LETTER. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF EDUCATION, Washington, June 30, 1880. SIR: The chief educational officials of our State and municipal public school systems form a separate department of the National Education Association, and meet for consultation and the discussion of subjects of interest to the profession and the public. The proceedings at the meeting in the month of February, 1880, were important. Among the principal papers on subjects discussed were Bell's visible speech as a means of recording and teaching languages and the deaf-mute, the tenth cen sus from an educational point of view, industrial education, the treatment of dependent children by the State, the best public school system for a State, higher education, and the educational needs of the Southern States. These papers and discussions are on living topics, will answer many demands upon this Office, and will prove useful to educators and school officials generally. I therefore recommend their publication as a circular of information. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. CARL SCHURZ, Secretary of the Interior. JOHN EATON, Commissioner. Approved, and publication ordered. C. SCHURZ, Secretary. NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. DEPARTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENCE. MEMBERS PRESENT. Hon. M. A. Newell, State superintendent of public instruction, Mary land. Hon. J. W. Dickinson, secretary of State board of education, Massa chusetts. Hon. E. A. Hubbard, agent of State board of education, Massachu setts. Hon. J. P. Wickersham, State superintendent of public instruction, Hon. W. A. Lindsey, deputy State superintendent of public instruction, Pennsylvania. Hon. J. H. Smart, State superintendent of public instruction, Indiana. Illinois. Hon. G. J. Orr, State school commissioner, Georgia. Hon. W. H. Ruffner, State superintendent of public instruction, Vir ginia. Hon. T. B. Stockwell, State commissioner of public schools, Rhode Island. Hon. J. W. Hoyte, member of State board of education representing the State superintendent of public schools, Tennessee. Hon. W. K. Pendleton, State superintendent of free schools, West Virginia. Hon. J. D. Pickett, State superintendent of public instruction, Ken tucky. Hon. J. Ormond Wilson, superintendent of city schools, Washington, D. C. Hon. W.T. Harris, superintendent of city schools, St. Louis, Mo. Hon. R. McMillan, superintendent of city schools, Youngstown, Ohio. Hon. Hamilton McRae, superintendent of city schools, Muncie, Ind. Hon. Henry Shepherd, superintendent of city schools, Baltimore, Md. Hon. S. A. Baer, superintendent of Berks County schools, Pennsyl vania. Hon. Richard Carne, superintendent of city schools, Alexandria, Va. Hon. J. A. M. Passmore, president of board of education, Pottsville, Pa. Dr. D. B. Hagar, principal of normal school, Salem, Mass. Prof. I. N. Carleton, principal of normal school, New Britain, Conn. General S. C. Armstrong, principal of normal school, Hampton, Va. Prof. George P. Beard, principal of normal school, California, Pa. Miss Lucilla E. Smith, principal of normal school, Washington, D. C. Mrs. Louise Pollock, principal of National Kindergarten Institute, Washington, D. C. Hon. John Eaton, United States Commissioner of Education, Washington, D. C. Hon. John D. Philbrick, United States commissioner of education, Paris Exposition, Boston, Mass. Dr. Barnas Sears,' general agent Peabody education fund, Staunton, Va. Hon. F. A. Walker, Superintendent United States Census, Washington, D. C. Dr. D. C. Gilman, president Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. Dr. Charles Warren, chief clerk Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C. Hon. T. W. Bicknell, editor New England Journal of Education, Boston, Mass. General C. E. Hovey, lawyer, Washington, D. C. Prof. L. A. Butterfield, School of Vocal Culture, Boston, Mass. Prof. C. C. Painter, Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. Prof. J. M. Wilson, trustee Industrial Home School, Washington, D. C. Prof. Theodore Fisk, University, of Nashville, Tenn. Hon. Josiah Dent, president board of commissioners District of Columbia, Washington, D. C. Hon. C. M. Mathews, president board of education, D. C. Dr. Arthur Christie, member board of education, D. C. Prof. J. Enthoffer, United States Coast Survey, Washington, D. C. Since deceased. Mr. J. R. Bigelow, Washington, D. C. Mr. J. L. Smith, Washington, D. C. Miss Gertie Cowling, instructor primary class, Washington, D. C. Aaron Smith, Brooklyn, N. Y. William T. Schofield, Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. F. B. Hough, Lowville, N. Y. Rev. W. W. Patton, president Howard University, Washington, D. C. L. P. Juvet, inventor of the time globe, Glen's Falls, N. Y. Rev. Russell A. Olin, Canajoharie, N. Y. PRELIMINARY MEETING. The department met in the red parlor of the Ebbitt House, Wednesday evening, February 18, 1880, President Newell in the chair, and Hon. Aaron Gove, of Colorado, secretary. The programme as originally announced in the printed circular was informally talked over. General EATON said that Hon. C. D. Randall, of Michigan, could not be present, but had forwarded his paper on "The education of children who are neglected by their parents," and he would lay it before the department at the proper time. President NEWELL said that Superintendent Parker, of the Quincy (Mass.) schools, would not be present. General HOVEY inquired whether, in the absence of Mr. Parker, the subject of the "new departure" at Quincy would come up for consideration? This query led to some discussion between Messrs. Hagar, Hovey, Richards, Luckey, Marble, Dickinson, and others, who expressed much satisfaction that the Quincy people had gone to work to improve their common schools. There was some doubt expressed, however, whether what is heralded as a "new departure" was other than a "new departure" for Quincy; in fact, its best features, so far as they had been disclosed, were quite old-as old as Pestalozzi in Europe and "Father Pierce" in America. They had long been familiar to the profession, and were in practical operation in the schools of many towns and cities. It was decided, however, not to consider the question in the absence of Mr. Parker. The remainder of the programme was unchanged. FIRST SESSION-THURSDAY MORNING. WASHINGTON, D. C., February 19, 1880. The department met at 10 o'clock A. M. in the vestry room of the Congregational Church, corner of Tenth and G streets, and was called to order by the president, Hon. M. A. Newell, of Maryland. Rev. Dr. C. C. MEADOR offered prayer. Hon. S. A. BAER, of Pennsylvania, was appointed secretary. Hon. J. ORMOND WILSON, of the District of Columbia, moved the ap |