features. The county superintendent is an
officer employed, I believe, in every State
where they have a system of public schools
such as we intend to establish in our State,
When the commissioner? are appointed this
county superintendent will have to devote
his whole time to the organization of the
government of schools, and will be chairman
of this board of education. I vote "no."
Mr. CUSHING. I should prefer, of course,
the report. But I have agreed to accept the
amendment now pending, and I therefore vote
"aye."
Mr. EDELEN. While I am decidedly in fa-
vor of referring this whole matter to the
legislature of the State, and leave them un-
tramelled by any provision in this constitu-
tion to act upon the whole question of public
school education, I shall vote for the amend-
ment, preferring it to the section as it stands
in the report of the committee. I vote
" aye."
Mr. RIDGELY. Like my friend, the chair-
man of the committee (Mr. Cushing,) I pre-
fer the section as it stands; but I shall vote,
because I promised so to do, upon the idea
that we were going to compromise upon it,
"aye."
Mr. STIRLING. I voted before against strik-
ing out this second section, not so much that
I cared about it, because I had made up my
mind to vote against the whole, thinking it
unwise to insert a provision for an officer of
doubtful utility in the constitution; but as
this is agreed upon, and as if it becomes ne-
cessary it can be stricken out hereafter, I
will vote "aye."
The amendment was accordingly agreed
to.
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
The third section was read as follows :
"Sec. 3. There shall be a State board of ed-
ucation, consisting of the governor of the
State, the lieutenant governor, the president
of the senate, the speaker of the house of
representatives, and the State superintendent
of public instruction, which board shall per-
form such duties as the general assembly may
direct."
Mr. EDELEN. I am doubtful about the pro-
priety of inserting the words "lieutenant
governor," for I am not aware that there is
any such officer known to the constitution or
laws of this State.
Mr. DAVIS, of Washington. I move to
amend by striking out the words " the lieu-
tenant governor.' '
Mr. STIRLING, I hope the gentleman will
not press that amendment, because if we are
going to have a lieutenant governor he ought
to be a member of this board; and if not
then there will be no president of the senate.
We shall have to strike one out, and we can
better do that when we have decided upon the
executive article. I was about to move to |
strike out president of the senate, but for this
consideration,
The PRESIDENT. The different articles
will be made hereafter to conform to each
other.
The amendment was withdrawn,
SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.
The fourth section was read as follows :
Sec. 4. There shall be in each county five
school commissioners, who shall be appointed
by the State board of education, shall hold
office for four years, and shall perform such
duties as the general assembly may direct;
the school commissioners of Baltimore city
shall remain as at present constituted, and
be appointed as at present, by the mayor and
city council.
On motion of Mr. SANDS,
The section was stricken out, being in-
cluded in the amended second section.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
The fifth section was read, as follows :
Sec. 5. The general assembly, at ifs first
session after the adoption of this constitution,
shall provide a uniform system of free public
schools, by which a school shall be kept open
and supported free of expense for tuition in
each school district, for at least six months in
each year; and in case of a failure on the part of
the general assembly so to provide, the system
reported to it by the State superintendent of
public instruction shall become a law, and
have full effect as if enacted by the general
assembly; provided, that the report of the
State superintendent shall be in conformity
with the provisions of this constitution.
Mr. STIRLING submitted the following
amendment:
Amend by striking out from the word "be-
come" in line seven down to the word "pro-
vided" in line eight, and inserting "the sys-
tem of public schools of the State;" and by
adding at the end of the section the words,
"and such system shall be subject to .such al-
terations conformable to this article as the
general assembly may from time to time
enact."
Mr. MILLER moved to strike out all after
the word ""ear" in the fifth line.
The question was stated first upon Mr.
STIRLING'S amendment.
Mr. MILLER said: I do not doubt the pow-
er of the convention to perfect in this article
an entire system of common school education
in the State. Then when the constitution is
submitted to the people, the people will know
what they are voting upon; but if you leave
this subject to stand as it has been reported,
or as amended by the gentleman from Balti-
more city (Mr. Stirling',) what is the result?
You say that 'the general assembly at its first
session shall provide a uniform system of pub-
lic schools by which a school shall be kept open
and supported free of expense for tuition ineach |
