[JLLAR per annum invariably in advance.
XOWANDA:
Thursday Morning, October 3, 1861.
§:lttftb soctrs.
THE BEAUTirUL LAND.
There is a '.and immortal.
The lieautiful of lands ;
Ucide the ancient [lorta!
A sentry grimly stands.
He only can undo it.
And open wide this door';
And mortals who pasa through it
Are mortal never more.
That glorious land is Heaven.
Ar.d death the sentry grim ;
The t.oiin thereof has given
The opening keys to hiin.
And rausonieJ spirits, sighing
And sorrowing for sin.
p.. pass the gate in dying.
And trecly cuter in.
The sighs arc ln-t in singing.
IThei "re Idi-ssed in their tears ;
Their journey heavenward winging.
They leave on earth their fears.
Death like an angel cometli :
•• Wc welcome thee,' tin v cry.
Their face with glory liearueth—
"lis life for them to die.
|1 o I i t i t a I.
CORRESPONDENCE.
TOWANDA, Sept. 4, LSGL.
I U T. BLISS :
DEAR Slß: —The undersigned were
a; pointed by u public meeting of ihe citizens
u! liruiilnrii county, a Committee to address
ton, iind inquire it you are willing to serve a>
u ii.ctiiljtr ct the Legislature at the coming
ji.-.iian, lor the compensation ol three dollars
-r day.
It is not improper for us to say that the
fre>eii t situation of iße country, demands the
:ainotic efforts ot all citiZi-..s to lessen the
expenditure of the Government ol l'eiiiisvlva
hiu, which is now wholly dependent upon the
| payment ol taxes by the people lor its supjiort
I Ami we, in common with those whom ft-- rep-
I resent, know of no better way to begin t lie re
form so urgently demanded by the exigency of
the times, than lor tlie people to exact o! men
solisiting their suffrage lor public office, an
agreement Beforehand as to tne tiiea-ife of
I compensation which they are to give for such
public services.
From the organization of Pennsylvania as
a Mate Government, up to the year 1855, the
piy of Representatives to the .Bate Legisla
Mi: did not exceed three dollars per day, for
•;.< first one hundred days, and thereafter, one
L .ir ami lit'iy cents per day tor such time as
■ :,!• silting was prolonged.
| Never were the resources of tiio people for
I the payment of taxes, so eramped and redue
[ ol as at present, and we think that a thorough
union of all the voters in support of men who
(till respond patriotically to a reduction of ail
Governmental employment, i- the proper way
I to begin ttie reform so urgently demanded.
Inasmuch as your answer will influence a
large class of your fellow ejtizens. we send this
letter i>v the hands oi F. G. Com RV, who will
receive your answer, aud through us give it to
the public.
You will receive with this brief letter, the
printed proceedings of the public meeting
which authorized us to act And we desire to
say in contusion that your agreement to serve
the people as a member of the Legislature for
the otd compensation of three dollars per day,
together with your pledge to do all iu your
p.wer to reduce ttic expenses ol the State Go
moment by a reduction of all salaries of offi>-e
holders to the standard fixed by the law pass
e: n ]S42, the period when the State taxes
I* ;re authorized to be collected from the poo
pie. will be a patriotic act, and will most sure
'.'.endear you to the people
We are. Very Respectfully
Your obedient Servants,
V. E. PIOI.LET, FRANK SMITH,
11. VANDYKE, A. K. MENARDI.
A. I\ WOLCOTT, S. CLARK,
IF HARKFNS, W. II STORES,
ALFRED GORE, ALEX. ESNIS,
WSI FIERCE,
Committee.
LE HOY, Sept. lfith. lSfil.
F.E Piou.rr AND OTHERS. Committee il bem-
IM.i-- MtcliDg ol the citizens of Bradioni
Cuonty.
tiv.Nri.FMEN :—Yours of the 4th in-t , I
have today received by the hands of F. G.
FUP.I.RX, K-(|.
