Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-10

in me own neighbrrtood, ic ;hucli above
the average hro' ,he state, vet no prDba-
''le correction viii bring the two systems
near a level.
But take Into consiera ton, also, tho
important difference, tia; the l,20S'. 900
are now paid by the people, as d poll-tax,
the poor having as many children as the
! rich, and paying The Whole tuition money
themselves ; whereas. on the proposed
ward-leyies the poor man would pay in
proportion To his bui and pecnlium only,
while the rich would pay ON their palaces
aud principaii,ies. II cannot, then, be
tina: the people will not agree 10 have
their tuition tax ligh'ened by evics on the
ward, rather than ON themselves: and ms
litfl. believe that their representatives
will disagree to 1t (: for even The rich will
pay less than they now do. The portion
OF the SiS00Oo, which, on the ward sys-
TEN, they will pay for Tie education of
The poor, as well AZ OF their own children,
VIII not be as much as they now pay for
their own alone.
And wilithe wealthy indi, idual have no
retr;hu'iOn and wiiai will this be? J.
lie pr"plng his neighborhood with no
nest, useful aud enigIi :, 4 citizeuS, un-
der>iandIng Their own rigits aud firm in
their perpeinatlon. ,. When his own de-
scendautS become poor, which they gene
rally do within three generations, tho law
OF prlmogcniture nowperpctuatlny wealth
in The same tamilies,) theIr children will
be educated by the then rich aud the
little advance lie now makes To poverty,
while rich himself, will be repaid I,v The
then rich. to his descendants when be-
come poor. and thus give them "a chance of
rlsing again. This is solid cousidera-
ton, and should go home iD'ihe bosom
OF every parent. THIS will be seed sowed
IN fertile ground. II is provision for his
family looking TO distant times, and Tar in
duration beyond tina, he has now in hand
for them. Letevery man count backwards
in his own family, and see how many ge-
nera;ious lie can go, before he comes to
The ancesiorwho made the fortune he now
holds. Most will be stopped al The frs,
generation, many al the ~, few will n ach
The Sd, am not one III the state 20 beyond
the 5hi.
know that there is much prejudice, e.
ven among the body ofihr people, against
the expence and even the praciicabIlity
of a sufficient establishment of elem en,a-
ry schools, but | think ii proceeds from
vague ideas on subject they have never
brought to the test of facts and figures
but our representative will fafhom lis
depth, and the people could and would
do the same, If the facts and considers
tons belonging 10 the subject were pre-
scented to their minds, and their snbse-
quent as certainly as theirprevious appro
baton, would be secured
But II the whole eXpence of the clemen
tary schools, wages, subsistence and
buildings, are 10 come from the literary
iund, and If we are TO wait until that fund
81, ha
mount, we may Justly fearthat some one
uniucky legislature will intervene within
the time, change the who'll appropriation
10 the tightening OF taxes, and leave us
where we now are.
There is, however. an intermediate
measure which might bring the two
plans together. 1.-THE literary fund be of
one and half million of dollars, take the
ha!t-milllon for the colleges and UNIVERSE
ty, II will establish item meagrely, and
make deposit of the remaining million.
Its interest o! sec, 600 will give $50 wear
10 each ward, towards the teachers wages,
and reduce thai tax to 24 instead of 36
cents to the dollar; and as The literary
fund continues TO accumulate, give one
third OF the increase to the colleges and
university, and two-tlrds TO the ward
schools. The increasing interest Of this
last portion will be continually lessening
the schooi-tax, until ii will eXlingGish il
altogether the subsistence and build
ings remaining always TO be furnished by
the ward in kind.
A system ofgeneral instruction, which
shall reach every description of orr citi-
Gems, from the richest 10 The poorest, as
II was the earliest, so will il be The latest,
of all the public concerns in which shall
permit myself TO take an interest. Nor
am | teilacious of the form in which it
shall be introduced. Be that what IT NAV,
our descendants will be as wise as we are,
and will know how TO amend and amend
If until il shall suit their circumstances.
Give IL 10 us. then, in any shape, and re-
ceiye for the inestimable boon the thanks
of the yeung and the blessings of the old,
who are past all other services but prayers
for the prosperity of their country and
blessings TO those WHO promote it.
TIL : JEFFERSON.
n NJ