Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-10

II
pecfiye townships and wards After pro
lld,ng that the mode ofelectionS shall be
VIVA voce. and shall correspond, a. near
! " as possible, n al respects. with that OF
the General Assembly--thls little Incl.
dental difference is interposed, as If bv
acciucn aiifree Uhite mule homsrkeepct's
s1tkin tie towRship az wsrd, shall haze tie
right Of s6rage." The language OF The
bisl IS, that these elections shall cares
pond with the elections to The General
Assembly a, aUrespccts except in the cMi1
| respect, which is at all maferai, ani ia
hat they shall BE placed UPON HE direct
~ opposite principle. Here then D. sen
a provision for electing Annually ten ,,lom.
SAND delegates more or less" under The
denomination of trustees, ~ the kguss-
heepe'S,t and somew ha, more tiam ,w o
hundred Tor constituiIii. the Cement As
sembly by the .fi'eehcileyY When lh.
powers OF legislation, which arc transfer.
red from the General Assembly 10 this
numerous assemblase of complete and
DEM corporations becometo be examin-
ed with critical eye, they will be- scenic
exceed moietS, perhaps, of tie whole
legislative powers, of u general nature,
now possessed By The General Assembly
Here then the people viii find one halt of
1881 '"NS IhsstA ny ttll tUOuSdliu Uele-
gales eie ted by the houSekeepc,s. and the
other hall, by about Two hun.ired. passed
by. delegates elected by .trsehoLierS-and
although the delegates of trustees m,ay be
responsible TO the honstkeepers I'm sepa
rate ownsilips and wards, vet they are
nor responsible To the people of Virginia
collectively; and their master, or mother
corporation, which may prescribe The
whole of the rules for their conduct. is not
repousible TO the people, in any respect
Whatever. Here then Is presented TO view
complete case Of an inperinm In impe-
RIO, pervading the whole extent OF The
commonwealth, and composed ofthe most
militant materials. How long can any
rational man believe that these two sys
tens ct legislation will last, under these
opposite principles of election, and This
indefinite division ofpowers 2 Cannot The
weakest mind discern, in This eXtraordi-
hnry provision, an absolute prostration of
hie freehold right of suffrage Yet all this
is done IN two lines, as II by a slip of the
pen, without troubling the people with
The call oil convention for that purpose:
ana what IS more extraordinary, without
arrcsiing the notice of the General As
sembly. This subject is too important
and alarming 10 be passed overwith these
lew general observations, and shall here
AFTER occupy an entire number, when the
consequences of This system shall be un-
der consideration. twill only be neces.
sary upon this point Of the enquiry 10 in
tfoduce the following section from The bill,
10 give view OF some Of the powers
OF the trustees of the primary schools.
ana TO show the principle OF subordiua-
lion 1.-The board of public instruction.
Ind be II TirfLf1. snv.f7d Thar tia al IS
trustees OF the primary schoO OF any town.
ship or ward shall have power TO appoint
teacher for each OF the primary schools within
tnelr respective townships or wards +; 10 tx
hts salary; and 10 remove or dspace him for
lncapacIty or misconduct they shall have an.
thority TO prescribe snch rules and regulations
relative 10 the instruction and discipline of
thelr SCHOOLS as may seem to them expedient
so that they be notinconsistent with the con-
sttution and laws OF this stare or OF lie Unit.
ed States or with such general rules as the
board OF pnblic instruction NAV prescribe In
relation TO the government OF the primary
schools OF tins commonwealth.
II cannot escape notice in this view of
the powers given to the trustees of tie
primary schools, that i, differs in one ma
terial respect from the powers originally
conferred upon them i'll previous section
IN the following words" To hOldan cleo
ton therein for five trustees for tie GOV
eminent OF such primary schools, and of
all other StmiiaT schools, which uiay be AT
amy time thereafter established within the
limits OF such township OF ward" II is
here respectfully asked, what schools are
here meant under tile denomination of
: similar schools { Ii Is not reeollected that
provision is either made or contemplated
tor any other public SckOotS, than the pri-
mary schools established by the bill. Can
Sin,tfdr schools mean pliUGte schools, which
by possibility might be established with
IN any township or ward If so, it would
present new ard important view of this
part of the subject. 1t is also TO be OBJ
served, that the only limitations upon
these underlined, and invidious powers,
are contained in the following words: so
that they be not inconsistent with the
constitution and laws Of the state, ar of
the United States, az with such general
rules as the board OF public instruction
may prescribe i'll relation to the govern
ment of the primary schools of the com
menwealth.t The only real operative linn
itatlon contained III this clause, is that Of
submission TO the rules which may be
prescribcdby the board of publicinsiruc-
tlon-w which, completes the system of sub
ordination before mentioned
In this No. is seen the tremendous ma
chlnery invented for eiiecting the great
change contemplated IN tire principle Of
education and it is resp Cifuliy doubt
ed, whether amongst all other consequent
ces, il may not tend TO substitute, in lieu
of our present simple aud exc Kent con
stitution, the most lrighiiul and compIi-
Gated despoiIsm, under the management
and control OF an hierarchy Of Incorpo-
rated pedagogues. 1t shall he fhe object
OF several successive Nos. 10 examine and
>" Ten thousand dciegatgs more or icSs.'- it
will be OlxerYeh Ihai IL womb renuire rreaf