The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-02-14
The School Bill.

can act to establish and maintain system of
public free schools for the state of Texas, and
to repeal so much of chapter 3, of title rs, of
the revised civil statutes of Texas, as refer
to public free schools outside of incorporated
cities and towns, assuming or having as
sumed control of their public free schools,
and all laws and parts of laws in conflict
with this act''
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature
of the State of Texas, That the constitutional
provisions for public schools are hereby ap-
pended as part of the school law of this state.
SECTION 1-ARTICLE Z.
A general diffusion of knowledge being es-
sential to the preservation of the liberties and
rights of the people, it shall be the duty OF the
legislature of the state to establish and make
suitable provision for the support and main
tenance of an Efficient system of public free
schools.
SECTION PARTICLE Z.
All funds, lands and other property hereto
fore set apart and appropriated for the sup
port of public schools, all the alternate sec
lions of land reserved by the state out of grants
heretofore made, or that may hereafter be
made to railroads or other corporations of
any nature whatever, one-half of the public
domain of this state, and all sums of money
that may come to the state from the sale of
any portion of the same, shall constitute per-
petual school fund.
SECTION 3-ARTICLE 7-AIENDED CoNsTI-
TUITION.
One-fourth of the revenue derived from the
state occupation taxes and poll tax Of 81 on
every male inhabitant of this state between the
ages of twenty-one and sixty years shall be set
schools, and in addition thereto, there shall be
levied and collected an annual ad valorem
state tax OF such an amount, no TO exceed
twenty cents on the 800 valuation, as with the
| available school fund arising from all other
sources, will be sufficient TO maintain and sup
port the public free schools of this state for a
period of not less than six months in each year,
and the legislature may also provide for the
| formation of school districts within all or any
of the counties of this state by general orispe-
| cial laws without the localllnotice required in
other cases of special legiSl alton, and may au-
| thoriZe an additional annual ad valorem tax to
| be levied and collected within such school dis
/ trictS for the further maintenance of public
| free schools and the erection OF school build
| ings therein; provided, that two-thirds of the
| qualified property Tax paying voters OF the dis
trict, voting at an election to be held for thai
purpose, shall vote such tax not to exceed IL
| any one year twenty cents on the 300 valua
| ton of the property subject to taxation in Sucl
district but the limitation upon the amount O
district tax herein authorized shall not appl!
to Incorporated cities or towns constituting
seperate and independent school districts.
SECTION 4-ARTICLE 7-AMENDED CoNsTI
1
| The lands herein set apart to the public FIRE,
| school fund shall be sold under such regula
tions at such times and on such terms as maN
be prescribed by law, and the LEGISLATURE shall
not have power to grant any relief to purchas
ers thereof. The comptroller shall invest TIN
proceeds of such sales and of those heretofor
made as may be directed by the board of edu
cation herein provided for, in the bonds of tn
United States, the state of Texas, or cOuntie
in said state, or in such other securities and un
der such restrictions as may be prescribed b.
law and the state shall be responsible for al
investments.
SECTION PARTICLE
The principal o: all bonds and other fund
and the principal arising from the sale of tn
i. lands hereinbefore set apart to said schoo
fund shall be the permanent school fluid, an
the interest derivable therefrpm and the take
, | herein authorized to be levied shall be tn
available school fund. which shall be apple
| annually to the support OF the public fire
schools, and no law shall ever be enated al
prOpriating any part of the permanent Q
available school fund to any other purpos
whatever, nor shall the same or any part ther,
Of be appropr ated to or used for the supper
| of any sectarian schools, and the availabl
/ school fund herein provided shall be distril
uted 10 the several counties, according to rhe
, scholastic population. and applied III the MAJ
l ner as may be provided by law
D SECTION 6-ARTICLE 7-AMENDED CoNST
TUITION.
1 All lands heretofore or hereafter granted
the several counties Of this state for education;