The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-03
RitIrulond nispatrh.
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 8, 1883


resignation, OF otneTNfsc, arc eiecttu iof VII
upexpircd term only. Mr.. BLAIR, the AT
tcrney-Gcneral, Is a conspicuous advocat
Of this construction Of the constitutions
provision on the subject. But In the cas-
OF the trustees Of schools, who, according
20 the words Of the law itself, are electe'
only 20 Gil vacancies" the School Boar'
Of Virginia, OF which Mr.. BLAIR is mem
Der, II trying 10 make II appear tina
such trustees may be appointed by tina
Board 10 fll vacancies, and yet undo
such appointment may hold Office 10
full terms, or, as the Boards resolution ex
presses 10, "for the term OF one, two, ant
three years, to date from their appointment
bv the Board" We do not know what |
means Il this language was not intended Il
set I'D o claim that the Board can appoln
for full term Of three years, 70 date no
from the LIST Of July. next or last, but iron
the time Of their appointment by the STAT
Board. The sufficient answer to this CLAIM
Is that the Board can only I'll vacancies
and that IL the vacancy" Is TO occur here
after-that is, when the School Board acts
then there L. no vacancy now which II cal
GIT. II there be any such vacancy the CITY
Council can fill Il.
Wereproduce from Thursdays Dispatch
the resolutions passed by the state School
Board on Wednesday:
"Whereas School-Supcrintendent +. NJ.
Garneit has reported 20 this Board that
none of the school trustees OF the city OF
Richmond have qualified 10y taking the oath
OF Office according to law; and whereas
this Board have officially ascertained that
there are no legally-quaIiticd occupants OF
said trusteeships; therefore be 1t
Resolved, That this Board proceed TO
fiji the vacancies occasioned by the failure
of the former appointees 10 qualify. and
because the CITY Council OF Richmond did
not within sixty days after the occurrence
Of SAID vacancies proceed 10 fill said yacan-
ciss;
And further resOlred, That a copy OF
this resolution be delivered To the said i.
M. Garnet, Superintendent of Public
Schools for the city OF Richmond, with
the request that he furnish the State Board
Of Education the names Of suitable par
ties who " i'll act as school trustees for said
city for the term OF one, two, and three
years, TO date from their appointment by
The Board"
The reader at distance would infer
from the above resolutions that the public
schools OF Richmond had been neglected, not
to say deserted, by the school officials, and
that there were no trustees now in office;
but the fact is that the trustees Of our pub
Tic schools have never for moment ne
elected their duties. They have held their
meetings regularly, provided for all the
wants o: the schools, kept n strict watch
upon the superintendent, the principals,
the teachers, and the pupils, and have the
satisfaction OF knowing that there are in
the United States no better schools than
those in Richmond. We give below the
names OF the trustees:
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
First DiStrict.-Charlcs p. Rady, A. w.
Weddell, William III. Williams.
Second DiStrict.-Alfred X. Courtney.
Robert w. Powers, Robert &. Cabell.
Third District.-M. l.. Straus, Samuel
p. Moore, w. X. Bowie.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
Teachers and SchooiS.-W. c. CARING
ton, A. X. Courtney, s. p. Meade, w. X.
Bowie, a. w. Weddell, and L. NJ. Gar
nett.
Buildings and Frniture.-R. W. Pow
ers, NJ. l.. Straus, II. q. Cabell, William
III. Williams, +. M. Garnett, and j. III.
Feay, Jr.
Finonce.--C. z. Rady, NJ. L. Straus,
William Ii. Williams, and j. ii. Peay, Jr.
1t will be seen that the schools are in the
hands Of men whom nobody would class
otherwise than as among the best citizens
Of Richmond.
Upon what grounds is it proposed to va
cate their places? Upon no other ground
than that as the same members OF the Board
have again and again been reelected and
have continued TO act under their original
qualification, therefore "there are no legal
Unqualified occupants OF said trus.eeships."
That is the whole story. WEDDELL, RADy,
WILLIAMS, COURTNEY, POWERS, CABELL,
STRAUs, MOORE, and BOWIE did not take a
second or third time the oath required by
law to be taken by all school trustees.
This is the averment OF the School Board !;
but il is not admitted to be the fact. Even,
however, II it were true, that fact would
create no such vacancies" as the law
contemplates. and no such vacancies " as
the above resolution leaves the reader to
infer exist in the Board OF Trustees Of the
Public Schools Of this city.
Does anybody believe that any attempt
would have been made to remove these
trustees ii they had been CoiIitionists? No,
indeed. We do not suppose That Governor
CAMERON, or Mr.. BLAIR, or Mr.. FAIR
would set up any such pretence.
The public will learn with satisfaction
that the City Council controls the appro-
priations to the public schools, and will re-
collect that under Judge FRENCH's decision
OF last week the State School Board has no
right to remove the present capable, faith
full, and efficient trustees. These gentle
men will OF course refuse to surrender their
places until ordered TO vacatc them
by the Supreme Court OF Appeals. The
law under which II Is proposed TO remove
them was never intended for any other
pui pooc th~h w Si'V w tiic Nsar' f'O"i " wv
power TO I'LL real vacancies in the boards
Of trustees and secure the schools against
any evil results which might follow the
neglect OF city councils to elect school
trustees. The City Council OF Richmond
has never failed to elect trustees, and so
the State Board cannot possibly have the
right 10 act. It's power to act can never
accrue until the City Council has failed TO
perform the duty Of electing school trtIs-