Correspondence from Springfield. Senator Woodard introduced into the education committee of both houses a bill proposing that German shall be taught in public schools only when a majority of the pupils demands it. (This measure would only affect Chicago, and perhaps Belleville and Nascoutah in Southern Illinois where German instruction has been introduced. In Chicago the practice exists of introducing German on a motion of the parents of 150 children(formerly only 50), and after such a motion German introduction becomes only optional for the pupils. One of the German members of the Committee strongly opposed Woodard's motion, declared it necessary to introduce German into all the schools and finally moves to leave the decision about German instruction to the school principals. Amendment adopted after long discussion by a 5-4 vote. Question bound to come up again in the Legislature.

One of the leaders of the Democratic party in the house, Springer, has introduced a bill to exclude German from all the free schools. It throws the hatred of the Democrats against the Germans, the cause of their defeat(in the Civil War). Any teacher of a free school who teaches any subject that is not authorized shall lose his salary. This bill has no chance of being accepted, but is characteristic.