PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

S. B. No. 349.]

CHAPTER CLXXXIV.

An Act to be entitled An Act to authorize, enable and permit School District No. Fourteen (No. 14), of the county of Jefferson, and State of Texas, to incorporate as an independent school district for free school purposes only, to be known as the "Port Arthur Independent School District," with all the powers, rights and duties of independent school districts formed by incorporation of towns and villages for free school purposes only.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That School District No. Fourteen (No. 14), of the county of Jefferson, and State of Texas, as now formed and bounded, and including within its bounds the city of Port Arthur, incorporated for municipal purposes under the General Laws of this State, as a city of one thousand inhabitants and over (the same not having assumed control of the public schools within its limits), and other land and territory adjacent thereto, is hereby authorized, enabled and permitted to incorporate as an independent school district for public free school purposes only, under the name of the Port Arthur Independent School District, in the manner in this act provided.

SEC. 2. The county judge of said county of Jefferson, within ten days after receiving the written application of not less than one hundred of the qualified electors of said School District No. Fourteen, shall make an order for holding an election on a day therein named, and at a place therein designated, within said school district, for the purpose of submitting to a vote of the qualified electors of said district the question of incorporating as an independent school district, under the name of the Port Arthur Independent School District, under the authority and provisions of this act.

SEC. 3. The said county judge shall appoint an officer to preside at said election, who shall select two judges and two clerks to assist him in holding the same, all of whom shall serve without compensation. Ten days previous notice of the time, place and purpose of such election. shall be given by posting advertisements thereof at three public places in said school district; and, except as herein otherwise provided, said election shall be held in the same manner as general elections under the General Laws of this State, and return thereof shall be made to said county judge within five days thereafter.

SEC. 4. If a majority of the votes cast at said election shall be in favor of such incorporation, and shall be so returned to said county judge, said school district shall thereby be and become an incorporated independent school district under the name of the Port Arthur Independent School District, and shall have, possess and exercise all the powers, rights and duties of independent school districts formed by towns and villages incorporating for free school purposes only; and the said county judge shall cause an entry thereof in the records of the county commissioners' court; and said county judge shall, within ten days after receiving said election returns, order an election to be held in said Port Arthur Independent School District, for a president of the school board to serve until the regular trustees' election in December, 1901, and for six school trustees, three of whom shall serve until the regular election in Decem

ber, 1901, and the remaining three shall serve until such election in December, 1903. The six trustees elected at said election shall, as soon as possible thereafter, determine by lot which three of the trustees shall serve until December, 1901, and which three shall serve until December, 1903.

Said president of the school board and said six trustees, and their successors, shall be elected and qualified in the manner provided by the act of this Legislature, approved March 30, 1899, entitled "An Act to provide a uniform method of electing school trustees in independent school districts," etc.

SEC. 5. Such incorporated independent school district and the said trustees and school board thereof shall be vested with and have, possess and exercise all the rights, powers and duties of independent school districts, and of the boards of trustees thereof, formed by towns and villages incorporating for free school purposes only, under the provisions of Chapter 45, of the General Laws of the State of Texas, for the year 1897, Chapter 15, of Title 86, of the Revised Civil Statutes of 1895, and the aforesaid act approved March 30, 1899, so far as the same are now in force, and any acts amendatory thereof, as to voting, assessing, levying and collecting taxes for school purposes, and as to voting and issuing coupon bonds of said independent school district for the purpose of purchasing or constructing free school buildings, and as to having full management and control of the public free schools of such incorporated independent school district, and as to organizing by choosing from their number a secretary, a treasurer and an assessor and collector of taxes, wholly free and independent of and from the control, interference and powers of said incorporated city of Port Arthur.

SEC. 6. The near approach of the close of the present session of the Legislature, and the crowded condition of the calendar of both the Senate and the House, and the fact that there is now no law authorizing county school districts to be formed and incorporated into independent school districts, and no law authorizing an independent school district to be formed and incorporated which may include within its bounds a city incorporated for municipal purposes under the General Laws of this State, and the justness of this act, create an emergency and an imperative public necessity that the constitutional rule which requires bills to be read on three several days in each house be suspended, and it is so enacted, and that this act go into effect from and after its passage, and it is so enacted.

[NOTE. The enrolled bill shows that the foregoing act passed the Senate by a two-thirds vote, yeas 21, nays 0; and passed the House of Representatives by a two-thirds vote, yeas 90, nays 0.]

Approved June 6, 1899.

Became effective June 6, 1899.

PRAIRIE VIEW STATE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL

S. H. B. No. 379.]

COLLEGE-AMENDMENT.

CHAPTER CLXXXV.

An Act to amend Articles 3886 and 3887, of Chapter 5, of Title 86, of the Revised Statutes of the State of Texas, relating to the Normal School for Colored Teachers at Prairie View.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That Articles 3886 and 3887, of Chapter 5, of Title 86, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas be so amended as that same will hereafter read as follows:

Article 3886. Said board of directors shall admit one student from each Senatorial district, who shall be appointed by the Senator representing said district, and one student from each Representative district, who shall be appointed by the member of the Legislature representing said district; provided, that where there are more than one Representative in a district each Representative of such district shall appoint one student, said students to be taken from the colored population of this State, which said students shall not be less than sixteen years of age at the time of their admission; provided, the said school shall hereafter be called and known as "Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College."

Article 3887. Said board shall appoint a principal teacher and such assistant teacher or teachers of said school and such other officers of said school as may be necessary, and shall make such rules, by-laws and regulations for the government of said school as they may deem necessary and proper, and shall regulate the course of study and the manner of performing labor to be performed by the students, and shall provide for the board and lodging and instruction to the students, without pecuniary charge to them, other than that each student shall be required to pay one-third of the cost of said board, lodging and instruction, quarterly, in advance, and said board of directors shall regulate the course of discipline necessary to enforce the faithful discharge of the duties of all officers, teachers, students and employes of said school, and shall have the same printed and circulated for the benefit of the people of the State and the officers, teachers, students and employes of said school.

