The daily gazette., 1878-05-14
Tho School Board.
REGULAR MEETING-FINANcIA MAT
TERs TUE NINTH WARD CONTEST
MIR. FARRELL RETAINS HIS sEAT-
OTHER MATTERS.

The Board af Education met In regu-
lar session, last evening, President
Eckel In the chair, and superintendent
Harlin acting as secretary.
The'Commitlee Oh Teachers reported
that the resignation of Miss Sallle NJ.
Shields, fourth assistant of No. 3, had
been received, and that Miss Kate n.
Taylor had beeen appointed TO the Va
cancy. Report accepted.
Mr.. Woolley, from the Finance Com
mittee, stated that the City treasurer
had in hand school taxes for 1876
amounting 10 $l9O,2 for which amount,
on his motion, an order Was directed To
be drawn.
Mr.. Woolley, referred to the financial
condition Of the Board, and stated that
as the treasury contained only $500 TO
pay bills and pay rolls, and no money
was in prospective unit July, it was
necessary 10 make some arrangements
with the City Council. lie therefore
offered the following:
NHEREAs, the Ciy Council of Will
mingJon through its chair of the Commit
lec on Finance, has agreed to advance
to this Board, on account of the appro-
priatlon for the year 1878, such amounts
as may from time TO time be required to
enable it to pay salaries and other ne
ccessary expenses, between the present
time and the end of the school year
therefore, be IL
ReS0tued, That in coDsiderali0n--of this
act OF concession on the part of the City
Council, this Board will upon requisl-
tion of said City Council, through its
chairman, Of the Committee on Finance,
direct orders to be drawn by their proper
officers in favor OF the Mayor and Coua-
Gil Of Wilmington, for the first and
subsequent amounts of school taxes for
the year 1878 that may be collected, un-
I'll the amounts advanced by the City
Council shall be fully liquidated.
The preamble and resolutions were
! adopted and copy ordered TO be sent o
The City Council Finance Committee.
| Mr.. Woolley also presented the bond
OF the Treasurer-elect. Wm. Ii. Cloward,
executed by Cyrus and Joseph Pyle. 1t
was accepted.
Mr. Lally, from the special committee
on the contest of Henry l.. Grubb against
the election Of Martin Farrell from the
Ninth Ward, presented a majority re-
port. IL recite the fact that al the cleo
lion IN that Ward 81 illegal Votes were
cast, follows:
| Assessed and not paid tax, 35
Voted aud not assessed, 27
| Unknown to collectors, %
Total, 81
This return was sworn to by the collec-
tors OF city taxes.
The committee reported that they
,.ah Ina Itt,o III
Communications, but simply to report the
facts, as the Board is the judge of the
qualifications of its own members.
he report was signed by Messrs. Lally
and Pyle.
Mr. Woolley presented minority re-
port agreeing TO the main facts stated in
the other report, but asserting that as
the inspectors had failed in their duty,
by receiving 81 Illegal votes out of a
total poll of 1866, the election should be
set aside. The report closed with the
following preamble and resolution
WHEREAS, 1t has has been proven that a
majority or the votes cast az the recent
elec ion for member of the Board of
Public Education from the Ninth Ward,
on Saturday, May 4lh, 1873, were lille
gal therefore, be it
Resolved, that the election held on May
= 4, 1878, be, and is hereby declared null
and void, and the seat of Martin Far
rell is hereby declared vacant.
Col. Heisler III )ved to lay the minor
ity report OH the table. Lost, by rising
vote OF s ayes to9 nays.
Mr.. Lally moved that The majority re-
port be adopted aud the committee dis
; charged. Adopted, by raising vote OF
10 to 9.
! Mr.. Baird impaired how the Board
r stood i'll relation TO the contest.
} The chair replied that the Board now
had official knowledge of some facts
, connected with the recent school cleo
, tion, aud could take what action ii
pleased.
: Mr.. Woolley offered the preamble and
i resolution counec ed with his minority y
report, aud moved their adoption.
!, Mr.. Farrell raised the point of ordeI
t that as the majority and minority reports
f had been acted upon, the motion OF Mr..
= Woolley could not be considered
: The chair decided the point not well
taken, as it was competent, TO take VI
the resolution contained in the minority
report at any time.
:, Mr.. Farrell appealed from the decision
z of the chair but The decision was sustain
q ed by the Board.
Il Mr.. Baird SAID it was made apparent
T. from both the reports, that more thar
one-half of tine votes cast in the Nintl
: Ward were illegal. Following well-set
q tied precede Its, the Board for this rea
" soH, eau declare the seat vacant.
Il Mr.. Hesler thought The time had CONT
d for The school elections to be purged u
a such illegal voting, and that the Boarc
If should put its foot down upon this system
9 He asked if the Board had power TO ill
II II the vacancy if the seat was declared va
"a cant.
,s MIR. Woolley cited the case of a contes
n in the Seventh Ward, a few years ago
r. when the board had set aside the cleo
o tion, ou the ground of intormality, an'
a filled the vacancy.
II Mr.. Farrell GAINED that it was thu
4 duty of the Board simply to scrutlniz
: the return sent in by the inspectors
f. where there was no plea of informality
e but il could not go behind the returns
II He said it was we'll known that the 1851
g votes polled at the school election a