AFTERNOON SESSION.
The House, in Committee of the Whole, resumed the School bill-Mr. Heffren in the Chair.
Mr. Brett's amendment was adopted.
Mr. Prosser's motion to reconsider the vote rejecting Mr. Orr's motion to strike out from the 16th section, the words "school examiner," and insert "county auditor," coming up-
Mr. FISHER, Mr. NEBEKER and Mr. BUNDY. Several members of the Committee on Education are not present. They concurred in view of the proposed amendment.
Mr. ORR. This Examiner clause would create a new county officer which would involve the school system in an annual expense of twelve or fifteen thousand dollars.
Mr. VEATCH urged that it would be better to consider this question under section 33 in relation to school examiners.
Mr. PROSSER acquiesced, and the motion to reconsider was passed over.
Section 19 being read-
Mr. COLLINS, of Adams, proposed to insert "assistant" before "teacher."
Mr. HENRICKS proposed "principal" before "teacher" in the second line; which was accepted and adopted; and so the question was passed.
Section 20 being read-
Mr. McCLURG proposed to amend by striking out all between " subject" in line 14, and "amount" in the 17th line, and insert a clause subjecting the delinquent trustee to a penalty of $25, allowing the penalty to fall on the head of the delinquent party. The people of the township should not suffer for the delinquency of their officer.
It was adopted.
Mr. LANE proposed to strike out the word "average" in the 5th line; which was rejected.
Sections 21, 22 were read and passed.
Section 23 being read-
Mr. GROVER proposed to add: The director so selected shall, within 20 days, notify the trustee of the township; and, in case he fails to do so, the trustee shall appoint, &c.
Mr. ROBERTS proposed to strike out " inhabitants," and insert " legal voters," which was rejected.
Sections 24, 25 were read and passed.
Section 26 being read-
Mr. GROVER proposed to insert[Trustees] shall fill all vacancies that may occur in the office of director; which was adopted.
Section 27 was passed.
Section 28 being read-
Mr. NEBEKER proposed to strike out the page: 300[View Page 300] words "only from good cause shown"so the trustee shall not overrule the people in the matter of the discharge of a teacher.
Mr. MOORMAN thought they ought to show cause.
Mr. FRASIER. A teacher could do little good where the majority were opposed to him.
Mr. PROSSER. The suffrages of the majority made a sufficient showing.
The amendment was rejected.
Mr. RAGAN proposed " previously " before the last word of the section; which was rejected.
Sections 29-32 were passed.
Section 33 being read-
Mr. BRETT proposed "annually" instead of "triennially" (term of county examiner;) which was adopted.
Mr. GROVER proposed to insert n which oath shall be filed with the county auditor;" which was adopted.
Section 34 being read-
Mr. GROVER proposed to insert "any other evidence of qualification;" which was adopted.
Section 35 being read-
Mr. CAMERON proposed to strike it out. A common school was not a college, &c.
Mr. WOODHULL. The law provides for graded schools, and what was the use of restricting advancement?
The amendment was rejected.
Mr. STEVENSON proposed: "Director" employ the teacher instead of "trustee," which was rejected.
Section 36 being read-
Mr. PROSSER proposed to strike out "and a second certificate shall not be granted to any individual for such low grade of qualification ; " which was rejected.
Section 37 was passed.
Section 38 being read-
Mr. GROVER proposed "May," instead of "August," which was agreed to.
Section 45 being read-
Mr. ANDERSON proposed to substitute for the 10th section : Sec. 10. The county examiner shall hold public examinations of applicants for license at the county seats on the first Mondays in April, Juue, August, October and December; and as far as practicable shall have such examination by classes." His object was to establish the time by law, so that everybody who desired to do so may be present.
Mr. VEATCH. The object of the bill was not to confine educational influences to the county seat, &c.
Mr. DAVIS. If you set a certain time it implies that a teacher shall not have a license at any other time.
The amendment was rejected.
Mr. RAGAN. There should be an examination at least once a month-say on the first Saturday of each month. It was rejected.
Mr. GRESHAM thought these examinations would throw the law into disrepute. He moved to strike out the whole section.
Mr. FRASIER. It would excite emulation among teachers.
Mr. PARRETT took an opposite People should not go without teachers for of examinations. He was for striking out.
Mr. VEATCH. The bill certainly was intended to admit of examinations at any time as well as to require stated public examinations.
The committee refused to strike out-affirmative 25, negative 41.
Mr. KNOWLTON proposed to add : "Provided the school examiner shall examine any applicant that may call upon him for the purpose; which was adopted.
Section 46 being read-
Mr. LANE moved to strike it out. There was room for abuse here by collusions.
Mr. CAMERON proposed : " not exceeding two dollars per day"the service to be sworn to.
. FRASIER proposed $10 50.
These were both rejected.
Mr. MOORMAN proposed to require the examiner to submit an accurate account of his services, verified by oath or affirmation-which was adopted.
Mr. NEBEKER proposed to insert "whose (the commissioners') decision shall be "final;" which was rejected.
