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Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political
Alexandria, Virginia
What is this article about?
A bill reported by Mr. Scott in the Virginia House of Delegates proposes establishing primary schools in every county via elected aldermen, who will divide counties into townships, build schoolhouses, appoint native-born American teachers, and fund operations through county charges and the Literary Fund, offering free tuition to white children under 15 for specified years, teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, and U.S. history.
Merged-components note: Continuation of the article on the PRIMARY SCHOOLS bill in the Virginia Legislature, text flows directly from one to the next with adjacent bboxes.
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The bill before the House of Delegates reported by Mr. Scott, from the Committee on Education and made the order of the day, this day, proposes to appoint in every county and corporation, by the householders of the same, men, for such county, etc. the election to be at the same time and place, and with nine persons as for the annual election of Delegates to the General Assembly. A penalty of---dollars is imposed upon the officer who does not keep all or fails to perform any of the duties required of him by this act.
The Aldermen, so selected, are to meet not before the 1st November, at some convenient place, and lay off the county etc. into townships, each of which to contain not less than--three hundred free white citizens, bounding the same by some natural boundaries, mountains etc. to be run, if necessary, by the county surveyor, or other person, at the expense of the county-each township to be numbered, and to remain unaltered, unless by the increase or decrease of free white inhabitants shall render the same necessary in the opinion of any succeeding board of aldermen and court of the county
On the Monday in November, after the first election of aldermen the free white male house-keepers in each township are to meet, to fix on a suitable site, as central as can be, for a school-house -the aldermen are then forthwith to have a school-house built--As soon as any one school house is built in the county, they are to appoint a teacher for the same who shall be a native born American citizen to receive such salary - the aldermen may agree with such teacher.
The building, repairing, etc. of these school-houses to be a county charge, to be provided for in the same manner as other county expenses: provided the aldermen shall have previously furnished the court with an estimate of the expenses to be provided for.
At these schools shall be taught reading, writing and arithmetic, and such books shall be used to teach the scholars to read, as will make them in some degree acquainted with the history of our country. All the free white male and female children, under 15, resident in a township shall be entitled to receive tuition gratis for --years, and as much longer at their own expense, as their parents etc. may think proper: provided, that no thing shall prevent such fees for tuition being paid by any pupil at any time, as the aldermen shall fix and determine to be paid. As soon as the school-house is built, and a teacher appointed, the aldermen are to certify the same on oath, to the President and Directors of the Literary Fund, with a statement of the costs of the building, the salary allowed the teacher, and the number of children under 13 years of age, within the township where such school may have been established; on which, the Literary Fund is to pay over annually to the aldermen who may have made the certificate, the sum of-n--dollars, to be expended by the aldermen in paying the salary of the teacher, and procuring such books as the pupils in their respective townships may require; provided, that to no one county a sum more than--dollars be paid by the Literary Fund, which sum, if there be more than one school in such county, the aldermen shall apportion among said schools in such manner as they may think just and right.
The aldermen, after the 1st of March 1818, are to make an annual statement of the number of pupils attending the schools in their respective counties, of the sums drawn from the Literary Fund remaining unexpended, and of all funds drawn from other sources. The aldermen of each county are endowed with corporate powers, in whom is hereby vested all the money in the hands of the overseers of the poor, unappropriated by the people of the counties where such sums be, and which have arisen from the sale of glebe lands which the aldermen of each county are to recover, and it is to invest the revenue thereof or such part thereof as they may think necessary annually to be expended in the support of such schools as shall be established in the townships of their county. etc.—if the funds derived from the Literary Fund and the interest of the money thus invested shall exceed the expenditure for the support of such schools, the surplus shall be remitted to the Literary Fund to form a part of the same.
The aldermen are compelled to serve three years only.
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The bill before the House of Delegates, reported by Mr. Scott from the Committee on Education and made the order of the day this day, proposes to appoint in every county and corporation, by the householders of the same, men for such county, the election to be at the same time and place, and with nine persons as for the annual election of Delegates to the General Assembly. A penalty of dollars is imposed upon the officer who does not keep all or fails to perform any of the duties required of him by this act. The Aldermen, so selected, are to meet not before the 1st November, at some convenient place, and lay off the county into townships, each of which to contain not less than three hundred free white citizens, bounding the same by some natural boundaries, mountains etc. to be run, if necessary, by the county surveyor or other person, at the expense of the county. Each township to be numbered, and to remain unaltered, unless by the increase or decrease of free white inhabitants shall render the same necessary in the opinion of any succeeding board of aldermen and court of the county. On the Monday in November, after the first election of aldermen the free white male house-keepers in each township are to meet, to fix on a suitable site, as central as can be, for a school-house. The aldermen are then forthwith to have a school-house built. As soon as any one school house is built in the county, they are to appoint a teacher for the same who shall be a native born American citizen to receive such salary as the aldermen may agree with such teacher. The building, repairing, etc. of these school-houses to be a county charge, to be provided for in the same manner as other county expenses: provided the aldermen shall have previously furnished the court with an estimate of the expenses to be provided for. At these schools shall be taught reading, writing and arithmetic, and such books shall be used to teach the scholars to read, as will make them in some degree acquainted with the history of our country. All the free white male and female children, under 15, resident in a township shall be entitled to receive tuition gratis for years, and as much longer at their own expense, as their parents etc. may think proper: provided, that no thing shall prevent such fees for tuition being paid by any pupil at any time, as the aldermen shall fix and determine to be paid. As soon as the school-house is built, and a teacher appointed, the aldermen are to certify the same on oath, to the President and Directors of the Literary Fund, with a statement of the costs of the building, the salary allowed the teacher, and the number of children under 13 years of age, within the township where such school may have been established; on which, the Literary Fund is to pay over annually to the aldermen who may have made the certificate, the sum of dollars, to be expended by the aldermen in paying the salary of the teacher, and procuring such books as the pupils in their respective townships may require; provided, that to no one county a sum more than dollars be paid by the Literary Fund, which sum, if there be more than one school in such county, the aldermen shall apportion among said schools in such manner as they may think just and right. The aldermen, after the 1st of March 1818, are to make an annual statement of the number of pupils attending the schools in their respective counties, of the sums drawn from the Literary Fund remaining unexpended, and of all funds drawn from other sources. The aldermen of each county are endowed with corporate powers, in whom is hereby vested all the money in the hands of the overseers of the poor, unappropriated by the people of the counties where such sums be, and which have arisen from the sale of glebe lands which the aldermen of each county are to recover, and it is to invest the revenue thereof or such part thereof as they may think necessary annually to be expended in the support of such schools as shall be established in the townships of their county. If the funds derived from the Literary Fund and the interest of the money thus invested shall exceed the expenditure for the support of such schools, the surplus shall be remitted to the Literary Fund to form a part of the same. The aldermen are compelled to serve three years only.