Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-04-09
THE CONVENTION.
Report on Education.

Report ON Education.
Feom the Charleston correspondence of the
Wheeling Register, we copy the following:-
CHARLESTON, March 26.-The Conven-
ton has been engaged to-day in Commute of
the Whole in the further consideration of the
report of the Committee on Education; and
had notquite completedsth report at the time
of adjournment in this evening.
The readers of the Register will be able to
form better idea of disposition of the Con.
vention in relation to this matter if I state
simply the results arrived at rather than de-
tail the slow stages and the various means by
which those results have been reached. Suf- !.
flee it to say, then, that the tenth Article of
the present Constitution has been substituted
for the greater part of the report of the Com
mittee on Education and that Article has been
transferred, almost bodily, to the Constitution
now proposed. Seleral slight alterations have
been made, but only such as to place the
Article in conformity to the portions of the
Constitution heretofore agreed upon, aud
several additions have been made. Upon
these additional sections, the main struggles
of the day have been had
One of the sections of the tenth Article of
the present Constitution provides that the
county levy for school purposes shall be made
''by the authority of the people thereof
The meaning Of these words has been differ
emily construed in different counties in the
State, and some confusion has resulted there
from, thong the Supreme Court has decided
that levy made by the Board of Education
in any county is made "by authority of the
people thereof" the members of the Board
being the representatives of the people and
acting in their stead. In order, however, to
leave no further room for doubt as to the
proper practice, it was moved to strike out
these words, but after considerable debate,
they we're retained. MIR. Price moved to
amend the language referred to by adding
thereto the words '.to be ascertained in such
manner as may be prescribed by law."s This,
too, was the subject of much debate. Mr.
Raymond thought that the effect of the sec>
ton when amended would be to deprive the
people in some localities, where an adverse
vote might be given, of the benefit of the
schools, and thought that the plan of requir>
ing veto of the people every year when a
school levy was contemplated, would be st>
tended with great Inconvenience, and would
probably eventuate in the adoption of the
general State tax advocated BY Governor
Price and others, and the abandonment of any
local taxation whatever. Mr.. Prices amend>
ment was defeated by vote of % for and
33 against
The thwnship system having been discard
ed In the new Constitution, it was necessary
to provide in the article on education for such
sub division of the counties as would suit
the purposes of the school system and accord
ingly the following provision was incorpors-
ted into the report by Committee of the
whole: ''The school districts into which
any county is now divided shall continue un>
til changed in pursuance of general law"
discussion which was participated in by
Messrs. Wiley, Wheat, Davenport, Woods
and Iravers then arose concerning the mans
ner of collecting the school leves, aud re.
suited III the adoption of the following Sec
tito" upon this subject which was offered by
Mr.. Gallsher:
,'All levies laid by any county or district
for the purpose of free common schools shall
be reported to the Clerk of the County Court
aud shall be collected by the Sheriff or other
collector under such regulations as NAV be
provided by law, who shall make annual set
Elements with the County Court, which set
Elements shall be made matter of record BY
the Clerks thereof in a book to be kept for
that purpose"
The section of the report of tho commit
tee requiring the Legislature to make provi-
sion for the education of colored children, and
persons in the same school, was adopted with,
out debate, even the surviving Apostles"
making no audible objection
The section prohibiting school officers from
acting rs agent for the sale Of tax books or
school furniture, or being interested in the
sale of these articles, was then adopted, with
the proviso that it should not be construed to
apply to book written or thing invented by
such person.
MIR. Campbell, of Brooke, moved to strike
out the section prohibiting appropriations of
public money in aid of any school controlled
by suy church or denomination
Mcssrs. Park, of Jackson, Wiley and
Hagsns urged the retention of the section,
while Mr.. Jackson, of Wood, and Mathews,
OF Greeuhrier. favored its rejection, upon the
ground that its object was already accom-
plished by the provision of the Bill Of Rights.
The section was stricken out by vote Of 80
for rejection aud - against