Year: 1869

would e tested in the judicial tribunals


Of the State. Such, however. so far as


am informed, has not been the result


but, on the contrary, in every locality


where the tax has been levied the peo-


pie seem to have acquiesced in the law


under which it was imposed as consti


tutional exercise of the taxing p5we..


If this acquiescence shall continue, OF


if In the event Of the constitutionality


of the law being questioned, the Courts


shall sustain it, the interests Of common


school education will probably be better


subseryed by the aid thus given than by
m increase Of the State tax for school
purposes.


When the people of township, or OF


an incorporated town Or city are taxed


for the support Of the schools Of their
own immediate vici.ity, it is believed


that they i'll take deeper interest in


their improvement and effici ency than


under a system which teaches them to
look entirely to the State for the me ms
of education.


The act of 1867 is, however, defec-
tive in this, it makes no provision for
any return either TO the Superintendent
OF Public Instruction or to the Auditor
OF State, showing the extent to which
ibis power Of local taxation may be in


voSed by the townships and incorforat-
/ Il ~ oft
far as the civil townships re CO cerned.
! if q school tax Is assessed ia each, will
/ lie inclined in the aggregate OF the taxes
Of the township returned through the
/ County Auditor to the Auditor of State,
| but the, will he nothing to show Wheth
er any portion OF that aggregate con


sisted of taxes levied to support schools
in the township or not.


AS to incorporated towns and cities,
no return whatever is provided for,
| therefore, recommend that provision
be made that every township, town, or
city which may exercise the power of
taxation conferred by the act, shall
make return through the Auditor Of
the county, either to the Auditor of
State or to the Superintendent OF Public
Instruction, of the amount SO levie d
and the date Of the levy. Provision
should also be made By which he Su-
perintendent may be properly inform ed
! of the practical results of the tax in
e, cry jurisdiction in which it may be
| levied in prolonging g the term of instruc-
ton therein.


In the cities and larger towns of the
State the office of School Trustee has
| become one Of great and increasing i'm
portance, as well on account Of the Pc
/ cuniary as the educational interests in
Schco Law of March 9th, 1860. it is en-
acted that the Common Council Of each
| incorporated city, and the Board of
Trustees of e. ch incorporated town of
meeting in the month of April of each
wear, and bienually thereafter elect three
School Trustees.


| It would be q much better arrange
ment if the section was so amended IS
to require the election TO take place at
! the first meeting Tor as soon thereafter
as practicable,) of the new Council Or
]! Board which may be elected at the re-
| spective town and city elections in the
| spring of each year.


| A large ajority Of the towns and
is <,f III of tQH
under. the general laws in force on those
| subjects, and under these laws the town
| and city elections occur in the month
of May, SO that the retiring Councils or
Boards instead oi those newly elected,
appoint the School Trustees. A few
towns and cities still exercise their cor
porate powers under special char ters,
passed before the adoption OF the pres
ens Constitution. and the days on which
their elections occur are not uniform,
but all Ct them are believed to be in
April or SIs4 By the amendment pro
posed, the law would operate alike as to
all towns aud cities, no matter under
what law incorporated. by given to the
newly elected Council or Board of
Trustees the appointment OF the School
Trustees for the Gu; rent year. The sec
ton should in my opinion, be further
amended SO as to provide that the first
election Of School Trustees which shall
take place after the adoption of the
amendment, one shall be chosen for one,
another for two, and the third for three
years; and that annually thereafter, one
Trustee shall be elected, to the end that
degree of experience in the educational
affairs of the town Or city may be always
secured commensurate with the impor-
tant interests entrusted to the Board of
School Trustees.