Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-09-03
District Governuc,, Affairs

WY Y views In writing. In behalf of the
cOHtsd schools they ask reconsideration Of
ACTON placing these schools under the con-
UCI OF the trustees of public schools, by
Which act hey are not benefited, but their
usefulness Is impaired; also because they
believe the consolidation of the school boards
20 b. The results OF an injurious interpret9-
ton of the law. When the orier cousolida-
ting the boards was issued, they offered no
objection, thinking. perhaps, IL was the in
teHiion to give TO this District a republican
form Of government and recognize the rights
oi all citizens "a common, and compel
every child admitted TO the public schools 10
attend the nearest one. But when IL was
heTahed throughout the country that such
was to he the school system. Temarkable
haste was made 10 diSabuse the public
through the press of the country of the
impression that the Commissioners OF the
District intended TO recognize that the
cOlOI6d citizen was as much Of a citizen as
the whites, together with the recent op.uiOn
Of the law officer, in which he says:
ain my opinion the power 10 purchase
Columbia is not invested i'm the Commits
siOreTs in respect TO school sites, nor do
trustees Of pTblic schools possess that au-
thOTity' has awakened us &c the realizing
sense that if we expect 20 have ou.' schools
progress in the future "a in the past that tle
same influence that has surrounded them
aEC brought Them TO the perfection they are
Should not ne taken hOm them now. To eS-
tabliSh ard maintain these schools has re-
quired constant care on tie part OF the col
orod people ard taeir friends, who have met
succeeded in placing them upon footing
uHeqUsled 10y any similar Sc1OpIS in the
country. The order consolidating the two
school boards and the opinion OF tie law eli -
Ger naturally tends TO cripple these schools,
by denyirg then the necessary funds for
their support. in 1852 Cor greSS paSe"d a law
requiring the trustees to establish ana main
tain schools for cOlOred children, out OF the
taxes collected for school purposes; b q this
law was absolutely ignored, and il became
necessary for Congress 10 pass another, Gre
n ~ fflre TlrAr.#
schools, to Ue appointed by the Secretary OF
the interior. To this board the local author
tiles were TO pay pro rata portion of the
school taxes for the maintenance Of cOOred
schools, bit at the very commencement the
board was met with opposition from the
local government. which refused to pay over
The certain amount due the cOlOred schools.
The law was virtually construed TO mean
tnat only such pro rata portion was due the
schools as was necessary to pay teachers,
ard that the trustees for cOlOTed schools had
no right To buy sites and erect buildings. In
view Of the manifest purpose OF the local
aUtECTities 10 eIubarrass and cripple these
schools, II became necessary for the cOlOred
people 10 appeal again TO Congress, which in
July. 1oGb. passed an explanatory act eV-
P1CiLiy setting forth that the local govern
uieHt should pay 10 the colOTed schools pro
lata portion of the entire funds raised by tax
alton for school purposes ard that the board
had The right To purchase sites and erect
Necessary buildings. To show more clearly
that q was The intention Of Congress 70 nave
these schools maintained and secured to the
coloTed people beyond peTadveutUre, when =
bill had slipped through Congress duriu the
bury Of legislation consolidating the two
boards and placing them under the control of
Trustees of Public Schools il was vetoed by
President Andrew Johnson When his atten-
ton was called 20 il by the c0lored citizens,
and II was the only vet" Of his sustained by
Congress. For thirteen years have these
schools glown under the protection of Con-
Eress To-day they are again in jeopardy by
the recent opinion OF the law officer of the
lTQ hat
four and FIVE thousand cOiOTeI chill
dTcn without school accommodations in
the District. In view OF this fact and the
opinion OF your law officer, they ask The
commissioners IN Tehahilitate the board OF
trustees Of the cOlOred schools as to carry out
the Law OF Congress passed March Cd, $50,
creating said board, AMI clothing them with
power TO make all necessary arrangements
Tor the education of the cOlOred children.
