy material we should then make for somebody who wants the money for the best book, or pen, or toy, ever yet devised, for just such schools as

ours.

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So much we have set down, coolly, yet under a feeling" remembrance of attempted pressures upon both our professional judgment and consciences; and we would herein suggest a thought or two to our friends, the publishers and agents.

The agent who calls upon us to day with a new Arithmetic or Geography, or Reader, does not consider that within the last two months, ten several agents have called upon the same errand. Each of the same has the same story to tell, the same credentials to exhibit, and the same ample testimonials to be read, and each has the best set of school-books to be examined. Moreover, each has the same assurance, and from a long practice of his vocation, has come to understand how indispensable to his triumph is patient persistence. With him persistence is everything.

Then it must not be forgotten that some dozen or more other series of books have been forwarded for examination, by mail, with perhaps half as many lengthy appeals to all that is gentlemanly in us, to examine the books, and if consistent, furnish a favorable opinion upon their merits.

Besides, during these same two months, several publishing houses, have forwarded weighty documents, and voluminous reports, and spirited discussions in earnest defence of Prof. A's new and unrivaled work, and in

as earnest depreciation of of Mr. B's ill-devised and worse printed forgery.

The writer of this article, during the last twelve months has taken from his P. O. box. eleven such publications from a single publishing house, and these eleven were the same identical expose; and in addition to these eleven from one house, a long list from other houses, of similar documents, whose reading would cost several hours of time already pre-occupied.

Two suggestions and we close. A teacher who is fit for his place, can, and very likely he will, determine for himself what text-books will give him most help in his daily work.

And the first expose or appeal, will be as likely to be read as the eleventh.

And finally, we are neither India rubber in conscience, nor iron in nerve; so that while there are some proposed changes which we cannot adopt, there are also some styles of appeal which we cannot endure.

E.

THE DOLLAR MARK.

In the Merchant's Magazine were published several statements as to the origin of the dollar ($) mark. A correspondent of the New Orleans Commercial Times, publishes the following from a correspondent, and expresses the opinion that it is the most likely to solve the difficulty. Here it is. "I have observed in the several prints lately, some amusing attempts to make a mystery out of a very simple matter. I mean the dollar mark or prefix. One paragraph derives it from an abbreviation of a representation of the pillars of Hercules, which are supposed to be represented upon the Spanish dollar. Another makes it an abbreviation of the U. S. The true derivation of it is the figure 8. The Spaniards, from whom we derive the dollar, count by reals-as the French do by francs. A real is in value 12 cents, or one eighth part ΟΙ of a dollar. Any one who has read Gil Blas or Don Quixotte will recollect the "pieces of eight" which is frequently used by the authors of these works. This term then, means nothing more than a dollar, or eight reals. When therefore, the dollar became generally used, the figure 8 was prefixed to express dollars, and in the process of time the 8 has been changed to the present mark. It is asserted, but I know not whether correctly or not, that Gen. Hamilton first used this mark, soon after the adoption of our currency of dollars and cents. However this may be, the figure 8 is, no doubt the original of the mark, and the derivation I have given above, the correct one.-Selected.

PLANS OF THE UNION SCHOOL-HOUSE IN NORWALK, CONN.

The Union District School-house in Norwalk was erected in 1852, at an expense of $10,450 to accommodate a system of graded schools, for the children of The location is both the four village districts, united for this purpose in 1851. The lot central and retired, having a front of 300 feet, and a depth of 200 feet. is appropriately graded, divided, and fenced off into a lawn in front for the whole school, and two yards in the rear. The building is 65 feet by 55, and can accommodate 450 pupils classified into five schools, according to their attainments; viz. two primary schools, two intermediate schools, and one high school. The school-rooms are warmed, ventilated, and seated after the most approved