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THE DAILY INDEX.
SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 15, 1867.
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.
Auction Sales This Day.

R.F. LESTER & CO. will sell this morning at 10 o'clock, Horses, Mules, Buggies, Wagons, Furniture, Cart, &c.

Meeting of the Common Council.-- The Council met yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Present--Chas. F. Collier, Esq., Mayor, and Messrs. A Kevan, Paul, Potts, Vaughan, Johnson, Hinton, Harrison, Harvell, Boisseau, Williamson, Donnan, Lecture, May, Butterworth, R. A. Young, Broocks, Peebles, J.T. Young, J. Kevan, and Rowlett, members of the Council.
The Mayor presented a letter from Gen'l Schofield in response to one written by himself in relation to the confirmation of the action of the Council in the election of Mr. Francis Major, as Chamberlain. In his letter, Gen. Schofield says that the action of the Council in electing minor officers to fill vacancies, does not require his confirmation. The letter was ordered to be recorded. Under these circumstances, the Mayor had permitted Mr. Major to qualify, and a bond in the penalty of $30,000 for the faithful performance of the duties of the office had been given, with Robt. G. Jones, Rich'd Bagby, John Rowlett, D.B. Dugger, Sam'l Donald, Robert A. Martin and William S. Harrison, as securities, which bond the Mayor reported to the Council. 
On motion of Mr. A. Kevan, the securities were approved, and the bond ordered to be filed with the Clerk.
The Mayor presented the bond of Mr. Peter Alfriend, City Guager, with John Alfriend, Wr. R. Johnson and John A. Hair, as securities. The securities were approved, and the bond ordered to be filed with the Chamberlain.
Mr. Lecture, from the Committee on Free Schools, appointed at the last meeting, made the following report, which was read and laid on the table for consideration at a future meeting. 
Persuant to a resolution adopted by the Council, that a committee of this body "confer and report to an adjourned meeting the amount that will be required for the education of the poor children of this city, without regard to color or race, and a plan for the expenditure of the same," your committee beg to submit the following report:
With a view to eliciting information, your committee invited Major J. R. Stone, the chief of the Freedmen's Bureau of the city to a conference, by whom much valuable practical information was most kindly and courteously afforded. There are now some 1,200 colored children receiving instruction at a total expense of $11,236. The many items making this total are shown by the paper herewith filed, marked exhibit A. The money thus devoted to this purpose is donated partly by the government and by contributions from societies and individuals. In the white schools, immediately under the fostering care of this Council, there are on the rolls 376 white children, and an average attendance of 253, at a total expense of about $6,386 18. This money is received in part from the Anderson fund, and direct appropriations from the Council. It will thus be seen that the amount expended in this city for the past fiscal year amounts to the sum of nearly $17,000. If the system of free schools, now somewhat imperfect, be perfected, the amount necessary to accomplish that perfection will range in cost from $20,000 to $25,000.
By this expenditure of money a free school system, wherein may be educated all children, whether rich or poor, white or black, can be instituted. Accomplished teachers worthy of their profession and trained to teaching, and paid salaries which will command the best talent, should and would be employed under this system. The schools for the whites and the schools for the colored should be kept distinct, as is the case in all the Northern States, where the system of free school education has attained such eminent excellence.
To inaugurate the plan shadowed forth in this report will require not only the heavy expenditure herein before referred to, but will require much time and labor on the part of those charged with the details of such plan. To that end your committee recommends that there be added to the standing committees of the Common Council, a committee to be styled "The Committee on Free Schools;" which committee shall be charged with the consideration of the resolution referred to this committee, and all other matters touching the subject matter of the education of the children of this city; also with all appropriations of money by the Council in this behalf: in fact, have charge of and bear the same relation to this subject of "free schools" as the other standing committees of the Council to the matters of finance, public property, streets, &o. That it be referred to this committee to enquire into the expediency of suspending the further exercises in the white free schools, now sustained by the Council, after the 1st day of August, until some wiser and better system can be inaugurated by the Council; that all teachers now engaged be relieved at the time, to the end that when selections shall hereafter be made, the fields of selection of teachers shall be disembarrassed of the vexed questions "of turning out those who are already in." To carry out the views of the committee, the sum of $20,000 or $25,000, indicated as necessary, bears most magnificent proportions, and is calculated to deter from the calm consideration of the subject of education. This committee, however, feeling deeply impressed with the transcendant [sic] importance of educating the rising youth of the country, think every effort should be put forth to accomplish this great and grand object. By effort on the part of the Committee on Free Schools, your committee believe money may be raised outside of the coffers of our city. We would suggest the following sources, which may be made responsive: 1st. The Peabody Fund - possibly from this source $3,000 might be contributed; from the Literary Fund of the State of Virginia, $1,000; the U.S. Government acting through the Freedmen's Bureaur, and as the almoner of individual contribution, now expending nearly $12,000, would contribute possibly the same amount. When the matter is earnestly taken hold of by ourselves, Gen. Howard, the central head at Washington, and Gen. Brown, the head in Virginia of the Freedmen's Bureau, from their known liberality and earnest interest manifested in the elevation of the poor, ignorant and