Mr. MOORMAN proposed to add: "Provided, that in no case shall his annual compensation exceed $150;" which was rejected; and then the question recurred on Mr. Lane's motion to strike out.
Mr. GRESHAM spoke in favor of striking out, and it was passed over again.
Mr. WOODHULL and Mr. PROSSER now urged the motion to consider the vote refusing to substitute "county auditor" for "school examiner" in the 16th section.
Mr. FRASIER. Was it proposed to transfer all the duties of the examiner to the county auditor? If so, was it to be supposed that he would be competent in all cases, or that he would attend to all this business for nothing?
Mr. VEATCH said the defect of the present system was at this point the inability of the county auditors to attend to those duties here proposed to be devolved on the county examiner. He believed this bill fully provided for the performance of these duties, and for that reason he was for it. The allowance of compensation was brought down to the people themselves.
Mr. SMITH, of Bartholomew, opposed the creation of a new officer. A proposition to limit this officer's compensation to $150 was voted down. At that rate the annual expense of this officer would be $13,950.
Mr. CASON. The failure of this provision would be fatal to the bill. The auditor was now fully paid for all these duties proposed for the school examiner. page: 301[View Page 301]The committee refused to reconsider; and then the committee refused to strike out section 45.
Section 47 was passed.
Section 48 being read-
Mr. GROVER proposed to strike out "April' and insert "March;" which was adopted.
Section 49, 52 were passed.
Mr. NEBEKER, being satisfied that this was a scheme to tax the people, without any corresponding benefit, he moved that the committee rise and ask to be discharged from the further consideration of the subject. His motion failed.
Sections 53, 77 were passed.
Section 78 being read-
On motion by Mr. CASON, "loaned at 10 per cent." was made "seven;" and so through out the bill.
Sections 79, 114 were passed.
Section 115 being read-
Mr. GROVER proposed to add: " which report shall be verified by the oath of the auditor endorsed thereon;" which was agreed to.
Sections 116 and 117 were passed.
Section 118 being read-
Mr. GROVER proposed to insert: "together with his own affidavit of that fact:" which was agreed to.
Mr. CASON made an ineffectual motion to strike out section 119.
Sections 120 to 124 were passed.
On motion by Mr. ANDERSON, section 125 (allowing the Superintendent of Public Instruction $500 a year while engaged in traveling) was stricken out.
Section 126 was passed.
Section 127 being read-
Mr. FRASIER proposed to strike out, the provision for a clerk of the Superintendent at $1,000; which was agreed to.
Mr. PROSER moved ineffectually to reconsider this vote.
Sections 128, 129 were passed.
Section 130 being read-
On motion by Mr. KNOWLTON, 5,000 instead of 10,000 was fixed as the number of copies of the Superintendent's biennial report.
Mr. FRASIER made an ineffectual motion to strike out the section.
Section 131 being read-
On motion by Mr. HORTON, these words were stricken from the last line : "shall forfeit a sum equal to half the annual amount allowed him for clerk hire."
On motion by Mr. CAMERON, section 132, making the Superintendent ex-officio a member of the Board of Trustees for the institution for the deaf and dumb and for the blind, was stricken out.
On motion by Mr. Anderson, section 133 (Superintendent shall visit each county once a year) was also stricken out.
Mr. GROVER now moved that the committee rise, and asked to be discharged from the further consideration of the bill.
Mr. FISHER. The amendments have killed it.
Mr. FRASIER proposed to amend the motion to rise, by adding: "and report that, in the opinion of the Committee of the Whole, common schools are a useless and expensive institution, and we recommend the passage of an act to abolish the same," &c.; which was ruled out of order.
The committee then rose, and the Chairman reported the bill back, and asked and obtained discharge from its further consideration.
Mr. CAMERON moved that the bill be referred again to the Committee on Education.
Mr. GROVER. That committee need not report again on this bill.
The SPEAKER (Mr. Hefferen in the chair). The bill is in the same situation it was before it went to the Committee of the Whole-the amendments not having been reported to the House.
Mr. PROSSER moved to refer the bill to a Select Committee of Five. He was in favor of a practical revision of the common school system.
Mr. WOODHULL. That was a very convenient way for gentlemen to avoid placing themselves upon the record. Our system was not effective. It was disgeaceful as compared with that of Michigan. He wanted the people to know who were friends and who were enemies of common school education.
Mr. PACKARD was in favor of the main provisions of the bill, for example, those empowering townships to raise school money. What had stirred up gentlemen, but the striking out the sections creating officers? He also wanted gentlemen to go upon the record on this question.
Mr. FISHER. The law already allows a clerk to the Superintendent.
Mr. PACKARD hoped still that it would not be thrown aside.
Mr. VEATCH. If there were any mode by which gentlemen could be brought to vote for it, he was willing to go to work again. He thought the difficulty was about these examiners. It should go again to the Committee on Education.
Mr. PROSSER was not particular about the committee. He wished by all means to avoid any attempt to plunder the school fund. He withdrew his motion.
Mr. Cameron's motion was then agreed to, and the bill was referred again to the Committee on Education.
The House then adjourned.
