Charles county and Prince George's county
for this year, in which it will be found that
the largest item of public expense and charge
is for the public primary schools. In Charles
county, out of about $25,000 of county ex-
penses, I am informed by my colleague (Mr.
Mitchell, ) one of the school board, we paid
$9,000 for the salaries of primary school-
teachers, besides the money expended in
building public school houses, repairing
them, buying stoves for them, and books for
poor children. And in Prince George's
county, out of an annual levy of $45,545,
$11,000 of it, about one-fourth, were paid to
public primary school teachers. I say this
much in explanation of my vote, and in answer
to the argument of tire gentleman from Balti-
more city upon that point; and I hope I shall
be permitted on some other occasion to an-
swer his remarks of this morning more at
length, I vote "aye."
Mr. PURNELL said: I am not much in the
habit of explaining my votes upon any ques-
tion that arises before this convention, but
on the present occasion I ask the privilege of
doing so. While I will go perhaps as far as
any other member of this convention to per-
fect a uniform system of education through-
out the State, I wish at the same time to do
that in the manner which will be most accept-
able lo the people whom I have the honor in
part to represent. I certainly do not think
the present system would meet their appro-
bation; and hence I wish to perfect it for
the purpose of meeting as nearly as I can
their expectations and their wishes. I am
aware there are many difficulties and embar-
rassments which surround this question of
public schools; and I am well assured that no
system we could inaugurate at present would
be perfect. Nevertheless I am willing to put
the machinery in motion in some form or
other, which perhaps will enable us during the
progress of time to detect its defects and to
remedy them by subsequent legislation, I do
not think the present plan would be such as
to meet with approbation throughout the
State, and commend ilself as I think a plan
of so much importance should. I shall con-
sequently vote "aye."
The motion to alike out nine section was ac-
cordingly rejected.
Mr. PURNELL moved to strikeout the second
and fifth sections and to insert the following ;
"That the State superintendent of public
instruction shall, as soon as a system of edu-
cation shall have been adopted by the gen-
eral assembly, proceed to appoint, by and
with the approval of the State board of educa-
tion a school commissioner in each of the
election districts in the respective counties of
this State, who shall perform such duties and
receive such compensation as shall be provi-
ded for by said board of public education, and
who shall hold his office for the period of four
years from the date of his appointment, un- |
less removed by the State board of education
for neglect of duty or other malfeasance in
office."
Mr. PURNELL said: The convention will
perceive that the principal difference between
that amendment and the report of the com-
mittee is that it leaves this matter to the board
of education of the different counties instead
of assistant superintendents; and I think that
would be much more acceptable to the peo-
ple of the counties. The general superinten-
dent who is provided for here, would visit the
counties perhaps twice or more during; the
year, and would be in constant communica-
tion with this board of education, and would
have opportunities in the interim of confer-
ring with them on the various subjects that
might be necessary to be considered and
deliberated on, I think that that plan would
be much more effective than to have a super-
intendent in the different counties to co-oper-
ate with the general superintendent through-
out the State. This is the system which now
prevails in many counties—I think in most of
them. They are familiar with it, and it
would work well. A school commissioner,
as provided by the amendment, would be
appointed in every election district in the
county, who would be cognizant of the wants
and necessities of the people represented in
that district; and it seems to me, would be
much more likely to meet the demand, than a
single individual, who would have the con-
trol of the whole county, and supervision of
the whole county.
For instance, in Worcester there are ten
districts. The consequence would be that there
would be ten commissioners on the board,
distributed throughout the whole county,
who would be fully prepared to represent the
wishes and feelings of the whole county in
their several districts, and would meet the
demands and answer the purposes contem-
plated in the report of the committee in a
much more effective way than could possibly
be in the plan suggested.
Mr. RIDGELY. The proposition of the gen-
tleman from Worcester (Mr, Purnell, ) if I
understand it correctly, as to its purposes, has
far other objects than those which have been
comprehended in the remarks which have
been submitted to the house. Indeed it
strikes me that the object suggested by him
is the least important of the purposes which
that proposition would attain if it should be
adopted by the house. If I understand the
amendment, it proposes a system of public
education to be adopted by the legislature,—
After a system of public education shall have
been adopted by the legislature, then it pro-
poses that that general superintendent shall
exercise the power of appointment. That
necessarily ignores the section you have al-
ready passed, providing for a report to be
made by the general superintendent to the
legislature, which report, if not adopted by |
