The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1846-08-22

49, oum nv executing one million OF doll
lars (t2OO,OOO should be permanently invest
ed by the State, under the name Of the tCom-
mon School Fund.- 1t was derived from the
sale OF lands in the State of Maine belonging
TO Massachusetts,, and from certain claims for
military services on the government Of the u.
States The statute ordained that the income
OF this fund should be paid over annually to
the towns in proportion to the number Of
children, between the ages Of four and sixteen
years, within the territory Of each; but on the
condition always, that the towns should, BY
taxes imposed on themselves, raise a sum an-
nualiy, equal TO one dollar and twenty-five
.dents Us, 3D. for every child between those
ages, comprised in their population. If any
town fail to levy this amount, it receives no
share Of the fund, The analogy between this
regulation and that adopted by our W gov
eminent, Of bestowing a certain amount 81
public aid in favor Of schools, on condition
that the inhabitants who apply for it shall COM
tribute an equal sum themselves for the same
purpose, will be at once recognized.
An act was passed in 1886, chap. 285, which
provided that children under l6 years Of age
should not be employed in factories, unless they
had attended school for 1T least three months
Of the twelve months next preceding any and
every year in which such child shall be en-
Ployedj ? under a penalty of fifty dollars for each
offence, to be levied on the employer, to the
use of common schools in the town.
The legislature by an act passed in 1887,
chapter 1877, authorized school districts to es-
tablish and maintain Libraries and Apparatus,
for the use of common schools; and to raise
money from the inhabitants by taxation fol
that purpose to an extent not exceeding
thirty dollars the first year, and ten dollars in
any subsequent year. This provision might,
with great advantage, be initiated in Greal
Britain.
The next step which followed, was an mp
pOintmeDt in April, 1887, off Board of Educa.
ton, with the Secretary. The statute Of thai
year, chapter 24l, establishes a board Of educa.
ton fer the state. The governor with the adj
vice of his council, was authorized to appoint
eight persons, who, together with the governor,
and lieutenant governor, er-o6icio, constitute
the board the persons appointed, hold their Of
flee for eight years, but one retires every year,
commencing with the persons first on the list,
The governor and council fill up vacancies oc-
curing by death, resignation or other causes,
Governor Everett exercised the power OF
making the first nomination. We are informed
by the Common School Journal, that although
himself a Unitarian and Wing, he elected from
both political parties, (Whigs and Democrats
and from all the leading religious denomina-
tons in the state, men Of talents, literary rep
utation and philanthrophy, residing in different
sections Of the country, and representing, as
nearly as possible equal portions Of. terri
tory and population. They received no remu-
n%eraticn for their labors; but their incidental
expenses, and all charges'incurred in the exc
cution of their office, are betrayed by the
state.
The powers and duties Of the board are thus
defined:
The Board of Education shall prepare and
lay before the Legislature in a printed form, on
or before the second Wednesday of January,
an abstract Of the school returns received by
the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the
said Board of Education may appoint their Own
secretary, who shall receive a reasonable COM
pensation for his services, not exceeding one
thousand dollars per ann, and who shall, under
the direction Of the board, collect information
Of the actual condition and efficiency Of the
Common Schools, and other means Of popular
education, and diffuse as widely as possible,
throughout every part Of the commonwealth,
information ofthe most improved and success
ful methods Of arranging the studies and con-
Quoting the education o fthe young; to the end
that all the children in this commonwealth,
who depend upon common schools for instruc-
ton may have the best education which those
schools can be made to impart.
The Board Of Education, annually shall make
a detailed report to the Legislature, Of all it's
doings with such observations az their expert
ence and reflection may suggest, upon the con-
dition and efficiency Of our system of popular
education, and the most practicable means Of
improving and extending it.
The act Of 2lst April, 1888, prescribes the
duties and fixes the compensation Of the secre-
tury of the Board Education as follows;
The Secretary Of the Board Of Education, in
addition to the duties required Of him by the
act establishing the Board Of Education, shall
once in a year, at such time as the Board Of Ed
mey appoint, attend in each county Of
the commonwealth a meeting Of all such teach
ers Of public schools, members Of the school
committees of the several towns, and friends
Of education generally in the counties, as may
voluntarily assemble at the time and place in
he county, designated by the Board Of Educa-
IVY 80 . 4 "a