you are now going into. When yon appoint
this man, yon trust the whole matter to his
discretion, and you require him to report his
system to the general assembly. And you
further say, that if the legislature does not
act upon his system, then it becomes the
system of the State by virtue of his report-
ing it.
What more can you have? You have a
school system established by his reporting it,
if the legislature does not provide another.
I know when this matter was before the
senate, there were some objections to these
county superintendents, and they were struck
out of the bill as it was finally passed. There
may be a variety of things when the legisla-
ture come to act upon this matter, as to
whether there shall be five or more school
commissioners in each county, whether there
shall be a county superintendent, and various
things about these details which I think we
better let alone at present, and trust the
superintendent to report to the legislature.
They will have his report before them, and
be better prepared to act upon these matters
of detail than we are, I am for appointing a
State superintendent, who is to report & sys-
tem to the legislature, which becomes, if not
adopted by them, absolutely the law and the
school system of the State; and you go on
and fix the taxes, &c. I am willing to vote
for all that. But as to these matters of de-
tail, whether there shall be five school com-
missioners or more, in each county, and
whether there shall be a county superintend-
ent, I think they should be left to the legis-
lature. There may be some counties where
more than five school commissioners will be
required; and in the smaller counties they
may not want so many. You may want a
school commissioner for every election dis-
trict, We have one for every ward in the
city of Baltimore. This matter of number I
think should be left to the superintendent
and the legislature. Therefore, I will vote
to strike out the second, third and fourth
sections, and will vote for all the others.
Mr. CUSHING. These sections were put in
for the very purpose of keeping the legisla-
ture from interfering with these details.
Many members of the committee were from
the counties, and they were unanimously of
the opinion that it wars judicious and wise to
place these restrictions upon the State super-
intendent and future legislatures. While I
have not been an advocate for this constitu-
tion going much into detail, yet I have seen a
great deal of detail pone into here for various
purposes. I find in the judiciary report
upon my table that the number of judge's in
the circuit is three, which according to the
argument of my colleague (Mr. Daniel,) is
not right, for the legislature might decide
that the circuits, should not have but one
judge. While I cannot prevent it, if it is the
sense of the house to strike out these sections, |
I think it will interfere with the uniformity
of the whole system, and will prevent the
superintendent from reporting any clear, well
defined and consistent system, and also pre-
vent the legislature from concluding' upon
any good system when the report is made.
Mr.- DENNIS. It is desirable, no doubt,
that uniformity should pervade this system.
But it strikes me, that tills second section
will prevent that. It seems to me that it may
properly be entitled a section to multiply
offices. You, have provided for a general
superintendent, and given him such a salary
as will command the services of a proper
man. You have also provided for his travel-
ling throughout the State of Maryland, giv-
ing him a general superintendence of this
system, co-extensive with the limits of the
State. The third section creates a board of
education, and the fourth section creates five
school commissioners tor each county, who
are to manage the details of this system.
Then where is the necessity of appointing an
assistant superintendent for each county?
The only result of it that I can perceive, is to
create twenty-two additional offices, the ex-
pense of which will be no slight matter.
Mr. MILLER. There is a great deal of force
in what has been said upon this subject.
There is a great deal of difference between
striking these sections out and keeping them
in. If you keep them in, then these officers
are made constitutional officers, who are to
remain such during the continuance of this
constitution. The legislature will not be able
to abolish them, or to change the nature or
tenure of their office But if you strike out
these sections, and leave it to the legislature
to alter and change from time to time as the
working of the system may require, to abolish
some of these officers, or create new offices, as
the case may demand, the mutter will be left
entirely in the hands of the legislature.
Whereas, if you retain these sections, the
legislation of the State must be made to con-
form to this constitution. You will be
obliged to keep up the assistant superintend-
ent for each county, the board of education,
and the five school commissioners for each
county and the city of Baltimore, if these
sections are retained.
Mr. CUSHING. I do not think the State has
been to any expense for the school commis-
sioners for Baltimore city.
Mr. SANDS. Would not the State be at
expense for all these public school commis-
sioners ?
Mr, CUSHING. Not for the city of Balti-
more as the gentleman will see by reading
the report,
Mr. SANDS. I am not talking about Balti-
more city, but about the counties of the
State. I can see very strong objections for
fixing in our constitution any particular
number of school commissioners for each
' county. Some of the counties are small, and |
