The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-11-16
WIOOI.s.

We - tcbted to the attention of Mr..
Carlock, the representative from McAlinn, for
a copy Of bill entitled can net for the cs-
Establishment of State Normal School, and
for other purposes" and also for n copy Of
| bill ITO establish n more efficient system of
Common Schools" The first proposes to
establish school for the instruction and
practice Of teachers of common schools in
the science of education and the art of teach
ing, to be located ut some point hereafter to
be determined upon, and to be maintained
and supported at the expense of the State
under the general direction Of Superinten.
dent of Public Instruction, which office the
bill creates. This plan wherever tried has
proved eminently successful, and as our pres.
ent common school system is lamcntably de-
ficicnt for the objects for which it was insti.
tutcd, we are disposed to regard with favor
any measure which looks to its amelioration.
We have no doubt an institution upon the
basis Of the bill before us, and properly man.
aged, MS it would be under the guards and
provisions thrown around it, would result in
incaculablc benefits to those for whose cdu.
cation and moral culture il is the duty of
the Commonwealth to do all in its power to
provide. We are gratfcd to see that the
subject is likely to receive that attention at
the hands of the present Legislature, which
its vast importance demands. Almost every
preceding Legislature has had innumerablc
projects before it to improve our present
! miserable systcm-each of which was length.
/ lily and learncdly discussed and debated, and
then cast aside, rs though the subject was
no. of tenfod more Importance than any
other that could engage the attention of n
dcliberative body. At least, we do not recol-
lcct that anything npproximating the desired
end has ever been attained. We believe the
bill before us proposes n result at which the
| friends of common school education will
have cause to rejoice, and we shall be graft
fled to learn that it, or one cmbodying pro.
visions promising equal benefits and advan-
tages, has received the sanction of both
houses of the General Assembly and be-
come law.
The other bill to which we have alluded,
proposes the appointment by the General As.
sembly Of n Superintendent Of Public In.
struction, to hold office four years, whose
duty it shall be, among other things, to visit
each county in the State ut least once in
every year, and lecture the people upon the
subject of education and common schools
he is, also, to look after the academy fund
and report tho condition of tho county acad-
emies, and the best mode of rendering them
more efficient. The I'd section provides
"ThNt the different counties in this State
| two thirds Of the justices being present, shall
have the power annually to levy and cause
to be collected, after the manner of levyine
and collecting county taxes, n tax of not less
than five cents on the hundred dollars on al
property liable to taxation in their respective
counties, and one dollar on polls; and sale
tax, when collected, shall be paid over tc
the county trustee, to be applied to common
school purposes in the same manner that
common school funds in his hands from the
State are applied: Prorided that before an,
county court shall levy such tax an election
shall first be held by all the qualified voter.
in the county. And if it shall apnca
bat majority Of all the votes polled are If
'vor Of such tax, then the county cour
pail proceed to levy the same to such amour
they, in their discretion, may see proper
3ubjcct to thc restriction aforesaid
80 tho count,