Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-11-16


6 transmit herewith Tho Report 81 the DIRECTORS
u the Insane Asylum The: Report contains i'm
portant suggestions and recommendations which
will doubt receive as they deserve, your careful
consideration. ~
The last Legislature repealed the law imposing
dollars worth of land and five and onefourth cents
on every taxable POLL for the support of the Asy-
lum and, for that purpose, appropriated twenty
thousand dollars for each of the years, 1857 and
1853 to be paid out of the treasury. No provision
was made to raise the forty thousand dollars appro
priated save that the several counties having pa
tients in the Asylum were required, as they had
been before through their County Courts, to levy
the amounts charged and due for their support and
them to be collected and paid into the public
treasury with other public taxes
On the first of July last, the Superintendent of
the Asylum reported to the public treasurer the
counties having patients at the institution, and the
sums respectively due by them, amounting in the
aggregate to the of $17,954 81, of which the
Sheriffs paid in, with the public taxes before the
end of the last fiscal year. the sum of 81, 100 g.
showing that the counties are yet in arrear for pa
tients at the institution to the first July last $1O
844 90, without including any thing for sup
port of the patients since that time. This fact fully
proves that under the existing law, the counties
cannot be safely relied upon to reimburse the Treas
ury in such cases.
1t is true that the law provides that if the tax shall
not be paid by any county within twelve months
after it is due the President and Directors of the
Literary Fund shall deduct the amount threof from
the share of such county, in the common school
fund next to be distributed and pay the to the
public Treasurer.
This, ITSELF would be a serious evil as it would
deprive the schools of part of the very in
adequate sums now set apart for their support
And besides, should county fail to pay, it will be
at least eighteen months after patient is sent to
the Asylum, before the State realize any thing
in this way for his support
As the act of the last session was limited to two
years in its operation, further legislation will be
quired at this session. If the Legislature be dsin-
clined, as it has been heretofore, to make the Asy
lum charge upon the State at large, then it
to me, that some more efficient means should be ad
opted to enforce prompt payment by the counties
otherwise the support of the institution will seri-
ously embarrass the operations of the Treasury
apprchend that it will be found difficult in prac-
tice to have State tax in county, levied and col
lected promptly, through the agency of the County
Courts. Such mode of levying and coectinga State
means of cffectng prompt collection of such tax
on counties, except through the direct intervention
of the officers of the State.
Should the tax he continued on land and polls,
the means would be furnished in the Comptrollers
Office of ascertanng what per centum upon the lands
and polls of any county, would raise the amount due
to the State by that county. By the law, as it now
is the Superintendent of the Asylum is required to
notify the Public Treasurer of the amounts due by
the several counties 1t seems to me that a law may
be framed to have the rate of tax ascertained
land and polls, (being always sufficient to cover
any loss for insoventS) and that being reported to
the Public Treasurer, it may be made his duty to
issue warrant to the Sheriff of the county, whose
duty it may be made to collect the tax.
submit these suggestions for your consideration.
OF course the details should be such as to protect
the counties we'll as the State requiring the She
IN tn he tho tn,
account for any overplus collected to the counties
The reports of the Superintendent of Common
Schools for the last and present year will be laid be-
fore you, to which refer you for information as to
the schools. That officer with his usual industry,
soon after the rise of the last Legislature made
digest of the laws the subject of Common Schools
large edition OF which, as well as of the laws in
full published by the Literary Board and gen
orally disseminated through the State. With much
skill and care he also prepared Common School
Register which was published by order of the Board
in sufficient numbers to furnish one copy to each
school in the State. The cost of this publication
considerable but the Register will last for six
eight Years, and will tend greatly to promote
der in the schools and uniformity in the system
throughout the State. have every reason to be-
lieve that the system is an improving one and that
shall realize from it the most beneficial results.
Experience has shown from time to time wherein
our Common School laws were defective The leg
islation of the last session, am informed had sal
utary effect in curing abuses and some further
legislation may be necessary. But prefer to make
no particular recommendations the subject, as
the Superintendent, from his knowledge of the prac-
teal working of the system better qualified than
| am to suggest such amendments as are necessary.
The amount distributed by the Literary Board for
the last two years for Common Schools, was the
same that for several preceding years that is to
say, about the sum of 81 sOS $50 per onaum.
transmit herewith certified copy of law pass
ed by the Legislature of the State of Virginia. pro-
posing joint commission to run and mark the div-
ding line between that State and the State of North
Carolina from the point where the dividing line be-
tween Pittsylvana and Henry counties in the State
of Virginia. intersects with the North Carolina line
to the Western limit of this State
1t will be seen by reference to the map of this
State, that the proposed starting point is in the
northern boundary of the county of Rockingham
and that the line extended west passes also along the
northern boundary of the counties of Stokes Surry
and Ashe.
am not informed whether the whole boundary
between the two States east of the proposed start
ing point, is known and undisputed.
tits hardly necessary for to say that is highly
important that the boundary between the two States
should be we'll settled and defined While it is in
dispute questions involving the rights and duties of
citizenship, well title to property, will frequent
ly arise and it will moreover be exceedingly diff
cult to bring offenders against the criminal laws to
justice, because, in every Indictment it is necessary
to aver that the offence committed in some one
county in the State, and to prove the averment as
laid before conviction can be made. The very i'm
perfect manner in which the dividing lines between
the older States of the Union were originally run
and Marked has been the of no little trouble
and contention
Our Bill of Rights sets out the boundaries of the
State, and after describing the southern boundary,
proceeds as follows:
Therefore all the territories, seas, waters, and
harbors, with their appurtenances, lying between
the line above described and the southern line of the
State of Virginia which begins the sea-shore, in
thirtysix degrees thirty minutes north latitude and