Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-08-26
City School Board.

Mclean, Marbury Vincent and Whiting
on, with the City Superintendent The
minutes of the last meeting were read and
approved.
Mr.. r. L. Carne by unanimous consent,
offered the following amendment to the by
avs, which was unanimously adopted, viz :
Strike out proviso allowing teachers in
crease of salary for experience in other pub
nc and in private schools, and insert the
in lieu thereof:
provided, however, That if teacher of |
qualifications and considerable ex.
perience should be elected, the Board may,
ut the time of said election, fix the salary of |
such teacher for the first year at any rate |
not exceeding the maximum salary"
MIR. Marbury, from the Committee on
Finance and Accounts, reported the account
of the clerk for expenditure of contingent
fund, showing balance of Is cts, correct;
and moved an appropriation of $50 for the
contingent fund, which motion was carried
Also the following bills, viz: Adams Ex-
press Co., freight on sample desks, 81. S5 and
$1.2S; T. ]. Mehaffey & Co., coal, 1891 so
r. w. Avery, matches and other supplies,
$4.05, which were ordered to be paid.
Superintendent Carne, from the Commit
tee on Schoolhouses and Furniture, reported
that fuel for the winter had been contracted
for from T. y. Mehaffey & Co.; lowest
bidders, after receiving the bids of three
other firms that the furniture of the room
occupied by the Alexandria Library Com
pany had been stored in the third story, and
the cases secured, and 81 double desks pro-
cured for that room at cost of q little less
than 500; and that he had investigated
the title to the Lee and Seaton buildings
(which he gave in detail) and ascertained
that majority of the resident trustees
were willing to give the Board exclusive
possession if the debts thereon were paid.
Also, that Miss Wair having become ill
during her REORGANIZATION. no had decided,
unless there was objection, to relicense her
until another examination. The late Super
dent and several trustees testiNing to her
superior qualifications, his decision was
acquiesced in.
The election of teacher for Snowden
School, to fill the vacancy Occasioned by the
resignation of VIM. P. Burke, being in order,
Mr.. r. l.. Carne nominated Patrick H,
Lumpkins, who was unanimously elected,
and the Superintendent was directed to
place him in charge of No. 8, promoting
VIM. H. Madella to No. 2.
Supt. Carne offered an amendment to the
By Laws fixing the grade of certain schools,
which was on his motion, referred to the
Committee on By Laws.
On motion the Superintendent was auth
orized, in case a new teacher should be need
ed in Lee school, to transfer Miss Grigg to
that place, and engage Miss Alberta V. Sis
son, or some other suitable person to teach
Peabody school, Nos l and . until the
Board can elect
The Superintendent then offered the fol-
lowing:
Ordered, That the public free schools of Alex
andria city shall DO free to all persons between
the ages of five and twenty-one years residing in
said city and that the clerk be instructed to grant
permits for entering the public schools, without
making any requirement in regard to the pay
ment of tnxos
He said that the Constitution and laws of
the Commonwealth made the schools free to
all persons between S and 81, and he found
q provision in the bylaws, torbidding the
clerk to issue permit to any child whose
father had not paid the city capitation tax
of fifty cents No such law was anywhere
else in the country, he believed in the world.
This Board was created to provide free edu-
cation for all, yet it made an obstruction to
that free education which was not warrant
ed by any law, and instead of getting in all
the children it could, excluded those who
could not pay.
Mr.. Richard l.. Carne thought the pro-
viso an excellent one it excluded no child
from the school, but served to collect for the
city,a large amount of tax which those who
owed it were bound to pay, children or no
children. He was not sure that he would
not be forced to vote for it's repeal, for it
might be unlawful, but he had not regarded
it rs his duty while Superintendent to be-
come judge of the laws passed by the
Board, conceiving that parties aggreved, if
any: could have recourse to the courts. He
asked to see the law, and the power ito reg
ulate the attendance of pupils" being grant
ed to the School Board therein, he said he
thought that covered the rule and would
vote to retain it. He was in favor of max
ing every man bear his share of the public
burthens. AS to the custom elsewhere, he
thought one other Virginia city had similar
law, and he knew that Baltimore had, for
years, exacted tax of - a year on her pub
lie schools for use of books.
Supt. Carne rGjoincd that there were 1852
children of school age in the city, and only l. $50
in the public schools We should be glad to gather
III all these abscntccs, without money or price and
train them up to be good citizens.
Mr.. r. L. Carnc said that the number his BROTH
or had mentioned comprised all between and 21;
the usual school age was to 16 and we had only
3,1S2 between those ages. The actual enrolment
ofpupils from the city in private schools taken in
1880, was ], 114, 80 that not more than six hun
dred were to be accounted for; of these many were
under seven, and ought not to be at school, and
many over Ii, were at trades and business He
himself had last entered school room as q pupil
at the age of 13 years and months, and had &C.
quired all his subsequent education by his own
unaided exertions; so he thought we had, proba-
bly,, all the children in town who could be gotten
to school, under instruction.
Supt. Carne said he would not have introduced
the subject had he not thought it his sworn duty
Here was school established by George Wash
ington for INDECENT children; what would he saw
if he knew that no could enter it if he had not
half dollar?
Mr.. R. L. Carne replied that the school was es.
tablished for orphans only and that any orphan
applying to the Clerk would get Il permit without
being asked for a cent of tax.
Mr.. Snowden said he thought the bylaw good
one and would vote to retain it.
Mr.. Vincent was not quite prepared to vote on
the subject and moved a postponemont, which
was agreed to without q division and the Board
at $50 adjourned.
Egyptian News.
yUolealo,,,e