Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-19

of such public property about the capitol as
NAV be of DO use to the State. Laid over.
M'MINNVILLE AND MANCHESTER RAIL
ROAD.
Mr.. Cliff presented a petition from the
Directors of the McMinnville and Man
chester Railroad, praying that the State
either assume the lien of the United States
upon the road-amOunting to $4,000 and
interest since 1865-Or deduct that amount
from the S225, 900 to be paid by the Mem
phis and Charleston Railroad Company,
purchasers of the road. Referred to the
Committee on Section a.
NEW BILLss.
By Mr.. MeGhee: To change the time OF
holding the Chancery Courts in the Second
Chancery Division. Passed.
By Mr.. Mccall: To ad Just The indebted-
ness of the Louisville and Nashville Rail
road Company to the State, on account Of
the purchase of the Memphis, Clarksville
and Louisville Railroad. Passed.
By Mr.. Freeman: To establish Crimi-
nal Court for Haywood county. Passed.
By Mr.. Snipes: To amend the charters Of
incorporated cities and towns, for the
encouragement of common schools. Pass
ed.
HOUSE BILL ON THIRD READING.
To provide for canceling, instead OF
burning, notes of the Bank of Tennessee.
Passed.
HOUSE BILLS on SECOND READING.
To amend an act to revise the rules Of
Chancery practice. Passed.
To repeal rule of the act to revise the
rules of Chancery practice. Passed.
To amend the act to reorganinze and reg
ulate the common schools. Passed.
To amend the act redistricting the State
into Senatorial and Representative Districts.
Passed.
RECESS.
The House here took recess Of twenty
minutes to view the procession in honor OF
St. Patrick's Day, in accordance with the
invitation accepted by the General ASSEM-
bly, last week.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Mr., Tillman offered resolution to print
5000 copies of the report of W. Morrow,
State Treasurer and ex officiO Superintend-
ent of Public Schools, and the accompany
ing communication of his Assistant, j. b.
| KiIlebrew, on the condition of public edu-
cation in the State.
The report was read by the Clelk.
Mr.. Gift said it was not proposed, as he
| understood, to take any definite action at
| the present session toward establishing a
| State system of education, but he deemed it
| important that the people should be prop
erly informed as to all the facts bearing
| upon this most vital interest.
| Mr.. Tillman reminded the House that the
subject of free education was thrusting itself
| into the faces of Tennessee politicians, and
| would not down at their bidding. No one
has been so bold as to fairly and squarely
oppose every system of public instruction
| Those, however, who were against the cir.
culation of such information as the report
contained were, in fact, the opponents OF
schools and the diffusion of knowledge. He
| would not vote to levy general tax fol-
school purposes, because be knew the peO-
pie were opposed to it. Nor would they
consent to the imposition of such tax un-
til furnished with information of the nature
given in the report.
Mr.. Freeman thought that the expendi-
Nlre proposed could not be made for bet
ter purpose.
Mr.. Lewis referred to the fact that while
a Massachusetts man-a Yankee, If they
chose to call him such-had left fund TO
aid in educating the children of Tennessee
there were members on the floor of the
House who were not willing to appropriate
the pitifuI sum of 500 toward spreading
the very information collected by the agen
EMPLOYED under that fund. He woulC
rather spend thousand dollars for free ed
ucation than a thousand cents for an
other purpose.
Mr.. RossOn offered an amendment pro
yiding that the cost of printing the repor
should not exceed 5000.
Mr.. Walters believed that the minds o
the people were right upon the question o
common schools, and that they wante'
more information.
Mr.. Mccall said the report was too long
Nobody would read it. The sentiment 0
t the people as to common schools had beeI
, shown very plainly by the vote taken ol
that question recently in large number o
counties.
r Mr.. Linn, of Fayette, thought the peopl
e would never read so bulky document.
: Mr.. Snipes said if there was question o
t which the people Of Tennessee needed to b
informed, it was education. The fact
0 shown in the report were standing dis
grace to the State.
: Mr.. Chambers proposed to cut out all tn
, rhetoric in the report and circulate the fact
s and figures alone. That would serve tn
t purpose better and cost less.
{ Mr. Rosson's amendment was adopted
ayes, q; noes, 25-after which the resolI
e ton, as amended, was adopted-ayeS, ~
II noes, %.
e Adjourned to 10 A. NJ. tomorrow.