North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1850-11-27
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
rCONCLUDED.]
COMMON SCHOOLS.

,u;so and ,;beral svsten of popular education. 1t
10 The sheetanchor and basis of republican Liberty.
Deepv Impressed with this truth, the Framers OF our
snn in;unction upon the Peoples Representatives
that Schools should be established for the
lent instruction of youth, with such salaries ~ ..e
Masters as might enable them to ins'ru'' ~ ~"
prices.' ,,1 Iov from var;
Gus causes but chiefly from the want OF means' re-
manned for nearly half century oor"ah' a"u al"
needed. g.. -. - -, H.. .,b
TO-, for ,Se 6rst time; fund was created. Board
s,hisbed to invest and manage it, and after sue
cessful accumulation of its proceeds, an act was
nassed in the year 1s40, establishing system OF
Cannon Schools and directing an annual distrinu,
,on to be made among the People of the net annual
income of this Fund. $500
1926 this fund was set apart for the OF te
xo.,h of the State, and Legislative pledge was
III, 1iven IN the public, that the annual income
should be divided out among Inc c01n.eS !" P'O'"
tion to the free ,chite population OF each.
In the wear 1910. when the system was put inIo
operation this division was ordered 10 De mace aong
the Countless not in proporon to their ch'te out Jea
.roy noo,dnfion By this process, those counties IN
the State, containing sparse white popuiauoh aho
but few white children to educate YET containing ma
nv slaves and free negroes receive the IdIge, Poo"
~ ,h;s onhIic bountv while those counties having
white population and many children to educate,
yet having few slaves and ree negroes receive Tue
smaller share.
This arrangement hold to be wrong.
This common Fund having been provided and
desiqned for the education, not of the rch nor OF the
moor exclusively but for all the white children OF
the State alike ought, in my Judgement, 10 De oV'u
ed eoually amongst them. whether their residence
happens be, not to De, In community houi"S
slaves and free negroes.
II should be borne in mind that the capital rom
which this annual income proceeds was not raised oy
taxes on Federal population, but from oher sources
mi ont arafOr hiatt
distribution should be made among the people &C
cordino to federal numbers, because 1t was derived
Som them on that basis of taxation is without fouu-
dation.
As to the argument that portion of the capital
was received from the General Government in her
distribution among the States of the surplus revenue,
and that should North Carolina be called upon TO
refund the money, 1t would be raised by taxing ed
sral popuation tits sufficient answer that al this
late day no seriously enteTalns the opinion that
the States will ever be called to refund that mon
ey And, moreover it must be borne IN mind that
that portion of this surplus revenue which constitutes
a BART of our Literary Fund. was invested IN the
stocks of the Bank of the State and Of Cape Fear,
and if return of it shall become Indispensable that
il can be readily effected by transfer sale of the
stock and by the imposition OF taxes OF any Sort
But shall not detain you with an argument OF
this question.
The rule adopted by the distribution Act of 1910,
carries on its face violation of the spirit and object
of the Injunction of the Constitution is breach OF
the public faith given by the Legislature of 1928: is
at variance with the rule in other Southern States
divides the fund not according to the public necessity
but the reahh of the people, and Is In itself unequal
and unjust.
recommend therefore change, by law, of the
basis of distribution of the Common School Fund
That henceforth the same shall be divided among
the Counties in proportion to their number of white
people Or white children, and not in proportion TO
the federal computation of white people and slaves
and free negroes combined.
But this system is deficient not only in its organ
ization but in accountability, uniformity and its gen.
eral management
For period Of ten years, about $4,000 have been
placed annually in the hands of the various school
committees of the State; sum larger than the
whole amount of the States Revenue paid into the
Pubic Treasury during that period. This large
sum- forming aggregate Of nearly million OF dol
lars has within this brief period been SPENT and yet
adequate provision has been made, UGH less en-
forced, for even informing the people their rep
resentaves what has become OF it, or how II has been
spent.
The President and Directors ofthe Literary Fund,
in obedience of the last session Of the Gen
eral Assembly, compiled and published, and caused
be circulated th!oug bout the State, six thousand
copies of pamphlet containing abstract of the
School laws, together with an appendix of prece-
dents and appropriate forms of returns.
In this, II will be seen, that the Chairman of the
Board of Superntendents in each county is required
within fifteen days of the first day of November il
each year, in writing to the President and
.OlfeCtoTS OF the Literary on0 copy OF MS Schoo
account, audited and settled by the committee of Fl
nance or the Clerk of the County Court ofhis coun
tv, together with the umber of children his coun
y the number taught in the preceding year, and the
length of time the schools have been kept up. Ye
this duty has been performed by only stspcrin
tendents throughout The 1Chote State and am alto
gether unable to give you the information required
these points, to make satisfactory exhibit of tn,
disposition which has been made of these large sum
of money. 1t should be made indispensable
Qulslte the payment of quota. il
future, that the chairman OF the board of supernen
dents should file with the Literary Board COPY o
all his accounts, audited and passed upon, togethe
with his report of Statistics required by law ant
the Public Treasurer should be prohibited from pay
ing out the money without a certificate from tn
Board that this rule had been complied with. A
present there is specific mode pointed out, nor i
1t made the duty of any particular person compe
the receivers of this fund in the several counties
settle their accounts. Those who choose to do SO
submit them to the committees of Finance Count
Court Clerks; while those who fail to do So escap
= forfeiture 1t may be safely stated tina
thousandso of dollars remain from year year in tn
hands of superintendents; and ifa rigid settIemer
were enforced, the public would be astounded
the aggregate sum thus withheld from its legitimai
destination.
The whole fund, annually distributed, althoug
large is yet inadequate to the public EFFICIENCY. Az
eording to the provisions of the existing law, til
several County Courts may. in their discretion lev
tax as other taxes are levied for county purposes
not less than one half the amount annually receive
from the Literary Fund. Were this provision con
Pulsory, or carried out in good faith in all ii
counties, the fund would be so augmented as to il
crease the number of schools and also the length
time they might be kept up. But it is believed TIL
there is no uniform rule upon this subject. Some
the counties, with commendable spirit, levy ia
tax, others levy very small one, while very many
the counties levy tax at all.
Hence it results that in those counties depende
he Enn -,