Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-02

FpEnlUpnl. i He lncQSuTPS EtEtHt1y pTnpOSeQ III LII u
tional councils before alluded to, force these %cunsidera-
lions on the attention of every rejecting patriot, and
they will doubtless he weighed by the General Assem-
bly, with ull the elaboration and sulcnnity due 10 The &c.
casion.
The approaching expiration of the charters Of the ex.
listing banks, will present an early occasion for The rrvl-
sion aud improvement of uur Banking System. The
defects which experience may have discussed, VIII, II Is
10 be hoped, be %Ieinedird. and new securities provided
against the dangers and excuses 10 which 1t Is OCCASION
ally liable. Bu! in the present advanced Stage OF com
mcrce aud civilization, considering The vast ana incfeas'
ing amount OF exchanges To which The extraordinary de-
yclopemcnls Of modern industry aud enterprise nave
given rise, aud, contrasting herewith the limited supply
of The precious metals in the world, the idea OF abolish
ing every conveniiona' medium of circulation, and re-
turning 10 an exclusive metallic currency, must oc
regarded as altogether behind the progress OF tue
age. Least of all is it adapted 10 n new aud growing
country like ours, where credit and anticipated capital
have already achieved such wonderful improvements,
and where so much yet remains to be elected by lheir
necessary aid.
| had hoped to be able 10 communicate to the General
Assembly, tue intelligence that all the principal Banks
in Tie Union had agreed on q cay to commence redeem
ing their notes in specie, and lament that | cannot con-
vey that desirable information. understand, however,
the prospect Of commencing al no very distant day Is
favorable; and that the banks in our own State have been
and ere now ready 10 fix on an carly day. That they
should do SO, is greatly 10 be desired; but, however anx-
ious we may feel on The subject, il is our duly 80 10 act,
as to render the operation as little distressing as possible
and avoid every thing which may tend unnecessarily 10
disturb the public confidence.
1t will be seen from the last return OF the Bank of
Virginia, made the first November, 1857, that her liaDl-
lilies for notes in circulation, debts and deposites,
amounted to The sum Of S5,657 ,S6G q and her means,
inclusive Of her stock, and excluding her real estate to
meet these liabilities, to S9,325, OPS 03-The like liabi-
lities of the Farmers Bank of Virginia, at the sumo pc.
riod, amounted to 81 ,l77,7H 81 and lis means, in like
manner, inclusive Of its sleek, and excluding lis real es-
tate, were S6,437, 200 So. The condition of the other
Banks in the Commonwealth, renders no leg secure The
| boldorc oT ming and 6sDncitors OF nonpv.
The Report of the Second Auditor, on the state OF The
Literary Fund, and The condition of the Common
Schools, will be laid before you and from it you will
see the progress made and making in the general system
Of education. The success attending the education OF
poor children, is highly gratifying; md it is reputable
10 the country, that this subject is attracting more gene
raj attention; for certainly, in whatever aspect we view
it, there is none more important. An enlightened Leg
isla!ure will not, in The performance of their duties IN
this great work, halt at the threshold-Ihat Is now the
position we occupy. In other countries, not possessed
of our ample means, their governments have provided
for the education oi their entire population. This is
the case in Prussia, and several other OF the German
States. New York has her system in full operation,
and is doing well. Why, allow inc 10 usk, have we fail.
ed to make provision for a general system OF common
schools? Is il not u Notifying reflection, that while
one Of our fundamental canons declares, % that all pow
er is vested in, and consequently derived from, the PEG.
Pile" there should be thousands Of that very people in.
capable Of either reading or writing Yet such is the
humiliating fact.
II was certainly most p%raisewortty in the General AS
scinbly that originated it, TO project the plan providing
for the education Of the poor. The portion Of the in
come uf the Literary Fund applied 10 their education,
for the year ending The Both September, 1887, amounted
TO SSl,l77 e5. This is now more than can be ~pruGently
applied 10 that single object. What then ought to be
done with The increasing revenue OF that fund: The
question, ] lIumbly submit, may be promptly and salts.
