Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-06
A VOTE FOR EDUCATION.
THE BLAIR BILL PASSES THE
SENATE AT LAST.


WASHINGTON, March 5.--The Senate
to-day, after some unimpOrtant preiimi-
nary business, took up the education bill.
The amendment offered by Mr.. Logan
was agreed to providing that ''the Secre-
.tary of the Interior is charged with the
proper administration of this law through
the Commissioner of Education," and
those two officers are authorized, with
the approval of the President, to make
ALI needful rules and regulations not in
consistent with the provisions OF the Dill
% carry out those provisions. Mr.. Logan
said his object was to establish sort OF
board, instead OF leaving questions aris-
Ing under the bill entirely to the Secretary
Df the Interior.
OTHER AMENDMENTS.
Other amendments were agreed to re-
qIiring from State officers yearly reports
Of teachers salaries, the number of school
districts, the relative numbers of white
aud colored children, substituting the
census OF 1890 as the basis of apportiOn-
ment alter that census shall have been
taken, providing that If any State should
decline or relinquish its quota OF moneys
under the bill the amounts so declined
or relinquished should go to increase the
quota Of States accepting; requiring the
Secretary of the Interior to Investigate
complaints of unjust determinations IN
the application Of funds, and including
the District of Columbia in the bill.
NO REGULATION OF STUDIES.
A number of amendments looking to
the regulation of the studies in schools
aided by this bill were rejected.
MIR. Plumb offered an amendment pro-
viding that no State should be entitled to
any of this educational fund till it shall
have fled with the Secretary of the Inte-
riOr a sample Of each school book in use
in its common schools. After cOnsidera-
BILE debate Mr.. Plumb's amendment was
rejected as a whole, but on his renewing
part of the amendment requiring that
samples of school books be filed In the In
terror Department, without making a
States title to money depend on such
filing, it was agreed to.
FURTHER AMENDED.
Other amendments of detail were made
on motion of Messrs. Edmunds, Evarts,
Hale, Dolph, Blair, ingalls,, Teller, Eus-
tbs, Logan, Hampton and Conger. The
bill having thus been perfected as in
committee OF the whole, was reported to
the Senate and most Of the amendments
made in committee of the whole were
argued to. On motion of Mr.. George, the
section setting forth that the design OF
the act was net tn establish an independ-
snt school system in the States, but only
TO extend aid to State governments, was
restored by unanimous vote.
Mr.. Plumb read some articles from the
New York EUeRlRg Post to show that
since the agitation of the question of ma
ti0nal aid the States of the South had not
put forth their usual efforts for eduea-
tiOn.
THE BILL PASSED.
The bill was then read the third time
and passed by vote of 36 yeas to II nays.
A number of pairs were announced Ow-
ing to the necessary absence OF some
Senators. rae vote in detail is as follows:
Yeos-Messrs. Berry, Blackburn, Blair,
Bowen, Call, COlquitt, COnger, CullOm, Dolph,
Eustis, Evarts, George, Gibson, Hoar, Jack
son, Jones OF Arkansas, Kenna, Logan. Ma
hone, Manderson, Miller of New ork. Mitch
ell Of Oregon, Morrill,, Palmer. Payne. Pugh,
Ransom. RiddebergeT, sawyer, Spooner,
Teller, Vance, VanWycK, VOORHEES,, Walthall,
Nags-Messrs. CocErell, Coke, Frye, Gray,
Hale, Harris, ingalls,, Jones of Nevada,
Maxey, Plumb, and Wilson of Maryland
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill as it passed the Senate provides
that for eight years after It's passage there
shall be annually appropriated from the
Treasury the following sums in aid Of
common school education in the States
and Territories and the district of Column
bia and Alaska: First year $1,000, 900;
second year $l0,000,0 600; third year $l5,-
600. 600: fourth year S13, 900, 600; fifth year
S1l, ZOO, 600; sixth year S9,OO0OOO; seventh
year $7,000,000: eighth year $5,00O,000;
making $77, ,000, 900, besides which there
is a special appropriation of $2,O00,000 to
aid in the erection Of school houses in
sparsely settled districts, making the to-
tai fund S79,000,00O.
HOW DIVIDED.
The money is given to the several States
and Territories ''in that proportion which
the whole number Of persons In each who
being Of the age Of 10 years and over can
not write bears to the whole number Of
such persons ia the United States" ac-
cOrdng to the census Of 1880 until the
census figures Of 1890 shall be obtained,
and then according to the latter figure.
In States having separate schools for
white and cOlOred children the money
shall be paid out in support Of such white
and cOIored schools, respectively, in the
proportion that white and cOlored chill
riren between 10 and II years old in such
State bear 10 each other by the census.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE BILL.
No State is 10 receive the benefit Of the
act until its Governor shall file with the
Secretary OF the Interior statement Civ
ing full statistics Of the school system,
attendance OF white and c0lOred children,
che amount OF money expended, etc., the
number Of schools in operation, the num-
Der and compensation OF the teachers,
etc. No State or Territory shall receive
in any year from this fund more money
than II has paid out the previous year
from It's own revenues for common
schools. A any State or Territory de-
clines to take It's share Of the national
fund such share is TO be distributed
among the States accepting the benefit Of
the fund.
PENALTIES FOR WRoNGDoING.
lfany State or Territory misapplies the
lund or fails to comply with the conditions
h. loses all subsequent appropriations.
samples OF all school books In use in
the common schools Of the States and
Territories shall be fled with the Secre-
1aIy OF the Interior. Any State or Terri
tory accepting the provisions of the act at
The hrsttsesslon Of it's Legislature, after
fnc passage OF the act, shall receive It's
pro rata share OF all the previous annual
appropriatiOns. Congress reserves the
right to alter or repeal the acc. The bill
now goes TO tine House OF Representatives
Tor cOncurrence.
Appropriation Bills Received.
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