Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-03-21

conc.
This view presented itself to my mind at the
BY the appropriation oil 81 OeO ooo as before
mentioncti, aud, IN connection wi.s other oh
lec;ions, induced me 10 withhold nv support
OF the ntea sure.
NO man can appreciate more highly than l
40, t.e advantages OF education, and none will
lead has aid more cheerfu.iv than n,yself' in at
toiuniS an opportunity, within proper limits,
10 edu'te the youth ct our co.ntry, bnt be-
tore eau he induced To support any s',eme at
PaDuc Sducation, mus, be convinced that the
sci.hn" A. Doth practicable aud safe and by this
mean, mat no vital prlnSi,lic OF the govern
nien' shall be endangered. j Ms mind has been
drawn I" this subject hy alate legislative at
tempt To establish by law Il system OF public
education, which propose briefly to examine
as wei Tor the purpose oi information to those
VINO nave had no opportunity of understanding
IL, as 10 shew the reasons Which Induced me to
vote against it.
At "a very late period of the session. a bill
| passed the House at Delegates the ,iject of
which was 10 provide an extensive system o,
pubic education, and as the rejection OF that
10y the Senate, gave birth TO Il Joint resoIu-
ton TO cause the rejected bill, together with
other documents 10 be published, for the cousi-
derition otthe peoples as those members OF the
Senate, who feit II their duty TO oppose the pas
sage of this bill, may be somewhat ceusured
BY mauv, who have hadno opportunity ofviey-
ing the whole scheme and its probable effects
4 embrace tins opportunity ofinviting YOUR at
ten'lon to the principles of this bill, which
yon will soon fund published, in Pursuance ofthe
resolution aforesaid; in the mean time will
state some of my objections to its passage
Which perhaps may also claim portion of your
| attention.
| First. The plan of pnblic education as pro-
by the rejected bill however desirable
may he the object, seemed to me to be impy,c-
ticaDie IN his execution. because of the enor-
nous sum which would be annually REQUIRED
| 10 support the establishment; and Secondly. If
tie execution of the plan be practicable, then
| 6onbt its policy.
| KS tn the first objection this plan of public
| education, II will be remembered is TO he car
RED into operation by the aid of the literary
| Fund, which is the common property of all the
| citizens, who of course have equal claims u,,on
| u, anu winch amounts at this time To about
oiuo,O00, bat Will, when it receives from the
GENERAL Government, the donation made nv
| Tie state during the session of 1876 10 n
mount Ia about 81 100000 Ii was proposcd
| Dy Tie bill IN question, to divide the counties
/ MO townships ofnot less than 30 square miles
| eaci ana the cities an towns into wards com
prehendInS not more than iU0 families in each
| ward to divide the state into rs academical dis
ricts' ~ addition 10 which there were to he
I'VE colleges and an university. ia each town
| ship and ward there was to he a nrnarv
| school with salary ID the teacher of $500 pcr
| year. to be paid ont of the Literary Fund. and
| 'h's Is Tie only branch ot the eXpence which I
| propose 10 examine, otherwise I sIIould far
! exceed the limits, which have prescribed for
myself IN this communication.
| Allowing the state to contain 10000 snnare
miles, ana allowing one primary school TO be
eHtaDhshcu IN each township of 30 souare
miles, there woHid be required for the state =,
| poui 2333 primary Schools not taking into The
| estimate the wards into which the cities and
towns were to be divided, which. perhaps, NAV
! amount TO not less than GG7, so that the whole
| number OF primary schools NAV be put down nt
| 5000, which at 500 each for teacher. will a.
| mount 10 the sum of S600,O Oo per wear 10 he
| Pdia out OF the Literary Fund, which, for MANY
nnf hae Sfr,f.r tod
| 81 400 ,0GO; and this annual expenditure for
| thc primary schools, may he fairly put down al
less than one half of the cost per wear of tho
whoiS plan, Thus IL will be seen, that this
| grann scale OF public education would very
nearly exhaust, in one year, the whole fund set
| apart Tor Its execution, and what then yyould
De SAID oyIts advocates? Why we must Ell
.neI aoanooh the enterprise, with loss of the
! whoic Literary Fund, or must replenisl a.
| increase this fund by means and these
new means may be expected to be, numerous
bdnhS, or an increase Of tares, so as to produce
| an anrua, sum exceeding four times the amo,ot
| OF The present revenue.
| Cne or these means must be resorted to- and
| the greatest evil
However desirable then it NAV be. that
some plan of education should be devised and
iostercd by tie Legislature, the plan which
sas D5eh rejected, inmy opinion, met lust
ialei because 70 would require more than the
wfaitil oi the State, to support it,
| Ent suppose this plan of education be practi
cabie III us execution, does sound policy re-
commend its adOptioui My own opinion is that
me experiment would he bold and dancerc,is
| one. II is said, and believed, by lnany wise
men, tilat the creation of large inonied instiiu
ions, with extraordinary privileges is DANCE
| rons to liberty, and although this proposition
| ill ne not well eE3n'ned. may seem 10 be un-
rue yer thorough INVESTIGATION Gifts prirci.
| pies, ana The various no,ieS IN which money
may De used, leaves very strong reasons TO be-
J i'eVe that there is something sound an a solid
IN Tue sentiment; and my own reflections ,tt,o1
the subJect have led me TO conclude, that the
pest MODE of protecting and securing, as well
me freedom 81 religion, as the civil liberty Of
the people, rs to avoid the creation of the mas
ses OF wealth and patronage, in which so much
pc ser may be conSccratedF
40 create by law, fifty political corporations
vested win powers. limited OHiy bV the Cogsft-
fHf'on and general LaUs of The .Sfote. own;,,,-
property TO the vast amount and extent pro.
posed by the rejected bill and acting in con
CERT as ihey would do, because they are PARTS
OF Tie same great whoie, would be to give a
power and patronage which ,aigbt he weld
ca VIII much effect, either in The cause of viz
tue or OF rice. and since there is 10 absolute
certainty that these corporations would always
bciound lie supporters ofpelIticat virtue so
w0'iIh run no risk of epcountering their iufi,,.
ence on the opposite side OF the question. and
tuscan oDlybe done byretusing TO give them cx-
lstcnce. Doubtful however as u may he what
Course in PoIitcks these CORPORATIONS ,vo,,lJ
pursue, think there can be none as TO the
course they would take in religion In all
SCHOOLS al Il seninaries, IL has been found bene.
uciai 10 me morals of youth to inculcate rel oi.
Gus pTecepts aud whilst at each seminary nar
ucuiar tenetS are prOtessed and prac'tiscd
Nei t"e schools aud semlnaries, being indcpen.
deht OF each other, do not encourage fbe ann,
SUyfglu at IlpDIO0x hanca el,,, ..ca..t.. ..-,