The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-04-10
NUMBER 81.

their pcnchant for office making.
presume no one will deny the proposition,
that School System which would in its details,
suit the wants of Massachusetts or Michigan,
would not meet the exigencics Of a prairie coun-
try like Iowa. ......,s..-..
There is certain degree Of information which
the mind can arrive at by no other process than
actual experiment. A man may read all that
has ever been written about a journey to Califor.
MIA; but any of us would bow with greater de-
ference to his opinions after he has made the
journey, than before.
SO man may come among us, educated in
Boston, for instance, settle in some city or vii
lage; practice law two or three years, and then
get elected to the Legislature. Now, who does
not see, that this man, however we'll edncated,
is less capable of practical Legislation on school
matters for our population than another man,
Gall things being equal,) who has spent ten or
twelve years in our rural districts, and ofcoursc
been practically acquainted with matters and
things, from the raising of the first log school
house to the present. do not wish to be un-
ders' ood as making any invidious comparisons,
but merely to indicate what sort of men should
have the drafting of our school laws.
have been examining the bill, which ii has
been said, should have been passed by the Le-
gislaturc at the last session. This bill says no.
thing concerning the management of school
lands, and safe-keeping of the funds, and SO fal
is defective whole
Tho prDyicon for
structor, is good one; but there is no necessity
ofhis being disbursng officer, as that duty can
be performed by the county treasurer, much
cheaper than for the people.
The Districting system proposed by this bill
do not think adapted to our wants, viz: max
ing each township, or election precinct, school
district.
This plan will do we'll enough in an old settlcd
country, or in cities or villages among us. Bu
take your city for example. How much money
do you think you could raise to build school
houses in the balance of Julien township? IF !
know anything of human nature, you would not
be able to raise one dollar Apply this system,
to our country towns, with its provision of one
per cent on the valuation for school house build
ing. Many whole townships in the State coulG
not raise money enough to build one school
house, where they ought to have two, three, OF
four. Take another view. Suppose the follow.
ing casc-and almost every township presents
cases analogous to it-a township has sections
A. =, ), b 5, 8; prairie settled, entered up, and
improved, with main road through them east
and west; the balance of the township unsettled,
except families with Is scholars on sections No.
80 and 81 in the S. w. part, and also families
with 20 scholars on sections 36 and IS, in the
S. E. part. The two last named settlements
are in the timber, and the land is not entered
Upon the principle of the bill under considera-
ton, the people in this case, who live in the
north part of the town must not only build theil
own school houses, but also for the other two
settlements. But will they do it? That's the
question. think not Under our present sys
tenn, the two settlements in the S. W. and S. E
part of the town, (in the absence of valuation
list whereon to raise tax, and being in the tim.
ber,) turn out and build log school houses. Don't
start, Mr. Editor, mean what say,-log school
hOuscs-which will answer their purposes unit
their advanced circumstances warrant more cost
ly buildings. The other settlement would O
course build such houses as their means would
allow. ! know it is the fashion of many to sneel
at the log school houses of the west, and nc
doubt many districts might have better; but
sooner these than none. ..r.. ..... ..
The present system-i. e. the system which
makes the territory Of the district conform az
near may be to the locality of the settlements
is the system which suits the people, and al
they want is poacer and means, and they will
have schools. Another provision of this bill i:
objectionable; which is, shifting scholars ane
their school money from one district to another
This would produce more difficulty in practice
than anything that could be devised. If a man
location brings him at inconvenient distance
from the school in his own school district, i
won't help the matter to 60 to another as far
every man to the most convenient neighborhood
and then taxes him to build house and supper
a school; thus creating an interest similar tt
that which he has in his own family. But gran
the privilege of changing schools, and you give
people the power, (when they choose to use it
and for whatever cause,) to break up the bes
school, and the evil overbalances the good of th.
system. .agra@rE-ai @.t.4, fHaE2 @12a@ Sst63. &fa
l have not time at present to say more upor
the subject, but hope my remarks may elicit dis
cussion from ADLER pens, as one fact is apparent
that our past school laws have been adopted will
very little discussion, SO far as the public are
concerNed: and the Press throughout the State
could not employ its functions more legitimate
ly than in the discussion Of this important mat
, ter; so that the Legislature would have som,
guide by which to meet public opinion phi tla
: iAneifu3pg9H Yours, tHiniadGA7 aaf ia tsaB.R
BREvIETY.-The following simple form for
deed is prescribed by the new code of laws il
} Virginia
u "This deed, made the---day Of, il, th
year, between (herc insert names ofparties
{ witnesseth that in consideration of there stat
= the consideration the said doth (or do) gran
= unto the sad-- all. K &c (llere describe III