Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-03-26

1--WE give below the bill passed by the Lee
gisiature, few weeks ago, for the information
OF the public. Let the friends Of education ex-
eft themselves in circulating proper insorma-
ton among the people, so that they may act
Understandings upon the subject.
0 A BILL
For the Establishment Of a District
Public S,hool System.
| l. Be 1t enacted by the General rs.
sembly, That upon the petition 10 the
county court Of any county in this
commonwealth, of ene.third of the quail
fled voters thereof, who shall have vo-
ted at the preceding election for dele
gates to the general assembly, it shall
be the duty Of the said coult to certify
the same to the commissioners Of cleo
| ton for the said county; and thereup-
on the said commissioners shall, at The
next succeeding election for delegates
10 the general assembly, open a register
! for the votes Of the electors qualified to
hvo,c for delegates, in which two col
unns shall be kept, one for those in fa-
vor of the establishment of district
schools in ,he county, and the other for
those opposed to ii; which register
shall be duly certified on oath or ;fiir-
nation by said officers, and delivered
TO the clerk Of the county court, TO be
!; by him filed and preserved. In every
county in which it shall appear from
she return aforesaid, that two, thirds Of
! the legal voters are in favor of adopt
ing the di>trIc, system, the following
regulations for the introduction and
maintenance Of that system shall be
and are hereby established therein.
2. Be At further enacted, That the
school commissioners of every county
in Office at the time, shat! cause the
county to be laid off into districts, reg
] ulaling the size of said districts accord.
ing to the best of their discretion, so
I thai they may contain sufficient num-
Der of children to make up school,
! and be of such convenient size that all
children in each district may daily at
tend the school therein. The said d.
/ vision, with the names of the several
districts, shall remain una!teled until
! the increase or decrease of the inhabi-
! tants or other causes shall render an
alteration necessary in the opinion of
! the school commissioners and two
plats of the said division shall be made
out, one for the use of the school COM
missioners, and the other to be deposit
! ted with the clerk of the county for
safe keeping; and the expenses of said
survey and plats shall be paid for out
of the assessment, by school commits
sioners to be elected as hereinafter pro-
I vided. The school commissioners shall
also divide the county into precincts or
sections, each district embracing as
many school districts as may be deem
ed convenient; and in each ofthese pre-
clnc,s an election shall be held annual
4, ly for school commissioner for the pre-
cinct, to be chosen by citizens qualified
to vote for members of the Legislature.
! The first election shall take place at
such time and place as the school COM
missioners in Office at the time of adop-
ting this act shall appoint, aties giving
at least ten days notice in newspaper
circulating in the county, and by adj
vertisement posted at some public place
in each precinct, to. be appointed by
the board of school commissioners -
and all subsequent elections after the
first election shall be held in the several
precincts on the and it shall be
the duty Of the commissioners to give
a similar notice of the election TO that
abovereqnired.
3. BE 1t further enacted, That the
school commissioners Of each county
shall be body corporate, and shall
have power1to sue and be sued, TO pur-
chase, receive, hold and convey real
and personal property for the school
purposes of the county generally, TO fix
the salaries of the teachers, to divide
the school fund Of the county among
the different school districts Of the
county, to administer The same in such
manner as the donor may direct, con-
sistently with this law. They shall APP
point clerk, who shall keep a fair re-
cord Of their proceedings, and perform
such other duties as shall be required
Of him, and allow him 2 compensation
not exceeding dollars per annum.
And it shall be the duty Of each COM
missioner:
To visit all the schools in his precinct
al least twice during each session for
g schooling, and examine the register