They state that it is not their desire to keep
up indefinitely separate schools; they WOJlI
not continue Them an hour If they could do
Otherwise, and are IL hopes that the time is
not far distant when orr rulers will have the
moral courage to recognize the absolute
equality OF all citizens. In asking to be re-
habilitated with former powers they are
prompted from conviction that the action
IN abUliShing said board was Illegal, ana they
submit as legal argument the recent Opin-
ion of the law officer, vino ems W be Very
positive in his opinion that ueit.er the com
mlssIOners nor the trustees Of public schools
have any power under the law 10 purchase
school faciIities for coloIed children The
y
concur in the legal view OF the Law officer
and hold that there il but one body that has
the legal right 10 make the necessary prOvi-
sion fOr these schools, and that l. the trUS tees
for cOiOTCd schools: aud refer TO section SGG
S"s, $40. 81, SIS, and SIC OF the consoi dated
sf1tutes of the District. They hold that the
law authorizing the consolidation Of certain
Offices does not apply 20 the board OF trustees
Of COlOred schools created by a special act OF
Congress. Further, that to exercise that
right and permanently abolish the board
- n IL
UyiIg four thousand children the right TO re-
ceive an education at the public schools.
REAL. ESTATE TRANsFERs.-D. l. CIark
70 Alex. VI. WhitcOmb, lot II, square PSI,
GeaSe for I -entyive years;) s. F. W
Jones TO l. Ruthmuller, quit claim. sab. Il,
square $50; s. W. Williams, trustee. to
Tucker < Sherman, subs. K and l.. square
C!i. S50j. st. Nincent's Orphan AsS 10
Iva RaE;eman, west part lot 20, square 5l5;
- $40. J. e. knCwltOI 20 y. Holmes, sub. T.
and part lot q, square $3.50; S.. s. Dorsey
10 I. 8. Lyon, -, square 40; 500. T. Dow
ling 20 Elizabeth J. West, south part lot 30,
square loo; SOLO. j. T. Ault 10 r. L. Jones,
part lot A. square rs; $. Jos. Reynolds
81 al 10 c. A Stewart. trustee of 18th street
Baptist church, lot II, square 11S. W. q.
Jones TO James Reeves, jr.. sub. %, square
I. and &, square 80, $3.50. X. :. Hill 70 Vi.
SctlOsser, sub. 49,, square G75; S21OO. +.
10 A.Small, part lot 10. square .;
slice Robert F. 1verSOn 20 y. Robinson,
sub. H. square 80, 5000. G.. T. Davis 10 Elisha
II. Cole. sub. 10, square G.G}; -. 900. w. Walker
10 Juda Walker, part lot 2, SqUsre i9i; s.
{. Hirds 10 q. j. Mueller, west half lot ;,
reservation 4; 5000. d. w. Particle 10 y.
II. Warner, sub. -. square 10, q 800
A
ALLEGED ROBBERY o. 4 WASEISGTON-
IAN on RAILWAY CAR.-Mr. JOhh Ed
uCC6s, Of Washington. who vas a plSscugpr
or the Baltimore and Potomac train that
len Washington az 20 n. M, on Wednesday
night, and was detained by the accident at
pdeHtCn, was robbed OF his watch and trif-
ling sum Of money. On the arrival of the
train IN this city Officer Clautice arrested
two OF the passengers, Oscar Johns and
Charles Sykes. The conductor stated that
Detective COOmbS had pointed them ont 70
him IN Washington as suspicious characters.
They had hearing before Justice Hageriy
Yesterday, and they stated they We're from
TerTs Hsute, Indiana. and that one was &C
&C mpanyiHg the other 10 school at Chester
Pa. They were apparently about % years OF
q e, and were neatly dressed. While the
Bearing was IN progress brakeman from
the sta ion brought the watch OF EdmOaJS.
which had been found in o. near where the
prisoners had been seated. Justice HageTty
held them for a further hearng.-BGt. Ga
'ts fO-GCy.
y CHAPTER or ACCIDENTAL bout 81
Q COCK yesterday afternoon James Ralph, in
the employ OF Samuel Lloyd, was unhitch-
ing mule team in Temperance alley. when
one Of the animals kicked him in the mouth,
lnnlcting serious wound. lie was taken 10
his house, IIlI sth street.
About = O'clock last avani0p Mrc