Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-04-30

a startling Importance in view of the expen-
sive character of the new government. Our
Federal. State and county taxes are very heavy
now; but the State and county taxation under
the proposed constitution will be probably
quadrupled The common schools alone, to be
supported by State and county taxation, will
require two Or three times the amount now
levied FOR all State and county PURPOSES
apart from the salaries for teachers, the con
structioA Of school houses will constitute
very serious item. In West Virginia school
house is required to be erected for every TWEEN
ty-fve children, ana in the county Of Pendle-
ton they are let out to contracts at frvm $3.50
to $3.50 each.
The negroes will also make ample provision
for houses Of refuge, and other charitable in
st1tutiohs which they en- joy without any
of the anXetles which will trouble those who
have TO pay for them.
Besides this, the swarm of officers in the
! townships and counties will necesstate heavy
ahnttal taxation. TO maintain them and, it is
safe to conjecture, that under the strange sys-
TEN which is proposed, the collectors and
treasurcrs viii not always account faithfully
for the public moneys.
FREE SCHOOLS.
For the support of the free schools provided
negro eontro.J is authorized to lay a tax as
high as one-A,l Of one per centum Oh all real
and personal property, and the county or any
school district may raise the same amount i'll
addition. Tie State captatiCn tax is also to
be applied 10 he suppol Of the public schools.
The present literary fund Of the State, lie pro-
ceedS OF all public lands donated by Congress
for public school purposes, Of all eseheated
property, Of all waste and unap appropriated lands
OF forfeturcs to the State, and all fines for Of
fences agailst the Stase, anu such other sums
as the General Assembly may appropriate, are
| to constitute permanent literary fund, and
the interest thereon to be also devoted to the
support of ne school system. How large will
be the sum realized from these various sourc-
es may be estimated. Yet the children of the
property owners who will support these schools
can never enjoy the benefits ofthem, because
it is clear that under the proposed government
they would be forced to associate in the schools
with the children Of the negroes.
| An effort was made in the committee on Ed
ucation, and afterwards on two several occa-
| sions i'll tie convention, to procure q declare-
| ton that seperaro public schools should be
provided Cor tie white aud black children It
was ToteI down III every case. The negroes
desired mixed schools, and their white assoea-
ties feared to offend them
|
IN another form by proposition offered BY
Thomas Bayne (negro) requiring mixed
! schools, and a substitute Ito the same efFect(
offered by Mr.. Porter, Of Chesterfield. It led
to & most angry discussion between the Radi-
cal men bers, the negroes manifesting the most
determined purpose 10 insist on mixed schools,
I and threatening to vote against the cons titu.
ton unless it proved for them. The day was
consumed in debate, and, as usual, a Radical
| caucus TOOK the matter in hand in the evening.
The ct day the origipa. proposition and the
substitute, by the aid Of the Conservative
vote, were elected, all of the negro members
with SIX or eight exceptions, voting for them.
The result Of these various votes was that the
whole subject of separate or mixed schools is
remitted TO the Legislature. They feared to
provide for mixed schools in the constitution,
because they calculated that it might lead to
the rejection Of 1t by the people. They had
left the Legislature to deal with the matter
We have shown that in this body the negroes
will have q majority Of twenty one, and it was
clearly shown in the convention, by their
fierce and violent speeches, and by their votes,
that they will insist upon this point.
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION
The action Of the convention on another
subject deserves hurried notice. Conscious
i II,
and wishing to catch Il few whites who might
be willing to degrade themselves to save their
property, they have puI in the constitution a
homestead provision, which professedly ex-
empts $500 Of property from all liability for
debt. They then, in the same article pro-
ceaded To repeal the existing stay law, and to
prohibit the Legislature from hereafter enact
ing any stay law. Here is the practical effect
OF this shameful and decetful provision: All
stay laws are abrogatod the officers Of the
law turned loose the debtors, and the
debtor has nothing but THIS sham of home
stead to fall back upon. The homestead pro-
vision, IN SO far as refers to past debts, will be
at once set aside by The courts as contrary to
the Constitution OF the United States which in
terms prohibits any State from passing any
law iInpairing the obi cation of contracts We
do not hesitate to say hat if the article had
been drawn by egistrar in bankruptcy, anx-
lous to secure an increase Of his business and
his fees, he could net have succeeded better in
the accomplishment Of his purpose. The stay
law removed, the creditor will come down on
the debtor, the debtor will either go into bank
ruptcy and claim the benefit Of the homestead
exemption, or refuse to Go So relying on the
validity of this provision. If he goes in
to bankruptcy, the registrar will tell him
that any such Reputation Of debts is obvi>
ouSly Observation-Disclosures, auU llltt ne VIII uOl
respect it. If he should respect it, the matter
will be taken to the courts, and the provision
set aside
If the unhappy ana deceived debtor refuses
to GO into bankruptcy, his creditors will sue
him, obtain judgments and then enforce their
liens thus acquired through court of equity.
The constitutional question will be raised, and
can only be decided in one way, aud that las
we have said) will be against this provision.
The Federal courts have decided the matter
already time and again. So that this insidi-
Gus article, while protesting to be a measure
of relief to the debtor is really designed to
sufooate him. 1t is doubly damned-in that,
as the act Of the convention, that body has
boldly taken issue with the eighth commad-
! ment, while at the same time those who passed
It knew that any one who attempts to avail
| himself of its provisions will be mserably coz
ened and disappointed. Of course the credit
or element in tie State will be exasperated at
the attempt to creumyent it, and there will
be nothing to stand between it and the relent-
less collection of its debts. Thus will be
brought about what the negroes and the white
adyentnrers so ardently desire--the practical
conhseation of the landed estates in Virginia.
If the convention had really desired to re-
| lieye the debtor class in the State they would
| have adopted q stay law providing for the