for the time being and all of which could be
properly regulated by this officer, the general
superintendant should the Convention think pro-
per to adopt this proposition, whic he earnestly
hoped they would. The proposition was that
this school fund, already considerable if properly
managed, should be preserved from being appro-
priated to any other purpose whatever. It pro-
vided that the Legislature, so soon as the finan-
cial condition of the State would justify it, should
provide a uniform system of common schools,
open to every child in the State; and further, that
the people should elect a general superintendant
of education, whose business it should be to de-
vote his whole time and attention to this impor-
tant subject.
The next and law proposition or article was
one which he had already adverted to-the estab-
lishment of a Normal school. He had heard it
suggested that this was going to be a very heavy
expense. This was a mistake, as had been shown
from the example of Massachusetts. Maryland
has already the foundation of such a school, and
by engrafting a Normal department on St. John's
College we could have such a school at a com-
paratively light cost-a cost not to be compared
with the benefit it would be to the people of the
State. We now have to depend upon the North
for teachers and seldom get the best, or those
who are willing to abide with us, and follow
teaching as a profession. If the State would
adopt the policy of educating her own teacher-
of qualifying young men and ladies, who are
reared up among us, accustomed to our habits
and institutions-for this important profession,
we doubtless would find many who would gladly
embrace the opportunity, and devote their lives
to teaching as a profession.
It is a very great errot to suppose that every
educated person is qualified for the office of school
teacher, or that it can, without great injury to
youth, be taken up or put off at pleasure. His
own bitter experience had taught him this, for it
was his misfortune to receive the little education
he got at school, at the hands of some dozen or
fifteen so called teachers. But two of that num-
ber, he was now satisfied, was fit to be dignified
with the name of "teacher." In combination
with a knowledge of the subject to be taught,
the school master should first learn, or be taught
to govern himself, and then possess a tact and
aptitude to impart instruction. These are rare
but very important qualities, and one which he
felt satisfied could be learned with proper instruc-
tion, as well as the practical part of the profes-
sion-of either law or medicine. He hoped this
subject, as well as the whole report, would re-
ceive the favorable consideration of the Conven-
tion.
Mr. EGE desire the Convention to look at this
subject carefully, dispassionately and calming;
and he desired to have the section changed so as
to meet his views. The object he had in view
was that the common school system should bring
education to the door of every man, and should
educate every man's child within the broad limits
of Maryland. They had heard the gentleman |
from Allegany, (Mr. Smith,) speak of his own
county, and speak in a kind of fee ing manner
of the citizens of that county; and he had no
doubt that other gentlemen might ris here, and
strenghten what he had said in reference to this
subject. Was there a citizen within the limits
of Maryland who could refuse to appropriate
that small sum for the purpose of education?
The present fudn he considered was destributed
not in accordance with the wishes of the people
of Maryland, no in accordance with the interests
of the common school education, not in accord-
ance with justice, or any thing right. He
desired that the fund should be destributed
equally and porportionately among all the citi-
zens, without distinction, without difference,
without county limits or any other limits. He
wished it to be distributed according to the popu-
lation in the State.
Mr. E. then moved to amend the report by
striking out from the beginning of 1st section,
these words: "a permanent and adequate school
fund shall be established by the Legislature, as
soon as the financial condition of the State shall
justify it," and inserting in lieu thereof, the fol-
lowing:
"A general common school system shall be established
by the Legislature at their first meeting
after the adoption of this Constitution."
Mr BLAKISTONE said:
That he would state that Baltimore county
before its division into Baltimore and Carroll
counties, bad received, under a special act of the
Assembly, her proportion of the school fund
which had been destributed by an act of the
Legislature among the other counties, and Car-
roll, now, he understood had a fund of her own.
He did not think it would be right to bring that
fund into the general fund, because they had in-
vested it in stocks, and a large interest had ac-
cumulated upon it. It was now the fund of
Carroll county.
Mr. EGE presumed that some counties had the
same benefit that Carroll bad.
Mr. HOWARD desired some gentleman would
state what was the amount of the school fund,
how it was raised, and how it was destributed.
Mr. SMITH in reply, stated:
That in regard to the destribution of the fund
and amount, he would say that the fund derived
from the surplus revenue of the United States,
and set a part and denominated the common
school fund revenues, amount to $34,069.36 annually.
The amount arising from the tax upon the
banks of the State, called the free school fund, in
$21,000, so that there were over $56,000 to be
destributed throughout the State. The free
school fund, as it was called, $21,000, was, dis-
tributed equally among the counties of the State.
The common school fund, amounting to $34,000,
was destributed one half to the counties and the
city of Baltimore, and the other half according
to the while population in each respectively.
Mr. RIDGELY was very glad that this subject
had presented ilself to the consideration of the
Convention again, for be had not the pleasure of
being present when it was under discussion be- |
