Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-01-23

Following is the full text of an i'm.
portant bill introduced by Senator
Burkholder Saturday morning:
SECTION /. That every parent,
guardian or other person in this state
having charge or control of any child
or children between the ages or seven
and fifteen years, shall, and is hereby
required to send such child or chill
dren to a common school for at least
twelve weeks in each school year,
commencing on the first day Of Octo-
Der, 1879, at least six weeks of which
shall be 0ns cutive, unless the board
of directors, or board of education,
or board of trustees of school dis
%tricts, as the Ease may be, having
control of the same, in which such
parent Oh guardian shall reside, shall
excuse such child from attendance,
provided it is shown to their satisfac-
ton that the child's bodily or men
tai condition is such as to prevent its
attendance at school, or application
to study for the time required, or
that its time and labor are essentially
necessary for the support of an in
digent parent, brother or sister, or
that such child is being otherwise
furnished with the means of educa-
ton for a like period of time, or has
already acquired a knowledge of the
branches of learning usually taught
in the common schools of this state.
PrOUided the common school OIL
the district in which such parent OF
guardian and child reside shall he
distant two miles from his residence
by the nearest travelled road, ht
shall not be liable to the provisions
Of this act
SEC. 2. In case any parent, guar
dian or other person having in charge
any such child, shall fail to comply
with the provisions of section M o
this act, said parent, guardian o.
other person, shall be liable to a fin,
Of not less than m dollar nor more
than five dollars for the first offence
nor less than five nor more than tel
dollars for each subsequent offence
Such fine shall be collected by thu
board of the proper district, in thu
name of the state of Missouri for thu
use of SAID district in a civil actor
before any justice of the peace, whC
shall have Jurisdiction in all viola
tons of this act, and the fine so col
lected shall be paid to the count,
treasurer, and by him accounted TO
as other moneys raised for shool pur
poses, and said moneys shall be ap
piled to the use of the common schools
of the district in which such offenc'
was committed.
Sec. 3. The school boards, direc
tors or trustees, as the case may be
shall in their respective district, a
least twice a year, in such manner a
may be deemed most expedient, in
quire into and assertion the condi
ton of all children over seven AM
under fifteen years Of age, employe,
at any daily labor, or who shall no
be in attendance at any common
school or private school, or idlin;
about while school is in session, AM
if any violations of this act is discov
cred, said board shall at once com
mence their action against the par
ties offending as herein provided.
, SEC. A. In case it shall be know
, to the satisfaction of the board of di
: rectors or board of education havin
control, that the parent, guardian @
other person in charge of children q
D herein defined, has not the mean
with which to purchase the necessar
: school-books to enable him to con
ply with the requirements of this act
such board is hereby authorized t
: furnish such books free of charge t
such children, the expense of whic
shall be paid out of the school fund
t of such district.