Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-05-07
The State DebI and The Public
School Fund.

Mr.. EDITOR As many persons
are pefpieXed at the complication of
the above subjects and the embar-
easements iu which they are at pres
eHt involved. [ have thought It might
be Of service to give a bciet historic
statement Of these question:. wi.h
some observations upon the traa,ac-
tions that have led to the prcsen.
embarrassment.
The present constitution Of Fir-
ginia was adopted in 1859. Is origin
waS not paIatable and some of it,
provisions were not altogether ss'is-
factory 20 large porIion Of tie Vir-
ginia people Bu,, having the privi-
lege Of rejecting sore of its most
obiectional fc7 turcs. it vas adopted
by the people. as Tins amend 4, ia
good faith; ard aS tue Frcgiu'zux
they expected - nhor aud uphold it,
until they shouid Sc ft in an orderly
way to amend it. Sca,e amendments
have a!reedy been made. OF the
eight years immediately prior t"
1870. favr ys-rs we're spent in des-
oiating war. sud four ye-rs the State
vas under Federal Mili,sry control
Du5irg tLese eight years the S.are
h4d no pnwer to took fter tie fnan-
c;sI interests aud oGiiga'ions'
Bv the adoption of the present
constitution the State rceainei her
sovereignty 0Ser her own aftirS.-
The constitution made it obligatory
upon the representatives, cf the pen
pie to provide for a gradual extin-
gniShment Of the State debt by
sinking fund, and incidentally ailuder
to tie pavmeut of the Interest Ou the
State boads, but fixes no time aud
prescr,bes no arrangement for doing
it. The constitution also required
the Legislature 10 establish and pro-
vide for the support Of system of
public schools. The cor,ti ution De.
fined the main features OF The sys-
TEN, and also designated the resuurc-
es for it's support The first LeeisIa.-
ture, elected under the constitution.
early in its session made the cog>ti-
Jutionsl arrangements to let on foot
the public school system. The con-
elitutional provision for the support
Of the public schools is as follows:
The General Assembly shall apply
the annual interest on the Literary
Eu.I IN, 40 ,,JtytIy,r t,v- ,,.y.,-,-. 4 l. 80.
this constitution for public free school
purposes, and su annual tax uDou the
property of the State Of not less than
one mil! nor more than FIVE mills on
the dollar, for the equal benefit of
all the people of the State. The
constitution designated what should
constitute ,be Literary Fund, Act.
VIII, Sec 7. In obedienc to this
requirement, the Legislature. July H.
1870, adopted schooI law, making
the constitutional provision for
"School Funds. -
On the 20tb of March 1871. nearly
eight months after tht school law was
passed an1 sitter the school system
~as put into operation, the Same
Legislature passed bill for the re-
funding of the State bonds. In this
act is found q provision making ''cnu>
Pons' (due>billS for the semi-annuai
intereSrs) receivable in payment of
all taxes. debts. dues ami demands
due the State &"
The direct conflict of this coupon
arrangement. with the provision Of
the constitutions and the Law TOR the
support Of the public Schools Wji.
strike the reader With astonishmant
This conflict will be noticed hereat-
ter There we're in this first Legis-
lature some good and true men ShU
opposed this funding bill with all
their power. But majority of the
body we're men some of whom we're
destitute Of the ability to compre-
bend the true interests Of the State
Others were more concerned to pro-
mo5e their own ends than the States
welfare. There was large proror-
tiOn of carpet biggeTs, scalawags
and freedmen in the body. Gov.
Walker, himself a bondhOIder, rec
the funding bill and mus