Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-13
request of the Commissioners regarding the
cases of Miss Brown and Miss Myers.

| cases OF Miss Brown and Miss Myers.
MIR. SMITH WANTS TO ADJOURN.
Mr. Smith suggested that in view If the letter
of the Commissioners defining the powers of
| trustees that the board ad;oarn, and have
conference with the Commissioners. Under
their powers as defined by that litter they
| could not nominate or assign telchers He
thought they should find out what he law pre-
teachers If that was not their fuiction they
| should adjourn sine die, or adjourn until they
could have conference with tie Commits
! sioners. and ascertain what their lowers were.
He thought the practical way was to suspend
all legislation until they knew whit they could
s ssgatiy act upon: 1T is mere face, said Mr.
| smith, "a mere burlesque to SCI haze discussing
| reports and resolutions, if they hal no power to
act 1t is mere nonsense, gentlemen, and am
| my position on the board Is concerned, do not
care snap of my fingers, but don't let US have
fnree son Rather 1t Gi than DO that propose to make
! where We stand"
MR.. BIRNEY WANTS TO BE COURTEOUS.
Mr.. Birney said he thought theirpath clear at
| present. He thought it courtesy t. defer to the
request of the Commissioners as o the case of
| Misses Brown and Myers. AS tcthe ing let
| ter from the Commissioners it nicely set forth
what the Commissioners proposed to do in the
| future and not what they had d,ne He dif-
tered very widely inc eed from tic legal view
| taken by the Commissioners. Thetrustees had
broad powers conferred upon then by law, and
defined clearly by the statute. the letter of
| the Commissioners was a surprise 10 him. He
was surprised at the extent of it. Il wiped out
all the legal powers OF the board Ind reduced
| them to mere board of visitors. He thought
| it wrong in policy as well as wrongtn law
Mr. Smith asked if the Commissioners had not
! in the letter they had written Interference to
the assignment of two teachers assumed an au-
| thority which the trustees claimed Is their own.
| Mr. Birney thought that in that tie Commits
Mr Smith sad f be SS no
to do thing he did not want to go through the
form OF doing 1t merely to have it undone: He
legislation until they knew where they were
drifting.
| OPINIONS ON THE LAW.
Mr. Birney thought that while they should
| treat the Commissioners with due courtesy,
they should at the same time maintain their
own rights and powers. The letter, however,
merely advised the board OF what the Commits
sioners proposed to do. He thought it due to
| ing points which the Commissioners touched
upon In their letter. but he did not think the
SSomm iIsa intended to revoke what the
| board had done, and the report of the teachers
committee related to what had been lone.
| Nh. Lovejoy read passages from the letter,
and said it seemed to him that they were de-
prived of the powers mentioned in the letter
to create schools and select supervising princi-
pals and janltors. Mr.. I.ovejoy thought that
! the most proper thing to do was to adopt Mr..
| Smiths suggestion and adjourn. He did not
think they could act without the regulations to
guide them, which the Commissioners propose
| to provide.
| DIR. PURvIS THINKS HE CAN SEE IT.
| DR.. furvis thought it a matter they should
not be sensitive about. He could see how the
| officers who were responsible for the disburse-
ment of the money should feel that they should
have the power of appointment. He did not
| think the Commissioners proposed to do any
| thing to deprive a teacher OF her rights and he
| thought it would be indecent haste to adjourn
without taking action upon matters respecting
the appointment or standing of teachers in the
| schools. The board had engaged In great edu-
cational works and had accomplished a good
| deal. Still they had succeeded in wrangiing a
| great deal over small matters. They had frit-
| tered away hours without accomplishing one
thing The C1mmissioners had io. seen en-, and and
been slow to magnify the discussions in the
board. The reporters had dealt in hyperboe.
| They were men of vivid imagination.
"fn substantiation of which, Mr.. Curtis in.
| terjected, "you refer to the Presidents recent
| letter.
the moral effect, if not for the legal effect, they
should confirm the action of the teachers
committee, and not keep the teachers in sus-
pense.
MR.. CURTIS GIVES IT UP.
! Mr.. Smith, however, insisted on his motion
| to adjourn. He said he did not agree with the
definition of the powers of the board as given
| by the Commissioners. They knew well that
the teachers assigned by this board would re-
main on the rolls until some one removed
them. He thought the language of the Com
had not the power to appoint teachers:
"The question: said Mr.. Smith, "resolved
itself to this: How are you going to settle this
natter
81 give it up" said Mr. Curtis.
| Mr.. Smith said his proposition was that until
! they ascertained just what the Commissioners
meant they should take no action upon any
matter.
"What will you do said Mr.. Curtis, in re-
spect to the bills? I understand that the Treas
ury department requires the approval OF the
| trustees
LET the Commissioners take the response
bility until they define our duties" said Mr.
| Smith. Continuing, Mr. Smith declared that
| his views and those of the attorney of the Dis
! trict were wide apart as the poles. He thought
! that the attorney went to the utmost extreme
| in this matter.
| MIR. BIRNEY AGREES WITH MR. SMITH.
Mr.. Birney said he agreed with the spirit OF
| Mr.. Smiths remarks. Still, he did not think
that the Commissioners would disapprove OF
anything they did tonight in the way of con-
| tirming acts already DONE He did not think
the Commissioners would like them to taAe any
action looking to the future He thought the
had treated them politely and
ers. He did not think The position taken by
the Commissioners could be maintained tor one
minute in face of the powers conferred upon
the trustees by law. He did not propose to do
anything discourteous to the Commissioners,
| tut to go on and affirm acts already done.
| DR.. Purvis thought that if the commissioners
considered that they had, by the letter of De-
cember 3Oth, annulled the powers Of the board,
they would, in a letter OF a later date make {.
| to the assignment of q teacher.
THE QUESTION AS DEFINED BY MR.. LOvEJOY.
Mr.. Smith still insisting on his motion to
adjourn, the motion was put, and Mr.. Curtis,
who was In the chair, announced that it was
| lost. An aye and no vote was called for but
before it was taken Mr.. Lovejoy said he was
satisfied that the Commissioners were wrong I'm
| point Of law in the position they had taken II
| they were right the board had no authority to
| do any act covered by the prohibitions of this
! letter. II the power of appointing supervising
principals, teachers and janitors was taken
! away, were not all powers taken away from
motion was put in this form, as it the opinion
OF the board that the position of the Commits
| sioners is legal or not?' he would vote that 1t
was not u legal one. He thought that, believing
1t not to be legal, they should go on with ali
their business. II it was proposed merely to
| act on this matter he would change his mind
and vote to adjourn. He did not believe the
| Commissioners had the authority TO take these
| powers from the board.
Mr.. Smith said he would make motion that
| in the view Of the board that the letter of the
Commissioners was not Well founded in law.
| but in courtesy to the Commissioners the board
take recess to confer upon the matter. After
some discussion MIR. Smith consented to with.
| teachers committee to report.
! RESERVATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.
| Mr.. Griswold, from the teachers' committee
I then reported the following recommendations
which were adopted: Grant q fourth-class certi.
| fcate to Ellis w. Brown; accept resignation OF
| Alice L. Kern, second divisfOn appoint Lucy
| NJ. Adams acting teacher, vice Miss Kern re-
| signed: accept resignation of f.. A. Scriyener