Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-10-22
V9!h4:: XXX.


tons made upon this community for the cup
port Of colored schools. The frs; act required
tue Corporation to pay the Trustees OF Colored
schools certain proportion Of the whole fund
received hat should be applicable under ex-
Istng laws to purposes OF education, and
toe second Act constituting the first increases
the eAaction by requiring the payment of
certain proportion of all moneys recei we'd or
expended for school purposes, or for any OBJ
ject connected herewith. The exacsions o.
the "constTuiDg act' were imposed becauseIn
every year more or less money was expended
tor the support of public schools whica waS
not received fer that particular purpose, and
was not. therefore. liable to assessmen, on ac-
count OF colored schools. Thence Congress SO
s.construsd" its own act as to constrain the
Corporation either TO abandon its own benef-
cent school system, or TO pay the coIored
&C st o. that system Now, some OF the differ.
ences OF opinion which prevail in reference TO
the amount justly assessable for colored schools
under The law OF Congress, arise from the
anomalous organization of their schools They
are not the creation OF this Corporation but of
Congress, (which, however. contributes nothing
to their support, but assesses their cost upon
the sums expended on the schools of the Cor
poratlon. The Corporation is thus prevented
from establishing colored schools OF Its own,
because, at whatever cost sUeh schools might
he organized and maintained, 1t would not be
relieved from the payment Of the tax on school
expenditures which annually accrues 70 the
Trustees OF Celored Schools acting under
law of Congress and holding their office by ap-
pointment OF the National Government In
fact, the moneys TO be paid to these per-
sons acting Independently OF the Corpo-
ration would be increased in proportion
to the additional COS. that should be iu-
Cured In esr ablisbing cOlOred schools, because
the tax is required to be paid on all
moneys volnntarily expended by the Corpora.
ton for educational purposes. AS respects the
proportions OF the white and colored children,
there seems to be no difference OF opinion. Ac
cordiDg 10 the last census. there are four
white children to one colored, which is Just
one fifth, and consequently the assessment
should be made at twenty per cent; which on
an expenditure OF one hundred thousand dol
lars would yield to the Trustees Of COlored
Schools just twenty thousand dollars But
the gentleman from the Third Ward, by ex.
traorolnary computation totally inconsistent
with the premises he assumes, arrives at the
conclusion that these trustees are entitled to
$4,000 on an expenditure OF SS0,0OO He falls
into the error of computing the tar which we are
constrained to pay under the law OF Congress,
as n expenditure OF th is Corporation on account
ofpuollc schools. In other words, he seems
to have persuaded himself and endea vors to
persuade US that the tax levied by Congress
on the cost OF our own schools is Itself xabie,
as portion OF our receipts or expenditures
for school purposes. That in art we are re-
CURED to pay a tax on the very money which
we are constrained TO pay as a tax by the law
OF Congress. Nothing could te more prepos-
terous IMAM such propusit on, w neither it be
founded on ihe original or the ronstruing act
Congress and their construction, Mr. Moore
said Now will any one other than the gentle.
man from the Third Ward pretend that one
fifth part OF $4,000 is S20,COO certainly not; no
arithmetic other than his own. nor any con-
sructlon other than his own can m axe the per
centaee on SS0,G0O under this law exceed
sI6Mo Aeeording 10 his estma.e the school
expenses Of the pas year which was stated to
nave been S12O, 600 would yield the colored trus.
tees $50, eco, when under the law they are en-
titled to Only $4,000 They che members who
are denominard as conservative3) y will not be
misled by The strange one.sIded computation
OF the gentleman from the Third Ward, now
ever he may thro aten to bIf * up the preselt
system of y q blic schools unless b is extraordi.
nary demands be acceded 10. As a Sample of
the blintncss of his judgment and tie inaccu-
Iacy OF his figures on this particular subject,
here quote single paragraph from bis
publication CT to-day which has Just met
my eye. lie says in speaking of the amoput
aue e 10 tne Goiored schools for the year enclng
the 30th OF June, 1865: The amount appropri-
ated for white schools repr -ents Of c)urse the
fonr-fi1ths OF the com bined fund to which such
schools eye entitled. S14, ,72a II The amount
due to the co'ored being the additional one.fitth
underline law would be SlS.sI2. 10; making a
total OF com bined fund, S93,4lU.g6.' 1t is on
figures and principles as erroneous and in-
comprehens ble rs the sample here given that
we are "a ked 10 make appropriations OF the
public moneys without hesitation and without
inquiry under threat OF the dispersion of our
public schools. Who else can make 1864 the
OLE fifth part of S7i,12S!
