Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-01-20
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ing circumstances, the best plan Mo o;,,ee and
adopt The lst resolution OF .he sou" Iii nropo-
look 10 The provisions oi 'ne :" ~
sing proper system. ,cov far
M Mr RIIRWELL would make no aPGinsJ ~
The deep interest he had manifested on .. n and
iect. He was member OF ine conhu :',sa mad
sannrovcd of heir report. The commi'.ee n~s
hsen much embarrassed by The di1elen ", oans
submitted 10 their consideration. f1euiu ~ ,L;s
denim the Convention lot us ae"oJ n,aise-
euh;ec, The members had eVinced
n.o;,ny zsa, and patrolsm in assembling d. on
;nclsnsn, season of the year, Tor inc Pu.
~ nromo,ing the cause Of Education. nen ~.
ion however. was calculated 10 emoaiia ss ~
unnse There were seyenty-hve couhties ho. -
l.o eaa,oa in he convention. The Giles were
rrenresenled by very large Delegations; anu .nen
representatives in The convention couiu ny ~ he
rec,ed 10 be acquainted with Inc "an's ~ liens
neople throughout the country. harmon;ze
r. H.. committee were calculated 10 haiihohize
u aae run views Every person seemed 10 be
opnr;Ssd with his own peculiar system, WHICH
inas as eas;ly created as Persian Hea'eh.
va" Die ,,,en,;on had been called to six dinerehl
.vsIems All differing in the important paruc,u'ai
~ 70 yaI;on These facts tend 10 Inc establish
meni of The nosition, that the adoption OF any one
system would no, be generally acceptaoie. nc
Committee believed that The present system,
amended in some respects, wouia NC INC Wy
best lha, could be adopted. As system lot .ilc
education OF the indgeni, II was no "i'e'e su',
passrd. II was stereotype argument lha' the
phiIJrsn If The moor would mol accept The benefits
81 ,ha present system. Our arislocratic Uriver-
civ does mol refuse 10 accept sraiuIly from the
STATE nor would the Military institute, OF ether
h;gbly endowed institutions. Why, then, should
,L, moor refuse 10 accept the appropriation from
the literary fund, composed, as II IS, iorieituFes
donations. &c, devoted 10 the purposes Oh educa-
toni The present system was 10 lhe nature OF
riobr and by no means eleemosynary IN lis charac-
,e3 in Inc State OF New York, where the rich and
The poor ale educated together, il is well known,
that. when The funds ale 10 be collected ior The
support OF The schools, the amount Is generally
raised entirely from The rich, and vel Inc poor 90
not hesitate 10 avail themselves OF Inc advantages
afforded. In New York, j! appears from an'hen-
,ic renor,s that OF The entire number OF children,
% coo have attended school during the whole
veat so 600 for Ten months or upwards; 65,OOO for
eioht months or upwards; l50, 600 Tor six months
or UPWARDS; 2Sl 1000 for tour months or upwards;
AZ! 900 for two months or upwards; leaving only
about 235 600 as the number who have altenGed
far a less pericd than two months. No system is
free from the defects of The system in Virginia.
Our teachers are badly paid and consequently
badly qualified. il has been said that success
iul application Of The system had been made IN
Maine, where the density OF the population was
only twelve Inhabitants 10 tie square mile; but
the truth was, that, in these portions OF Inc olale
where the system had succeeded, The density OF
the population was greater than 1t would be IN
many portions Of Virginia in century. In 1871,
the Literary Board had been called upon Tor their
system. and it had been rejected because il was
mol agreeable TO the people. The people should
be authorised 10 select Tor themselves. The same
system would mol be suitable for the county .!
Ohio, with only fifty slaves, and for the county Of
Bedford. with len or Twelve thousand. He hoped
the anne ndment would mol be adopted.
Mr.. EDGlNGTON proposed that the sub
iec be, for the present, laid upon The table, and
made the order for some future day
Mr.. SOUTHALL thought il best TO dispose
OF the subject al once.
Mr.. EDGINGTON Withdrew his amendment.
Mr.. LYONS proposed that The subject be
postponed until Saturday. No decision would
be less acceptable 10 the country than the
declaration from the Legislature, that no other
than The present system would be adopted
The House was not prepared for deci-
sion of the question. No attention had been
given 10 the action OF the Convention before the
report Of The Committee had been brought in
They would be embarrassed by vote al this lime.
He was not prepared 10 vote for The report OF lie
Convention. There ought 10 be change in the
present system. There was much force in the
objection that TIE distinction between the rich and
The poor would deter the aer from enjoying the
benefits of The system The only proper plan was
10 tax every one in The Stale for the education OF
all.
Mr.. EDGlNGTON moved 10 postpone the
order OF The day TO Saturday next.
MIR. BOCOCk moved TO amend The motion
by substituting the l4lh Of February next. There
were many reasons Ter the selection oil that day.
A change will then have taken place in The pecu
MARY affairs Of the House, and economy would
then he The order of The day. Another party de-
sired Ire selection OF that day for peculiar rea-
sons.
THE party alluded 10 were the bachelors, and
The 18th OF Febv as ST. Valentines day j
MIR. SHEPARD was opposed to the postpone
ment. He hoped the House would be prepared
ty 10 adjourn before the 4th of February The
report OF the Convention had been before the
House for some time, and those who had not yet
examined il would not duso before the time pro-
posed.
Mr.. VERIFY opposed The motion Of Mr.. b.
cock. The l4th Of February was ST. Valentines
day and many gentlemen would then be engaged
in the reception Of bel-douX. The question
before the House had reference 10 The education
of the rising generation, and he would say 10 the
gentleman from Buckingham as was said OF Old
10 Simon Masus, "in this, hou hast no LOT nor
part" But 10 be more serious, il was in vain
that meetings Of the people had been called and
The public mind agita!ed on The subject, II The
Legislature SHOULD! thus Indefinitely postpone The
whole subject Virginia was The banner State OF
ignorance and superstition. Superstition was
the handmade of ignorance. II this subject were
postponed TO the close Of The session, the busress
would then have accumulated TO degree that
would render deliberate judgment impossible.
He would not object 10 The adoption OF the ear
Iier day proposed The friends OF the higher in
s,iu,ions OF learning should beware how they
permitted This subject to be passed over in ne
elect. He would give the higher institutions
belpine hand. They were the beacon lights, but
primary education must precede and sustain
them Should the Legislature close lis session
without action on this subject the other insiu-
tons in the State would be greatly injured
Mr. GARRETT hoped they would not post
pone The subject 10 late day. They should take
the question on the resolutions al once.
Mr. LYONS thought The House would be in
singular position if it adopted the resolutions,
and then postponed The subject.
The ayes ard noes being called for BY Mr..
VERIFY, the amendment OF Mr.. Bocock was re-
jccted by the following vote-ayes 6, noes III.
MIR. LEE believed that the House intended to
accomplish something on this subject and advised
the pnslponement Tor few days.
Mr. STROTHER said they would have il in
their power 10 decide upon The whole subject when
il came up on Saturday next.
The House decided TO postpone the order oil the
dav until Saturday next
On motion Of Mr.. LANIER, The House ad-
journed
MONDAY, Jan. 10Th, 1916.