Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-02
The School ~v,s

holding the March meetings of Districts
and Sub.Districts. beg leave to submit the
following statement
BY the act of Dec 10Th, 1853 (see Act
No. l, psgesl, Sec. 81 it is provided as
follows:
''SEC. l. That when not otherwise ex-
pressly provided, the laws passed at any
general session of this Board shall take effect
on the first day OF March next after the date
of their enactment" s.
The aot of Dec. Oath, 1869, makes many
radical changes in the law as it stood before
the passage of that act, among which are
the following
DISTRICT MEETINGS AND ELEOTIoN OF oFFIOBRs.
SEQ. 6. First--Each Township district
shall hold regular meetings annually, on the
second Monday in March.
Second--When new township is organ
lied, or District left without officers, the
Trustees of the township shall post written
notices specifying the time and place of the
azores aid meeting, in five conspicuous pla-
ces in the townehp provided that when
any district township shall be divided into
WV VI AAOAO CuliLS w" Clvll our
poses, the existing Board of Directors shall
continue to act for both or all the new dis
stricts, till the time of the next election OF
officers.
SEQ. z. The electors of o district, when
legally assembled at a district school meeting,
shall have the following powers, viz:
First-To appoint Chairman and Secre-
tary, in the absence Of the regular officers.
Sscond-To adjourn from time to time as
occasion may require.
1hsrd--To levy such tax, not exceeding
ono per cent. in any one year, on the taxa
Bile property of the district as the meeting
shall deem sufficient to purchase or lease a
suitable site for II school house er school
houses, and to keep in repair and furnish
the same with the necessary fuel and sp-
pendages, and for compensation of teachers,
and for procuring district libraries and ap-
paratus for the schools, books and station
airy for the board and district meetings, and
defray all other contingent expenses of the
district. Provided, That no tax shall be
levied for building school houses excepting
at the regular meetings in March and pro-
vided further, that not more than five mills
on the dollar shall be levied in any one
year for school house p imposes.
FoUrth--To direct the sale or other dis
position to be made of any school house or
the site thereof, and of such other property
personal or real, as may belong to the dis
trict, and to direct the manner in which the
proceeds arising theretrom shall be appli ed.
FJM--To provide for the payment of any
debts contracted for school houses or school
purposes.
Sizth--To delegate all the powers con-
tanned in the foregoing specifications to the
district board of directors.
SEQ. 8. At the meeting of the township
districts, the chairman shall submit the
questions coming before the electors in the
following order: l>t. The levy of a tax
for the payment of debts for school house
purposes. I'd. For the payment of officers
and miscellaneous contingent expenses. 3d..
For paying amounts asked for by the seve-
raj sub-districts, for each purpose separately.
4th. For payment Of teachers 9th. For
purchase of libraries, fuel, apparatus, &c.
9Th. For the delegation of power to the
Board of Directors. 7th. Other matters
necessary and proper to be acted upon.
SEQ. 9-The several sub districts shall
annually, on the first Monday in March,
hold meeting for the election of Direct
or, five days notice Of which meeting shall
be given by the then resident Director, or If
there is none, by the District Secretary
posting written notice in three public
places therein.
SEQ. lO--At the meeting of the sub-dis-
tricts, Chairman and Secretary shall be
appointed, who shall act IS judges of the
election, and give a certificate of election
to the Director elect,
SEC. l1--Each Director, shall, within ten
days after his election, appear before some
officer qualified to administer oaths, and
take an oath to support the Constitution of
the United States aud that of the State of
Iowa, and that lie will faithfully discharge
the duties of his Office, and in case of failure,
so to qualify, he shall forfeit ten dollars, to
be recovered ag 4inst him for the use of the
district.
SEC. II. The electors of said sub-district
shall also, at the regular meeting in March,
determine whether they desire any fund to
be raised by tax to erect, repair, lease or
furnish school house in said sub.district,
or for the lease or purchase Of grounds for
the same, and the amount for each purpose |
SEQ. Ii. Whenever any sub-district, at |
regular meeting, shall determine that they
desire tax levied for any of the purposes |
mentioned in the foregoing section, the !
director for said sub-district shall, within |
five days thereafter, certify the same 10 the
township clerk, stating the amount Of money
desired for each purpose separately.
Sec. IA. The directors of the several sub
districts shall constitute Board of Directors
for the township district, Of which Board the
township clerk shall be Secretary, but shall
nave no vote therein.
SEC. Is. The District Board shall hold
heir regular meetings on the first Saturday
'fter the first Monday in April and October
n each year, and may hold such special and
adjourned meetings as OCCASION may require
They shall organize by electing from their
'wn number President and Treasurer
q the absence of the President, the Clerk
hall preside. |,
This last named Act (see sec. above) {
rovides for FIVE days. notice for Sub
District meeting, to be held on tho LIST =,
1onday in March. 'i'. 1t
The Act of 1859 does not provide, as far {
8 can see, when it shall take effect, and it |
therefore, goes into effect Thursday, March !
, 1860. 1t will be seen, therefore, that five
avs do not intervene between March l, when Il
1e law of 1859 takes effect, and the first t
[onday Of March, 1860, when the sub dis =
lets are required to elect directors. And f
is obvious that notice cannot properly be e.
wen under the Act of 1859 until 1t goes t.
ITO effect. The conclusion follows that the !e
eeting provided for in Section 9, of the o.
ct of 1859, cannot legally be holden on d
10 first Monday of March, 1860, because B
'e requisite notice cannot be given. "a a
If this is the true state Of the case, (and g,
,derstand eminent legal gentlemen whom a,
have consulted, Judge Dillon among them, NJ
take the same view of it as do,) then, al
Q seem in this matter of school laws to be =.
very undesirable position. offer the 10
,Ove rem arks and tho noop1o roust toLo / fO