Mr.. Moore proceeded to say that oil we can
do is to appropriate one-fitth OF what we ex-
pend for EDUCATIONAL purposes to the Trus-,es
OF Colored Schools. That was the true ard
just InteTpre ,aiion Of the law OF Coneress in
his opinion He then referred to the threat of
me me Gentleman; MI Elvans:) that until this
Board passes the Council bill m, king appro.
priations for The Trustees of Colored Scec )ls,
no bill for The white schools shall PISS the
boards: He would not be deferred from doing
his duty by any such threats. There was moi
one gentleman in this Eoard who he'd ever
stated that he would oppose any sppropria-
tion for colored schools under the act Of Con-
gress.
Dir. Elvans replied to that portion Of Mr..
Moore's remarks as 10 the non-Pssessment Of
school tax Of 1865 He said that he took the
as basis for his statements, and ironically
remarked that he hoped some action would
be ia ken to compel those gentlemen to make
reports on which reliance can be placed
Tie motion to print both bills, with the pro-
csedipgs. and make them the special order for
next Monday night was agreed to.
MT McCathran, from the Committee on the
Asy Ium, reported bill making an appI opria-
tlon for the purchase OF new furnaces for The
washington Asylum: passed. Mr.. Turton,
nom Drainage Committee, reported bill to
cons truct sewer in 18th street west, from G
TO II streets north; passed Mr.. McCathran in.
troduced bills to grade L street south, from
9th TO lOth streets east to repair the foot pave.
ment on 4th street east. from Nj street south TO
GEORGIA avenue; 20 repair and gravel 4th street
east. from l. street south TO the river: to con-
: iuc, sea wall at the foot OF 4th street east;
pToyemenis. Mr.. Given introduced q bill re-
During the use OF lead service pipe In making
connection with water mains in this CITY; re-
ierred TO Drainage Committee. Also. bill TO
repair the bridge on 5th street west, between
y and X streets north; passed.
Several bills from The Lower Board were re-
ferled. The bills for relief OF John Rtggles
and w. X. Hooper. vetoed by the Mayor, Were
received from the Board OF Common Council,
ana the question being put they failed to pass
over the Mayors Veto Council bill to amend
the act TO construct q sewer In A street north,
between I'd street east and Delaware avenue,
was passed i.IIIE
Mr Turton, from Drainage Committee, re-
ported bill 10 construct sewer in ID street
west, from ID TO h streets north; passed Coun-
Gil bill authorizing the Mayor to establish the
width OF the sidewalks Of Grant street in
square 3.5 at five feet on each side, was
passed.
Mr.. Richards, from the Committee on Con-
ference on the disagreetng votes of the two
Boards On the general appropriation bill. re.
ported that the Committee were unable to
agree, and asked that they be discharged
agreed to.
MIR. Richards then asked the appointment Of
q new Committee Of Conference agreed to- and
the Chair appointed Messrs- Given, Noyes and
Grinder.
Mr. Noyes stated that he would be too busy
to serve, and asked 10 be excused.
Mr.. Given stated that he had nothing to COM
promise upon, and thought the Char had made
q mistake in appointing him. He hoped he
would be excused from serving
Mr. Richards stated that the Committee had
agreed on all the points Of difference except
one. N GEf7sl.#V- =
Messrs. Noyes and Given were excused, and
the Chaif appointed Messrs. Moore, Talbert
and 0rinder as the Committee OF Conference.