, 1861-07-09
~ r y, -.
Illinois Natural History Society,

cooperating tne Illinois Natural History So
cfety, never having appeared in your columns,
I send It herewith, knowing that to the nu.
merous members Of the society Throughout
the State, toits many friends, and to sister 50.
eietles OF Ike character In other States, It's
publication will possess much interest. The
Beard OF Trustees stands at present Us origin
ally sppointed, with the exception Of atr. F.
". Powell Of Dupsge County, which p1ace, as
before mentioned, is filed by ths appoint
ment Of James 7. Ely Of Cook County.
An ACT to incorporate Tie Illinois NaturM Hls-
sy sef'<t it enacted By the People Of the
State Of llltnols, rcpresented II the General As
Benjamin D. Wa sh OF Rock Island, j. B. Turner
OF Morgan, J. ~ Powell Of DuPa2e, J. P. Rey-
nolds OF SanEamon. James Shaw Of Carroll. Samuel
Robert Kcnricott Of Cook, Edmund Andrews Of
Cook. Oliver Everett Of Lee. a. N. Cow Of Lee
Pr: Geo. yassy e McHensy, Richard H. Holder Of
Mclean s :: u. lloeE OF. Mclean, and their aszo.
style Of s'The Illinois Natural History Society !"
and BY that name shall hare perpetual succession
cd with, sue and be sued, inplcad and be implead-
ed within all courts Of competent Jurisdiction; to
receive, acquire and held real and personal prop
objects Of eaid society; to have a common seal,
and alter The came at their pleasure; to make and
adept such constitution, regulations and bylaws.
gorerrment Of said society, not lot Contrary W to the
Constitution and laws Of the United States Or OF
this State, and to alter and amend the came at
privileges usual and Incident to the trustees Of
Sc T. The object and purpose Of said society
shall be to conduct And complete scientific sur
1atafs 1 history & tie sata Nor
comprising eTery species Of pasta, insects, quad
rupeds, birds, fishes, Shells minerals and fossils
within our State limits as far as can be obtained
comp1isiDg also such other collections OF natural
history from various parts Of the world as may be
sEo Said natural history society shall also pro.
vide library Of scientific works, reports Of home
ETC., such a. may be useful n determining the
fauna and dora Of Illinois, and said library ehAll
be kept t the mufeum Of eaid society at the State
Normal University.
SEC. 4 The museum Of said natural history
zens and schools Of nlnois. and shall be aceesei-
bic to the students OF the Normal University, ua-
der such regulations l as my be adopted by the
trustees .! fhls society and the board Of tnstsuo
SEC. s. a full and complete eet Of specimens in
every department Of natural history. donated to
the eociety. aE obtained by exchange, purchase or
otherwise, ehall forever be and remain IN the mu-
sEe. C. At ii stated and other meetings called
sha1l constitute quorum Pyorided, ali ehall have
been notified. The persons named IN the frat sec
ton of this act shall constitute the first board of
trusteee. and eA!d board shall be divided into three
classes Of five members, and shall hold their Offices
for one, two and three years, respectively. All va
caDcies occurring in the board OF trustees sh8l be
bers Of said society BY an election, which shai Be
~ ballot and shall require majority Of the mem
bere prcsenl.
SEC. 7. The constitution and bylaws Of said 60.
consistent with this act. shall govern The corpora-
tios hereby created, until regularly altered Of re-
Pealed By the eoeiety, and the present officers Of
heTebg faq eoeg dh 2 si the
office shall regularly expire or be vacated.
Sec 6. The property Of said corporation, both
fea and shall forever be and remain free
Sc: 9 Ihis r e get Is hereby declared public act
ArPHoTED February %, 1861.
STATE CERTIFICATES OF TEACHERS.
The first examination Of teachers for pro-
fessional State certificates, under the act OF
last winter WIS held ut the University during
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and form
Cd q marked feature of the week.. The in
corporation Of this element Of the common
school policy ofail the older States into the
educational system Of Illinois, is cause for con
graduation. The reasons in support Of the
measure will be found fully set forth in the
last biennial report Of the State superi1te1d-
ent- .....
The examination jnst held WAS both written
and oral, and ola very searching character.
The Board Of Examiners were ". 81. Wells,
Superintendent Public Schools Of Chicago /;
". NJ Baker, Principal High School, Quincy !;
A. N. Cow, Superintendent Public Schools,
Dixon ; E. c. HeWett, Professor of the Nor
NAL University: and Dr. aarnnel Willard of
Bloomington. It would be difficult to have
selected men Of better culture or adaptednese
fer the purpose.
Diplomas neatly engraved upon parchment
were awarded to the following successful can-
ditates. Narilla NJ Tou1e, Wankegan, Lake
county Florence Z. Holden, Of Lincoln, Lo-
gan county James h Blodgctt, Amboy, Lee
county John E. PettcrgIll, Quincy, Adams
county, and Alfred Comings, Of Dawson, San
canon county.
STATE NORMAL UNIVERSITY.
The State Board Of Education continued
their session during Thursday Hon s. W,
Mon'ton Was unanimously reelected President
Of the Board, c. ". Holder, of Bloomington
being chosen Treasurer, in place Of Judge Nc
Clann.
Thegreat majority Of the business transacted
By the Board during its session would net be
matter Of public interest. The financial con.
ditoa Of the State University has engaged the
entire attention Of the Board, during two days.
have already stated what disposition had
been made Of the *65, 600 appropriated by the
lsst Legislature. When that appropriation
was asked, it was supposed that the amount
would be sufficient to free the institution
wholly frcm debt, but 1t now appears that
there are still debts outstanding, to the amount
Of at least $4,000. This has been matter Of
surprise and Of much anxiety to the Board Of
Education.
Tn1s, however, is but the history OF
tie erection Of all public buildings. An ap-
Preparation is asked for, aud when it is cx-
pended It is discovered that another Is needed
to complete the work. Our State Institutions
at Jacksonville, at Alton, and at Joliet, are in
Stances, ard 1t was hardly to be expected that
our state University would prove an excep.
ton to the rule. The amount asked for and
obtained from the State through the last Leg
Stature, was based upon estimates Of proba-
bic Indebtedness, and the expenses OF com
pletiDg the work, and not final settlement
Of the whole mtater, as has generally been
supposed. The data were, it would seem, very
imperfect, and being desirous to ask for as
small an amount as possible, the Board now
it'd themselves still incumbered with debt
This result is very dishee rtening to those who
who have for 60 long time struggled against
every difficulty that 1t deemed possible to
Place In the way Of its accomplishment.
But there, crowning the rolling swell Of the
prairie, stands the now completed building Of
the Normal state University, and there will it
n MIN for coming years, q monument to the
energy of those who have carried it through.
and to the enlarged foresight and educational
sympathy Of the State Of Illinois. The State
needs it, aud cannot now afford to lose 1t, or
to have it's usefulness and prestige crippled
by the embarrassment Of debt Another an
preparation will bo made, and Eve years hence
those whose hearts are now anxious will look
back to the present as but the pleasant history
Of 8 struggle aud success.
The appointment Of c. ". Holder, ESQ, o.
Treasurer puts business man at the helm,
ard is cure guaranty that henceforward tbs
Board viii know at each moment exactly
where they stand, and that there will be no
more appropriations asked for bnsed upon in