The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-08
THE COLORED SCHOOLS.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THEREFOR
Interesting Exposition ofihe Law and Practice

men last Monday evening was the bill max
Ing appropriations for the public schools Of
the corporation and for the payment to the
trustees Of the colored schools Of Washing
ton and Georgetown OF such a proportionate
sum as IL required under the laws Of Con-
gress. Tho bill proposed to appropriate
s202, $50 for the public schools Of the corpo-
ration, aud sSS,5 for the trustees Of colored
schools, making together tho sum Of s29l,-
900; but prior to Its passage these items
were reduced-the former to slS2, 625, and
the latter to s79, sos.50-making total OF
S262, 434.50.
Mr.. Moore earnestly protested against the
appropriation proposed for tho trustees OF
colored schools, as being largely In excess Of
the amount required by the laws of Con-
gress by which these schools were organized
and their support assessed upon the school
fund Of the corporation. brief review OF
these laws would bring to tho minds Of mem
bers the obligations they imposed.
BY the act Of May 81, 1859, as amended by
the act OF July IL, 1859, Daniel Breed, Sayles
J. Bowen, and Zenos @. Robbins, and their
successors In office, were created q Board of
Trustees Of schools for Colored Children"
to hold their offices respectively for the terms
of one, two, and three years-(their sue
cessors to be appointed by tho Secretary Of
the Interior) and the said board OF trus-
tiers were invested with the same powers and
supervision over schools organized under
the said act as were exercised by the Board
OF Trustees Of the "Public Schools existing
by virtue Of the laws and ordinances Of the
corporation"
BY the came act, (May 81, 1862, } the cor
poraton was required to "set apart" for the
benefit Of the said coored schools ''ten per
centum OF the amount received from taxes
levied on the property OF persons Of color"
which "tax" and all "coptributions by per-
sons disposed to aid In the education OF the
colored race" were placed under the sole
control of the above mentioned trustees,
from the general school fund"
Attwo subsequent periods this act was again
amended-hrst by the act Of june %, 1854,
and next by the act Of July 90, 1865. The
effect Of these acts was to increase the tax or
assessment for the colorej schools by requir-
ing the corporation to "set apart each year,"
and $50 pay over to the Trustees of Colored
Schools" such proportionate part Of all
moneys received or expended for school or
educational purposes, including the cost of
sites, buildings, improvements, furniture,
books, and all other expenditures on account
OF schools, as the colored children between
the Of six and seventeen years bear to the
whole number Of children, white and col
ored, between the same ages" the proper
ton aforesaid to "be ascertained by the last
reported census Of the population made prior
she considered due and payable to the said
trustees on the LIST day Of October in each
yeai."
There has never been any difference OF
opinion respecting the proportions Of the
children of the two races under the "last
reported census Of the population" (the
census OF 1s8O.) According to every report
l.. .tt kan h.. ~ tha tfx a
according to q carefully prepared report OF
the Board Of Trustees OF Public Schools, rs
well as according to the report Of the Audi
tor OF the Supreme Court OF this District,
ratified by the judgment OF the Court Itself,
"the colored children were one fifth and the
white children four Afths Of the whole num-
, Der between the ages specified" There has
been aud can be no controversy respecting
! these proportions. But O controversy did
, arise between the trustees Of colored schools
and the corporation respecting the proper
construction of the law Of Congress-whether
It intended to allow the colored schools a
sum equal to one fifth OF the amount act.
ually expended In educating white children,
(say Sl6, 900 on an expenditure Of $50, 900, }
or whether $1,000, equivalent to one fourth
of $4,000, should not be paid on that
amount as the Just proportion Of the colore ed
schools. The position then occupied by the
I Republicans Is clearly shown In several re.
, ports submitted to the Councils during the
controversy.
In one of these reports, made to the Sixty
d nth Council, (see journal, page 3ss, signet
s. s. Baker and John L. Pau, the followin.
views are expressed on this subject:
= "The Committee on Public Schools, T.
=, whom was referred the bill making Appropri
u ations for the support Of public schools and Co
i ored schools for the fiscal year ending June 80
l. consideration, ice find ne dnouHis appropriate
G are correct and in accordance pih eriiiing idU
IT schools 10 the trst section is $50; III
:. amount appropriated for the colored school
. | In the second section Is $50, .50j making tn
Y total amount $50, 93T So"
IN The proportion here assigned to the CO.
a ored schools, as being sin accordance wit
,e existing law" Is just one fourth, or twenty
. i've per centum, which Is the highest proper
ton then claimed by any member OF tn,
It Republican party, while many of them can
e dldly admitted that their proportion unde
O the law was only twenty per contum, or on
fifth Of the actual expenditure. This com
: mittee, however, proceed to enforce theIl
= views In favor Of twenty-five per ceutum, al
follows.
According to the last reported eeHIuI the col
IL ored children were one ifth and the whit
were four h1hs IL, thea ans sm Gun re-
r. pors'ion, together with the amount expende,
by the Mayor for said public schools. was fou
&c hfths OF the amount to be expended for educ .
h tinnal purposes, then the Trustees OF Colore
schools tc5uld be entitled 10 one mn Of the rho!
!; sum for pkRe and eoiored schools.
II And In another part of the same report thl
r committee express their opinion of what
a. right under the law In different language, a
follows;
~ Schools would be entitled to ttoeniy cents
y every dollar received or expended on sccouu
; Of schools, and that 1t was the duty Of III
Ia Mayor to set apart that amount from all sum
10 received or expended"
"a And again, referring. to the report OF tn
=, auditor Of the Supreme Court, this commit
tee say:
His statemeuti s that the sum applicable t
public schools 10 s79,s 49, which 10 correct,
,r he refers to the public schools under the boar
OF trustees of this corporation; but he shoul
l. bear In mil nd that the schools under the Boar
le Of Trustees Of COlored schools for the elite
a, wsshiGgt9n and doorse'o". are sr also pgI
he tees OF solored school. received 81 $50 g;
Wy he statement OF the auditor are emitted
lr- F,9SO03 more, II "a obvious that when tn
nd poses, aud this will give to the trustees
re. colored schools for the year ending June
III lsG5, tlj,s7s 60. Adding this last amount TO Il
I'll sum expended for the public white schools,
NJ they are both for educational purposes, Il
amount for the f,csl year is s95 ,sTl.99j al
MS amount being diyided BY dge; the color
n tl9,l7i.35, which 10 t79s.os short Of their ia
proportion as heretofore stated"
w Special attention is invited to the propo
or tIons contended for In the foregoing extrac
OF as being the Just proportions under the Law
10 and the manner OF arriving at these propo
tons.
d. There was, however, another committee.
ir- the Committee Of Clalms-to whom the su
ject had also been referred. Mr.. John
Croker and his colleagues Of that comm
IN. tee (see journal, page 1922, expressed tn,
~ opinion on this particular point as follow
=, "The last census OF population was taken
- 1860. BY that census the whole number
IN children In the city OF Washington betwe
" tho ages of six and seventeen years was IL 81
It's u which 800 were white and 2,O5T we
H. oOlored-the proportion Of colored children
the whole number being one hfth,n
hd THE pTOportionAte amount due to q
hI. trustees Of the colored schools for the hsc
H." year ending June 30, 1850 was not paid wis
'ie II became due. After duly demanding pa
~, ment thereof, and payment being refused, Il
iu- said trustees instituted = legal proceed
IA against the corporation to recover the amour
or. Ia their declaration In said suit the truste
r. stated that the sum expended for the viii