The Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1844-1847, 1845-05-31

The lflslees retired insionier, all their obslna-
/ cy disappearing without waiting tcr another
hmt rom The court. Hence il will be infer
red Hat lhe trustees are responsible 10 the
board Of county polire, al least, whenever
thai honorable body can be convinced Of the
facts. This matter, however, is very well
understood By Tho present. board Of this coun-
lly. That The trustees are accountable 10 the
piesident Of The board o. county police s ev-
ident from he following section Of the act
Of 1888. Also Ihe query. 'sWhaI possible
penalty is there fol breach Of abuse Of trustiD
seeas 10 hnd an answer in this same section
which quite efine.
SIT shall be the duty Of said trustees, be~
fore they Of either Of lien proceed TO The DIS
charge Of the dnlies required Of them by this
act TO enter into bond with security as may
be approved of by The board Of county police
oflhe cuuntyin which they m reside, pays
able TO the president Of The said board of couiI-
Ity police, and his successors in office. cond-
toned for The faithful discharge OF the dnties
required Of them BY this ACT, and sad bond
shalt be IN such penalty as said boaId Of conn-
~ police shall direct; and said trustees shall
! also take an oath before said board Of county
police, That they will discharge the duties as
such Itustees according to lao, 10 The best Of
their skill and Judgement" Howard and
Hulchison. TX. IS.
Now the Two questions are answered in the ve-
/ ~ few words Of The law ITSELF And is rs. s."
satisfied with The answer presume he is not
quite SO easily satisfied. He and every other
honest man, when The matter is fully understood,
must Of necessity feel more dissatisfaction and
"conlempiuous Indignation" now, than ever be-
fore. Why SOP Let il be noted that there are
more laws than chs act' alone--lhat there are
number Of laws OF acts Of the legislature Of Mis-
sissippi in relation 10 schools aud school lands,
both Of older and more recent date, 40 well as Of
much greater Importance and utility than .this
aci.D Now observe again that the above exracl
requires the trustees 10 give bond and security
"iorlhe faithful discharge Of the duties required
Of them by this act" and not Of duties required
by any other law Whatever II therefore they dls-
charge the duties required by ''this aci, the terms
CfIhe law and the bond are undeniably and fully
met. There is no penalty for breach and even
utter disregard Of al, other laws on The subject;
and consequently aIl other Legislative ehaclnients
in regard TO school lands, and trustees may be
broken Gd hbiium 81 ad iRfniium with perfect i'm
punity! Nay, worse--olher laws on the subject
cannot be complied with, without disregard OF
"ihis act" and forfeiture of bond, since Other acts
come in collision wilhihis Shall be told thai
perhaps laei laws repeal the pats OF sslhls act
with which they come into collsionl Then say
| lei any one be so good Bs to show any law what
ever repealing s'ths act" OF any part Of il. And
besides, what if "lhis aeG" we're lepealedl Il
would avail noning while the trustees continue TO
give bond in exact accordance with its require
meuls. Why again il win be inquired, do The
board Of police receive OF accept such bonds
Because "tbis acf' and no other law, requires just
exactly this bond and no other bond The board
then must accept tbs bond ia compliance with the
acquisitions 0f shis act, or the trustees must re-
main responsible 10 no tribunal whatever. save
public opinion. Here then il The dilemma in
which both trustees aud board Of police placed.
They must inevitably bs gored by one Of its un-
yielding horns--and Il is immateral which, for 10
either case the safety Of The school fund is equally
on dangered.
i hope the reader has not yet poured out all his
i righteous Indignation upon the foregoing devslop-
.menls, or that he has procured fresh and larger
supply; for fear be will feel called upon loE
3 much more before he fluids tho end Of this para
i graph, since the section above quoted prevents
+ mol onig compIiahce with other laws, but II Is
also impossible to obey the must important ptovIs-
ions Of .lhis act" itself. Orif possible. coinpi
ancs would be attended with runous consequen-
ces, as The reader will soon perceive. But pray.
what is required by 'this acl' that alone should
be so carefully and exclusively guarded with PEN
aItiesl That the school lands shall be leased loi
a period Of nneiy-nne years, explains the condi-
lions of said leases allows trustees to reserve Q
part Of The school section 10 each township, OF
procure ia lieu thereof not exceeding eighty acres
Of other lands BY purchase OF otherwise, and lher
The smpoEtant section quoted 10 former nnul-
Der, which so positively commands the trustees
to vest The entire school funds in the purchase d
!, Planters bank stock with directions how ic
spend lie dividends arising from said bank stock
Hence tie only law with penalty annexed 10 re-
gard 10 school lands and trustees may be very
bdehi summed up 10 she shoIi sentence; Conven
ihe valuable school lands into s'slock in The Plan
ters' bank Of he State Of Mississippi" This i.
what 'shs acI" requires, and il is what (If any
thing) the trustees have given bond TODD!
Hence those trustees, who have been guided
: BY former or subsequent laws On This subject
E have moi complied with "lhis acts" consequently
D they have forfeited and are sueable upon ihe
bond. Hence il is clearly evident that the egti'
mate tendency and effect of The only law 90 lh'
subject, for the breach Of which any penalty is al
lached. are to coerce The trustees 10 acourse dis
. graceful in the exlrens--bul now fortunately al
II . ~