The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-30

permanent fund, and he thought the
committee had done wisely in taking
from it that power.
Mr.. Haymond proposed to prefix to
the section the words the irreducible
school flnd at present collected and
invested"
Mr.. Ward commented upon the re-
port OF the committee and showed that
! it provided no revenue whatever for the
increase OF the permanent fund. He
would be willing to swap all the sources
Of revenues named in the report for the
single item of waste, delinquent and
| forfeited lands. He wanted to increase
the fund. lie thought the State should
be considered as q unit for school pur.
poses and the school tax levied accord
iDgly.
Mr.. Pendleton wished to understand
the effect OF OF Mr.. Hollis amendment.
He thought that il would take from the
present distributable fund the tax upon
the 81, 100000 of railroad property and
put it in the permanent fund. This
| would iunure mainly to the advantage
Of districts lying along the line OF these
roads and unequally as to the State at
large where all property is taxed for the
benefit Of the distrihutable fund.
Mr.. Holt admitted the correctness OF
Mr.. Pendleton's criticism aud moved TO
reconsider the vote by which the words
or property" were adopted. No OBJ
lection being made, the words were
stricken ont of the substitute.
The substitute for the committees
report was then adopted-ayes 80, noes
&c.
| The fifth section of the committed
report was then read, and Mr.. Jackson,
OF Wood, Offered the second section OF
the tenth article TO the present Constr
tuition as a substitute therefor.
| Mr.. MoiTett moved to strike ont all
after the word otherwise" in the ninth
line OF the report lie stated that he
desired to have&ll school moneys raised
by a general State tax that should he
uniform throughout the State. lie
thought it a violation of the principle
that required taxation to be equal and
uniform.
Being somewhat indisposeh, he asked
and obtained consent to read before the
Convention some remarks he had pre-
pared in support of this view.
Mr. Monroe opposed the amendment
offered 10y Mr.. Moilett lie was In
favor OF the common schools but il it
| Il. Al l,a toI, ia "a
would consider the system oppressive
and tyrannical. lie dill not want to
appropriate money for tie education OF
children forty years hence. Sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof lie
thought the power OF the Legislature to
tax for the purpose OF free education
should he limited.
Molfetts amendment was then de-
feated.
Mr.. Byrne moved to amend the re-
port OF the committee by striking ont 10
cents and inserting mot less than 10
nor more than 20" Rejected. Moved
TO insert mot less than I'D nor more
than ID cents
Mr.. llagans moved To amend 10y
striking from Byrne's amendment NOR
more than If cents'--lost. Byrnc 3
amendment was then rejected.
The question recurring upon Jack
sons Substitute, Mr.. Prndleton called
attention to the question that had
arisen in the construction OF the Ian
guage 'by authority OF the people
thereof" Mr.. Travers stated that n
levy made by the Board OF Education
had been held by the Supreme Court
to be by authority Of the people in
accordance with this clause of the Con.
stitution.
Mr.. Davenport thought the decision
referred to 10y Mr.. Travers did not re-
ccive the concurrence OF q single legal
mind in the Stale, and he moved to
strike out the words referred to in order
that there might he no question con-
corning the matter.
Mr.. Price thought the matter should
be made clear and put beyond dispute
| Mr.. Maslin said that in his county
the people had voted every year upon
the question whether any levy should
he made and what should he its
amount, and the Board of Education
levied in accordance with the recon-
mendation OF the people.
Mr. Robinson said that difficulty in
the construction Of that clause had
occurred in his county and in conse-
quence thereof several OF the districts
have been without schools.
Mr.. Matthews, Mr.. Byrne, Mr.. Pate
and others opposed the motion to strike
out.
Mr.. Price insisted that the children
are the wards of the State and should
be educated at State expense and no tax
should be levied but 10y consent Of the
voters. The present system was unjust
and lacked uniformity. 1t was in vio-
lation of the lad valorem principle OF
taxation and fell heavily upon those
who lived and owned property in the
smaller counties and poorer localities.
On motion 10y Woods, the question
still pending, the committe rose and the
Convention adjourned for the day.
Those of your readers who have taken
the trouble to follow the above report
and compare it with tie report of the
Committee on Education as published
! about ten days ago. and also with the
provisions OF the present Convention
in relation to this subject, will see that
the Convention has virtually concluded
to readopt the tenth article Of the present
Constitution without material change
in lieu of the report Of the committee.
The report has failed to satisfy the Con-
vention, and it was very roughly
handled during the course Of the debate.
Two things are evident, one is that
there is party in the Convention that
is opposed to the present system Of free
schools and would be glad to strike it