National Republican., 1876-08-23
A REDUCTION Or TIKI EXPENDITURES
EcoHomYIHT THEDls1RIcI SCHOOLS
TIE SOUTH WASHINGTON RESOLUTIONS
Report Of the Special Committee
INFORMATION FOB THE COMMISSIONERS
Applications, Nominations and Confrmations

| journed meeting last night to consider the re-
port of the committee to whom was referred
| the commune ition from the District Com
missioners, accompanying the resolutions
adopted at a recent meeting of citizens Of
South Washington in connection with the re-
| moyal of Mr.. John 8. Thompson. There were
present at the meeting Trustees Curtis, (presi-
dent,) Brooks, (secretary,) Champlin, Det-
rick, Dyer, French, Hovey, johnson, Mitchell,
Mofat, Randolph, Ryder and Reyburn.
REDUCE EXPENSES.
| The secretary presented the following COM
| munication from the District Commissioners:
| OFFICE COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT OF Col,
| WAsHIHsToN, Aug. q, 1870.
To- ths soSrd BE- q Trustees Of Public Schools Di'
| GENTLEMEN am directed by the Com
missioners to inform you that after careful
| consideration and estimates of the probable
| revenues and necessary expenditures of the
/ District government during the current fiscal
| year ending June 80, 1877, they think it pru-
| dent at present to contemplate a reduction of,
say, two months in the usual expeditures for
the public schools for the year, and you will,
| therefore, make all your arrangements involy-
ing the payment of money accordingly.
The estimated amount appropriated for the
/ public schools for the current fiscal year is
$3.50, 900. The amount expended the past year
was 1884 ,341 40, of which there was expended
| for erection of buildings S41 900, leaving for
| ordinary expenditures S343, ,S41 40. The Com
| missioners request that you will carefully con-
| sider the question of conducting the public
lures, $3.50, 900, and report to them your con-
illusions as to the most judicious plan.
Very respectfully, WH. TYNDALL,
Secretary.
Upon motion of Trustee Hovey, the commu-
nication was referred to special committee
composed of Trustees Hovey, Champlin, Ran
dolph and johnson.
NEW SCHOOL BUILDING.
Trustee Moffat offered resolution, which
was adopted, that the sub board of the Fourth
district and the superintendent be appointed a
committee to arrange for and take charge Of
the dedication of the new school building in
South Washington, and to fix the time for the
same.
In this connection Trustee Ryder presented
petition from the residents of the Fourth
district, asking that the new school building
Ambush" building.
The communication was referred to the sub
board of the Seventh district.
Trustee Detrick nominated VIM. r. SHED
as janitor Of the Abbott building. Confirmed.
Trustee johnson presented the application
of Mrs, EyangeliIe Tidball for position as
teacher in the colored schools, Referred To
Superintendent Cook.
THE SOUTH WASHINGTON REsoLUVoNs.
Trustee Brooks, from the select committee
having under consideration the Communication
from the District Commissioners in reference
to the resolutions adoptt d by a meeting of citi-
zens of South Washington, submitted the com
mittee's report in the form of a statement to
be made to the District Commissioners in ac-
cordsnce with their request. The report first
quotes the record in relation the proceedings
Of the board leading to the adoption of a reso-
luton, June 20, that the nominations for teach
ers by the sub board be referred to the respec-
tive committees on teachers.
The record is then quoted in relation to the
reference of the nomination of Mr.. John Z.
Thompson for the position of principal of the
Fourth district to the committee on teachers.
Then follows the majority report of that COM
mittee, signed by Messrs. Randolph, Dyer and
Hoyey, and adverse to Mr.. Thompson; also,
the minority report, signed by Messrs. Lloyd
and Moffat, and recommending Mr.. Thomp-
sons retention. Then follows the adoption of
the majority report and the subsequent pro-
ceedings, including the confirmation of Mr..
Stuart for the position of supervising principal
of the Fourth district. The committee also
submitted to the consideration of the Commis-
sioners the testimony, exhibits and reports of
the committee on teachers as the most appro-
pirate answer to the charges against the board
of trustees or individual members of the
DOaTU, ulaQe IN kpe puOllc meeting referred 70
in the letter of the Commissioners.
NOTE.
In signing the report Mr.. Brooks added q
note to the report as follows: 81 concur with my
associates in their conclusions, and desire TO
add, in addition, that l found no fact In the
recorded action Of the Board Of Trustees or
elsewhere which. in my Judgment, al a,i a,i iusti-
fes the charge Of eonsDir:.cy and combination
70 enecE The removal of Mr.. Thompson, as set
IOrth in the first OF the resolutions transmitted
to the board by the Commissioners. On the
contrary, found that greater deliberation and
publicity was given to the case of Mr.. Thomp-
son than is usual in such cases: nor was a de-
cision reached or vote taken until after full
discussion and consideration of all the facts by
the whole toard.
'In response to the sixth and seventh resolu-
tions, transmitted by the Commissioners, /
further find, from a careful reading of the tes-
timony, that during the investigation of this
case by order of the board by the committee
on teachers of the white schools no member of
said committee exceeded his legal or moral
right in propounding questions to witnesses or
otherwise in conducting the investigation. /
hold it to be the right as well as the duty Of q
member to ss-eXamine witnesses in cases of
investigation when the object is to get at the
facts and establish the truth. Nothing more
than this appears to have been done in this
case by any member of the committee on
teachers"
MR.. RAEDoLPH's VIEWS.
Trustee Randolph submitted a few remarks
to the board as follows:
"In connection with this report and q
member of this committee | desire to add q
few words. do not understand the request of
the honorable Commissioners as being in any
sense an order served upon this board TO pro-
duce its record in this case before them for the
purpose of having the same reviewed; aud
either affirmed or set aside. There is nothing
in the letter of the Commissioners that admits
of any such construction, and the language
they are reported to have used to the commit
tee of complaints would seem to leave no
doubt as to their intention not to interfere
with the lawful administration of the public
schools by the board of trustees.
81 use the expression lawful administration
adyisedly, and by 1t mean this, that by ex-
| isting laws the trustees are invested with GER
| tain powers, aid in the exercise of these their
| action is final; that when, as in the case in
| hand, the law provides that the trustees shall
| appoint all teachers authorized by law, and
| change them at pleasure it vests the power
| of appointment and removal In this board ex-
| clusively, and provides for no appeal to any
| other authority from its decisions.
"There is no precedent OF such an appeal
| ever having been taken either to Mayor, Gov
| ernor or Commissioners. The attempt to have
| Congress and the Executive of this District in
terfere to suspend the lawful action of trustees
| in the matter of the appointment. of teachers
| is procedure unheard of before.
| "Failing in this modest attempt these CON-
| plainants do not hesitate, at the sacrifice of
consistency, to invoke ttgdinSt us the use Of the
| very prerogatiye for the exercise of which by
| IFS they complain so Justify. Out of over three
| hundred teachers We have made some six or
1 seven changes, and now these disafected
i parties demand of the Commissioners, in order
1 to effect the reinstatement Of but one OF these
| rejected teachers, a reconstruction Of the whole
| board if needs beat least they say that one
| or two trustees Objectionable to them must be
"bounced." "An eye for an eye, and tooth
for tooth"-Champlin for Thompson-aud
| HoyeY for the future peace Of mind OF his
"next friend.
"Our Commissioners are friends of law aud
| order, and by their position are committed to
the duty of upholding lawful authority In the
administration of the public schools as else
where. They have always sought to aid and
encourage those who, without pay and often
II q hail rk %haxya