Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-07-11
COMMON SCHOOLS.

June 30th, 1855
To the Clerk Of the County Court of County :
SIR: The chairman of the Board of Superinten-
dents of Common Schools of Edgecomb county,
called my attention to the fact that the Laws of the
last Assembly, creating the new county of Wilson,
contained no express provision for the organization
of the Common School system in said county. 1t
was also intimated that the County Court of Will
son. not believing itself to have the power under
the general law, of organizing the school machineI
in said county-at least being so advised-did not
appoint Board of County Superintendent and
this state of facts the Superintendent of Edge
combe County wished to know my opinion as to their
powers and duties with respect to the school Districts
in Wilson, taken from the territory of Edgecomb.
My opinions given; but as the subject is one
of grave Importance and of general interest, desr
ed the Superintendent of Edgecomb to suspend
ton until could get the opinions also of the Presi-
dent and Directors ofthe Literary Fund These unan-
imously concurred in the views had expressed and
the result communicated to the chairman ofthe
Superintendent of Edgecomb; and since these
rences have by the Acts of the last Assembly,
now in print, that the counties of Jackson Wilson,
Harnett and Polk were all created by similar laws,
while the supplemental acts providing for their poll
tcal organization make no alusion to the Common
Schools. Thus twelve other counties directly
Interested in the opinions communicated to Edge
comb; while in times past this very subject has
caused some trouble and given rise to contradictory
precedents, and may still endorsements in
the future, if some general and uniform policy not
adopted.
1t is to be hoped that to prevent the possibility of
disputes and differences the Legislature will pass
general act upon the subject and at the proper
time will communicate to the officers of the Schools
my views in relation to this and to other pro-
posed additions to and amendment of the Laws in
regard to Common Schools. In the mean time to
assist much possible in preventing confusion,
the result of the views entertained by the Literary
Board, and by myself upon the points sent up from
Edgecombe hereby communicated to the Off
GERS of your county, and will also be made public
1. Since the decision of the County Court of Will
tO rlOtPndpntS
of Common Schools, twas not deemed necessary, in
this case, to express an opinion upon the application
to counties of the 1st Sect of the 95th chapter
of the Acts of 184S-49, found in nv pamphlet COM
pilation of the School Laws on page 18th, Sec 1.
and re-enacted in the 23d Sec. of the 9th chapter
of the acts of the last Assembly.
We incline to the opinion owever, that in new
counties invested by the acts creating and organ
Using them with the rights, privileges and immuni-
ties of other counties of the State" and among
these with the right of holding by the existing JUS
tees, County Courts, that " shall possess and exer-
else the same powers, authority and jurisdiction
are possessed and exercised by other County Courts
in this State" the county Courts at the proper time,
with the requisite number of magistrates in atten-
dance, have power to appoint Superintendent of
Common Schools for their respective counties.
2. We do not wish to disturb the decision of any
county which thinks differently on this point; but
in such decidedly of opinion that
there is no necessity for stopping the Common
Schools in these counties, while urgent considera-
tions connected with the public good demand that
they should go
8. In such cases the Superintendent of those old
counties from which the taken, should,
until the meeting of the next Assembly, continue to
exercise jurisdiction the school Districts in
these latter, taken from the former counties, consid
ering the divided Districts one and allowing the
parts of the divided Districts to act together until
the meeting the next Assembly.
4. 1t recommended that the Superintendent
of the old counties do not undertake to remodel,
permanently to- re-arrange the Districts of the new
1pa frhcrt trl no ht
own uperintendents, acting at for the whole
county, and of course better able to consult the
venience of all its parts. The present arrangement
is only to meet temporary exigency, and the Su-
perintendents of the old counties will only make
such alterations notifications of the Districts ia
ken from the territory of their respective countless
the present manifest interest of the public de-
mands.
3. Wherever the Superintendent of the old coun-
ties exercise jurisdiction the school Districts in
the new counties, those wishing to teach in these
new counties, must obtain certificates from the Ex
amining Committees of those counties from which
the Districts in which they wish to teach
taken.
6. All that is said of the jurisdiction of the Super
2nteadents of the old counties in parts of the
ones applies, of course, to the Ch0irmen of the
Boards of Superintendents; and when these latter
make their annual returns to they dstin-
guish between the Districts in their own counties,
and those cut off, putting the latter to themselves
under distinct caption, but otherwise reported like
the former. You will please hand this to the Chair
man OF the Board of superintendent of your coun-
ty to be laid before the Board at early day. and
if there is Board, to the Chairman of the County
Court, to be communicated to the Magistrates.
With much respect, am yours &c.
G. II. WILEY,
Superintendent of Common Schools
s. AS fact having the force of argument in favor
of the view that it does not require special legislation
authorize the counties created by the Acts the last Assem-
limits would state that all the laao in egard this school
system a0ds re-eaced at the session Of assembly and
among other provisions "the Courts Pleas Quarter
Sessions of the several countless TERM
elect Superintendent of Common Schools &C. &C.
STILL the system be managed in the above
without having present distinct Boards the
counties, it is not desired to induce any
County to act against its what proper
of law especially all doubts be cleared
In a short time, by enactment.
The Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT.-From the alb |
stract of operations in the Executive Departments
published by the Washington Union, we copy the !
DELIVERY LETTERS, &c.-We understand fire. |
quent complaints against the department grow out
of the fact that postmasters too often trusting only
to their memories, tell persons there is mail mat
ter for them when subsequent examination proves
that there was. Ipostmasters would adhere strictly
to the rule Of making personal search every time
letters and papers inquired for, there would be
more despatch in their delivery.