SEC. 2. The near approach of the end of the session, and the crowded condition of the calendar of both houses of the Legislature, and the improbability that this bill can be reached in its order on three several days in each house, and the great need and demand for the passage of this act, create an emergency and an imperative public necessity exists for the suspension of the constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house, and said rule is so suspended.

Approved June 6, 1899.

Takes effect 90 days after adjournment.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS-BOARD OF EXAMINERS.

S. B. No. 183.]

CHAPTER CLXXXVI.

An Act to amend Articles 3972, 3973, 3973c, 3974 (1) and (2), 3974c, 3976c and 3980, Chapter 13, Title 86, Revised Statutes, 1895, relating to boards of examiners and teachers.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That Articles 3972, 3973, 3973c, 3974 (1) and (2), 3974c, 3976c and 3980, Chapter 13, Title 86, Revised Civil Statutes, 1895, be amended so as to read as follows:

Article 3972. There shall be in each organized county in this State a county board of examiners. Said board shall be composed of three members, to be appointed by the county superintendent; provided, that in counties having no county superintendent, the county judge shall appoint a county board of examiners. The persons so appointed shall be teachers residing in the county for which they are appointed, holding first grade certificates, or certificates of some higher rank, which certificates shall be valid in the county for which said persons are appointed at the time of appointment; provided, that if the services of such persons cannot be secured, the superintendent may appoint other qualified persons residing in the county for which they are appointed. The members of the county board of examiners shall serve during the pleasure of the county superintendent of the county for they are appointed. Said board. of examiners shall meet at the call of the county superintendent, and the presence of a majority of the members of the board shall be necessary to the transaction of business.

Article 3973. Any person desiring to be examined for a county certificate shall make application to the county superintendent, stating the class of certificate desired, and shall present him a certificate of three good and well-known citizens, or such proof as he may require, of all the qualifications, except the examination grades, required for the class of certificate desired. After investigation, the county superintendent shall give the applicant a written recommendation to the board of examiners, requiring them to examine the applicant for a certificate of such class, if any, as they may find the applicant entitled to upon making the necessary examination grades.

But no person shall receive such recommendation without first depositing with the county superintendent the sum of two dollars as a county examination fee, and the recommendation given by the superintendent shall show the receipt of the examination fee.

The board of examiners shall in no case permit any person to enter upon the examination without first presenting the written recommendation of the county superintendent.

Article 3974. An applicant for a third grade certificate shall be examined in spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, geography, Texas history, elementary physiology and hygiene and the laws of health, with special reference to narcotics, and school management and methods of teaching. A third grade certificate shall be valid for one year from the date of issue, and to receive such certificate the applicant shall, upon examination, make on the prescribed subjects an average

grade of not less than seventy, and on each prescribed subject a grade of not less than fifty; provided, that a third grade certificate shall not in any case be good except in the county where issued.

(1) An applicant for a second grade certificate shall be examined in the subjects prescribed for a third grade certificate, and, in addition thereto, in United States history, elementary principles of civil government, English composition, physiology and hygiene, and physical geography. A second grade certificate shall be valid for two years from the date of issue, and to receive such certificate the applicant shall, upon examination, make on the prescribed subjects an average grade of not less than seventy-five, and on each subject of not less than fifty; provided, that if the applicant make a general average on the prescribed subjects of eighty-five, and on each subject a grade of not less than fifty, the certificate shall be valid for four years; and further provided, that if under the conditions hereinafter named, the holder of a second grade State certificate, issued by the State Board of Examiners and valid for four years, shall pass a satisfactory examination upon the additional subjects of, the history of education, elementary psychology applied to teaching, and English and American literature, with a general average grade of eightyfive on the subjects named, and not less than fifty on each subject, said grade to be determined by the State Board of Examiners, the said holder shall be entitled to a permanent certificate to be known as a Permanent Primary Certificate, and said certificate shall be valid in any county of the State in any primary school, except when cancelled by authority, for reasons applicable to any other class of permanent certificate.

(2) An applicant for a first grade certificate shall be examined in the subjects prescribed for third and second grade certificates, and, in addition thereto, in physics, algebra, elements of geometry, the Constitution of the United States and the State of Texas, and general history, and the effects of tobacco and alcoholic intoxicants upon the human system. A first grade certificate shall be valid for four years; provided, if the holder thereof shall withdraw from school work for a period of two years or longer, such certificate shall become void; and to receive such certificate the applicant, upon examination, shall make upon the prescribed subjects an average grade of not less than eighty-five, and on each subject a grade of not less than fifty; provided, that a first grade certificate shall be valid for two years if the applicant makes a grade of not less than fifty on each subject, and a general average of seventy-five.

Article 3974c. The county superintendent shall, upon the request of any applicant second grade, first grade or permanent certificate, made in writing before the adjournment of the board of examiners, forward to the State Superintendent, to be submitted to the State Board of Examiners hereinafter provided, such applicant's papers, and the report of the county board of examiners thereon, together with a fee of one dollar paid him by the applicant; provided, that this shall not in any manner interfere with the issuance of the proper county certificate to said applicant. Article 3976c. Any person holding a second grade or first grade certificate may, at any time during the validity of said certificate, receive in lieu thereof a certificate of the next higher class by taking the examination on the additional subjects prescribed for such higher class certificate; provided, that such applicant's average grade on all subjects prescribed for such higher class certificate, as shown by both examinations, shall not