The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1851-01-11

consideration and action Of the General
Assembly. Cheap transportation could
not fail to add to the wealth and conven-
ience Of all classes of our citizens, and to
the prosperity of the State. There are
various objects which claim the eonsidera-
ton of the Legislature. Feeling deep
interest in the prosperity ofevery part OF
the State, and believing that the members |
of the General Assembly. residing as they |
do in the various Counties. will be tuliy |
prepared to give due consideration to the
claims of every portion Of the State. do
not feel myself called upon to decide be-
tween the peculiar merits Of the many OBJ
iects of public Improvement which demand
the patronage of the State. In carrying
| out a system of Internal Improvements
large expenditure of money is necessarily
required, and it is not to be expected that
State can at once embark in all the
schemes that are desirable. Works OF
this description should be undertaken with
due caution in regard to their pract'cab'''ty
and the adequacy of the means OF the State
to complete them. AS general rule.
think the Legislature which authorizes the
construction of works of Internal Improve
ment ought, at the same time. to provide
for raising the means for their completion.
Whether public opinion or the condition OF
the Treasury will justify the State at this
time in embarking in other and new objects
of Improvement, and if So. to what extent,
is question which is submitted to the
prudence and wisdom of the General As
sembly. While judc,ous system OF In
ternal Improvements within the means
and resources Of the State, is desirable to
all. vet a wild and extravagant one, involv
ing the State in large public debt with
out the prospect Of return OF adequate
advantages to the people, is to be dePre-
Gated. Such system would. tor time
at least, paralyze the spirit Improvement,
F and, with it. the prosperity of the State
The laws in force for carrying out works
of Internal Improvement already provided
for. and such others as the Legislature in
it's wisdom may hereafter provide tor. Sc
? far as depends upon my action as Execu-
p tive. shall be faithfully executed.
| Ina State like ours, where the popu-
: lar voice directs and governs affairs
: education is subject of general and para
5 mount Importance. 1t is therefore tht
). policy Of the State to foster and improve
our system Of Common Schools, SO as t
l. answer the laudable and benehcent pur
r pose for which 1t is Intended In 1928
n an act was passed setting apart certai
= sources of revenue for Common and con
II venient Schools, and providing for the dis
J. tribution of its proceeds among the sevcra
e Counties in proportion to the free whit
rs population in each, whenever IN the Opin
,e ion of the Legislature the same had suffi
al ciently accumulated. This fund did nc
~ sufficiently accumulate to put into opera
er ton system of Common Schools. unit
,e the State received considerable sum ur
I'd der the deposite act of Congress. the mos
D. of which sum, together with stocks belong
N ING to the State, was transferred to, or in
s. vested for the use of, the Literary Fund
,e The State received this deposite from tn
" General Government according to fet'ers
IN population. and the Assembly Of 1885,
n. which transferred these new acquisition
lie to the Literary Fund, expressly stipuate
70 that thev should be ''subiect at all time
A to the direction and control Of the Geners
to Assembly," These accumulations hat
til in the opinion of the Legislature. sufhcien
h, lv inc reased the fund to justify the con
a. mencement of a system of common school,
| and in 1888. an act was accordingly pas:
Id ed. The act of $40 provided that tt
m nett annual income of the Literary Fun
at should be divided according to teter
re popuiation. Since that time our Scho
ed laws have been frequently revised al
to re-enacted. but every time retaining tt
principle of Distribution according to fe'
IS eral population. Human ingenuity ca
IS dsvise no plan for the distribution OF tn
m fund that will not operate more tavorab
no to some Counties than to others. SUE
m a result is inseparabe from the condit't
he of the State, and it is believed that Il
,te present mode of distribution is. upon Il
ne whole, perhaps as just as any that cou
m be adopted The difference in the amou
NO received By the larger number OF Count
,n in the State, whether the distribution
Sc, acco, ding to federal or white popuIatio
all would be very inoonsiderable. Slaves a
full owned in every part Of the State. and ca
i'd County shares alike in the distribution
ose proportion to its federal population. Re
it. erai population is not made the basis
be education, but of the distribution OF t
md fund for that purpose. This principle
on. distribution has. in commendable sPi
the of compromise. been time after time settl
ate by the Legislature. Is the agita ton OF Il
i, in ouestion never to cease? The great Inct
on yenience we have to encounter III relatl
to our system Of Common Schools, app
.th bend. is not to be found in the mode
to distribution. but in the inaIequacy Of
,ff;- fund, aud in the imperfect manner i'll wi
in the schouls are regulated. And | SUBJ
ion whether, instead Of continuing this ag
en- ton, which is calculated to array one p
en- ton of the State against the other,
in attention may not be more properly dire
a,le ell to the enlargement OF the fund and