Gactorily answered. Apply the surplus 10 the endow-
ment of common schools, throughout the whole Stale,
for the education Of the children Of the great body Of
the people, and of all classes. These schools have been
very appropriately called The Academies and Colleges
of the People. BY cndowing and promoting them, every
citizen is provided in his neighborhood, or at his door,
with u school for the education Of his children n school
where that class Of children may be educated, to whom,
in 4 few years, the destinics of the country are 10 be
committed.
Many of our most respectable citizens, and not a few
of those who direct our public councils, obtained their
education, not within the halls Of a college, but in
schools Of much humber pretensions. Their means
being inadequate 10 the expenses OF a college, they &C
quircd at the common schools, the elements OF a solid
education and by their subsequent ell'dlrected efforts,
have nobly qualified themselves for all the duties Of pub.
lie and private life. To me, it seems alLlmportant, that
effective measures should be taken to place the system
Of common schools upon a footing commensurate with
the wants Of the public, and the obligations OF the Go.
vcrnrent: and | respectfully submit II 10 your enllght-
ened. and friendly consideration.
hinung tho .stieot. Of srsr,~virg inLerost nre eAr
I works Of Internal improvement, as we'll on account Of
the large sums of money which we are expanding on
their construction, as the great advantages which we
expect 10 derive from them when completed. Those
who achieve their c%ountry's independence, had no
sooner rested from their labors, than they turned their
attention 10 many important improvements, some OF
which, at this late day, we are engaged in executing.
AS carl as 1883, all Act passed for improving the M.
vigalinn of James River, and another for improving the
Roanoke. In ISL, the james River Company was in.
corporated, and the object declared 10 be, 81 the clearing
and extending the navigation from tide.wa.er upwards,
10 the highest parts practicable, on the main branch" In
The same year, the Potomac Company was Incorporated
for improving that river. In 1877, the act passed for
incorporating the Dismal Swamp Canal Com pany, for
cutting a canal 81 from the waters Of Elizabeth river to
the waters of Pasquotunk, in North Carolina" In the
same year, an act passed for improving the Appomattox;
and in 1873, the Rappahannnck Company was incorpo-
rated, I" for opening and clearing the navigation Of that
river; so that in ten years plans were laid, and compa-
MES were forming for improving all the principal navi.
gable streams in the State, which run eastwardly from
the Mountains.
1t will give pleasure, ! ain sure, TO upper Virginia, TO
see all these improvements completed; and the people of
that region expect, and have no reason 10 doubt. That low
er Virginia views with equal satisfaction, the prospect Of
seeing The upper country inirrsccted in all directions
with Rail and Macadamized Roads, adapted 10 their To-
cal situation, and The necessities Of. their commerce.
| desired and intended 10 have laid before you, a gene
raj view of all the public works, completed, and in n
course Of completion, and such as are in contemplation,
and regret that am not prepared to make such a com
municnlion.-l venture to offer some suggestions which
consider Of great importance in the further prosecution
of this branch Of our lubors.
As a member Of the Board of Public Works, I have
already had sufficient experience 10 convince me that the
organization OF the Engineer CorPs is very GelecuVe.-
When a public improvement is proposed, the Stale En-
gineer is generally called upon, and very properly, TO ex-
anime aud report upon its Praclicability; and then, when
the work is about to be executed, his agency ceases, at
The very time when his opinions and his assistance would
be most useful. The execution is committed to hands
over which The Engineer has no control, and in this way,
very little benefit is derived from the superior abilities to
which it was certainly the intention Of the Legislature
10 confde the office.
Tile Corps Of Engineers should exercise a general
controlling influence over all the works in which
the State is interested. This can be accomplished
only by an entire new organization. Many uncon-
nected regulations have successfully been adopted leav-
ing the whole system imperfect. l would recommend
a re.modelIing Of the syslem, upon a plan Of which