The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-04-10
THE NAP PURCHASE.
Minority Report OF Hon. r. w
GOar. Chairman Of Committee.
Mr.. SPEAKER =

Mr.. SPEAKER -
!. The undersignetl Chairman OF your Spec
ial Committee, appolnted 10 investigate the
purchase OF certain official maps by the
State Superintendent at Public Education,
under an Act TO authorize The purchase o.
certain copies Of the official map OF the
state for use in Public Schools. aH Jed
April goth A D., 1873 has had tHWMnn-
under consideration, and beg leave 10 sub
nit the following minority report, together
!. if4t the accompanying documentary tcStl-
nInny taken by said committee
Tne section of the Act under which the
St1te Superintendent proceeded TO make
purchase Of four thousand live hundred
mans for use in Public schools. reads as
follows: That the State Superintendent
OF Public Education is hereby authorlZtd 10
contract with the publisher OF the olhciai
maps OF the State. TO supply such Puollc
school as may be designated with copies OF
the same. IN conformity with the require
meut> hereinafter mentioned, at the price
fl three dollars and seveRty-five cents per
copv To- be paid cut of the Common School
Fund Provided, however, that only such
schools shall be supplied aS belong %
higher order containing not less than forty
/ scholars and to be made on the application
land recommendation of the respective
/ County SuperintendentS-
According to the official statement OF the
State Superintendent. said officer, some time
/ ia MAJ, \. ID. 1872, of his own accord, aud
without the application aud recommends
( ton 81 the county p'EllitltlCulS- stS AiS
/ law required, contracted with the publisher
/ OF the official map. L. \ Hardee, To furnish
i the Department of Education OF this state
/ uith four thousand five hundred maps, at
/ the price OF three dollars and seventy-five
! cents per copy, making i'll all sixteen thou
sand eight hundred and seventy five dollars,
In the first place your Chairman Is ire
/ siStibly forced 10 the conclusion from the
i letter, spirit and meaning of the act above
quoted. that the State Superintendent had
! Nrif wis
| contract for the purchase OF single map,
/ except. ION the application and RECOMMEND
dation of the respective County Superln-
tendents," which we submit is the only
legitimate or sensible construction said act
is susceptible of, But suppose the law even
authorized the State Superintendent To make
the purchase of said official maps tor use in
the Public Schools, he has gone aud pur-
chased ten times as many maps as thefe are
. Public Schools OF the grade me HIloheu III
said act. in the State, Why, my dear sir. at
the time said contract was made for the
purchase OF maps there were not four thou
sand five hundred Public Schools in the
/ State, OF all grades, all told. On page OF
the Annual Report of the State Superin-
/ teAGent, which was transmitted TO the Le-
gi.lature in March, 1872, only about two
months before the purchase OF the 1000 maps
was made, we find that the ere were but three
! thousand four hundred fifty Public Schools
! in the entire State. which is 1850 schools
less than maps purchased. though the State
Superintendent, Ii. II. Pease swears he
ua-ed the estimate of 1900 maps on the best
information he had in his possession; and he
states further. that at the time he made che
order for the 1900 maps he did not know
how many Public Schools there were in the
State of the grade mentioned In said act
that his construction of the act was that
every Public School in the State was to be
supplied with said map that contained forty
pupils, and of hig CHER grade than the lowest
or primary" Even taking this view of the
law. (Which we think is very erroneous
| said officer purchased at least four thousand
more maps than was necessary, or than was
| contemplated by said act, there being only
a certain grade Of schools that were to be
supplied with maps.
From the best information your chair
, man has been able to obtain, there are not
exceeding five hundred public schools il
the State of the grade mentioned in said
, Act We will take, for example, Rankin
county, which is more than an average
county. | am reliably informed that there
are only four public schools IN that county
of "A :. higher order, containing not less than
forty scholars" Taking Rankin as an av-
7 erage, there are only two hundred and
eighty four public schools in the State that
are legally entitled to a copy of said map.
The Superintendent says he has distrib-
uted 70 twenty-four counties l.l4l of said
maps. and has the balance, 1859, still OF
, hand for distribution.
In view of all these facts and the law in
=
! that the action of the State Superintendent
: in the premises is entirely Unauthorized by
, law, and exhibits in said officer a wantoI
and reckless expenditure of the Common
= school Fund of the State, and a total disre-
gard of the law on this subject.
Your chairman therefore recommends
the following resolution do pass:
+. M. GOAR,
Chairman Committee.
Resolved, By the House, the Senate con.
curing, That the Attorney General OF the
State be, and he is hereby, authorized and
required to bring suit at once on the official
, bond of III. X. Pease, State Superintendent
of Public Education. for the full amount OF
! the purchase of certain lot of State maps
said Superintendent purchased of L. ). Har-
dee. for public schools. under an Act to au-
thorze the purchase of certain copies of the
official map of the State for use in public
schools, approved April 30, 1872.
+. M. GoAR.
The House to-day refused to receive the
minority report or permit it to appear OH
the Journals. GoAR.