Evening star., 1877-12-11
The National Educational AssOcia-
ton.
MEETING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF sUPERIN-
TENDENCF.


| Educational Association, assembled this morn
| ing at the Congregational church. The exer-
| elSes were opened with prayer by the Rev DR.
Rankin. The presiding officer, Mr. J.P. Wick
| ersham, superintendent of schools i'm Pennsyl-
| Nania, made few inaugural remarks i'm
| pressing npon the meeting the necessity of
confining Itself strictly to the important busi-
| ness which would come before il.
| Messrs. Wilson, of Washington; Smart. of
| Indiana: and Newell, of Maryland. were ap-
pointed an executive committee 10 arrange
| the business for the various sessions.
| \ letter was read Offering the Department
the use of the parlor of the Ebbitt house the
| offer was accepted with thanks
| The proper representation of the educational
| interests OF the country AZ the Paris eXposi-
| tion was then discussed. The president being
called on by the meeting, spoke at some length
| ON motion of Gen. Eaton. United States Com
| missioner of Education, "a committee of five
consisting of the president, Messrs. Apgar, y.
| j.: Hancock, o.; Lennon, Kansas, and Gil
| mour, N.N.-waS charged with the subject un-
| der discussion. Also, Messrs. Eaton: Pende-
| ton. Va, and Rumkle. Mass. were appointed "A
| committee on resolutions. and to McSSrS. Hen
kle, q. Orr, Ca. and Jones. Pa, was assigned
/ the duty of inviting the President of the United
| States, the Secretary of the Inferior, the Dis
| trict Commissioners. and the committees on ed
| ucation III the Senate and House to be present
at The meetings of the department.
| The subject of the best school organization
for state was then discussed. Mr. Hancock.
of Ohio: opening The debate. MesSrs. Barrin-
| ger. Nj. !; Harvey, ". Va; WickerSham, Pa. :
AFSdI. Nd ". y. LENNON. k;lllS.
| JillSon. $. G., followed, for the most part ex-
| planning and defending the systems employed
| IN their respective states. A great diversity
| of methods in the appointment or election of
| boards, supeTintendcntS, etc, was developed.
| and many conflicting opinions as To the best
| plan To he adopted were expressed. The mat
| Ter was referred to a special committee. con
| siSing OF MeSSrs. Hancock, o.; Smart, Ind.
and WickerSham. Pa.
committee was appointed on Legislation in
| respect to the support of the national bureau
gtlIHlIgnn innD n nm
and national educational fund. consisting of
| Messrs. Newell. Md: WickerSham, Pa: Orr.
| ia; Bowman, ky:; Hancock, Ohio; Tarbell,
Mich. Lennon, Kan; Gilmour \. ", and
] Smart, Ind.
senator Burnside, Il. l.: Representatives
| LOring, Mass. and WiliettS Mich: Mr.. HitZ
/ the Consul General of Switzerland, and Mr..
barnard. Conn. were present during part of
the session, and addressed the aSsemblagc.
The department will meet at 80 O'Clock this
e. ening, when paper will be read on Whit
has been done by the general government in
aid OF education, by Hon. John Eaton, U. ).
Commissioner.
meeting of the teachers of The public
chOols of this District will be held in he same
pace tomorrow, at 2o'clock I'm.
NOMINATIoNs.-The President sent to the
Senate to-day large number of nominations,
an Ong the following: Commodore Daniel Am
men 10 be rear admiral: Seth p. Remington.
collector OF customs, QSWegurchie, n. vi
Syrn. II, Baldwin, collector OfcuSt0Dis, Charles,
toh, -. ~. -. NDuilDli. SURVEYOR pIll ei
La Crosse. Wis John Campbell. surveyor port
| OF Omaha, Neb. Henry l.. Dodge of Califor-
| ma; superintendent of mint at san Francisco.
ard number Of pOstmasterS and lower grade
| army promotions.
