Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-02-13

hahitants of the district shall subscribe equal or
greater ainot and shall agree to constitute tire
school SO established, into free school for tie ea
cation IF al Ike children in the district.
The difference between this aud similar plans here
toiore proposed is that its introduction instead of be-
ing forced ut every pnrt of the State to be
the voluntary of each separate county; and that
the sought to BIC obtained arc
to spring, not from compulsory levy, but from the
voluntary subscriptions of interested benevolent
ndividuats. The advantages which IL offers, over
our present system that BY bringing the rich and
the poor together IN the school and the same
tern's 1t VIII destroy the degrading. distinction nscp
arae from the present operation of fund-and that
by drawing individual contributions to the aid of state
appropriations, will secure the introduction
IL OF better teachers, but OF improved and eco
nomical system of education.
Tins last consideration especially one Of so much
Importance, that must beg pardon OF the committee
Tor pressing 1t further their attention 1t appears
irol the report of the 2nd Auditor that the average
prcc OF educating the poor throughout the State is
SS25; and 1t follows, f am right. in estimating the
number of children fan requiring education at
2ooooO) that the whole amount 10 be paid by Virgin
Ia Tor primary education IL 81 $4,000, per In
connecticut, fourth and in y. York. still small
Ter proportion of that amount, would accomplish the
same result. And ain very much mistaken If a Judi
cious combination OF individual and public contribu
tons would not secure TO Virginia the same rcduc-
non IL tue price OF education enjoyed by her
sister states. Take, Tor example, district contain
ing goo children The cost ofeducatiug them on the
present plan at So,2 cents, would be $3.50. A sin
sic IucaStrl3p SchoO! IN the centre of the district
would readily secure the ofeducatlon to every
Child 1t contained. and the cost OF teacher for
such school, would vary according to circumstances,
from two to four hundred dollars. then the school
commissioners of the county should offer as thcy are
authorised to do by that bill contribution from the
public fund 500, would not consideration sof inter-
est well rs benevolence and public spirit urge up
on parent in the district an effort to procure
voluntary subscription the balance that might be
NECESSARY, whothcr or three hundred dollars.
Hat what Is true iii relation TO district, would be
found equally applicable to county. Take the
county OF Loudom as an example. That county re-
ceyes an annual appropriation ofupwards of $1,000
from the literary fund.- and contains about $50 square
miles. Let be divided into 10 Districts IL miles
square, ana 500 be appropriated out of the quota of
the cOaty, to the support of free school in each
district. fthc schools be of the ordinary character
they would probably require individual contributions
to the amount 500 in each district, and would fur
uish tic means of partial education to about 1900
children. But il established Lancastran princi-
Pies they would require about $500 from individual
contribution In each district, aud would educate
throughout the year at lcast sd0o children in the
! whole county.
Now, sir, by the last report of tic school commits
sioners Of oudon, it appears that the averort price
of educating poor children there is $40 per ann. and
that their whole quota would, of course, educate
throughout the year, only 100 children If then the
whole number of children in the county is 2IO0 and
the rest BE- educated at the with the
est class, follows, that the education of the remain
inc 1890 would cost their parents $4,000 instead of
IN That bill and that instead of one or three hundred
dollars IN each District, the tax now levied by the
miserable schools on which dependence must be had
Is S2OO5. Can il be presumed that when This cub
lect comes 10 be properly understood the county al
Ioudoun or any other county, not impeded by insu-
perablc difficulties, viii hesitate to avail itself of vou
oEer, aud proceed at once TO the establishment o
gree schools on the plan proposedf The system rnoy
perhapsbe slow in extending itself overthe State; hut in
my opinion 1t will ultimately prevail Lonq established
haplts are not easily broken; but the example of
SHe'c District IN any county viii be sufficient on this
subject to dispe the Dists of prejudice for hundreds
OF miles around.
Mr. Fitzhugh said, Lc would now proceed 10 4 very
cursoTy examination Of the other sections of the bill
hcE OBJECT was to correct the abuses of present
system, and to provide Tor tho school fund more
elcleHt administration than it had hithn,to enjoyed.
IL appeared from the Auditors report there were
Ia the hands OF the school treasurcrs, the 30h OF
september last iG2 aud thu; at the beginning of
tHe present year. they entitled to draw Sl5 900
more Mr.. T.. here read several extracts from the
report, showing the accumulation in the hands NJ
some OF the Ireasurers of mary thousand dollars
amounting III one instance 10 more than seven times
the annual quota of the county. He read other cy
tracts also going to show various other obnses-such
as me dispersion of the funds among the school COM
hDSaioners without any security for their faithful an
phl"ilol-uncqusl charges for educatinn--tbe outiri
plion OF the quotas OF succeeding years bv extravo
CANT expenditures during the current ycar-and an
enre allure 20 enforce the penalties Of the law for
neglect of duty '''
Mr.. r. said he was aware that most Of these ab,,scs
were attributable solely defects in the laand nm
eort had accordingly been made in that bill to relnodv
tloSe detects IN detail far possible. Eut tho
great eVI OF our present system, is that it looks IN he
PRESIDENT and Directors Of the literary fund and r.
me county commissioners for the execution of Tho
lawi and the consequence had been as it vould bc
otbu 70 DC IN ali eases, where the power to execute
ana tle responsibility Of executing were Divided
amongst many persons, that it had not been exccutcd
~ us most material part The remedy now proDoscd
was 10 make the second auditor, the sole s,ipefntcn'
cn' uhGcr proper restrictions of the primary school
fund, and to require ut lis hands f.ibf
OF me penal, as well other provisions Of tho INV
Mr.. J.. pledged himself 20 offer such farther cv.
fha'ioIs as might be required in the progress of the
FoR TIKI DiIhY Wmc.
I i is understood that lLr C,o,l.o,r ra:..; r
italy Will shortly leave this City. Il is hoped that