Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-02-04

the provisions 1r the re-aSSeSSmentS OF lands,
the contracting of State debts and fixing the
legal rate of interest:
EDUcAr1oN.-SEc. l. The General AS
scmbly shall elect ON joint ballot, within
thirty days after its organization under this
Constitution, and every fourth year thereaf-
ter, a superintendent Of public instruction.
He shall have the general supervision of the
public free school interests of the State and,
shall report to the General Assembly for its
consideration, within thirty days after his
election, a uniform system of public free
schools.
Sec. 2. There shall be a Board Of Edu-
cation, composed Of the Govclnor. Superin-
tendent Of Public Instruction, aud Attorney
General, which shall appoint, and have pow
er to remove for cause and upon notice to
the incumbents, subject to confirmation by
the Senate, all county superintendent of
public free schools. This board shall have
regulated by law the management and in
vestment of all the school funds, and such
supervision of schools Of higher grades as the
law shall provide.
Sec. 8. The General Assembly shall pro-
vide by law, at its first session under this
Constitution, a uniform system of public
free schools, and for its gradual, equal, and
full introduction into all the counties of the
State by the year 1876, or as much earlier
as practicable.
Sec. 4. The General Assembly shall have
power, after a full introduction Of the public
free school system, to make such laws as
shall not permit parents and guardians to
allow their children to grow up in ignorance
and vagrancy.
SEC. 5. The General Assembly shall es-
tablish as soon as practicable normal schools
and such grades of schools as shall be fer
the public good.
SEC. 6. The Board of Education shall pro-
vide for uniformity of textbooks, and the
furnishing Of school houses with such appa-
ratus and library as may be necessary, IN
der such regulations as may be provided by
law.
Sec. 7. The General Assembly shall set
apart as a permanent and perpetual literary
fund the present literary funds of the State
the proceeds of all public lands donated by
Congress for public school purposes, of all
escheated property, of all waste and appro-
priated lands. Of all property accruing to
the State by forfeiture, and all fines %collec-
ted for offences against the State, and such
other sums as the General Assembly may
appropriate.
SEC. 8. The General Assembly shall ap-
ply the annual interest on the literary fund,
capitation or other special tag provided for
by this Constitution, for public free school
purposes, and an annual tax upon the pro-
perty of the State of not less than one mill
nor more than five mills on the dollar, for
the equal benefit Of all the people of the
State, the number of children between the
ages of five and twenty-one years in each
public free school district being the basis of
such division Provision shall be made to
supply children attending the public free
schools with necessary teKt books in cases
where the parent or guardian is unable, by
reason Of poverty, to furnish them. Each
county and public free school district may
raise additional sums by a tax on property
for the support of public free schools. All
unexpended sums Of any one year in any
public free school district shall go into the
general school fund }os re-diyision the next
year: Proyilca, That any tax authorized
by this section to be raised by counties or
school districts shall not exceed FIVE mills on
a dollar in any one year, and shall not be
subject to rediyision, as heFeinbeforc pro-
vided il this section.
Sec. s.. Tho General Assembly shall
have power to foster all higher grades of
schools under its supervision, and to provide
for such purpose q permanent educational
fund.
SEC. 10. All grants and donations re-
ceiyed by the General Assembly for educa-
tional purposes shall be applied according
to the terms prescribed by the donors.
SEC. IL. Each city and county shall be
held accountable for the destruction of
school property that may take place with
in its limits by incendiaries or open violence.
SEC. Il TIE General Assembly shall fix
the salaries and prescribe the duties of all
school officers, and shall make ali needful
laws and regulations to carry into effect the
public free school system provided for by.
this article.
The General Assembly, as soon as practi-
cable, shall provide for q reassessmcnt of
lands, sgao land shall be assessed above or
beloU its yalue.
Every law hereafter enacted by the Gen
eral Assembly creating a debt or authorizing
a loan shall provide a sinking fund for the
payment Of the same.
The unfanded debt shall not be funded or
redeemed at a value exceeding that establish
ed by law at the time said debt was con-
tracted, nor shall any discrimination hereaf.
ter be made in paying the interest on State
bonds which shall give a higher actual value
to bonds held in foreign countries over the
same class of bonds held in this country.
No debt shall be contracted by this State
except to meet casual deficits in the revenue,
to redeem a previous liability of the State,
to suppress instruction, repel invasion, or
defend the State in time of war.
Upon debts hereafter contracted it shall
be lawful to receive any rate of interest not
exceeding twelve per cent. per annum which
may be agreed~upon by the parties and be
specified in the bond. note, or other writing
evidencing the debt. When there is no
such agreement, the rate of interest shall be
six per centuln per annum for the use Of
every hssndred dollars.