Iff contents of your letter have led me to
examine with some care, the proceedings of
the public meeting, by which your committee
as appointed and authorized to act, and iu
view of what is set forth in your resolutions.—
must, before I reply directly to your iuqui
r| CN, notice some facts, bearing upon the gen
(|,al juestions under consideration, which are
'he interests of our couutry and onr relatiou
to those interests.
:e 'he opening of the present rebellion,
*hich the Government of the United States
IS fow .struggling to suppress, 1 have been
••i-posed to remain silent concerning past po
"I differences, and the wrongs of past po
parties. I have been satisfied with be
'"- r patriotic men of ail parties, casting
' 'he shibboleth of party aud donning the
'"'"liraeiits of war. to rush arm in arm to the
'*nce of our Capitol and the sacred insti
'Jtiuiig of civil and religous liberty lor which
0 r fathers so nobly contended.
'Fir Government needs and deserves the
•F'npathv and Support of all who are enjoying
benefits of its protection, and iu this
of our nation's peril, it is iueumbent upon
,Wr y good citizen to manifest that sympathy,
be ready to render thai support* instead
' hurling uodeserved censure, as was done 1n
'•"* resolutions of the Democratic Mass Meet
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
ing which you have the honor to represent, and
those " noble Union men oi the South " who
are raising the Macedonian cry " come over
and help lis,'' must feel their courage fail,
when they hear from their friends in the
north, that "corruption, extravagance, incom
petency ai d favoritism prevails in tiie Admin
istration of the war department of the Fed
eral Government."
From the proceedings of your meeting, Gen
j tlemen, as shown iu your resolutions, it might
be inferred that you were strangers to the pass
ing history of our country ; or that you had
forgottiu this civil war under which our coun
try is struggling, had been planned by leading
political aspirants of the Democratic party at
the South, and that they had taken advan
tage of the weakness and imbecility of your
party chief, of tße last administration, and
| while acting in the capacity of his cabinet
I ministers, had robbed the national treasury,
| taken possession of Forts, Arsenals, arms and
I munitions ot war, and handed them over to
the keeping of traitors, and had dispersed our
noble navy over distant seas that it might
not come to the rescue of the Government in
its hour of need.
Yet, notwithstanding all this, and a hun
dred fold more in the same political connection,
; your public ll. ecting, by its first resolution,
with a strange infatuated devotion to your
j ancient name, calls the attention of the peo-
I pie to the Democratic party as having pre
served au almost immaculate purity, while
many of its memoers in the different capaci
ties of public office, as President, Cabinet Min
isters, Governors of States, Representatives
of the people in the National ami State Leg
j islatures, and officers ol the Army and Navy,
| having long been planning the overthrow of
■ the Government, and the subjugation of the
! people to a military despotism, at any mo
ment when, upon the democratic principle up
on which our Government was founded, they
i should lose ihe control of the Government bv
an election; and still you presume to charge the
rebeihon to mi-guided sectionalism, engen
dered by laualical agitators. North and South.
Bui, in -pile ot all your t (Torts to surround
| iße den.oeiatic paly with a halo of glory as
i having, as vou a-st*ll, " at all limes zealously
j contended lor the administration of the geiier
j a I government within its cou-titutional limits,"
! and, though, on that ground,aud because you
j >av there has been a departure from its doc
j trmes, and a disregard o! its warnings and ad
| vice, " that it is HI no respect n sponsible for
I the calamities that have resulted," that is for
the treason But say what you will to escape
from, or shirk off the responsibility, the last
; democratic administration will appear on the
j page of history as the most corrupt, profligate
and in principled administration that ever
! cursed a civilized people on the face of the
| earth.
