The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-04-03
The School Law-its Defects n Proposed
Remedies.

For the Express.
All laws, human or Divine, must have sane
ton. In despotisms, the sanction Of a law rests
in the power of its maker to enforce its require
in public opinion; and the time is far gone in
this country, when any law can be of extended
public utility, which does not meet the approba-
ton Of public opinion.
Our present "School Lao" contains several
provisions not sanctioned by 'sDublic opinion
which propose to notice, and suggest a RENEE
dy; not wishing to be understood that consd-
er the proposed remedies infallible, but to sub
init them for consideration and discussion, SO
that the next Legislature may be induced to ap-
ply these or some other remedies to the evils
complained Of
One of the most Objectionable provisions Of
the School Lao, is the districtng system The
power to form districts is lodged with county
officer, who from the nature Of the case, cannot
possess the requisite knowledge necessary to act
Understandings in the matter, and for the true
interests Of all concerned. He canot be presu-
med to know the wants, wishes and interests OF
the people in the several districts, other than by
petitions, and these frequently mislead him en-
tirely.
l believe the remedy for this defect would be,
to place the power to form school districts in the
hands of township officers; say the Trustees, and
in unorganized Townships, with the Justices OF
the precincts. These officers could and would
district the Townships in such manner as to ac-
commodate the population: Nothing more is
necessary than to transfer the power now held
by the Fund Commissioner to the officers nam
ed above. 1t would look just as much like sense
to have county officer make the road districts,
as the school districts.
| Another fault in the school system, is the de-
| partment of Fund Commissioner. He was q
great statesman who concocted this system and
should be rewarded with leather medal for his
sagacity. No surer method, in my humble o.
pinion could have been DEVISED for the gradual
and certain dissipation Of our noble school fund
than this, and should it be continued, the peo-
pie may assuredly look for the gradual abrasion
of this vast resource. have no means ofknow'
ing what the pay Of the Fund Commissioners
amounts to, but have no doubt the aggregate
system, and were the Office abolished l have nc
doubt the people would as cheerfully pay the tax
for the support of school teachers, as they now
do for the salary Of those officers.
| As remedy for this wasteful system, woulc
propose that the Legislature create State Lane
Office, and appoint Land Agent to this office
transfer to him the control of the scool lands
and all other lands belong ing to the State, anc
order him to invest all moneys received fo
school lands in United States, or other State
stock, and pay the interest to the county treas
urers for the use of schools.
This plan would cost but 1.-THE of the pres
ent system and would render the school funt
safe, give it order and Gomez t-blity, which i
does not now possess. 1t might not suit the
views Of certain men whose interests lie in Dor
rowing the school. fund to speculate upon, bu
| for one / should like to see those cormorants
choked off. This plan would also relieve tho
Superintendent of a burden not legitimately be
longing to his office, and thereby secure his ser.
vices exclusively to the common schol cause
The State of Michigan has adopted this course
with her school and other lands with the mos
decided success.
Another and radical defect of the school law is
that it does not provide for the proper qualifica
tons of examiners; and if the examiner is MOI
qualified how shall the people be assured thai
the teacher is competent? The law takes it fol
granted that the school district officers are al
ways competent to "examine cause to be ex
amined," the teacher, in all branches of knowl
edge required by law.
To remedy this, let competent person or per
sons be chosen in each county by the people t.
examine. Let certificate from this board o.
officer be necessary for any and every teacher
to recover pay, and let fine lie in case any per
son teaches without such, certificate. Thi
would put stop to the great and crying evil o
incompetent teachers who are flooding the coun
try.
Power should be given to the district board t.
summarily dismiss teacher for gross miscon
duct, evident incapacity, or abuse of power
This power nowhere exists in the present law
and you must n0,o let teacher work out hi
contract and pay him his wages, however incom
petent he may prove.
March, %, 1850. B.
THE MA1Ls.-The mails bring us our newspa
pers with such regularity that we cant help tell
ing it, We received at the date of our last pa
per, two copies Of the Daily Globe from Wash
ington, one of them dated Jan. 18th, and thu