The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-07-23

PUBLIC ScHooLs.-Judge Leland, on Non.
day. in the application of the school board Of this
city for mandsmus on ths>city council to lew
certain taxes to pay off Indebtedness of the
schoM board, gave decision denying the man.
damus The facts in the case have been suffi.
GENTLY explained in these columns heretofore,
to need but brief rehearsal here. The school
board, in March 1869, reported to meeting of
citizens and the city council. that they were in
debt $4,000, and in addition to means to pay
that debt needed $4,000 a year to run the
schools. A bill WAS got through the legislature,
therefore, requiring the city council to levy. in
1859, and every year thereafter, tax of $50.
700 to run the public schools. and in addition,
five mills in 1869 to pay the indebtedness of the
board as reported in March 1862 In juno 1869,
the city council levied the taxes for school pur.
poses required by the law in question, That is,
they levied a tax Of five mills, as directed by
law, to pay the $4,000 indebtedness, and 5 mills
to run the schools. Each of these mills bro.
duced $17,5OO, or $4,000 in all. Thus the tax
to pay Indebtedness overrun $2.5OO and that to
run the schools fell short $2,5OO. The oouncil,
therefore, held that the law had been Substantial
ly complied with, and that their authority to
levy further taxes to pay Indebtedness Of tho
school board under that law was exhausted
The school board thought otherwise, and at =
meeting of the city council in April made rsqui-
sition upon that body to levy, ia addition 70 the
$4,000 required by law to support the schools
for the current year, mills more to pay indsb-
tedness of the school board, besides . further
sum of $4,000 to make up an alleged deficit of
last year in the $4,000 to support the schools.
The council refused to levy any further SUM
than 100000. The Board of Education under.
took to compel them by mandamus from Judge
Leland. As already stated, however, Judge L.
refused the mandsmus, taking exactly the same
view of the law of 1860 that was taken by the
city council, as set forth in the report Of their
finance committee in April last.
The school board, under this decision, are al.
lowed but 100000 for the coming year with
which to rnn the public schools, sum which
would be amply sufficient, were not the board at
present some $4,000 in debt, debt which thew
allege they are wholly without the means of
paying. ''Their entire revenue between now
and the first of next January, they say, will be
about $4,000, and after paying their present
Indebtedness and running the schools until the
first OF next January, their means will be ex.
hausted. and there will be no means left to con.
tinue the schools for the six or eight months
until the taxes for 1871 are due and collectabie.
Under the circumstances, our advice to the
Board would be, to run the schools as long as
the money lasts. Next January the people will
be more at leisure than at present to look into
the business, and if, AS Judge Leland decides,
there Is now no law in existence under which
more money can bs raised for school purposes,
the Legislature will then be in session, and on a
suitable application of our people, authority can
be obtained of the legislature, if thought adviss.
BILE, to raise more money for the school in 1871.
Since the above was written, We hsveiobtsined
copy of Judge Leland's decision. which will be
found in another column.