And now, I a>k, where was the Democratic
! party when the plan for the overthrow of our
Union was being carried forward by hading
! democrats in Mr. Buchanan's cabinet 'I When
: the Kuglish Government was looking quietly
i on, expecting to see the scheme consummated,
because it was plain to the sagacious eyes of
Fnglisli statesmen, that if the Democratic
parly, then being represented by the udmiuis
iration at Washington, was not cooperating,
' if was at least consenting to the means that
! were being employed for the overthrow of the
1 Union.
But there is a bright spot visible amid the
1 darkness of this political horizon, that ike the
oases in the desert to the traveler elvers the
sinking spirits of the anxious patriots ; it is
the grand truth, that devotion to the principles
> of our free Government is fresh in the hearts
i t the people ; and when the thumb rs of the
traitoi's cannon that poured its torrents of shot
and shell into the midst of that little band of
patriotic men that surrounded the gallant Ax
| PERSON in Sumter, was heard reverb rating
along the valleys, and over the mountains of
| the free and peace-loving citizens ol the North,
the whole northern horizon was, ns it. were,
illuminated as by a cloud by day and pillar of
fire bv night, by the cheering news as it flew
over the land on the electric wires, and
I Hashed upon a million of anxious hearts, that
the people almost without respect to party,
i were true to the great principles of consti
! tutional and free Government, and that they
j would not bow down to the leaders of a par
-1 ty, that by perjury, treason and rebellion, hoped
!to triumph, as the propagandists of slavery,
over human freedom.
Your second resolution says, " we do not
believe that this war should be waged forcon
' quest or subjugation, though it is well known
Mat the war is to be prosecuted by our Gov
ernment to conquer treason ami subjugate
traitors. You say, you would preserve the
Union with all the dignity, equality, and
r.glits of Ll e si veral states unimpaired ; aud
thus while you are opposed to the prosecution
of the war for the first prominent purpose for
which it was undertaken by the Government,
you seen to be the most anxious for the equal
ity, dignity and rights of the seceded States—
ii nly, the dignity of treason !
In your filth resolution, you place rebellion
and uusurpatiou in a relation that must give
the intelligent reader to understand that you
refer to those measures of the Government
which were indispensable to its preservation,
as the usurpation lew hich you are opposed.
And while you have not one word ot commen
dation for any act of the Government, you
utter your unqualified condemnation of the war
depurtmcut ot both the Stale and nation.—
From these facts I think I may justly infer
that you are, at this time, particularly anxious
lo divert the attention of the people from the
great, question of our national interests, to that
of the salaaes of officers, if by such means vou
may secure tlie election of those " suitable
candidates " of your own selection, who would
sympathize with you in your own unqualified
condemnation of the War Department, and
would therefore be disposed to embarrass and
cripple its energies.
You ask if 1 am willing to serve as a mem
ber of the Legislature, at the coming session,
I for the old compensation of three dollars per
day. lam willing to serve for whatever may
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. 0. GOODRICH.
be the hpal compensation, he it less or more.
The present salary, however, as it was fixed
by the democratic Legislature of 1858, I think
is too high.
Aou enquire if I am willing to engage or
pledge myself to do all in my power to reduce
all salaries to the standard of 1842. I
not examined that standard in all its details'. I
believe, however, it was about that, time that
the chairman of your committee held the office
ot Superintendent on the A". IE Canal, with
a salary of about eleven hundred dollars, aud
that for an exchange of the city funds, placed
in his hands to pay the monthly estimates to
contractors, for the depreciating currency of a
failing bank, he received about three times the
amount of his legal salary—making an aggre
gate of ahout four thousand dollars a vcar for
the service of attending one day in a month to
settle the monthly estimates on the works.—
If that is a fair specimen of the standard
of 1842, 1 am not in favor of it, and 1 desire
to ask il the heart of your chairman was at
this tme so deeply imbued with devotion to
the pecuniary interests of the people, that he
returned any portion of his salary into the
State Treasury. It is true that liiis is not
exactly to the purpose, only as showing with
what iil grace this plea for economy in salaries
comes from those who have fattened at the
public crib.
And now, in conclusion, I will say that I
have no pledges to make, and that I should
regard it as an indignity offered to the Con
vention that so kindly placed me in nomina
tion as their candidate for Representative,
and a forfeiture of their generous confidence,
if 1 should solicit your suffrages upon any
such degrading terms, or upon any terms
whatever, while you hold the language con
tained in your resolutions.
