Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-23
EiNE O('Incn.
EInlir O'CinI.,S
Substance of Mr.. C.iLDHELL'e Re.

marks on Ire BiN to define the duties Of
Scho0L Commissioners and for other purposes,
Mr.. CARTER OF Lancaster and Richmond op-
posed the bill, OH the ground, that the forfeiture
OF the School quota, through the neglect of the
School Commissioners or the Court, operated as a
penalty upon the poor children, and not upon the
School Commissioners, by dcpriving them of the
benefit of the fund.
Mr.. CALDWELL differed with the gentleman.
and said the forfeiture of the School quota could
not possibly operate against the poor children for
whose benefit 1t was raised, and fot whose benefit
1t ought to he expended He was the last person
upon this floor, who would vote for any bill or
any measure that should in the least DECREE tend
10 limit the means of education to the poor and in
Gigent. The whole object of the bill under con.
sldcration was to secure those blessings to that
class of the community. The Primary School
Fund was intended to benefit those who had not
tho means of education. The object of this bill
WAS 20 throw barrier around tho fund and prevent
its proiigatC expenditure
lie always thought that when rcquis;ion was
made upon the people tor any particular object,
that 1t was wise policy to have the money SO rccci.
vcd faithfully expended Cor that object. The gen.
tleman has said the penalty falls upon the poor
children, by dcpriving them of their quota. What
were the facts? he asked. BY advcrtipg to the Re-
port OF the Second Auditor, which he held
in his hand he found that the County of York
had not drawn her school quota since S2i and that
Richmond, the county represented by that routlc-
man, has not drawn ncr quota since 1927. Have
tlo poor CnlluTCn IN lneSc counties, SAID he Il
ccvcd amy benefit from the fund duriny all this time
SIR, 1t is TO correct such negligence as this that
this feature of the bill is introduced-t is to have
the money applied annually TO the great object for
winch 1t was designed, and no. TO permit it to re-.
mann unapproPrIatcd in the Treasury. lfthc COM
missioncrs OF any county refuse or neglect to per-
form their duties :or two years. and to apply the
money tn the education of the poor of that county
let 1t be forfeited to the general fund.- and let 9th
ers, who are moro vigilant, reap the benefit and
% rpn,a ,fio
the treasury, unappropriated.
He exhibited n statement, she wing tina in 1906
there were only 300 poor children educated from
the primary school fund.- at an average cost sof
Jo"r dollars and ninety cents for each; aud that in
1881 there were upwards of 400 educated ut an
average cost of only t,oo dollars and eighth t,oo
cents. That the whole number of children in the
Commonwealth, by the last Census between the
age OF ten and Iffeen years, was about IS, 00O-
That the whole number of poor children under IF.
teen years OF age returned by the School Commits
soners last year, about 81 500. That all lh.
poor children IN the State may be educ ated of the
provisions OF this bill, requiring the Commission
crS TO send none under ten years, where enough
between ten and fifteen be found to absorb tho
luna, can be carried into operation. That the be
nett derived trem the fund is not confined to the
only VINO come under tho term 'indgent." That
It's blessings much more extensive For ov
ample said he, it often happens that, in sparccIv
populated sections of the State, those out of the
immediate pale of this fund are unable to raise n
hc"ooI' out by The aid OF the pitance at the dis.
PoSat OF the School Commissioner, they can have
the benefit of Il good school There are Deighbor.
hoods, where by great exertions, Is or 90 scholars
may DO subscribed This is not an induccment for
good Teacher; but by the addition of four or five
subscribed by the School Commissioners, a compe
tent Teacher can be employed. Thus, schools
may be established, where without this fund there
would be none; and instead of fue children in such
ncighborhood being benefited, f,oenty.foc would
receive their education directly from this fund 1t
Mt tr1p eStin, to 4,
upon tho benefit resulting from the present sys
tenn.
Gentlemen have said that tho frequent changes
in tho law made it difficult for the Commissioners
TO know their duty. Sir, this bill proposes no
change IN the forms or manner ofadministering
the fund. 1t imposes duties that are not now
implied in the Law. 1t is only intended that those
duties shall be performed, and faithfully performed
That tho money shall be applied, and faithfully
applied to the great object for which it is intend
ed; That those, for whose benefit it is appropria-
ted, may profit by it's efficient administration
Surely, none can reasonably object to such a pro-
vision He hoped the bill would pass.