Year: 1866

selves candidates for teaching in such district
and in such examination it shall be the duty of
the commissioners aforesaid to inquire, and, so
far as he shall be enabled thereto tu ascertain and
inform himself as to all the qualifications men
toned and contained in the certificate hereinafter
specified and given in form. and if he shall be
satisfied as to the sufciency of such qualifications
he shall certify in writing, under his hand, and
deliver such certificate to the person examined
by him as aforesaid in form and substance follow
ing, viz: 81, the undersigned, resident commits
sioner of primary schools of district No., do
certify that have examined -, and do believe
he Tor she, as the may be,) is of good moral
character, and of sufficient learning and ability,
primary school; Given under my hand the =
day gyn3 of in the year OF our Lord one thousand
sioner of primary school district No. ~; and
dismiss any intemperate, cruel, negligent, or i'm
moral teachers, and cause to be put up in every
school house such general system of rules and
regulations as may be adopted by the board of
commissioners, which board shall also direct
what books shall be used, and what branches shall
be taught and the resident commissioners afOre
said shall visit the schools in each of their respec
tive districts at least twice year, exercise gen
ercse general supervision, and endeavorto to pro-
mote full, equal, and useful instruction of the
youth of said county.


SEC Q. And be it further enacted That whenever
any school district shall be formed by the COM
mssioners OF primary schools aforesaid it shall
be the duty OF the said commissioners, within
twenty days thereafter, to make a notice in writ
ing describing the metes and bounds of such dis
trict, and appoint time and place for the first
district meeting, and notify the taxable white in
habitants residing in such dstrictas aforesaid, by
public advertisements to be put up at the most
public places of the said district at least six days
before the time of such meeting; and in case such
notice shall not be given Aforesaid, or the in
habitants of such district when SO notified shall
neglect or refuse to assemble or form district
meeting in pursuance of such notice, or in case
any district, having been formed or organized in
pursuance of such notice, SHALL in the opinion of
the commissioners aforesaid, be dissolN ed by ad-
journment without day, or from any other cause
whatever, it shall and may be lawful for the COM
missiOners aforesaid, or any one of them, at any
time thereafter, to renew such notice, and the
white inhabitants of such district liable to pay
taxes as aforesaid shall assemble together in pur-
suance of such notice, and when SO assembled in
district meeting it shall and may be lawful for
them, or majority of such of them shall be
present at such district meeting, to adjourn to
any other time or place; and at such first any
lawful for them, majority of them shall be
present as aforesaid to adjourn from time to time
as occasion may require, to fix on time and
place for holding their future annual meetings,
which annual meetings they are hereby authoriz-
ed and required to hold to choose by ballot three
trustees to manage the concerns of such school
district and one district collector; also to desig
nate suitable and central site for a school house,
to vote a tax on the property in such school dis
trict owned by white persons, sufficient, in addi
ton to the proportion of the school fund (here-
matter to be provided for) allotted to such school
district to purchase, lease, or rent site for
school-house; to build lease, or rent and keep in
repair said house; to supply fuel books, station
cry, and furniture to pay the salary of teacher,
and all other necessary expenses Provided, how
ever That no location of a school shall be fixed
upon unless the same be approved by majority
of the commissioners, and no change shall be
made after such school house shall have been
built but by consent of majority of said COM
missioners; all the eXpenres incurred by making
such change shall be betrayed by donation or by
levies authorized to be made by majority OF the
white citizens of such school district upon the
assessable property therein owned by white per





SEC TO- And be it further enacted That the clerk
of the Levy Court shall annually without fee or
reward, make out for the trustees of primary
school districts, Oh such of them shall apply
for the same, copies from the assessment books
of said county of all the assessable property in
said district districts.


SEC. IL. And be it further enacted, That all
meetings of the school districts, held for he pur
pose aforesaid shall be organized by appointing
apresident and clerk pro tempore, who shall take
minutes of the proceedings, specifying particular
ly the amount OF tax voted by said meetings, and
deliver the same, certified under their hands and
seals, within ten days after such meeting, to the
commissioners of primary schools, or any one of
them, to be delivered by them or him to the clerk
of the commissioners, and by him to be recorded
in a book kept for that purpose.


SEC. 12. And be it further enacted That all
tax to be voted by the citizens of any and every
school district in said county, under and by Vir
tue of this act shall be levied all the assessable
property in said district owned by white persons,
agreeaby TO the assessments of the last preceding
county tax.


SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That it shall
be the duty of the Levy Court of the county afore
said, at their first meeting after the passage OF
this act, and in each succeeding year thereafter
when the annual county levy is made, to impose
and levy school tax of one eighth of one per
cent. on all the assessab1e property of said coun
ty, without the limits of the cities of Washington
and Georgetown, owned by white persons, for the
support of primary schools hereby authorized in
said county, which tax shall be due at the same
time, and shall be collected BY the county collec
tor in the same manner and nnder the same regu-
lations and restrictions as sre prescribed by law
in relation to the collection of other county taxes
and which are hereby made applicable to the col
lection of the school tax imposed by this act, and
when collected shall be paid to the treasurer of
Court w is
appointed treasurer of the primary school fund
for said county, and who shall qualify by making
discharge the duties required of him by law as
treasurer of the school fund for said county, and
not use the same to his own advantage,
and he shall also give bond to the United States,
with two good and sufficient sureties, condition
ed for the faithful discharge of the duties required
of him by this act, which bond being approved
by the commissioners of primary schools afore-
sad shall be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit
Court of the District of Columbia, who is hereby
required to file the same without fee or reward
and copy of the sald bond, under seal of said
court, shall be sufficient evidence of the making
thereof.


SEC. Il And be it further enacted, That it shall
be the duty of the trustees of each school district
whenever q district meeting shall have voted a
sufficient tax for that purpose to purthase suit
able site for their school house, and to build keep
in repair, and furnish such school house with
necessary fuel, books, stationery, and appendages
and it shall be the further duty of the trustees
aforesaid to agree with and employ all teachers to
be employed in such district: Provided, That no
teachers shall be employed by them who shall not
have received the certificate of appreciation from
the commissioners of primary schools aforesaid,
hereinbefore provided; and it shall be the
further duty of the trustees to pay the salaries OF
teachers out of the apportionment OF the school
fund for their respective districts which shall
come into their hands through the commissioners
aforesaid so far as the same shall be sufficient for
that purpose.


Sec. Is. And be it further enacted, That before
the trustees of any school district shall enter up
on the duties of their office, they shall each take
an oath max ke affirmation before justice of the
peace of said county, or one of the commission
ers of primary schools, who is hereby authorized
to administer the same, that he will well and
truly discharge the duties pertaining to his said
Office of trustee, without prejudice or partiaity,
and according to law; and it shall be the duty of
the said trustees of each of said school Districts
or a majority of them, to furnish, at the expiration
of their term of service, to the commissioners
aforesaid, correct statement of all money trans
actions done by them in virtue of their Office
trustees of said primary school district.


SEC. 16. And be it further enacted, That shall
be the duty of the commissioners of primary
schools aforesaid to apportion all moneys which
shall come intosthe hands of the treasurer of the
school fund aforesaid, under and by virtue of the