A man, when a candidate for office, should
stand before the people, reiving upon his rep
utation and principles for a passport to pub
lic favor. Should I he elected to serve in
the coining session of the Legislature, 1
shall hold myself under obligation as a Rep
resentutive and servant of the people, to obey
their known will, whether expressed by peti
tiou or otherwise.
JWy own convictions are, that in the pres
ent depressed condition of our State and na
tional finances, economy and retrenchment,
are demanded by tlie sentiments of the peo
ple, and by every consideration of right and
justice.
1 Stit whenjyonr mass meeting, ns I believe,
from sinister motives, solicits me to assume
what I should regard as a degrading position,
and that, too, after you have commended nty
pnhiic .acts, I should be untrue to myself and
the common rights of manhood, if I should
fail, or entirely neglect to hold up to the light
the facts attending our public relation.
1 am very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
U. T. BLISS.
STANDING STIINK, Sept. 2(1, lsoi.
Col. VICTOR K. PIOM.ET, FRANK SMITH, K-q., aud others,
Committee, i&c.
GENTLEMEN : Your communication, dated at
Towanda, September 4, 1861, together with
the printed proceedings of a Democratic Mass
Mr. ■ting of Bradford county, which authorized
you to act, was presented to me lv F. G.Co-
BIUN, L-q , at Towanda, last evening, in which
you make inquiry of me whether " I am wil
ling to serve as a member of the Legislature,
at the coining session, at the old compensation
of three dollars per day"—and you also
" desire to say, in conclusion, that my agree
ment to serve the people as a Member of the
Legislature, for the old compensation of three
dollars per day, together with my pledge to do
all in my power to reduce the expenses of the
State Government, by a reduction of all sala
ries of office holders to the standard fixed I v
the law passed in 1842." and that " my answer
will influence a large class of my fellow-citi
zens," and therefore you will "give it to the
public."
In reply to which, I would say, that if the
oIA law, which fixed the compensation of all
the Members oi the Legislature at three dol
lars per day. were now in force, I would he
willing to serve for the old compensation of three
dollars per day, but as the old law is no longer
in force, and as the law of 1858, fixes the sal
aiie.s oi all Members of the Legislature at
S7OO for the session, inasmuch as I had noth
ing to do with the passage of the law of 1858,
but most certainly would have opposed its pas
sage, if I had been in a position to do so, I
cannot believe there are any very considerable
number of my lellow-citizens, in Bradford coun
ty, that wouid desire to have me, and me alone,
serve in the next Legislature for less thau half
the sum that all others of the one hundred and
thirty-three Members are bylaw to receive for
the same service from the same common Trea
sury of the Commauwealth, and more particu
larly so under the circumstances of the case
presented. If 1 were so far to forget my own
self respect as to make any such improper
agreement with an opposite party iu politics
from my own, for the express purpose of " in
fluencing a large class of my fellow citizens" to
vot'- for me, theu 1 would lose, as 1 ought, the
confidence aud esteem ®f all good and right
minded men, no matter to what political party
they may belong, and thus, if elected to serve
iu the next Legislature, snch an agreement
could only serve to lessen my influence and
us. fulness iu that body. If I were capable of
making such a humiliating agreement as you
propose, still I find another serious difficulty
in my way. You inform mu that "you, incon
riectioti with those whom yon represent, know
of no better way to begin the reform, so ur
gently demanded by the exigencies of the times,
hut for the people to exact from men soliciting
their sufit ages tor public office, au agreement
beforehand, as to the measure of compensation
which they are to give for such public service."
