The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 8 Page: 1,482

                                
Laws of the State of Texas.

181

his approval on the twenty-third day of April, 1879, and was neither
signed by him nor returned to the house in which it originated, with his
objections thereto, within the time prescribed by the constitution and
thereupon became a law without his signature.
(Signed)        JOHN D. TEMPLETON, Secretary of State.
May 7, 1879.
CHAPTER CLIX.-An act to provide for the organization,and support
of a Normal School at Prairie View (formerly called Alta Vista), in
Waller county, for the preparation and training of colored teachers.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas,
That there shall be established at Prairie View (formerly called Alta
Vista), in Waller county, in this state, a normal school for the preparation
and training of colored teachers.
Sec. 2. The board of directors of the Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas are hereby authorized and required to organize said
school as soon as practicable, so as to admit one student from each senatorial
district in this state, and at the least three students from the state
at large, to be taken from the colored population of this state, and be not
less than sixteen years of age at the time of their admission. Said board
shall appoint a principal teacher and such assistant teacher or teachers
of said school and other officers as may be necessary for said school, and
shall make such by-laws, rules and regulations for its government as
they may deem proper, and shall regulate the course of study and the
manner of performing labor and the kind of labor to be performed by
the students, and shall provide for the board, lodging and instruction of
the students without pecuniary charge to said students, and 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, of the officers and students of said school.
Sec. 3. The board of directors may provide for receiving such a number
of female students, and such a number of male students, as in the
judgment of. said board the school can best accommodate; and shall require
all students admitted to said school to sign a written obligation (in
a proper book kept for that purpose) binding said student to teach in the
public free schools for the colored children of their respective districts
at least one year next after their discharge from the normal school, and
as much longer than one year as the time of their connection with said
normal school shall exceed one year; for which teaching said discharged
students shall receive the same rate of compensation allowed other teachers
of such'schools.
Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of the comptroller of public accounts
annually to se-I apart out of the interest accruing from the university
fund, appropriated for the support of public free schools, the sum of six
thousand dollars for the support of said normal school, and place said
suml to the credit of said normal school, and the same may be drawn by
the board of directors on vouchers audited by the board or approved by
the governor and attested by the secretary; and on filing such vouchers

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