Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-09-28

tCHtiOu Vi tllc tcStsttOr uOnOT, SHAH prevail.
have thus asserted my right to be exempt
from the imputation of being protector or
schemer, because am very confident that this
nation, hassufered, is suffering, and will con-
tinue to suffer mischiefs, orincalculablc variety
and extent from projects sometimes pecunia-
ry, and sometimes phanthrOpic, or profess
ing to bcso, sometimes sanctioned by law, and
sometimes supported only by voluntary asso-
citation, but almost invariably wrong in the
design, or defective in the execution, or both.
.Ne,o Counties.] There are two points, to
which | beg leave to call your attention,
because it is possible, that did not, on eli
Their of them, express the opinion Of ma
jority but not being instructed, acted
according to my best judgment. The di-
vision of counties in the western country,
has always been cause of collision between
the two houses, and ofsome unpleasant sensa-
ton in the senate. have heard some strange
doctrines on this subject and soon found,
that there wasno fixed principle by which the
legislature had been governed. was obliged,
therefore, to establish one for myself. View
Ing the western country, the extent of the
counties, the number and height of the noun
tans, the rapidity of the streams, and the bad
ness of theroads understanding that frequent
~ the frceh0lders were deprived of their right
suffrage, and sometimes found it better to
abandon, or to admit small claim, than to
travel to the court house for the purpose OF
prosecution or defence, | determined to sup
port every bill, which came from the III. ID.
in justification of whiclithese grievances could
be properly alleged provided there was sal
asfactory proof ofthe competency of the new
county, to indemnify the treasury, by its con-
tributions in taxes, for all expenses which such
measure must bring upon the state, and of
the continuing competency of the county or
counties from which the new county, was
proposed to be taken. | voted in the early
part of my service, for one or more counties,
which the foregoing proviso would have exclud-
ed. 1t was fatal to the first bill, to which it
was applied. do not say that this is the best
rule that could be devised: but contend that
il is better than none.
Uairersity.l The second point relates to the
university. never hesitated to avow my opini-
ons IN favor of that institution. / believe its es-
Enlistment and prosperity to be essentially con-
Dected with the character & hest interest of the
state of course, voted in favor of the univer-
slty: and was ready to vote in favor of every
ether scholastic institution liz the state, realii,
wanting aid, and standing, or conserving to
stand IN the same situation that is, entirely
under the control of the legislature otherwise,
not cent: no, not one.
My solicitude on this subject is not of re-
cent origin. AS long ago as Jan. IL. 1905, ex-
pressed in letters To the late VIM. BurwelI
OF Congress, then a member of our legislature
my deep regret, A" that the Gen. Assembly oil
"Virginia should cheerfully expend $4,000 a
"year, in the benevolent but visionary project
OF reforming felons, while every proposition
in favor of college was repealed with gothic
Z" disdain." This disdain, happily and honor
ablyfor the country, has subsidized and all that
we have now to lament or to fear is, that the
current of our feelings, has been a little tou
rapid in an opposite direction. We have not
only made considerable appropriations for the
building and endowment of university but
we have set apart $4,000 per ann. perhaps
more, for the gratuitOus education of the poor
at least for teaching them the first elements
Of learning. But the appropriation for the
university having been inadequate, voted al
the last session for further appropriation:
and II were to continue member, | should,
unless otherwise instructed, vote from time
TO time, for as much as would complete the
buildings, bring the professors together, and
get the institution under way. | should give
this vote, even at the expense of the fund fol
the education of the poor: and. l should dc
so, from conviction that the money thus di-
verified from its original destination would be
ee,n!eiiciallly applied, and from an apprehension
which gains strength as | gain information
that the law which appropriates these s45, OOC
to the education of some of the poor children
ofthe commonwealth and holds out the mag
nllcent but delusive idea of educating all, as
soon as the sum required for the purpose car
be ascertained, will not produce the good pro.
missed by its advocates.
Education Of poor chiidren1 Scepticism or
this point will, am sure, he denounced, by the
Jealous philanthropist who never doubts
ur, l,n Oh, l..
galnst the lessons of experience, those who
think not of fame and glory but of the public
good alone, will gain Information from every
quarter III which it is to DE found.
Let us look among our neighbors for a mo
ment, The system established in Pennsyva
MA bears great resemblance, understand, to
our own. The poor children are selected, ant
the teacher receives a price agreed on fol
each. i have before me, a report of the con
trollers of public schools for the first schoo
district in Pennsylvania. These controller.
were organised in April 1818 under law o
that year amending the existing law under
which" say the controllers, abundant proof.
"afforded, that the former mode of conduct
" ing this important business was fruitful O
fraud upon the public bounty, and lcorSe than
" useless in its effects on those intended to b,
improved by it." In order to prove the
truth of their remark as to fraud, they sd,
:" in one of the schools, where minute exam
"lnation was made, to supply monitors for tn,
8 moral school, not thirty ofthree hundred chill
dren paid for by the county, were found ir
" the schools, to which they were sent, by tn,
!: county commissioners. Results ola similar
kind, appeared in other parts ofthe district
Such was the operation ofthe system estab
ilshed IN Pennsylvania a system 50 fruitful O
fraud" and tCorse than useless" to the chill
dreD, at the very moment when her exampl,
was quoted and pressed upon our Assembly
and followed II
What reformation may be effected by the