This declaration of yours, explained, as it
seems to be, by the light thrown on it in one
of the resolutions adopted by the meeting
which authorized you to act in this matter, iu
which it is resolved that " all salaries and dai
ly pay which has been increased in the reck
less extravagance ot iater Legislation should
" REiiAUDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER.'
be restored to former rates, and we (yon)
pledge ourselves (yourselves) to oppose all can
didates for public place, who will not agree to
such redtictiou at once, without even Legisla
tive intervention." Now it would seem, unless
I will agree, at once, to a principle so strange,
and new even in democratic circles, yon and
the meeting whom you represent nre pledg
ed to oppose me. You will allow mo to say
that after giving the resolutions of your meet
ing a very atteutive, and, as I think, candid
perusal, and after*having noticed the frequency
with which you refer to the Constitution and
the determination which you express of a strict
compliance with " all its provisions," and hav
ing no doubt but the State as well as the Na
tional Constitution is included, I was at a loss
to see how such a policy as here proposed,
could be deemed consistunt with a strict con
struction of the 18th section of the Ist Arti
cle of the Constitution of the State of Penn
sylvania, which especially declares " that the
Senators and Representatives shall receive a
compensation for their services to be ascertain
ed by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the
Commonwealth," aud yet, with all your attach
ment and reverence for the Constitution, you
"pledge yourselves to oppose all candidates
for public place, who will not agree to have
the measure of their compensation fixed by
your standard instead of the Legislature, as
expressly required by the Constitution, as
above quoted—notwithstanding the very able
argument contained in your letter, it: favor of
this new mode of yours for regulating salaries,
viz: " For the people to exact of men solicit
ing their suffrages for public office, an agree
ment, beforehand, as to the measure of com
pensation they are to give for such public ser
vice," 1 should think it would be better to
abide by the old and constitutional way, viz:
I hat it should be ascertained by law," for
many obvious reasons. First, among the many
good reasons that I can see for it is, by the
old constitutional way perfect uniformity and
equality can be attained,while in the new wav,
that you propose, for each County to fix a
-standard for themselves, we are as liable to
have us many different standards or variations
in compensation for the same office as there are
counties in the Commonwealth. For clearlv,
if a Democratic Mass Meeting in Bradford
county has a light lo fix the salaries of their
.Members of the Legislature, " without legis
lative intervention," then the Democrats
of every other county in the State should
have the same r ght, and when it is once eon
ceded that the Democratic Mass Meetings have
such extraordinary rights awarded to them,
other political parties would claim to have
equal rights, and it would be difficult to form
any idea to what extent this diversity of meas
ure of compensation thus " agreed on by the
people beforehand, without legislative inter
vention," would go. It might happen that the
compensation thus agreed on, iu this new waj,
would vary from one to twenty dollars per
day, or from one hundred to two thousand dol
lars for a session of the Legislature, and such
diversity and uncertainty as this new mode of
fixing salaries would lead to, certainly would
be very unfair as well as unwise, therefore, I
must say it would be vastly better to abide by
the old and constitutional way, to allow the
Legislature to intervene and " ascertain the
compensation for the services of .Members of
the Legislature, - ' agreeable to the terms of the
Constitution.
