Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-11-02
Ia the Ediiofs # the Enquirer.
GfRrv,Rrs Or, ~ lSd9


Ia the EdiiOs IF the Enquirer.
ALRgMaRLE, Oct % lS49.
Gentlemen In view ii the urgent Necessity tor
The adoption OF some means ior more unWer-
sI diffusion VI elementary education in Virginia,
ard regarding the Tree school system recently re-
Jrcled ~ The people OF h> county, ana every
other scheme which has as yet been proposed Tor
pubic consideration, As impIacticatc, ii is my
purpose 10 suggest a plan which hiak Wouc
prove both iaciic AMI effective il rs operation.
Let The General Assembly by &C; Of legislation
sci apart q iuLd, from which, hy an annual aIG
equal d'stilhrIi2E, every person WHO 10! The
year previous mas been engaged in tie occupa-
ton oi teaching SHAH receive a cratEious PIE.
miam. For illustration, supp~sc i; is ascer'aineG
that there are i'll The STATE about five !hoa>anc
persons regularly engaged in teaching school; ana
suppose, further, that the Legislature IN lis Wis
dom thinks The Commonwealth can spare tn.
sum OF fifty thousand dollars 10 be expended in
the purchase Of instruction ior The Ilsiag gene
ration, il would only b. necessary lha The pubic
iunciiunaIy, whose dliy IL T,igh be-, Should Pay
over The sum of ten GuaIs 10 every applicant
who authr nlicated the tact o! his or her havipS
been Tor twelve months regularly employed
school teacher in any par, OF the Stale 81 Nu-
GINA How mis- is 10 prove beneficial, may br
bcs. understood by citing case somewhat anaie
osous: 4 iew years ago all who took The usual
regular merchants license were allowed The pTi-
yllege, without additional tax Of dealing in
spurious liquors; bur such Traffic becoming &c
trlmenlal 10 The public, or sOIeeardeJ, il was en-
&C ed that special license for The sale oil liquors
should be issued, Tor which every merchant deal
ing in this article should pay An extra lee Of
fifteen dollars. The immediate efecI Of This Jaw
was sieal diniinution In The numh"I OF liquor
dealers and consequently mnch benell, In The
M tk.c fsrI II liant
inal tax Yiri Oh any particular Iursni, o,
profession operates directly towards reducing ih'.
| number Of employees in such occupation, and j.
| must be equally apparent thai a premium con-
ierred would produce precisely he contrary effect
Ii being made manifest that the distribution OF q
small quantity b. The Stale would produce air
actual and considerable increase in The number
OF that class Of persons (eachers) on whom thus
endowment Is 6-sOWed, il follows as a natural
and certain consequence II increased ccmpoli'i,n
that many could b. enabled 10 send their chiliIen
10 school, VINO al present are debaucd this phi.
vicsr
The advantages claimed for this scheme sre
First, lis simplicity. II needs no organzas
lions Of Boards OF Trustees nor sinccure officers,
| whose expenses ~ often abs rb the larg por
| tion of iuads destined FOR public use.
Sccond-Noi single dollar could be required
10 lis operation for wastefUi exper d'turr q
single dlshlrsing officer would lie sufficient for
The whole State, and The money passing directly
from his hands 10 those who are lis intended be
nelicisries, il were impossible tina, by corruption
there could I've any perversiun or E.isa pplicaion
in its use
Thirdly i,s operation no existing relation
would be changed. IL is nat proposed 10 eslab-
| ish schools Oh any new plan, bu E,erely 10 in
crease the number and efficiency those already
in existence
Four,h-Whilst The amount of the premium
would be sufficient to produce an increase in the
number and competition OF teachers, il would be
too small 10 render them in the least degree in
dependent Of thar own merit Of success.
F,flh-The facility with which the plan could
be adopted or abandoned might itself be an argu-
| men, for its trial. If the benefit received were
found not equal, 10 the cos; il would be Only lie
ce.sary TO repeal the law. No hazard could
attend III experiment which would interfere SC
Ii tie with tho established order OF things with So
strong probability Of beneficial result.
| Strongly impressed with he importance Of
more extended ditiu ion of rudmentaI educa-
| ton, am induced, Messls Editors, to hope that
| the subject may not only obtain the expression
| of your own views, bnt meet the consideration
| Of some of your correspondents and cotempcra"
ries, whose action might lead to desirable re-
suit. Respectfully, &c, j. A. X.
For Ike Enquirer.
| 10 accordance wilh the plan adopted IN other
| ellis where The Rev DR. Yves has recently &C.
ligerei his course u lectures asain=; IEii 'eiiy,
| Committee vas or.aEiZ,d al Trinity Church,
On Friday, 18th October, 10 b. styled the Com
miuee On Lectures" when Rev Philip Courtney
was appointed Chairman, and DR. WIN w Par
ker, Secretary.
| The otjrc. OF the Committee being 10 inform
he public from time 10 time Of The character ct
| the djscouf.e Is delivered