The Nevada journal., 1853-10-07
Common Schools.

procuring SUCH houses, as nave from time TO
time offered themselves A short time since.
this, perhaps. was the best that could be done,
owing to the imperfect and transient state Of
society and the thinness with which our coun-
ties we're populated with suitable persons to
make up the schools. and also the imperfect
condition Of our school system as provided by
law But the time has fully come when COM
mon schools among us are more important, and
demand our most jealous attention and care
Our educational efforts should be reduced to
system Of as great a degree of perfection as the
means will allow the more especially as this is
necessary to avail ourselves Of the assistance Of
fered by the state and national governments, TO
facilitate the education Of the rising generation
of our prosperous state,
Every American citizen feels a pride in the
consciousness that he docs not depend upon
charity for the support or improvement Of his
family But the assistance offered us by gov
ernment is no charity-it is our right-and is o
part of the surplus of the general fund accruing
TO the government treasures, from resources
that belong to the citizens. This, when not
absorbed by other wcighty interests, is returned
TO the individuals TO whom it originally belong
ed, in the shape of means to cncourage7the
building up Of an educational system that may,
and Will il properly perSevered in, leave last
ing impression on the intelligence, virtue and
happiness Of the people. By little observa-
iiOn too, 1t will be apparent that in each town
in this state containing twenty thirty, or more
children, good school, with sufficient teachers.
and every comfort necessary for their proper
treatment and instruction, may be maintained
at least six months in each year, at far less cx-
pense than the Indifferent ones we have hitherto
had by proper attention to the provisions Of the
laws relative to schools coming to US through
the state government. But by habitually neg
lecting these duties, we suffer this aid to pass
from US, into the hands Of no more worthy, no
more needy, but more vigilant 'sections-doing
ourselves, our children, and the community, q
lasting injury.
Our school laws are based upon the 9th arti-
Gle OF the constitution, in which we find the fol-
lowing provisions:
Sec 2 The Legislature shall encourage, by all
suitable means, the promotion OF intellectual, sci.
entihc, moral, and agricultural Improvement.
The proceeds of all hands that may be granted by
the United States to this State for the support of
schools, which may be sold CIR disposed Of and
the 600 acres of land granted to the new states
under an act of Congress distributing the proceeds
OF the Public Lands among the seTeral states of
the Union approved A. d. ls4I; and all estates
OF deceased persons who may have died without
leaving will, or heir, and also such per cent as
may be granted by Congress on the sale of lands
IN this state, shall be and remain perpetual fund
the interest of which, together with all the rents of
the unsold lands, and such other means as the
Legislature may provide, shall be inviolablv ap-
proprated to the use Of common schools through
out the state.
Sec. g. The legislature shall provide for a svs.
tenn of common schools, by which school shall
be kept up and supported in each district at least
three months in every year. and any school dis
trict nsglecting TO keep up and support such a
school, may be deprived of its proportion of the
interest of the public fund during such neglect.
BY this it will be seen that all moneys &C.
eruing to the state from lands granted by the
United States for school purposes, arc kept as
a fund, the interest of which will annually be
distributed to the several districts heving orga-
nized schools, and making proper application
therefor. We have not the means before us by
which to ascertain the exact amount annually
accruing from this source; but from those sta
tistics within our reach, the school fund Of the
state the present year will not fall short of SG0,
600 which will be divided among the various
counties in proportion to the number Of chill
dren in each between the ages of 4 and Is years.
Without definite knowledge of our school
population, and the corresponding population
of other counties, we can give but a faint idea
of the amount due Nevada county; but il will
exceed $1,000. This, with the assistance of the
individual support that can always be comman-
ded for schools, will enable US to give our
schools a character equal at least to the present
wants of our community.
The design Of the present article is to call at
tention to the way fixed by law for our county
to avail Itself of this fund. The following reg
ulations have been made by the legislature
The Governor, Surveyor General and Super
intendant Of Public Instruction, constitute a
State Board of Education, Of which board the
Superintendent is designed to be the active
member
The County Assessor Of each county is con-
Stitutad the Supariptnrdaof of common schools