In answer to the inquiry whether I will
pledge myself to do all in my power to reduce
the expenses of the State Government by a
reduction of all salaries of officeholders to the
standard fixed by the law passed in 1842, 1
have simply to say, that 1 have a very strong
aversion to pledging myself to do or not to do
a particular thing to an opposite party in pol
itics, on the eve of an election, for the express
purpose of obtaiuing their votes. I thiuk
such a proceeding would be decidedly improp
er, therefore I cannot consent to do it, and
thus having candidly and truthfully, as I be
lieve, answered all that you have required tue
to reply to, perhaps, strictly speaking, j
should close my reply at this point, yet, I can
not refrain from saying, before 1 do so, that I
am at a loss to know how you reconcile the
idea of perfect purity for Democrats and the
Democratic party, which seems to run through
the resolutions passed at your meeting, with
the sweeping denunciation therein contained
against "the reckless extravagance" of " later
legislation," which has increased "all salaries
and daily pay." One would be led to suppose
by this that you had forgotten that the State
Administration, as well as both branches of
the Legislature in 1858, when this most ob
noxious legislation, of which I think you most
justly complain, were all Democratic. I, there
tore, have no hesitation in saying, if I am elect
ed to serve in the next Legislature, if there
shall be a general movement of the people to
remedy the wrongs thus inflicted on the tax
payers Qf this Commonwealth, of which I think
the people liaye a right to complain, it will
give me great pleasure to be instrumental in
carrying out their will, as I recognize, in the
fullest and most enlarged sense, the duty of a
Representative to carry out the views and
wishes of his constituents. I will further add,
that while I differ, and, perhaps most radical
ly from you and the meeting who have author
ized you to act, iu many things, upon which
you have been pleased to express your senti
ments, yet, the sentiments expressed in that
resolution, passed by your meeting, in which
you pay a tribute ol respect to the memory of
the late STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, meets my en
tire approval. I give cheerful and entire ac
cord to the sentiment, viz : "The Govern
ment is paramount to all other political ques
tions, and that there can be but two sides to
this controversy, every man must be on the
side of the United States or against it; there can
be no neutrals in this war, there can be noue
but patriots and traitors." This sentiment
meets my fullest and warmest commendation.
Still, I must add, that I did feel some regret
alter an utterance of so noble and patriotic a
sentiment as herein expressed, that I looked
in vain through the numerous and somewhat
lengthy resolutions, passed at your meeting,
for a single word of approval for the United
States Government, which is now struggling
with this most formidable and wicked rebel
lion, while you have been so unsparing in your
denunciation of some of its Departments, and
seemingly distrustful whether it was not wag
ing this war for the purpose of subjugation,
lias it waged war with any body but armed
rebels, and i it not desirable, to have them
subjugated to an obedience to the laws and the
Constitution ? In conclusion, I atn happy to
say, that I most heartily thank you and the
meeting, whose agents you are, for their kind
approval of what they are pleased to denomi
nate the "proper and patriotic stand taken by
' me ' on the subject of the Repeal of the Ton
nage Tax, and the corrupt Release of the
State Securities to the Sunbury A Frie Rail
road," as I do not feel that I have done any
thing but what was " proper " and what the
people had a right to require and expect from
all their Members of the Legislature on that
occasion—neither do 1 think this the time or
place to discuss the merits of those questions.
The time has passed ; the State has transferred
all her improvements to those two great cor
porations, which cost the people at least forty
millions of dollars, the public debt, which was
incurred to make them, is left for the people
to pay. These are facts which stand out
plain, so apparent and palpable that none can
deny them, and, in my judgment, all who have
aided or abetted in these most stupendous
frauds upon the tax-payers of this Common
wealth, have mcurred most fearful responsibil
ities.
I am vour most obedient servant,
H. W. TRACY.
Luther's Residence at Wittenberg.
Ascending a rough, neglected starirway,
1 entered the room in which Luther resided
after his marriage. Ilis old furniture is still
there. There is the table on which he wrote
—the chair on which he sat—a kind of double
seat, where he used to read and converse
with his Catharina —all chipped and sliced by
Vandal travellers. There, too, is the old
large stove, whose plates are covered with
figures of the four evangelists, cast after de
vices by Luther himself. That, fortunately,
cannot be cut into chips. A little case, pro
tected by glass doors, contains a number of
reliees, such as specimens of his handwriting,
some old documents and embroidery wrought
by his wife. There are fragments of a drink
ing glass, said to have been broken by I'eter
the Great. When a young man he visited
Wittenberg, and desired to ca-ry awav the
glass, but being refused permission, he dashed
it in pieces on the floor—an act worthy of
this haughty and passionate Czar.
