St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-03-29
The General Assembly.

Below W. give synopsis of the debate on
the school law Mr. Real in the Chair:
Judge Hall. o( Mu>,ntinc, spoke ably and Mt
length upon the subject lie said that of all
suhccte this WAS thr mo~t importaut yet he
appealed tc thc history VI the past which JUS
tiGcl him IN >,>:ns that this subject Of all
Others ),a1 N>>.n a., ln,'>, ut@'r,trl Even
hrrG he )N')icNrt tl,at svNtlrmcn had abused
the rr,>,ut y,iu,at,1wal system without giving
it the fair ami full consideration the subject de
handed The main idea oi the present >ys
TEN was To separate the subject of education
from all political action To turn om common
schools over to men c,ialy fitted to have
the management of it let those who are
most interested in this great cause, have the
charge of it. This is the course of gentlemen
upon the floor upon all other subjects, import
ant and unmportant 1t requires time labor
and experience to perfect any system, and TO
bring out its virtues and PROJECTIONS. Is it
not wise to separate our educational system
from the politics of the country so that it
may 90 to those best adapted to know our
not compare the Board of Education with the
assembled wisdom of the Sc members of the
House and the A. members of the Senate, hut
he would remind the members that all i'm
portant measures were maturcd and perfected
by much smaller committees Of this lcgisla-
turc. lie believed it would be safe to allow
the Board to mature educational laws. He
detailed the history of legislation on this sub
iect, and showed that the legislature always
embarrassed the Board ly its legislation That
body had always been in chains. lie was sor-
ry to see Il disposition here to unfricndly leg
islati"n. He hoped that this system would he
treated with all Kindness and fairness and not
in an untricnhly manner The Legislature
has gone beyond the spirit of the Constitution
in persecution of the present school system.
This move for radical change was not need
ed. He appealed to gentlemen not to hurry ii
change in spite of the Constitution. He fa-
vorcd only II change so far as regarded the
mode of lcvying of taxes 10y school districts
and sub districts
Mr.. Rccs said that we should adopt some
ship system. He thought no township dis
trrt should he larger than congressional
township He had paid twenty five dollars
school house tax on land sixteen miles from
the school HOUSE. We must do something to
check these tax spectators, or men will be
obliged to give up their lands. We want to
circumscrihc the districts some way-so that
| people need not be taxed all over the county
| where it is impossible for them to get any
| benefit from those schools 1t was also a
grievance for a district of less than twenty
pupils to levy tax of ten or fifteen thousand
dollars for educational purposes.
Mr.. Ruscncrtns opposed restricting districts
within the limits of congressional townships
He thought those spectators who hold LAND
all over our State should help support ON
schools. They should not be abSolved from
the support Of our institutions
Mr. Dunlavcy said he was opposed to tn,
existence of the Board of Education and h,
would do all he could to cmbarrass it, HI
: was in favor of the independent district sys
: tenn
r Speaker Edwards said that there were al
ways complaints against the school system
whatever that system might be. He bclievc
, if time was given to the Board Of Education
they would discharge their duty to the satis
faction of the people, or at least better tina
;. the Legislature can. He favored the amcnt
t, mcnt of Rccs. He did not believe that
f whole county should he taxed for school pu
poses, whether they received the benefit
those schools or not. He would give Il
power into the hands of the people in the sui
: districts
Mr.. Hall made most eloquent appeal
the House to do nothing to cmbarrass Il
l. school system. We should have paticnC
=. with it and kindness for it. Train it tendcrl
while it is Young AMI when it has grown,
will take care of itself. i!ccontrn,'cd that Il
| Supreme Court would amend the force of ii
e law under Rrcs' amendment. They had dec
y ded against the principle proposed ; and |
thought they would adhere to that decision
He knew there was a clamor amongst the pc
plc against the Board But if his constitucn
were mi>ed or in error, lac did not feel it h
duty to disregard his own reason and undo
IS standing to follow rumor. He believed Il
a people were in error about this matter. |
II wanted the laws to stand substantially as th'
20 are. He appealed to members not to g t.
fur. The system should he fostercd as far
~ was in our power.
c Mr.. Edwards said he thought the Board
y Education would prove propitious if it cou
a have a fair trial. He thought the argumc
of Hall was convincing, and he believed Il
people would approve the system when tn
u became fully acquainted with it.
The subject WAS at length'referrcd to the J
dietary Committee, to inquire whether the /
II dependent district system could be adopted
t. this Legislature and not conflict with the Co
he stitution.
IN On the 10Th, we notice that Mr.. Caldwe
!, from the Judiciary Committee, made rcpc
that a law he drawn up in favor Of an ind
IL pendent school district system, and also pI
l. yding for an early meeting of the Board
is Education. which report was adopted. VII
o. farce is this
The Senate cuncurrcd in the resolution
the House to adjourn on the - Tn anu II
J, therefore supposed that the General Assent
adjourned Oh Tuesday last
The appraisemcnt bill was ordered to he {
r. crossed in tie Senate, and has undoubtco
4 become law.
= The Senate passed license bill instead
vi the prohibitory liquor bill of the House.
ty have not yet learned its final disposition.
~ The disposition Of the resumed Air Ii
On Railroad Grant has occupied considerable tin
, \ and the Indications were that it would he Z
en- to the Cedar Rapids Road upon conditic
similar, in the original grant, to the Air l.
III Road In Committee of the Whole, Mcr
TO of McGrcgor in the Chair, Judge Taylor
re- Jones, and Mr.. Bowdoin, of Floyd coun
,lo presented amendments, but the friends of
measure had strength enough to vote tn
down and finally the Committee rose and
ported the bill to the House without rcco
-. mcndation.