Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-01-26
CONQRHssIONAL.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBI4.


PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF TIE DISTRICT OF
COLUABIA.
Cs.cl.sis. Yesterdays PrsoeeAangs.
sENATE-After our report closed-ths bill
70 provide for an increase in the naefOnAl bank
ing circulation, and 10 provice . national
currency Of coin notes, being under considera-
MI. Morton argued that IL would Be danger
Gus for the Government 70 eseabiish these bsnks
Pacific coast. where our currency has never
been in circulation. II 10 proposed that these
banks shall be allowed to issue their notes, il
they have thirty-ive per centum Of gold in their
vaults. 1t cannot be done; they must have dol
evifably be broke. They WIN be in the same
impossible 10 have two circulating mediums Of
different value; 1t never has been done-never
will be. '
Mr.. Stewart was anxious to try this experi-
ment of free banking q coin basis; il it did no
good, he thought it would produce no harm.
Mr.. Davis advocated that the question of a re-
di:tribItion Of the currency should not be COM
Mr.. Thurman said this was one Of the most
important bills that ever had been presented
here 1t proposed an unlimited amount Of free
Mr.. Corbett obtained the floor, but gave way
70 Mr.. Wilson, on whose motion the Senate, 1t
p. m, adjourned.
HOUSE.-After our report closed-the con-
As -. w ~. We
simpson, from the 4th district of South Carolina,
being under confederation
The resolution reported by the minority Of the
nor Mr tSs Ish sSS
which was offered as an amendment, was adopt
ed-yeas 103, nays -; but after some fillibuster-
ing, the resolution As amended was tabled.
The House took recess until 80 o'clock, for
The House reassembled at 100, In Committee
of the Whole, Mr.. McCrary Qowa) in the chair,
nd mt a doxa bar in hafp
MI. johnson (Cal) proceeded to speak against
Chinese emigration d seriously conflicting with
MI. HeatOn IN. c. spoke upon the coming
Mr.. Prosser read q speech upon the subject of
education, saying it was q subject Of profound
surprise that q Government like ours should be
almost the only one on the face Of the globe
without q national system of education, vet the
absolute necessity for government was greater
the school system Of nsons snd
trasted them with the educational interests of
this country. Congress, he said, had been grossly
negligent OF the educational necessity Of those
people placed under its care, even of those at
the very doors and directly under the egis of
the Capitol. The schools in the District Of Co.
lumbia, which should be models for the nation,
Representative sent to this body, so that he
might return to his district with some
new and valuable suggestions for the
ents; nay, should be the admiration of the
representatives of other nations Resident
among US, and thus reflect honor upon our Re-
that are comparatively worthless and wholly
Inadequate, there being thousands of Children
unable to gain admission to any schOOl-room
and who would be scarcely the better for IL III
they could, because of the want of a proper sun
ply Of teachers, who are, moreover. paid their
small salaries at uncertain and irregular inter-
walls; they are yet quite as ready to dismiss
child for a trfiing fault as to admit one to pu-
pilage. 1t often requires more time and labor
to get child admitted than a laboring man can
spare; and can conceive of no greater outrage
on the rights OF child, soon to be q citizen,
than to close the schOol-roOm against him for
any cause whatever. There is no greater ont
rage upon the rights Of a community than to
send an uneducated child forth into the world
As Paley has 50 aptly expressed it: 1t is little
better than to turn out a mad dog or a wild an
imal into the streets"
should be of the highest order; instead thereof
they are the disgrace of the nation and even
the representative Of the Ottoman empire can
proudly say: Z" The school laws of Turkey are
to yours" If this language seems too
strong, refer to the last report of the Superin-
ndent Of the District-that of 1S67--for such is
three years have almost passed without any re-
port From this We find that the District on
tanned, in 1867, the following scholastic popula-
White males, 1l.19s; white females, 1.s7s;
colored males, 4,6ss; colored females, 5,55S
total; 80, III. That the number in attendance
+ 0cnOOl8-Wu1Je Z.S9
females, Z, 453, colored males, 1873; coored fe9
males, 1,539-tOtal, $40. Private Schools
White males, 2,.5J; white females, 2,77I; cOlOred
males, %; colored females, 166-tOtal, 5,55S.
Total attending public and private schools,
J7s, leaving 10, 49, children i'm the District OF
Columbia without any facilities whatever for
Cbtalning an education. Yet there were no &C.
in that year for more than 6 900
white and 800 cOlored out of this large scholas-
tic population, and no cOlored schools whateyer
were organized in the District until it was done
I'LL.
ward transferred To the Trustees of Washington
CITY, am informed by the Superintendent mt of
me District that since the year 1861 the accom-
modations are considerably increased but am
told by the same official that some seventeen or
e Eighteen Of the public schools under his charge
are about to be condemned as nuisances by the
t t,, Oh heai,n: IhlrS, If you please, Mr..
Chairman, of sixty scholars and teacher being
connned In a roorh twenty-four by thirty feet
81 sare and ten feet high, and ask yourself if
sucn prisor should not be condemned as
Yet 1 am told such prisons are to he found In
y ashln,. and they are dignifed with the
name Of public schools.
Now, sir. state on the authority of the
Superintendent himself that more than one half
OF the entire scholastic population of WASH
ingtOn and Georgetown are children of the en-
p.oyes, clerks, or persons connected with the
cities and pay no taxes; yet Congress, to the
shame and disgrace of the country and the age,
has never appropriated one dollar for the sup
port Vi SCHOOLS IN eltntr. linen Jncro are no
public school Libraries in the District, furnish
ing interesting and instructive books suited 70
the comprehension OF the various grades Of
scholars, when none should be without this i'm.
Portant aid to education. As Franklin, John
Quincy Adams, and many other eminent men
have attested, the kindling enthusiasm of books
has been the first stimulus of all great men.
The neglect in the Territories was even greater
The is,5aC,s0 acres of public lands for school
purposes had been fritted away with nothing
like commensurate results. He combatted the
argume nts which had been used against the es-
Enlistment of a department OF education, and
At the close OF his hour he obtained permission
to print the remainder of his remarks.
MIR. Hawley Qn) spoke in favor of the i'm
proyement OF the Des MOines and Rock Island
rapids.
Mr. Finkelnburg MOL spoke upon the equal
ization of TAXATION AMI in opposition to prOtec-
tive tariff. Adjourned.
DOLLARS In GnIn WILL RE