Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-02-06
~Ux PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The PsoIeer. keorganfxati.nb by Con
Ere>s-A GeneTas schoOI Aystesm PrO-
posed-The eeDase MIL as A News

The following are the provisions in full OF the
b ii regulating the Organization and conduct OF
the public schools OF the District Of Columbia,
a. reported by the Con mitiee on the District In
the Senate to-day; being the bin introduced sy
MIR. PatteIson on the sd ult with :! 1 the amend
men;s OIL the District Committee inclufiug ths
important ones noticed IN The STAR OF Satur-
day; The amendments are printed within
brackets
That for the purpose OF acquiring impartial
and fIee-sebool privileges to every child be-
tween the ages OF Elk aud seventeen years, an
the District OF Columbia, all subjects relating
erection, repair, and furnishing Of houses. tue
purchase ofthe necessary supply Of fuel, and ~
bcoks libraries, charts, and appsr atus for illus
usnch, the training qualifications, employ ment
and pay of teachers, the admission and dts mis-
,s OF pupils. the selection OF text books and ALI
guestions relating to the establishing NJ, organI-
zation, classic alton, graduation, instruction,
supervision, and governments of the free puplIc
schools OF the District of Columbia, shall b. and
are hereby, committed TO the exclusive control
of the board OF education OF the District of Co.
lumbis, which shsll be, aud il hereby, con-titl-
ted body corporate, with power 10 Gus aud DC
sued. and 10 receive and hold and dispose Of
real and personal property, and receive snd d.s-
burre all moneys appropriated by law Or in
trusted TO them by private individuals for edu-
catOnal purposes, AZ herein provided.
Sec. 2. FAat said board OF education sha be
composed OF eighteen members, citizens OF aid
District, Of whom twelve snail be residents of
cnts of the city Of Georgetown, and three sn al
be residents OF the countyo OF Washington not in-
uded in the limits OF the above cities; aud said
me bers shall be appointed by the President
on The recommendation OF the United States
Commissioner of Education, within ten DAYS
after the passage OF this act; for the city or
Washington four for term OF three years. four
Tor term OF two years, and four for a term of
one year; and for the city OF Geory etown one
for a term OF three years. and one for q term of
two years, and one for term OF Que year; and
ior the county outside said corporations one for
term or three years, and one Tor term Of two
years, and one for ter IN of one year; said terms
10 begin on, and be calculated from, the first
day of January, eighteen hundred and &c evenly
ore, and all members shall serve until their sue
cessors are duly appointed and qualified, and
each member shall take the oath prescribed BY
the law of the United States for officers in the
civil service; and hereafter annually, during
the month Of December, the President, As
herein provided, shall appoint four citiZs,s of
tue city OF Washington, and one citizen OF The
city OF Georgetown, and one citizen Of the Dis
tr1ct outside raid corporations, members of said
board. who shall serve for a term OF three wears
from the hrst day OF January next succeeding
their appointment.
Sec. 8, That on or before the fifteenth day
after the passage of this act, lat a time 10 be
designated by the Commissioner or Education
the persons so appointed shall meet at the city
nall OF said city OF Washington, ard organize
salh board by the election from among their
number OF president a secretary, and a
treasurer, who shall hold their Offices for one
year, or until their successors in ONCE are duly
elected and qualified, and said officers shall
perform the duties customary in such cases AZ
prescribed by said board. And said treasurer
shall give bond with i've sureties, to the salts
faction OF said board, in the penal sum OF one
hundred thousand dollars, for the faithful dis
charge Of the duties of his office, and shall dis
burse al moneys only In accordance with the
order Of said board, signed by the president and
secretary of said board; and hereafter annually
said board shall meet on the first Tuesday after
the frst day Of January for organization, and
the election of officers as hereinbefore pro-
yided, ana shall meet regularly on the first
Tuesday in May, August, and November Of each
year, and at any other time when requested by
3 majority of the members resident either in
the city Of Washington or the city of George
town, or in the county outside the limits or said
quorum. And said board of edu-
cation shall have power 10 make rules for its
own guidance, in accordance with the proyi-
sions OF this act, and to facilitate its business by
the appointment OF committees: Prorid.d, That
tie schools for the city of Washington, and for
the city of Georgetown, and for tile county out
side the limits of said corporations shall be
under the custody OF the members Of said board
resident IN said sections respectively, under the
general control Of said board.
Sec. 4. That said board OF education for the
District OF Columbia, when duly organized,
shall forthwith notify THE corporations of
W ashingtOn and Georgetown and the Lew
Court of the county OF Washington, andI the
several boards Of directors, trustees, guardians
Of the public schools throug hout the District
ard these several boards, and corporations. I on
the receipt of said notice, shall immediately
turn over TO the said board of education ali
SCHOOL, moneys and all right, title and control
over school property in their possession. to-
gether With all official books and records re-
latiDg to school affairs, whereupOn said board
Of directors. trustees. guardians and commits
'ioners aforesaid shall adjourn WITHOUT day: 4
PT0rided, That all persons now required or su-
tLoriZed by law to collect moneys as fines and
otherwise for school purposes shall hereafter
pay over all such moneys to the treasurer OF
said board of education.
Sec D. That all moneys, and all property,
real and personal, received by such transfer
sion OF said board OF education shall be strictly
set apart and used for the maintenance OF free
public schools in the city Of Washington, or the
city OF Georgetown, or the county outside the
linlts or said corporations respectively, a. pro-
vided in the appropriation, grant, deed or be-
luest from which said funds and property are
Or shall be derived; and for this purpose the
records or the secretary and treasurer of said
board OF education shall be 20 kept as spec,f-
cally to show the sources from which said prop
erty and funds are derived, and the conditions
under which they are held, and the objects tor
provision OF this act shall operate to prevent
the establishment BY eaid board OF any central
schools OF higher or special grade which may
to residents OF the entire District, and the sad
board or education are hereby especially author
lied to establish schools Of such higher or spe-
cial grade and to apportionl the expense OF The
same between the city of Washington and the
city OF Georgetown, and the county outside the
limits OF said corporations, proportionallv TO
The number OF persons resident therein respec-
lively, for whose instruction said schooi of
higher or special grade may be required. And.
no provision OF this act shall operate
TO prevent said board OF education from paving
sultat lie compensation 10 the loffi cersl OF said
board for their Official services or from electinp
and cOmpensatiDg superintendent OF schools,
and such assistant superintendent as shall be
found necessary tor the proper supervision OF
-sid schools, or from hiring and compensating
such clerical force a. shall he found necessary
10 the thorough performance of the official du-
lies Of the said board or the said su perintendent
Sec. o. That no appropriation, grant deed or
gift Of money or land, and no privilege OF
pecuniary value, shall be voted. given. granted,
assigned. or allowed, directly or indirectly, out
of any of the funds, or the property, real or
personsi, under the control OF said board OF
to any school or other institution of
earning which shall not be entirely free, or
v hieh shall be conducted on any denomination
81 or sectarian basis. And NO distinction on
account OF race, color or previous condition of
strvituce shall be made in the admission OF
pupils to any Of the schools under the control of
lie board OF education, or in the mode of
or treatment OF pupils in such
schools.
Sec. :. That said board of education OF the
District OF Columbia shall have power land IL
mail be their duty TO purchase lots and con-