buildings, the home and school was opened. The present Legislature, three weeks ago, made an appropriation of $250,000 for the erection of the necessary permanent buildings.

I must not fail to mention, also, the Industrial Home for the Adult Blind. With the moderate appropriation of $40,000 two years ago, premises were rented just outside the city limits of Oakland, the former elegant home of a deceased wealthy citizen. It is the design of this institution to provide a home for blind men; not an asylum, but a home and manual training school, in which these unfortunate people shall be taught trades adapted to their circumstances and condition, and be afforded the opportunity to be useful, self-supporting, so far as may be, and, to that extent, independent. Bills are now before the Legislature aggregating upwards of $112,000 for the purchase of the property, and for increased facilities. Those institutions which are more distinctly charitable than educational do not of course come within the limits of the subject assigned me. In its provision for all these, however, California is second in point of liberality to no one of her sister States.

California has no State orphan asylums, but, by legislative appropriations, supplements private charity, by paying to each institution caring for them, $100 per annum for each full orphan, $75 for each half orphan, and for each abandoned child supported and maintained in such institution, $75 per year, after the first year. During the last fiscal year 19 such institutions received State aid, aggregating in amount $229,412.03. Among the specific duties of the State superintendent of public instruction, imposed by law, is

Ninth. To visit the several orphan asylums to which State appropriations are made and examine into the course of instruction therein.

I am aware, gentlemen of the association, that I have occupied too much of your time, very much more than my just share; that I have put your good-nature and your politeness to a stranger, to a severe test. But in the attempt to meet in some fitting manner the requirements of the subject which your good president paid me the high compliment to assign to me, this paper has necessarily thus extended itself very far beyond the limits deemed proper for such an occasion. And yet in all I have said, I have not gone beyond the limits of my own State of California. Nor can I upon this occasion. California must stand for the Pacific coast, must be the type by which you shall judge of " Education on the Pacific coast." Indeed, I have left untouched much of the field of public education even in California. That field, so barren but a few short years ago, and from circumstances to some of which I alluded in the beginning of my address so unpromising, but now giving abundant hope and assurance of that high intelligence among the masses of her people, which alone can secure anywhere the safety of society, the stability of all our institutions, and the progress of all good things among us.

Private schools and seminaries we have in various parts of the State, and many of them are of a high order of excellence. Mills College, near Oakland, is the largest institution for girls. It is incorporated and its extensive, highly improved, and valuable grounds, with its spacious and costly buildings, were deeded by the founders and owners, Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Mills, to a board of trustees, to be forever an institution for the higher education of women. Denominational schools and colleges are numerously established, and are aiding in the work of education. Some of these schools are large and powerful, and in many, instruction is free.

In closing, permit me to refer, very briefly, to a few of the most important factors in the work of public education in California, outside of her universities, colleges, and schools. By State enactment, provision is made for free libraries and reading-rooms, with which most of the cities and towns are provided. They are founded and maintained by general direct taxation. In Oakland, we have a fine free library, and maintain in widely separated portions of our city, four free reading. rooms, supplied with all the leading magazines and current literature of the day. The rate of taxation just fixed for the ensuing year in Oakland for this purpose, is 4 cents on the $100, which will yield about $12,000.

The State has also a mining bureau located in San Francisco, under charge of the State mineralogist. Here is another immense collection of ores and minerals from all over the coast. They are all grouped and identified, and are open to the public for examination and comparison. It is the duty of the State official in charge to publish reports, and to give all possible information to inquiries concerning the mining interests.

The California Academy of Sciences is an old established institution and has a large and rare collection of natural history specimens. The academy has been endowed with over half a million dollars by James Lick, in addition to its other property, and is one of the richest institutions of its kind in the United States. It possesses a very large collection of ores and minerals. To the student of botany it is especially useful. The herbarium contains a very large and complete collection of plants from the whole coast. These are all identified, grouped and labelled, so that any one can use them for purposes of comparison and investigation. There is also a very extensive collection of birds, and a complete one of California fishes. The ethnological collection is very full, and relates specially to the Pacific coast natives, those of Alaska, and those of the islands of the South Seas.

In the Golden Gate Park, plants of all descriptions are grown, and many rare and beautiful ones can there be seen by all the people. Among other vigorous active societies for the collection and dissemination of useful knowledge-which I can now only name, are the California Historical Society, dealing with matters relating to the Pacific

coast mainly; the Microscopical Society, with its fine library and microscopic slides; the Geographical Society, devoted to records of geograph ical research; the Technical Society of the Pacific Coast, devoted to the discussion of engineering topics. All of these hold meetings, to which the public is invited and freely admitted, and all have special libraries and collections. Besides the very extensive Free Library of San Fran. cisco, the Mechanics' Institute, the Mercantile, and the Odd Fellows, are the representative libraries; there is also a French library of 20,000 or 30,000 volumes of the choicest and rarest French books, and there are many others of a semi-public character in addition to the hundreds of fine private ones. The best known of these last is the Bancroft Library containing everything possible relating to the Pacific coast. Although not directly connected with our system of public education, the work of the historian Hubert Howe Bancroft demands at least a passing notice. It certainly shows an achievement unique in the record of states and nations, when a citizen of this new State collects a library of 250,000 volumes relating exclusively to its history and that of the Pacific coast. Many of these are manuscripts taken from the dictation or written by the pen of actual participants in the scenes described; and the archives of Spain and Mexico have been thoroughly searched for all the wealth of material there found to throw light on the history of the earliest Spanish settlements in America. With this library as a basis, thoroughly indexed, with a large corps of competent assistants, in a large brick building specially erected for the purpose, Mr. Bancroft has for years been engaged in putting in permanent form the riches of this vast collection, in the shape of a history of the Pacific countries, States and Territories, from Alaska to the Isthmus of Darien, to comprise, when completed, 39 large octavo volumes. Such a work has never been done for any other country. Said Wendell Phillips, concerning it: "What a Godsend such a devotee would have been for the Atlantic coast, a hundred years ago."

