Litchfield enquirer., 1860-05-10

The indebtedness of the State, after deductinp the amount in the Treasury, and $9GS 3l due from the towns, is $34, ,l42 O4 The expenses, including interests, have been, for the year. S222,27O 35, or $l9,934 3s less than the ore. vious year. A State tax of one-and a half cents on the dollar together with the ordinary receipts from other sources will meet the estimated Deces- sites Of the treasury for the present year. With grand list amounting to $224,962 ,5l4 the peo- pie will not regard these expenses as onerous, unless specifications are made, and evidence furn- ished showing them to have been unnecessary or extravagant. To determine whether they have been so or not, your closest scrutiny is invited.
 EDUCATION.
 The founders of the New Haven and Connec. ticut colonies felt that the blessings of free government rested upon no secure foundation without intelligence; they therefore took early measures to establish and sustain free schools A prominent idea with them was that education must be universal and they made it penal for parents or guardians to neglect the education of children under their care. That idea was not thrust aside or lost sight of in the union of the colonies but became strong public sentiment which lnfiuened legislation year after year, and led to that wise and benefcent policy which es. abolished a fund from the proceeds of the public lands, and devoted it to the cause of popular ed- ucation. According to the report of the School Fund Commissioner, this fund now amounts to the sum of $2JO44,612 Ol, and has yielded, dur Ing the year, an income of $l33,l59 99, which has been divided among the several school dis. trlcts, according to law, upon the basis of $l 25 to each of the one hundred and five thousand four hundred and sixty children in the State, be- tween the ages of four and sixteen years. The number of such children has increased two thou. sand three hundred and sxty-one during the past year, and fourteen thousand seven hundred and sixty, or more than sixteen per cent. during the last ten years. The income, annually divided, cannot keep pace with the increase of the num- Der of children, yet as it is distributed upon the principle of aiding those who help themselves, it stimulates districts to efforts which they would not, perhaps, otherwise make to secure the bene- fits of this fund.
 There is gratifying evidence that the cause of education is advancing in the State Greater at- tention is given to the comfort and health ofthe children-to the classification of scholars-to the fitness of books for udy-and to the qualfca- tions of teachers. There are sixteen hundred and thirty eight school districts, and seventeen hundred and eighty-five public schools, employ ing nineteen hundred and fifty teachers. There are five hundred and thirtyfve district libraries, containing thrty-nine thousand four hundred and seventy-two volumes Two hundred and fifty two districts have established free schools-vol- untarily laid tax on property-and thus raised the sum of $S4.000 for their support. This num- Der, I am confident would be increased, if the subject were, by law, brought before each dis. trict for consideration at it's annual meeting.
 STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
 There have been two hundred and thirtv-ons pupils in attendance at the State Normal School during the year, while the whole number connec- ted With the institution since it's establishment. IS seventeen hundred and forty y.fve-four-fifths 0l winch number are now engaged as teachers, They are regarded as laborious and faithful in their calling as possessed of important aualifica. tions for their work, and have often awakened deep interest in the cause of education in places where they have labored as teachers The de- mand for those who have qualified themselves at the Normal School for such responsible duties is constantly increasing.
 The Commissioner of the School Fund, the Superintendent of Common Schools, and the Trustees of fine Normal Schools, have had this subject of education under their particular charge, and l would commend their reports to your consideration as containing valuable sug- gestions drawn from their experience and obseF- vation.
 STATE REFORM SCHOOL.
 The State Reform School numbers eighty-one boys-being thirty yeight less than in 1859, and sixty-nine less than in 1858. It would be well the lesseneu numper were prool that Ju'c"o crime had diminished in the same ratio but facts will not warrant such a conclusion. The dimln- ished number arises from the policy of the law of 1857, which requires each town to pay the ex- pense of sustaining the boys which it sends to the school. This suggests strong motive for magistrates to ipaict the alternative sentence of imprisonment in the county jail, where the ex.. penses will be paid by the State. If the school is better for juvenile offenders than the jai such motive should be removed. l therefore re- commend the repeal of the act of 1857, to which have referred also the repeal of all laws which permit juvenile offenders to be sent to work houses, or the county jails. The report of the trustees shows that the finan. cial condition of the Reform School is better than at any former period, as it is out of debt, and has balance of $53l 8S in the hands of the treasury; also, that valuable additions and i'm, provements have been made to the buildings