There, too, is a beer rotig of large size,
which shows that three centuries have not
changed the German's devotion to his favor
ite beverage. Over the door is a scrawl in
chalk, protected by glass, which may be
guessed to be " Peter," and a tradition says
written by the Czar. If so, the scribbling
propensity is not confiued to Americans. In
an adjoiuiug room is ihe desk from which the
great Reformer lectured. On its front nre
lour circular paintings, representing the four
faculties of the university—law, medicine, the
ology, and philosophy. The latter contains
a line female figure, which my guide said was
a likeness of Catharina, showing alike Luth
er's taste and affection. On the wails are por
traits by Cranaeh. There is also a cast ta
ken after Luther's death
1 was looking at these monuments, and
asked where is Luther's when my guide point
ed to a plain stoue at my feet, which was a
part of the floor, whereon was the name of
Luther. Removeing this there is a neat
bronze tablet, with bis name, and date of
birth and death. Such is the simple monu
ment ; a similar one marks w here Melancthon
sleeps.— Bishop Simpsons Letters.
LITTER TROUBLES —What are styled the
" little troubles of life," are the hardest to
bear. One can nerve himself np with hero
ism for a great trial, but the musquito-like
annoyances of every hour, for when unfeeling
natures have no word of sympathy, and which
they cannot understand so long as the sufferer
has something to eat, are what fills churchyards
and make so many homes desolate. Ilappy
are those whose " lit'le" troubles find that i
sympathy out of which grows strength to en
dure, and whose hearts are ground to powder
by the rough heel of indifference auu insen
sibility.
E&s"* During the campaign of 1814 a young
Norman conscript was standing at supfiort
arms. " Why don't you fire ?" said his lieu
tenant. furiously.
" Why should I fire on these men ?" replied
the greenhorn. " They havn't done anything
to me."
At this moment bis comrade fell dead beside
him.
" Lieutenant," said the rustic, beginning to
wake up, "I believe those chaps are firing bul
lets "
"Of course they arc, you booby, and they
will shoot you."
With that the conscript began to blaze
away, and fought like a tiger until the close
of the actiou.
A young gentleman who was in the act
of popping the question to a young lady, was
interrupted by her father entering the room,
who inquired what they were about.
"Oh,"replied the fair one, "Mr.
was explaining the question of annexation to
me, and he is for immediate annexation."
" Well," said papa, " if you agree on a treaty
I'll ratify it."
MORAL EVIL —We remember once being in
company with a veDerable and distinguished
clergyman, when a forward young man asked
him, " Pray, sir, do you think of the entrance
of moral evil ? " I know nothing about it.—
I know there is a remedy for it ; and there,
sir, all ray knowledge begins, and all my
knowledge nds."
VOL,. XX I J. —NO. 18.
(Ebueatioiul xUpmfnuut.
Teachers' Examinations.
The annual examinations of teachers for this
county, wilt be holdtn in accordance with the
following programme. In three or four instances
two townships have been put together, in order
that the inspections may ail be held before tho
wiuter schools commence. Examinations will
commence precisely at 10 o'clock a m., none
will be inspected who do not come in before
11, unless the delay be unavoidable. Each
teacher must bring Sander's fifth Reader, one
sheet of fools cap paper, pen, ink and led
pencil. All who intend to teach during the
year must come forward and be examined
None will be examined privately unless an
attendance upon the examination, was impossi
ble, old—certificates will not bo renewed.—
Directors and others interested, are earnestly
invited to ttend.
Oct. 15—Welts St South Creek, Bowlej School lloue,
" 16—Columbia. An teu.sville
" 17—Springfield, Centre Sichool House,
" IS— I'iunyville,
" l'J—Siniilitield, Centre School House,
" 21—Troy A Armenia, Horo' School House,
" Tl—Canton, Corners School House,
" 23—Franklin & Lrftoy, Chapel's School House,
*' 24—Granville, Taylor's School House,
" 25—Burlington, Boro' School House,
" 26—Monroe, Borough School House,
" 'is—Wysox. it Standing Stone, Myersburgh,
" 29—Home. Boro' School House,
" 30—Orwell, Hill School House,
" 31—l'ike, LeKaysville,
Nov. I—Herrick, l.andon School House,
" 2—Wyalusing, Merryall,
" 4—Tuscarora, Ackley School House,
" s—Terry & Wilmot, Terrytown,
" 6—Albany & Overton, Browns School House,
" 7—Towanda, Boro' School House,
" 11—Asylum, Frenclitown Lower House,
" 12—Sheslieijuin .V_Ulster, Kiuny School House,
" 13—Athens, B<iro' School House,
" 14 —Litchtield, Centre School House.