| NAVAL ORDERs.-Medical Director Jacob
;. DUNCAN. ordered 10 special duty in attend
| ing naval and marine officers at San Fran
| cisco Cal: Masters Frederick III. Lefavor and
/ w. T. Ray. To the TuScarOTa, lst January
| Master ): Il. Milton. detached from the re
| celNIng ship wyoming, at Washington, and
ordered 10 the 1uscarora, lSt January Chief
| Engineer Geo. W. Magee. from special duty
! on 18th instant and ordered To the TuScarOr;i :
| Paymaster Frank Clark. ordered to the Tus-
| ca ora, al Mare Island navy yard lst Janu-
| AIRY: Chief Engineer 4. &. Dade. detached
| ION he Norfolk navy yard. 81 January. and
placed on waiting orders; Chief Engineer
EOhcll Dandy. from special duty. and ordered
| 10 Norfolk navy yard. 81 January.
WHAT Is BATTLE.-By direction of the Pre-
sident, 4 board to consist of Mai. Gen. w s.
Hancock, U.S.A.; Col. ID. 5. Stanley, I'D infan,
ty; and Col. w. ID. Whipple, aide camp,
| has been ordered TO assemble in New York
city, the sth day OF January. 1873. or as soon
| fer as praci icabe. to determine the following
| questions What shall be considered as being
a battle" within the spirit of the army regtl-
'ati0nS? What portion of a regiment must be
| engaged i'm battle to entitle the regiment to
have inscribed npOn its colOrs and upon the
army register the name of the battle? What
record should be made i'm the cases of reg-
l!tN d> III 1ol) anu 1879. he
board will report its conclusions for the infor-
nation and action OF the President.
THE PRESIDENT AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
When Mr.. w. w. Curtis presented the resolu
| tions OF thanks of the District school board to
| President Hayes yesterday, the latter said in
! response, that he thought the public schools of
| this District should be made models for the
/ a city set upon hill, and what was done here
| in the way Of education could not be hid.
! Whether the system was bad or good, il would
| be noticed and initiated throughout the coun-
| try. A special interest should be taken in the
| schools. and an effort made to erect school
| houses that would stand foremost i'm the rank
| ol That Kind Oi architecture and models worthy
oi copying. The general government should
assist in providing means 10 carry out this
/ object.
| SECURITY AGAINST FIRE IN THE PUBLIC
! BUILDINGs.-Tiie President yesterday sent to
! the House message nclOsing a copy of the
| report of the commission appointed by him 10
| examine The several public buildings and de
| ternne the nature and extent of their security
| against confiagration. and the measures neceS
| saly to be taken TO guard the buildings and
Their contents against destruction or damage
| by fire. The report has heretofore been pub
| lislled. The President says: The records of
| the government constitute 4 most valuable
collection for the. country whether we con
| slider their pecuniary value or historical inn
| pOr;ance, and 1t becomes my duty To call your
atlention 10 means suggested Tor securing
| tItSt archives as We'll as Tile Dul,I-
! ingS III which they are stored
THE MEXICAN QUESTION IN CONGRESS-
| The action of the House yesterday in referring
| the subjects concerning the Mexican question
| in the Presidents message TO the committee
on foreign affairs, and the fact that the House
| enlarged the powers of the committee to send
| for persons and papers, indicates that the de-
sire OF Congress IS to get at the bottom of this
| whole Mexican business. The military com
mittee OF the House has had this subject under
| consideration for ten days or more and has
! taken the testimony OF a large number of army
| officers. The inquiry of the latter committee
| has been directed solely to the disposition of
| the armed forces on the Rio Grande, and the
| extraordinary occasion which prompted the
! department commander, Gen. Ord, t0 invade
| Mexican territory. The object of empowering
| ihe foreign affairs committee to prosecute this
| inquiry is desire to get Secretary EvartS be
| fore it to enli2hten Congress why the Diaz
| government has not been recognized, as well
I as to have the benefit of the diplomatic CORE
! SpOndence between the two governments since
| the present administration came into power
1t was apprehended, also, that the military
! committee, in forming conclusions, might be
| blase by the feelings of army officers who