And now, gentlemen, if what I have said of my adopted State seems to savor too much of boastfulness; if, in my attempt to give you a pict. ure of my home, I have laid on the colors in hues that seem too bright, let me urge you to come and see for yourselves whether I am not a true chronicler. On behalf of the citizens of the State, I invite you to hold your next meeting in California; on behalf of the citizens of Oakland, I invite you to hold it there. The Knights Templars and the Grand Army of the Republic will bear witness how we receive our guests.

It is recorded of the grand old hero of Appomattox, by one who knew him best, that upon only two occasions was he ever known to be moved to tears. One of these occasions was when he learned of the sudden and terrible death of a dear friend, by a frightful railroad accident. The other, was that of the beautiful and touching reception given him by the school children of Oakland, on his return to his own country from that journey round the world, in which the nations of the earth had vied

with each other in showing him royal honors. Gentlemen, the school children of Oakland-the healthiest, handsomest, happiest, brightest, and best children on earth, the bravest youths and fairest maidens, shall greet you with flowers and song, and bid you welcome. Come, and as you traverse the continent, gain, as I have done, a new sense of what it is to be an American citizen. Come! and see our lofty mountains, our fertile valleys, our smiling vineyards, our blossoming orchards. If our ocean breezes blow too freshly, visit our sunny inland valleys; and if the heat there is too intense, a half day's ride will take you to the resinous odors of the pine belt of the Sierras.

You shall see on your way, the miner washing down the golden sands of our hills-miles of waving grain-miles of ripening fruit-and, while you marvel at our resources, you shall rejoice in the goodly heritage that is not ours alone, but is yours also. But more than this, we shall welcome you to our homes and hearts; and when you turn your faces again to the rising sun, you will be ready to say that the poet's dream has been fulfilled-and that he was a true seer, though uttering an unconscious prophecy, who sang:

A brighter Hellas rears its mountains
From waves serener far;

A new Peneus rolls his fountains

Against the morning star.

*

Another Athens shall arise

And, to remotest time
Bequeath, like sunset to the skies,

The splendor of its prime :

And leave, if nought so bright can live,
All earth can take or Heaven can give.

Upon the conclusion of Mr. Campbell's paper, at 12.30 o'clock, the convention adjourned until 1.30 p. m.

SECOND SESSION.

The convention re-assembled at 1.30 o'clock p. m., Tuesday, March 15. The PRESIDENT: Arrangements have been made for the Department to pay its respects to the President of the United States to-morrow at 1.30 p. m.

The exercises to-morrow will commence at 9 a. m. instead of 10, and there will be but one session. We will finish business for to-morrow in the forenoon, and give the afternoon to pleasure.

I have received several letters of regret, one from the Hon. Henry Sabin, of Iowa; also one from Mr. W. C. Russell, in which he expresses his sincere interest in the Department and in this meeting; also one from the Hon. G. J. Orr, State superintendent of Georgia, who expresses himself in like manner. He is much interested in the meeting, and would have been present if possible.

Major McKinley, who is on our programme, was called away by im. portant business and hence will not address us. Mr. S. D. Waterman, of California, also sends his regrets.

I have also received a letter from Hon. James McAllister, of Philadelphia, whose absence, I know, will be a disappointment to the Department. I will read a part of it. He says:

I regret exceedingly that I shall not be able to keep my engagement on next Wednesday evening. I have been quite unwell for two weeks past and to-day I have gone to bed. It is a great disappointment not to be with you. I have been looking forward to the meeting with eagerness, and especially to the discussion which I expected to open. It seems to me the time has come when a positive position should be taken on the question of industrial education, and I was anxious to contribute in the cause of the work which has been so successfully begun by the public schools of this city, and but for the orders of the doctor I would have attempted to speak on Wednesday night, but you have such an array of able speakers that you will be able to get along without me. I trust the meeting will be successful.

I will say that the evening is fully provided for. Col. F. W. Parker will be here, and Hon. W. B. Powell is prepared to address us. Hon. H. W. Compton, superintendent of schools of Toledo, Ohio, is also present and prepared to address us, and Major Bingham, of the Bing. ham School, of North Carolina, will have something to say. There are several others who are expected to take part in the discussion of this interesting subject. In place of Representative McKinley, Senator Blair will occupy at least 30 minutes on Thursday evening, and Dr. Sheldon Jackson will occupy about the same time in the discussion of the subject of the relation of our public schools to the General Government.

The first thing on the programme will be an address by Dr. ANDREW J. RICKOFF, of Yonkers, N. Y., on the subject of "A Teacher's CertificateCounty, City, State, and National." I have the honor of introducing Dr. Rickoff.

THE EXAMINATION AND CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS.

The problems met with in the development of the American public school system grow in complexity as they successively present themselves. In its relation to the Government on the one side and to the people on the other, we can borrow from foreign nations no models that are suited to our case. We must work out our own modes of administration. In such a task our first attempts will be crude; more crude, perhaps, when put into comparison with what will be than was Fulton's first steamboat compared with the palaces driven to and fro by the power of steam under the shadow of the palisades that witnessed his first experiments. But, by a faithful application of the means already placed within our control under the school laws of the several States, by convincing the leaders of thought and action in State Legislatures of advantages to be obtained by slight improvements in the statutes already existing, and by seeking more radical changes when opportunity