Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-12-12

| a.
|" nad been able 10 do, but would have the profits
ana the value Of that portion greatly enhanced by
'"o execution OF the unfinished part at the OK.
Pense OF another. BY this arrange uhent also, the
s'd'e having the entire command Of the improve
!heht' would, upon her part. DO enabled to carry
y" according to any mode, under any agency
dno with any degree Of energy which she herself
| '"'Sht Judge to be best FOR her own convenience
VI 20, me wants and interests of her people. Nor
could She doubt or hesitate, in this case, as to the
nature or measure Of her own obligations, because
any expectation or any hopes Of reliance upon
anypower but her own Mother company could
DE better supported by wealthy partners, by pub
TIC coincidence, or by liberal legislation, than the
present one has been, that its inability to s,ruy-
gle through with this improvement may be taken
as maj proof that the state must do it for her
SELL or must leave it undone. Toleave it undone,
however. she cannot and will not.
! Forbearing any further view of the many which
M'ght be submitted upon this plan, l recommend
10 your consideration and adoption, the best
winch circumstances admit of. Should the lepis-
'aiure disagree with me in this opinion, the mex,
most suitable measure in my judgment, though
20 Do adopted not as regular plan, but as tenn
porary expedent, is, that the state shall loan to
The company such sum as shall be sufficient to
save from ruin and render available i'm some way
IT'S oisJointed works between Lynchbnrg and the
'"outh oil the North river-stipuaing il it does
So that lock and dam improvement NAV be
'iaue between those points, if desired by the COM
| pany. or railroad if desired and which il is
thought can be made by iud,cious use of the works
already there, at some eight or nine thousand
ooi'ars per mile. would recommend also as
accompanying conditions to any Legislative grant
'hat me vote OF the state as a shareholder be in
creased 10 something more justly proportoned
IMAM The present one TO her stock; that il be d-
vided equally between her three proxies, who
snail themselves be selected from different con-
su'utlonai districts; and that the state shall have
the ri9ht 10 make examinations of the works OF
'he company by an engineer or engineers of her
own separate appointment. whenever, in the OPT
mon OF the board of public works, it may be
eSpedient or necessary to do so.
Inc sum which is thus recommended TO be
advanced by the state to the company, falling pre-
suhpuVeiy within it's ability to repay, is TO all
JUST ntents loan, eXpedient under the circum-
stances Tor the state TO make and for the compa-
ny 10 receive. Within this limit-the limit of
aoii'y--where the relations of lender and Dor
rover are maintained and acted upon by both
paties, the advances of the state, and upon cal.
cuiauons both fiscal and commercial, are dvisa-
ole and legitimate. But when this limit is pass.
co. ana advances are made without ability or
Expectation OF ability to pay back the company
peco"es from that point and that moment not the
ootio"ef Out the agent of the state for the ex.
Penditure and administration Of its funds and
"neh this relation arises, the advances in nv
judgment, would cease TO be advisable. When
ever the money with which this work is to be
conducted comes TO be furnished exclusively by
.he state, there Is no sound reason why il should
oe gwen up TO the management of an agency
such as that of this COMPANY where the authori-
" oil The state is the least and where her part-
ners bound by direct responsibility to her. are
al me same time bound TO no particular prudence
IN 'heir acts by sharing in the money which they
manage.
/ This company, composed in part of CORPORA
,ions who practically hold and exercise plura-
ivy power In the management of its concerns is
o' o,''y most peculiar In Its organization, but is
wanting In some of the Indispensable requisites
winch would qualify it 10 act as an agent for the
stale, were an agent desired i'm the control and
management OF It's funds; it wants the adapted
ness and the Responsibility which such purpose
enlnentiy needs. l, is not. however, in this sun
posabie character of agent but in thar of borrower
that have regarded and recommended it to your
assistance.
Inc admitted importance Of providing by law
Tor well supported, well regulated and adapted
system OF common education, will Justify, il is
hoped, my recurrence for the third time to that
subject. l should rejoice 10 be spared the neces-
SHY OF this duty, but neither nor any ether exc
curve ever can be, as long the legislative and
statistical! history Of this subject remains as il is;
as long as our provision for it is so painfully ina
oequate TO our wants, and so painfully contrasted
ioo' with the manner in which generation after
generation, Tor more than fifty years, our public
actors have made it the official and popular theme
Tor eniogy and patriotic aspiration Ii is humili-
atin9 after this TO look upon lis history now and
70 see mat whilst laws have been accumulated
upon laws to advance it, so little comparatively
mas been actually done-so little, indeed, that not
only Is there one In every twelve of our grown
up and governing population who can neither
read nor write, but at this very moment there are
growing up in the midS. of us thirty thousand
"indlgent Children 10 whom, for the past year,
not solitary hour of instruction has been afford
! ca at any school in the state. At this day, when
'he human mind Is, perhaps, more thoroughly
and profoundly reused than it has ever been be-
1ore-when 1t Is every where reducing by irwin
cioie power the transactions of governments and
men TO the standard Of lis own enlightened and
intrepid Judgment, and is making knowledge,
ike bread, necessary Of life; at this day, and
especially In our country, where the will of all is
The government of all, such fact as this is dis
i'onorng and reproacbfuI, it, indeed, i, be not APP
PaIIing. call upon you, therefore, who have
the whole contIo! Of this matter in your own
hands, so to iegislate upon it that this fact shall
continue no longer--iiat the evil of it and the
stain OF 1t shall be blotted out at once and if il
be possible, forever. 1t is the shame of Great
Britain that in the midst of her great power, and
OF that civilization which she is extending far
and wide, TO mankind, that fifteenth part of her
enlfe number Is pauper population. 1t would
be deeper shame for US, whose freedom is so
much greater than hers, and whose prosperity
drives pauPerism away, that an almost equal pro-
portion OF our own number should be found TO
whom the very alphabet of their mother tongue
had never been taught.
But this shall suffer, bitterly and long, if
nothing energetic is done to arrest Il. Let the
subject, then, be taken in your councils as one of
the worthlest amongst all the worthy that could
engage them, and be it your honor to unite in
generous effort with each other to build up a sys-
tenn Of common schools which shall secure the
rudiments of learning to every child in the State,
and thus associate the iniell0ence and snvereinn-