The Nevada journal., 1854-03-17
Common School Laws.


to the several townships, being each 10th and
32l section, in order to increase the school rev.
cnuc, and also to facilitate the organization OF
school districts.
That part referring to the disposition Of the
school land is in no wise Objectionable, and SO
far as we know, is the best that can be done.
The funds now accruing to the counties are not
sufficient to answsr the purpose intended and
while this will be early securing our rights, it
will materially aid the cause of general difIu-
sion of knowledge the necessity for which is so
rapidly increasing.
That portion of the bill, however, which
amends the existing school law, is not free from
objections. It is not sufficient that the legisa-
ture should be continually amending the school
law. That our present system is imperfect, we
admit it, and many voices have gone up in favor
of its Improvement. But in lcgiSlating on mat
ters in which all agree in the necessity of the
case. is too apt to be without due consideration,
and as no one says it is not wanted, no one
takes the trouble to pry into its merits.
We now repeat what we have said before
that to multiply laws, is not necessarily making
an efficient school system. Two things are inn
portant to make school system efficient first,
to have it well understood by the people ; and
for this, simplicity and brevity are necessary,
more particularly, as no legal assistance is ex-
pccted to be employed to transact this kind of
business and second, it should be so arranged
as to promote harmony among those compos-
ing the districts.
The school laws, as they exist at present
consist of two acts one of which is in force
and some parts of the other. Should this bill
become law, it will make the third, while it
rcpcals again part of each preceding one, in
Producing new features while in other parts it
is concurrent with both, but leaving a decided
discrepancy between them. For instance by
the laws of so and 53, the commissioners in
each township are to organize the schools, but
provisions are made that the commissioners
shall have no power to organize such schools
in incorporated towns, nor have jurisdiction
over them when the same shall have been done
assembled in mass, are ambiguousIy vested
with the same power. Thus leaving the duties
of all uncertain, while the various bodies au-
thorized to act, are likely to come in collision
at every step. 1t would be well for public
meeting to perform the duties expressly named
in the bill, provided they choose so to do. For
instance, let it be made the duty of the COM
missioncrs, soon after their installmcnt to call
such meeting, or let the time be fixed for the
meeting at which time they may vote on the
several questions. First, to choose a district
collector. I'd, Designate by ballot the sites
for school houses. Sd, (omitted in this bilI
Choose from the candidates holding regular
certificates ofqualifcation, the requisite number
of teachers. 4th Designate the amount of
taxes to be levied. But if the people fail to do
these things then let the duties thereof devolve
upon the commissioners, the law fixing the
maximum rate of tax which they shall not
exceed.
Moreover, if this meeting is designed to be
an expression of popular will, it should be
requisite that majority of all the voters of the
township should be present. Because such
assemblages are very likely to be neglected
and thus you place it in the power Of a half
dozen of the most lily qunlified and unprincipled
men, should they take it in head, to take from
the commissioners, who arc supposed to be good
men, chosen for the purpose, or at any rate
acting under definite responsibilities, the most
important business pertaining to the system.
The sentence in the 7th section of this bill
that the public meetings shall " take into con-
sideration such measures as may be deemed
proper in relation to the welfare of the schools
of the districts" is susceptible Of all kinds of
constructions, leaving them at liberty to assume
the duties Of all the officers, and thus rendering
them, if not useless, at least undecided what
they should do and doubtful whether they
shall do anything lest it should be undone By
public meeting.
The provision making it necessary to submit
the accounts of the commissioners to board of
justices of the peace, is adding unnecessary and
even absurd complexity to law that should
be as simple as possible There is no reason
why this could not be done as well by single !
justice, rs by twenty. In fact it is but one
mans work, and the commissioners would be !
put to one or two days work to collect the
j. P.s together to set and look idly at each
other while one of them would do the work.
Why any longer retain the Office of county
superintendent? 1t is perfectly useless ANY
justice of the peace could give the commission
ers their certificates of election. The report of
the commissioners to the superintendent of
Public Instruction is all that is required in that
way. The public money would be just as
available payable direct to the commissioners,
when called for by an order specifying what
it is for, as if countersigned and counter order