Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-02-23
CIRCULAR.
Office of Superintendent of Public In
structi0n,
Indianapolis, February. 1884

indianapolis, February 1854.
DEAR SIR:-There are numerous and
frequent calls on this Office for facts re-
speeding the validity of the provision of
the School Law. authorizing the assess.
ment, i'll cities. towns. and townships. Of
a special tax 'for the purpose Of build
ing or repairing school houses. and pur-
chasing sites therefor. providing fuel.
fdrniture. maps, apparatus. Libraries or
increase thereof. and for continuing
schools sfter the public funds shall have
been expended" Misapprehensions seem
to prevail in some parts Of The State. re-
spectiug the effect which The principle
recognized BY the Supreme Court in their
late decision on :he liquor law may have
on the School Law. To answer the in
quiries made. and to correct the msap-
Prehensions existing. we would submit
the following statement OF facts:
The interest on the Consolidated Com
mon School Fund of the State. together
with the avails of the State tax provided
for in the first section OF the School Law
would give annually. when distributed TO
the cities. towns and townships Of the
State in proportion TO the number of
children therein. only about $50 for eve
cry 100 children. This amount is wholly
insufficient; to pay the necessary expenses
of instruction. and also to build school
houses. in which nearly every township
in the State is deplorably deficient.
To enable the people TO manage their
municipal affairs as circumstances might
require, and as their own views Of expe
liency might suggest. the Legislature. in
accordance with the power conferred by
the Constitution. enacted general laws
for the incorporation of cities. of towns.
and of townships. By The law for a gen
ersl and uniform mode Of doing town.
ship business" every civil township in
the State becomes a "bOdy polite and
corporate" with all the rights. immuni
ties. and liabilities of corporation.-
Among the usual. essential. and necessa-
~ rights and duties of such a corpora
property and polls within the corporate
limits. of a sufficient amount Of revenue
for the payment Of all the expenses of the
corporation. Among the Legitimate pur-
poses. TO. which the corporation is bound
by law to provide. are making and repair
ing Of roads. the support OF the poor. and
the education Of all the children. The
officers of the corporaiioa. whethsr of
the city. town or township. are required
to establish and maintain a sufficient
number of schools for the education Of
all the children under their jurisdiction
They have at their command portion Of
the amount OF money required to sustain
their educational institutions. derived
from the general distribution of public
funds. Whatever additional amount may
be necessary. must be raised by taxation.
In cities and incorporated towns, the cor
pora,ion authorities have explicit power
| by the School Law 10 decide on the
amount required. assess il and provide for
its collection. In townships. the law.
for the purpose Of more deeply interest
ing the active sympathies of the people
in the cause Of educslion. provides that
the whole body of stockholders in the
corporatioa--that is. the voters Of the
township-may act in the decision OF the
question.
No one questions. Is we are aware.