Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1849-01-31

HhCu W Tic qtsAtJtcu ctcCtWS, according
the constitution, and the vote is to be ia
ken by ballot. Nothing is said in relatio
to residence and hence any person who i
a qualified voter in the county and reside
in the district at the time OF the election
will be entitled to vote. In the transactio,
of any business except the election Of off
GERS the districts may determine their owl
method Vi voting. l would suggest tn,
propriety OF appointing at an early day !,
committees, in each school district, 10 draf
a few plain rules for the government o
district meetings. On all important ques
tons it may be well to record the yea
and nays, or to vote by ballot; but in or
binary business, the shortest and mos
convenient method Of ascertaining the will
OF the electors should be adopted.
The law does not interfere with any O
the arrangements of organized school dis.
tricts heretofore made for the erection O
school houses. The work can proceed a.
though no change had been made. Il
makes ample provision for building, rent.
ing, or purchasing school houses, and con-
templates in the older districts a much
better class OF buildings than those here
toiore used. Each oil the larger towns
should erect one or two permanent school
houses the ensuing summer. l will be
excused for taking the city Of Dubuque as
an example, (and while l can speak Of it
with pride in many respects, almost
blush to mention the subject Of schools in
connection with it, as | am more familiar
with its history than that OF any other
place in the State. Dubuque has popu-
Iation OF about $500, and the assessed
value Of the real estate and capital en-
ployed in merchandise is about $500, 900,
exclusive Of other property, and yet ii is
destitute Of even one public school house.
A comparatively small tax on the above
mentioned property would erect build
ing sufficiently commodiousfor the instruc-
ton Of all the children and youth in it and
would enable the directors to assign to
each grade of pupils separate apartment
and to establish and inforce the necessary
discipline. And while it would afford
ample accommodations for the pupils in
the primary department, see nothing
to hinder the introduction Of the higher
branches Tor the benefit of young ladies
and gentlemen. The school should be
placed under the management of one ex-
perienced male teacher, with such assist
ants, male and female as might be neces-
sary. Thus an institution would be foun-
ded which weuld he an ornament and ali
honor to the place. And while it would
tend to curtail the expenses Of education.
It would serv" to correct many Of the abu-
ses which at present exist in our small
village schools, for it is painful refl-c-
ton that in some Of them the children learn
little else than profanity end vulgarity. ]
think there is no class Of community Hho
would object to such project. The
friends of education certainly would not,
and should the owners of property be ac-
tuated by no other motive than desire to
enhance the value of their property, l
know of nothing that would have more
direct tendency to accomplish their design
than the establishment OF permanent lite
rary institutions among them. Were it
not for other objects TO be attained in ma
king the present communication, it would
afford me pleasure to extend my remarks
upon this topic, but ! must content myself
with submitting the matter in this brief
form for the consideration OF the public.
As have referred 10 the oity of Dubuque
by way of illustration, hope will not
be considered partial in expressing the
desire that she may be the first TO lead off
in this noble work. My remarks are in
tended to apply equally to the other towns
of the State.
The new law makes no material change
in regard to the county tax. l would ad-
wise the County Commissioners for the
present year to levy the highest amour.
allowed by law, which is ouiy one nall on
the dollar. hatter myself that no one
will object to snch tax at present, for it
should be remembered that it is tempo
rary burden, which we hope to dispense
with entirely in few years. We all ad-
mire tire school systems Of the older States,
but we forget that many Of them are fos-
tered almost entirely by direct taration.-
The average amount Of school tax paid BY
each county in the State of Massachusetts
in ls47 was $47,347.s9, being $685.
87O.57 for the State, and this too is exclu-
sive of large amounts contributed for board,
fuel and other contingent expenses.
can act supplemental to the act of Feb
ruary 25th, l847, entitled an act act to pro-
vide for the management and disposition