" 1 ">—Windham. Kuykendal! School House,
•' 16—Warren, Boweu School House.
Aug. 3.1861. C.K. COBURX.
Superintendent.
[From the School Journal, for September.]
Answers to Teachers.
QUESTION- :—ln the new edition of Teach
er's Monthly reports, sent out by the Depart"
ment, it is stated that the Lunar month will
in all cases be regarded as the school month ;
and columns are inserted for the Saturdays.
How many days are to coustitnte the teach
i er's mouth ? It would appear from the new
monthly reports, as if it was to be licentyfourf
Teacher in Luzerne co.
ANSWER Though the Lunar month of 28
days will hereafter be taken as the school
mouth, it by no means follows that the schools
must be kept open every week-day in such
mouth. The Department has no authority to
say how many days in each week or month
the schools are to he open. That is to he a
matter of contract between the directors and
the teachers. Tbe Saturday columns were
put into the reports to suit the various prac
tices which prevail on this point. In some
districts the schools are closed on Saturdays,
—and this is the better practice ;iu others
they arc closed on alternate Saturdays ; while
in others again, they are open every Saturday
forenoon. Rut the iusertion of a column for
Saturdays by no means indicates a preference,
much less a decision, of this Department, iu
favor of Saturday schools.
QUESTION : —Our County Superintendent
has published that lie will not examine teach
ers in other townships than those in which they
expect to teach. Is he not bound to examine
all who apply, and at any of the public exami
nations which they may choose to atteud 1
Teacher in Westmoreland co.
A NSWF.R: —He is not; and for very obvious and
sufficient reasons, both of law and expediency.
In the first place, he is only to examine per
sons who nr v applicants fur employment. This
is obvious from the first'five fines' of the 41st
section of the school law of 1854. The appli
cation is to be to the lt'irrrtors ; and as they
do not examine, but only employ,—theapplica
tiou is really lor employment, and not merely
for examination.
In the second place, examination is to be iu
the presence of that Board to whom applica
tion lor employment is first made in that year
by the express words of the same section.—
And the ohjert of this is to enable the employ
ing directois to judge, hv hearing the exami
nation, of the appearance, manner, language,
power of imparting knowledge, and the gener
al qualifications ot each of the persons examin
ed,so that they may employ the most suitable.
In the third place, it is no infringement of
the rights of any, to enforce this rule. It is
true, an applicant may assert that he docs not
desire to teach at all for the present, but only
desires admission to the profession. The reply
is, that it is not the business of a County
Superintendent to admit generally to the pro
fession, —that is the province of the State
Normal school ; his sphere in this respect is a
limited one ; and is only that of examining, in
the presence of employing directors and for
their information and satisfaction, those who
apply to them for employment. The exceptions
to this rule are those of the holders of I'ro
lessional county certificates, and of the State
certificates; the former being supposed to have
been issued after due examination, in the pre
sence of the then employing directors; and the
possession of both being evidence of full quali
fication.
In the fourth place, a most injurious and in
convenient practice has, in some places, grown
up, which the strict enforcement of the law
as it is, will extirpate : It is that of a teach
er accompanying the County Superintendent
during a tour of examination, till be obtains
some general idea of his questions, and gleans
a little knowledge from the answers of other
teachers ; and then coming forward, at tha
end of the season and in a distant district,and
obtaining a low certificate, which be carries
back to the district he originally desired op
plying in ; —thus violating the law and depri
ving the directors he applies to of oce of their
rights.
For these and other reat-ons, the course
adopted by the Superintendent ot Westmore
land, is legal aDd proper, and in conformity
with the instructions of this Department.