Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-10
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
No. 3. CONTINUES.


system Of public ofincGtion most respect
fully adareSsed to tie General AssemLfy of
FUginia-BY a CONSTITUENT.
"But with this ,'Cthe vircinian government
& though man might he happy, he VIII not al
ways, nor indeed long be satisfied.-He will
Z" reach at perfection absolute and unqualified
" He forgetS. that theoretical perfection in gov
" ernnient, and practical oppression, are closely
= allied. lie will bs more than man, and he be.
" comes less. Pursuits Of Literature.
As the primary schools are made The
foundation of the whole system, aud 10
be the first carried into effect. il is thought
proper 10 give their organizations i'm ex-
tense. The several boards of trustees
Tor The government of these schools, have
been called deml-corporations because,
whist they are authorized 10 exercise ma
! NY important corporate powers, fully suf-
| fcIent TO endow them with the esprit de
| corps, they are moi decorated with ALT
external paraphernalia of their Superior
| corporations, such as a common seal. a
name or title, u suable capacity, &c. &c.
Ihe following extracts will give full
| view OF the primary schools:
re 1t further eaacted, That there shall be es.
tabiished within this commouwealtb AS many
primary schools, as shall tend to promote an
| easy dlffnsl OF knowledge among tile youtI,
| OF all classes OF society; aud for establishing
and properly regulating such schools the whole
territory OF the commonwealth shall be d.
| Vided into small, and conveniHt Jurisdictions.
| 10 be denominate,l townships and wards.-For
| this purpose the several county and corpora.
ton courts, shall at their next NAV June. July
or August terra appoint three commissioners
win authority to divide their respective coun-
ties into two or more townships: and their
respective corporations into two or more
wards; provided that no township shall CON
tam FEWER than thirty square miles, SC
ITnI g ~ fp.f h,.a .f,.lfI
or more primary school houses shall have been
provided, III manner aforesaid in any town
snip or ward, the court of the county, or cor
poration containing such township or ward.
shall appoint three or more discreet persons
residing within the same to held an election
therein, OF 1--we trust Ses, for the government
ot such primary school, and of all other similar
schools, which may be a any time thereafter
es'aoisned WITHIN the limits of such township
or ward. The commissioners so appointed
| snail give as public notice as practicable of
| the time of holding ths election, which shall
be IN not less than thirty, nor more than sixty.
| days after the appointment. The place OF
holding such election shall be that DESIGNATED
Tor all public meetings within the township or
ward. The mode of election shall he cira coce
| and shall correspond, as nearly as possible in
an respects with that of the delegates To the
General Assembly. The polls shall be opened
al ten o'clock III the morning OF the day of O.
lection, aud closed at sun set or sooner Il
there be no opposition. All free white male
mouse, Keepers, within the township or ward.
snail have the right of suffrage And when
the polls shall have been closed the com,nis
sioners shall proclaim, the Eve persons having
the greatest number of votes boiled 70 be dulv
elected trustees for one yeai, or until the next
election, of the primary schools of the town
| ship or ward for which the election shall have
been held; and they shall certify TO the court
OF the county or corporation, the names of the
trustees so elected; thenumber of votes given
for each, and the date of the election which
10 Tod b,, a..
Every election, after the first in the township
or ward, shall be held on the hrst Monday of
May in every year, under the direction of com
nISSiOneTs appointed as aforesaid: But should
tie election fail fer any cause, 10 he made
on the day appointed, the trustees i'm office
Tor the past, shall serve for the ensuing year
AID until their successors shall be elected in
manner aforesaid. The trustees shall have
power to I'LL any vacancy which may occur i'm
their own body, either from death resigna
ton, removal, Inability, or other cause. they
snail have power to elect one OF their own
body president thereof, who, with any two
others, may constitute board for transactinr
all necessary business deyolving on the truS
tees OF the primary schools of the TOWNSHIP or
ward. Their first meeting shall be held where
their election was held; every other ting
at such place the board of trustees may from,
time To time prescribe.
And be IL further enacted. That the board of
trustees of the primary schools of any town
ship or ward shall have power to appoint :.
teacher tor each of the primary schools, with
IN their respective townships or wards. to fix
his salary, and TO remove or dispIace him for
Incapaciy or misconduct They shall have
authority 10 prescribe such rules and regina
lions, relative to the inStrnctiO I-.nd discipline
OF their schools, as may seem 10 them exuedi
ent, so that they be not Inconsistent win the
constitution aud laws of this state or OF the
Ouiied States, or with such general rules as
the board of public instruction may prescribe
III relation to the government of the primary
schools q no ~ al
Ind be II further enacted, That all the free
Wtite children resident within the towush,p
or ward in which any primary school is estab
lished, or, where there IS more than one such
school within the township or ward. resident
within tic precincts laid down bv the trustees
for any particular school, shall be entitled To
receive tuition ~ such school. free of any
charge whatever: Provided, that the board
OF trustees, who have the government of tic
school, may demand of such parents guard
ians, or masters as are able 20 pay, without in.
convenience, for the education Of their child.
rem, wards or apprentices. such fees of tgiticn
as the said trustees may deem reasonable aud
| proper: The fees TO be made pavable to and
60 be collected hy, such persons as the board
! OF trustees may appoint, amd constitute find
Tor tic payment OF part of the saiary Of the
| teacher. and t0purchase such bucks az may be
necessary, for the instruction Of those children
who are admitted into the school without any
| charge for tuition.
The first observation which presents
itself, from this view Of the primary
! schools, is the difference in the mode Of
I eleciing the trustees for regulating them,
from that adopted in rclationt 10 tie com
| pleie corporations. This Of itsclfafiords
an ample subject for reflection and obser-
vaiioD. These trustees. by certain pro.
cess through the agency of tbe county
and corporation courts, are tinaliy 10 he