Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-09

10 he Editor oTtie Political Aycar
"a. Il is one of the of the fox F'o, to li
butte to his avore great every e.,oous act his co,o
poares might adduce sndry nances Of this STYLE Of
tyr illustration Of my remark than your late article on The
Literary FUND, in which you kind enough give to certain
member of Congress- all the eclat OF that popular
suppose proofs wep plenty blackheres YOU would
roi give one on comPuson nevertheless require
ynur hands QUE2O
There is something Objectionable in the style Of our
correspondent "Qu@ro But pass that over.
We never make an assertion which we do not az the
time believe to he correct; and in ascriainn some
Seels since, the honor of founding the Dtercry Fund
10 Charles Fenton Mercer, certainly believed that
70 hun II Justly belonged Finding TINT ctaent
excited surprise, well to satisfy our CORE
PdndeDt U render justice 10 Mr.. Mercer, No have
gone into examination, and shall ndCaycr to Give
the history OF Legislation on the suheci.
The iato Governor Tyler, in his nc .s0@c 10 Tho
R"gisliture In tho year 1910, called the attention OF
that BODY 10 the Importance of public cdUcr bon.
The subject was referred TO a comm. tee of which
Mr. Mercer not member. lie however pre-
scented 10 the committee bill (which h. had prepared
without assistance from any onc entitled can az. 90
rrovide for the education of the pooR, which bill
PASSED the House of Delegates in tho very form i'm
which it WIS reported nv The committee II created
tho Board called "thc President end Directors OF ne
literary Fund" which has since undergone. wo
believe, no change except the withdrawal from 1t of
the President of the Court Of Appeals. j. was tho
Succeeding year al Mr. Mcrcers instance amended in
r7no of It's details. Thc act will No found in tho
session acts 1901 and will speak for i'FnE
II vas not however untf The war that any serious
effort made by the Legislature 10 SECURE to the
rJor Tho blessings o. education, and We venture 10
asser, that no bill resolution, amcndatory of tho
ret above alluded to- passed tho House Of Dele
yates after Tins period whilst he a m7mbor, Of
which Mr.. Mercer was not the author.
Pho grcqt addition made 10 the Fond, was in 1916
through the fundamentally Of the committee Of
FINANCE, OF which Mr.. Mercer was chairman. u is
stare liz necessary TO remind the reader, hat hv her
Expenditures for her own defence during the war.
Nnrinin bccnnp 10 very largo amount thc creditor
NJ the IT, StHtcS. The CunscCra' ion oF portion Of
this debt 10 the purposes popular education was tho
work Of r. 7. Mercer. IS Chairm7n of The rom
rntten of Finuucc, he presented IN 18th Fob. 1915
very able and interesting report, in which be re-
marks
uShold il w tho po,ufc NJ the rrn,al aseay 70 lly Tho
foundation of comprehensive ~ public education,
nplr f1r Tho Accomplishment oT this lauda e purroc
Ianv ~ found In thr residue OF the debt duc 20 t"
wealth nn the government ~ the United States and hcp'-
Nsion which tho committee Save presumed recommend fr
rTndualy cviuWshng tc debts ~ tho conmon"cah 10 tho
banks of Virginia"
This recommendation having received the sanction
OF hu house, resolution was on tic 28th ofthe snmc
month, sr ntted 10 The house of dolcgatcs adopted
without diyision-scnt up 10 thc scna,e and return
cd twu hours after with their concurrence.
The resolution was IN thrse words
"Rc resolved by hs wa,l assembly, That the president
and directors ~ The literary fund he requested dgc,, and
import the general assc uhlv, 81 public educa-
ZION, calculated ~ effect tn tho prooraons made that
object by the legislature heretofore AMI diug pyes-uf
:suop; md comprehend in such system tho establishment ~
Unreysv c called, "lhe nvcrstv If VIRGINIA" and
such additional cncrce academies, nnd schools shall
tho benefits Of el1ooon throughout the commonwealth ont
such rules fbr e Govern W such university colleges
d. nes and schools shall pro luce economy the cvpcud
tirc Dr the csfb rrt and n1nicn1ncc and good order
and dsciplino in the cement thereof"
On tho 9th February the act for appropriating
- Public rntcnuo' pssSd boil Dougcs. The t'h