The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-01-19

etal districts ~ tAtesrT1gG pseSw1ed ghs'
! ] ] !
s-J - jinsskucs r. s6ssdissss
sthscI officers 10 ne disck1sko VI. their duties,
nd thus secure the uniform exeeutica Of shs
Sshool laws throughout the commonwsslsb.
World " vary degiEablq 4ihas ~ Nenbsss
Of the board 81 educ6lion SbouId have general
supervision OF the scts Of che coxuty school fund
commissioner, with asthorisy 70 -feusiss- sddi.
eieni Or new elRcat huuas wksm deec,,1 neces.
sssy, nd Uith poser " 7stAdtosl6a ~ eases Of
swei6seea1ee.ee s1eeaDstgas1 eethe1aeeef sho
.lpcumbssts. The fses y sotosioas. .has usasv
Of ne FtK60i fund commissioners lsck ~ cleri.
ca kblNyssoz properly disekssss the lsslss Of
sheis efR4e.so IL AGAirs ye(s1Me afGhese onces
;s.I = ss s !. t:; :.s J,
confederate I063 1sll Be SuStSined 81 ne STATE.
~ In conpliasss with lie psovlsieus Of ~ act
ensislsd IN net coaeesuing sohcol nonieayr ap.
proved January 18th, 1887, sppointsd agents
70 examine "the books, vo1chers, securities and
other documentss Of several Of the couwty school
fund commissioners, selecting for The mot part,
those omces 20 Be examined where u ha1 ICED
reported that The bnslness bad heoo loosely d&ne.
or who're the ofices bed charge ofthe proceeds
Of part Of the sRve hnudrsd thoussnd acre
grant," q well - Of the ''sixtsenth section
grant, The reports sA0w sbss q I usjosisy u
cases the books arc toIerably veil keps and that
there u no Immediate dsnges u loss, though
there 10 Suspended debt 10 nearly evssy soan.
~. In soms counties, however, che fund com-
missioners have accepted % security for mOney
lent, mortgages upon land NOT within the eoun.
", and in some instances upon ideai tracts ol
land. n In many instances, Dostgaees IRE i'm
properly drawn and acknowledged, AID in soms
cases they stand second or third encumbran.
ces. Some of the commissioners accepeed the
records and papers belonging 70 their o61ce
from their predecessors, without irquiriDg into
their character or correctness, and such ID the
sconfusiOn ofthe vecOrds, and 20 limited ID she
knowlsdge Of these officers Of accounts aud r.
ties, that Il 10 impossible for them TO render an
ineligible report of the condition Of the school
lands and monies under their coutsol The
agents were in some counties compelled % make
e0mplste, abstracts Of title 70 eli lands in the
county that had originally been school lands, 10
order to ascertain what tracts had been sold and
what remained unsold. II the members Of the
board Of education are required BY law % make
annually thorough personal examiation ofeach
school fund commissioners Transactions, Z uni
form system Of doing business will, In q little
time be established, andth school fund will BE-
preserved. s,o ~ 80. Y.
An agent was also appointed to examine into
the pretended l0ans Of school monies ,nade By
the late Superintendent Of public Instruction.
James D. Eads, with power to secure o. far a
possible, the future payment thereof The agent,
J. n. Beck, Esq, Of Fort Madison. has been
indefatigsble in his efforts in this behalf, end
has succeeded IN securing large amount Of
doubtful Indebtedness. The exact condition Of
these transactions Of the late Superintendent,
viii 6e learned from the reposs Of the agent,
which, herewith transmit for, your cousidesa-
ton. 1t will be observed that the deficit will
probably amount to forty-six thousand four
hundred and eighty-three one hundredths dol
lars, for the payment Of which recourse must be-
had to the official bonds Of NJ. Eads. - b3
n ! again call your attention to the revision Of
the school laws Of the State, a. prepared aud
submitted TO the Last General Assembly ~
Messrs. Horace Mann and Amos Dean Ii can
safely be said that the general provisions Of
that report met the approval Of the friends Of
education in the State. Indeed, the report Was
acceptable to . large majority Of the members
Of the last General Assembly; but failed 70 be
enacted into Law for reasons not connected
stacles then in the way Of its adoption have
since bean removed by the adoption OF the
new constitution, and know no reason why h
should not now be considered and enacted into
q law. t# ts n9t@9Rl s7a ~ N
II cannot forbear repeating the opinion ex-
pressed 70 the General Assembly three years
ago, shat the public schools should be sup
ported by taxation Of property, and that the
present rate systeW, or per cspitG tax upon
scholars, should be abolished" ! have seen no
reason to change my opinion on this subject,
but on the contrary, have been every day
more and more strengthened in the conviction
that it 10 the only wise aud polite method of
educating the people. The per capita system
Is based upon the idea that education is q per-
sobal benefit for which those Who receive IL
should pay, whilst the true theory Of populas
education ID that it u public benefit for which
the public should pay.
The capital baildiDg at Iowa City has been
surrendered to the trustees Of the State uni.
vcrsity. The building u out Of repair and re-
quires considerable change in It's internal ar
engagements to adapt it to the purposes for
which it il 10 be used. recommend the Gen
eral Assembly TO appropriate sum sufficient to
put il in complete order for the uses for which
it is now designed.
The report Of the trustees Of the university
will be laid before you. The time has come
when this institution should be put in vigorous
operation and made benefit and honor 70 the
State. The constitution requires the General
Assembly to encourage by all suitable means
the promotion Of Intellectual, scientific, moral
and agricultural Improvement" I know no
more practical method Of compliance with this
constitutional injunction, than by the ofganixa.
ton Of the university upon the basis Of the re.
port submitted BY the commissioners to the
General Assembly at It's last session. =
The report Of the trustees Of the blind and
deaf and dumb asylums will be laid before you.
The deaf and dumb asylum 10 in prosperous
condition and only lacks proper accommoda-
tons, to answer oil the reasonable desires Of
the friends Of the institution and Of the children
in charge recommend that this institution
be permanently established At some point IN the
State, and that steps be taken TO erect proper
asylum building. zGiafie
d The pupils a. the blind asylum are % lew that
it does not seem necessary to maintain ~ insti-
tuition for their instruction. They can be edu-
Gated by the State in similar institutions rlee-,
where, at less expense than b nov annually -.
propriAtsd for this purpose. Y, IS s,y w,
! !, am pleased to be able, 10 cay that the hos
pital for the insane ct Mount Pleasant has ad.
vanccd rapidly towards completion, and can be
made ready for occupancy during the presess
year. The main rear projection, embracing The
kitchen, bakery, washrooms, laundry, chapel,
dining room, servants room, &C., i under roof,
and can be psastercd IN the early spring. The
whole east half Of the bailding can BE- raised
TO the. Toef in thirty daya the material being
all nov upon the ground. The west ha.f 6
raised to the bottom OF the second story Win
dows, and . coasidesable portion Of The stoae
required for the completion Il this wing \. also
prepared and upon she ground.
The whole work i Of the most Substantial
character: the plan OF the structure meets the
appreciation Of Ill Who arc familiar With Tie
treatment Of insane persons. and l. think I
hazard nothing In saying that when completed
the hospital viii be creditable to the State.
The amount already expended, including h.
Dor, materials Of various descriptions on hand,
glass. sash aud window frames for the entire
building. stock. So, IL $lSS,S4s OF. The est.
mates Of amounts that may be necessary 10
complete the building. out buildings. furnish
steanI. ga and watsr, and % prepare the hos.
ipital grounds. win be found 10 the report OF The
commissioners, herewith communicated.
II may be thought By some that the sifs