Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-12-22

ucS OF rankin, Monroe asntngon each oil the
two first named counties school esabshed and
ten schools In the last These the first attempts in
the State, TO carry into execution the provisions Of
authorizing the establishment Of District Schools,
would not be just TO consider them afiordng fair chi
crion TO judge of the advantages attending the SYSTEM
asmuch as they appear to have been in operation only
part OF the year. IL is experiment Of unboundcd in
terest TO the State and is OF extremely desirable
that II should be more extensively attempted, wherever
the density the population will admit OF it, but at the
same time, is dcluson TO suppose that the system
be upheld solely the expense of the public trea-
sury The inhabitants, themselves, must initiate the
ample Of their fellow citizens OF ashngton county they
must contribute portion OF ter ime their labor and their
substance for the purpose cfdydng their respective
ties districts, Of purchasing the necessary quantity Of
land Of ding houses with the requisite fni
turc oppendages and fuel and OF raising by some eec
al node OF taxation contribution apenanen provision
for their teachers, which, with the aid derived from the
treasury viii their the certain
OF being rescued from ignorance.
Adding TO the ti69 children educated in 1880 under
the primary school system the 96 who attended the dis
tc schools in the three counties above the
aggregate number will be IL PCS.
The quotas allotted TO the borough Norfolk and town
Petersburg after deduction of proper charges are APP
propacd in aid Of the Lancastean schools established in
those corporations which afford gratuous instruction all
poor children The quota the city OF Richmond is disposed
oil in the same manner with the exception Of small
tribuon towards the instruction of the children Of the Fc
male Humane Association of the city. This disposition
the school funds though not conforming literally the d.
reciions OF the act Is considered by the School Commits
to be fully within its spirit particular reference
TO c extracts from the reports for these towns docu-
mcnt X, will be found interesting.
1t will be by document that after lapse ofwelye
months from the at which the lawlirccts the Annual
Reports of the School Commissioners be returned none
have been received from counties and that those
four others arc not in form which admits of their being
embodied in the abstract These omissions call for the in
iicuon OF the legal penalties upon the delinquent countless
but the performance of the duty cnoincd on the Second
AUDITOR to direct the legal proceedings, attended with
great perPexty and TO judge from the few attempts have
had it in my power TO make, the recovery Of the fines
such cases. nearly hopeless When the returns
received from county, it is impossible to ascertain at
whose door the failure of duty lies whether caused by
the court in not having appointed School Commissioners
collectively or individuality their treasurer, their clerk
70 perform the duties respectively devolving tem
In ne, whether the clerk Of the court has HIMSELF
ted to forward copies of the returns of the School Commits
sioncrs the proper department This information
to be Indispensable to enable the Second Auditor give
correct instructions TO the Commonwealth attorney I'M
less il be supposed that the abour of accrtainng all the
necessary facts properly devolves on that officer.
lhis difficulty may require remedy at the hands of the
Legislatures other amendments of the laws regulating the
primary school system are perhaps aquay necessary to
ensure more exact performance of duties and otherwise
perfect the system. Among them provision subjectng
counties in cases, to total forfeiture ofschool quotas, in
my Judgment, Indispensable
The improvement in the proceedings of the School Com
mssiones resulting from the act of February, 1929, and
the forms established in pursuance thereof is very app,
rent in the returns for 1880 Many of these are in the
most correct comprehensive and satisfactory FORM and ex
hbit in some populous counties the ndefgable and
acuVity oil the Commissioners and their readiness con-
form to the inuncions of the law. Other returns in con-
sequence OF great want OF attention and method previous
10 me passage oil that act the effects ofwhch
lc IN subsequent years. not perfect but hoped
inc ds oil these irreguaresis exhibited in the returns
for 1890 "
The returns for 1891 far they have been received
eAo great improvement, compared with those of the
preceding year.
am aware that the forms prepared for The regulation Of
the business oil the School Commissioners, by some
few considered TO he unnecessarily minute and tedious
VIII only remark that it is only by of such forms
that the Legislature expect TO derive informa-
ton TO be conded either respects the proper and
legal application of the funds, the degree of attention
bestowed by the School Commissioners upon the great
In thnr ~
hardship upon gentlemen in the assduous and conscen
uous discharge of their duties School
out In framing any system which is intended prevent
or correct abuses Its provisions must necessarily be made
general and for the sake great COOL secures any
partial ev which may be caused by il, should be submit
ted TO without murmur. indulge a hope, however
that the statements submitted to the Legislature will
be sufficient TO convince the ncredulous OF the
ceSsity an al cases. of uniform mode of conducting the
operations of the School Commissioners for without such
uniformity, the statements accompanying this report
could not have been prepared.
In pursuance of the directions of the act of the last
sion oil the General Assembly, respecting the sale of the
Bristoc tractin Prince William, belonging to the Literary
Fund an advertisement for proposals for the said
inserted in various newspapers The President and D
rectors have received several offers for Of
Tor the whole tract but was considered incompatible
with the interest oil the fund 10 acccdc TO either of the first
and the last does not conform TO the conditions of the act
the poposcr declining give the personal security there
by required. No sale has therefore been effected
new apporionment of the annual appropriation of
$4,000 Tor the Primary Schools is required under the
existing laws to be made the different counties Of the
state agreeay every census taken under the authority
Of the United States This duty would have been per-
formed and an apporonment by the late submitted
herewith accordingly but for the creation the last
sion Of the General Assembly, of four countless whose
white population have ascertaining nor what
portion thereof taken from the several counties out of
which they composed. II has been usual, in such
cases, tor the Legislature 10 determine the pay
able to each county The quotas for the ensuing year
will be due on and after the first day of January 1t is
therefore Desirable that this subject should be attended
at as early period the important business of the
Legislature will permit.
With great respect, have the honor to be, Sir, your
most obcdcnt servant, J. BROWN, Jr.
Second .fuditar and Superintendent Literary Fund
accounts ofhe FUND FOR INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT |
for the year ending LIST December, 1881.
Permanent funds, per statement b. 81 AIS, 06I IL |
DisPoSable funds, az per statement c, 1918 90
Productive 81 ,624,65o. Unproduc-
tive $5lO,li9 ~ S2,I35,O99 IL !
Disposable funds in cash: balance in the
treasury, 50 1863 20
$2,2O4 1853 10
The receipts into the treasury during the
year, including the balance hand from
1880, amounted as per statement ID, to I73 ,9l5 30
The disbursements during the same period,
as per statement j., 10i, $40 OIL
Leaving the above mentioned balance
in the treasury of S69, 1860 20 |
The probable receipts in the year 1882 in.
Guiding the present balance on hand, will
-, amount, as per statement F, to 1892 10
The probable disbursements under the pre.
sent appropriations, will be state