The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1852-06-05

consideration end action Of the General
Assembly. Cheap transPortat'on eoa'd
not fail to aid to the wealth aud con-
veni~nce Of all classes Of our citizens,
and to the prosperity Of the State. These
are various objects which claim the con-
.ideration Of the Legislature. Feeling a
deep interest in the prosperity of every
part of the State. and believing that the
members uf the General Assembly. trsld-
ing 1, they do in the various Counties.
will be fully prepared to give due conslde
ration to the claims of every Portion OF
the State, do not feel myself called upon
to decide between the peculiar merits of
the many objects Of public imProyesnent
-sshich densand thespasrunage OF the State.
In carrying out a system Of Internal I'm
provements u 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 un-
dertaken with due caution in regard to
their practcability 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 Improvement ought. st the
same time, TO provide for saisinx 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 OBJ
jects Of improvement, and it 50. to what
extent. is a question which IS submitted
to the prudence and wisdom Of the Gene
raj Assembly. While judicious sys-
TEN Of Internal Imp, ovements within the
means and resources Of the State, is desi-
rabIe to all. yet wild and extravagant
one. involving the State in large public
debt without the prospect sf return Of
adequate advantages t" the people. is to
Tor time at least. paralyze the spirit Of
Improvement, and. with it, the prosperity
Of the State. The laws in force tor carry
ing out works Of Internal Improvement
already provided for. and such others as
the Legislature in its wisdom may hereaf-
ter provide for. so far as depends upon
my action as Executive, shall be faithfully
executed.
In a State like ours, where the popular
voice directs aud governs public affairs,
education IS subject of general aud para
mount importance. 1t is therefore the
policy of the State to foster ard improve
our system Of Common Sch"ols, SD as Il
answer the lau,inble and -beneGcent -pus
pose for which it is intended. In 1925
an act was passed setting apart certain
sources of revenue for Common and con
venient Schools, and providing for the
distribution of its proceeds among the
several Counties in proportion to the free
white popula ion in each. whenever in the
opinion of the Legislature the same bad
sufficiently accumulated. This fund ti.
not sufficiently accumulate to put into
operation a system of Common Schools.
until the State received a considerable sum
under the deposite act Of Congress, the
must Of which sum. together with stock.
! belonging to the State, was transferred to
or invested for the use of. the Literary
FuLd. The State received this deposite
from the General Government according
t" federal population, aud the Assembly oil
1886, which transferred these new &C.
QUESTIONS to the Literary Fund, express
Iy stipulated that they should be ''suLjec,
at all times to the dtectio and contro! oil
the General Assembly," These accumu
Iatons had. in the opinion Of the LegisIa.
ture, sufficiently increased the fund tc
Justify the commencement: Of a system o
Common Schools ; aud in 1883, an acl
was accordingly passed.
The act of $40 provided that the nett
annual income Of the Literary Fund should
be divided according TO- federal population.
Since that time our School laws have been
frequently revised and re-enacted. bu,
every time retaining the principle Of dis
tribution according to federal population.
Human ingenuity can devise no plan fo.
the distribution Of this fond that will no,
operate more fav"rably to some Counties
than t" others Such result is inseparable
from the condition Of the State; and i, is be
lieved that the present mode Of distribution
i. upon The wh"le. perhaps as Just as any
that could be adopted. The difference ir
the amount received by the larger numbe,
of Counties in the State. whether the dis
tribu'i"hs be according tofederaI or whit,
population. would be very inconsi.ierable.
Slaves are owned in every part of tn,
State. and each County shares alike in the
Distribution in proportion to its fedora
I population. Federal population is no
made the basis of education. but the dis
tribution VI the fund for that purpose.
This principle Of distribution has. in q
eonmendable spirit Of compromise. beer
time after time settled by the Legislature
Is the agitation Of this question never te
cease! The great Inconvenience we have
to encounter in relation tu our system o.
Common Sch"ols. apprehend. is not te
be found i'll the mode Of distribution. but
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