Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-01-12
Report of the Comptroller ofthe Treas


treasury, we learn that the financial affairs of
the State are in very fourishing condition.
The funded debt is $14s6l, 472.s5. The
sinking fund amounts to 81 $50, 1892 Adj
ding the annual accrueng interest to the a.
bove amount the sinking fund will liquidate
the Public Debt at maturity, without the adj
dition of one solitary cent from surplus reve-
nue.. The Comptroller recommends y re-as-
sesment Of tho property in the State, and the
reduction OF the direct tax to half a mill in
the dollar. Ia reference to the school fund
he says
On the 50th OF September, 1858, there re-
NAMED IN the Treasury to the credit OF the
Free School Fund the sum of 1928, S67'7S'
and there was received during the fiscal year
for the use of the same FROM the20 cents bank
tax, S24,6l1.49; from dividends OF bank
stock standing to the credit OF the treasurer
Sll O55 40; from State per cent. STOCK,
S6S0.l6 from surplus revenue, So4, o69'So;
the investment for the use OF common SCHOOLS
made under the act Of 1858. chapter 295.
SlO,4l364, amounting to $50, 67s.75, and
with the balance, making an aggregate OF
SIo4,647.78 and the disbursements for the
same period were $50, 1886. leaving in the
Treasury on the 80th of September last to the
&C
It is much to be regretted that Maryland
has no thorough satisfactory system of COM
mon schools. Eminent in many respects, her
financial faith unauestiuned, her credit estab-
lshed upon an impregnabe basis, yet in this
regard, she is greatly excelled by many of her
sister States. Surely it is not necessary at
this day to discuss the invaluable blessing OF
a well regulated Primary School--he must
h., ,,,l. f,i1 20
ciate it--and he must be dead to the nublest
feelings of his kind who would not lend his
earnest ondcavors to perfect its usefulness.
An education of the right sort units for
no station in life, and its bencfccp: effects are
written in letters of light everywhere around
us. All acknowledge the truth of this;
and the State is without proper system, not
because the people are opposed to Free School
ON the contrary, the popular voice is I'M
mistakably for them; but because the reprcs-
entatives Of the people have been unwilling
to cast aside individual opinion to meet on
common ground, which shall bring order out
of the existing chaos
It is true that some Of the counties have
we'll organized schools, as good, perhaps as
it is possible for them to have, acting sepa-
ratcly and independently; but they are not
comparable to what they would be under
common system, fostered and controlled by
the State-a system which begins with the
Primary School and terminates with well
endowed University, capable of furnishing
all the requirements Of the most pcTie and
finished education BY the sdoption Of such
a system, thousands of dollars which anuu-
ally go to build up ard enrich Institutions
Of learning beyond our limits would be ex-
pended among the citizens of our own State,
and our youths would grow up Marylanders
by education and training, as well as by ties
Of birth and kindred. 1t would relieve lis
from the necessity of going abroad to procure
teachers, tor we should find them at home,
thorou .hy competent and reliable i'll every
respect.
The means for the institution and organi-
cation Of such system are now, it is respect
fully suggested, within the control Of your hon
orablc body, and II can be accomplished
without imposing any additional burden up
on the people Sboud the direct tax be re
ducod in accordance with tho recommended
ton before made, what objection could be Of
fercd to giving the benefit of that reduction
to promote the cause of Common Schools
The tax Is so small that no reasonable being
could complain of it. and yet this half mill
in the dollar would probably yield an annual
school revenue of $3.50 900. In = few years
more the remaining half mill may be remov-
ed and carried over to the School Fund, thus
doubling the amount Of the annuity from
this source. A fixed portion of tie amount
thus realized might be distributed directly to
the counties, and the surplus permanently
invested by the Treasurer in some safe and
profitable stock When tho condition Of the
State shall be such land we trust the time is
not far distantl as to justify her in dspens-
ing with other sources of revenue, still furth-
er additions may be made to this cccelcnt
purpose, and thus an immense fund speedily
accumulated, which will prove an unfaiiing
spring OF blessings for ages to come,
The total amount received into the Treas
ury during the pas. fiscal year was 81 2OO,-
552.77. In reference to the City Of Baltimore
he says:
The receipts into the Treasury from Balti-
more city, exclusive of those from Tobacco
Warehouses, Live Stock Scales, Hay Scales
Incorporated Institutions, &C., during fiscal
year, were S349, $500, thus illustrating the
remark of Governor Lowe in his message of
1852, that "thc broad shoulders of that no.
bic city now bear up more than one-third of
the whole burden of the State" while as he
very justly observed, she contributes in
much larger proportion by her indirect reve-
nues.