Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-01-06

As this question largely affects the revenues
OF the Commonwealth aud as the principle in
relyed Is one Of the first importance, | have
| teeiDed x a duty to lay before the General As
sembiy, somewhat ia detail, the history OF this
tax, and She present condition Of the !e al con
troversy growing out of its imposition and en-
| forcement. IL will I've otser we'd, that the power
of the State 10 grant chartered rights and cor
pOrate privileges, TO a railroad company, upon
the condition that il shall pay to the Common
| wealth portion of lis earnings. in the shape
OF a fixed tax upon the freight carried over the
road, is questione,! by the company, and that.
too, after the grant has taken effect, and while
the corporation is in the iuil enjoyment of all
| the benefits conferred u on it by its charter
The question, it is true. is legal one. and its
| decision tnereforr. rests with the judicial de-
partmeut OF the government; but, have not
| the slightest doubt that the decision. when
had, will entirely yindicate the right of the
government 10 impose the tax, and to compel
| corporations of its own creation 10 obey the
| law from which they derive their existence
| When it is remembered, that the tax was origi
naliy imposed, in order 20 indemnify the State,
TO some extent, for losses which she was sure
to sustain from a competition. which was in
evitable, between the railroad authorized, and
| her main line OF public works and that this
competition did. not only seriously affect the
revenues OF the Commonwealth, derived from
her public improvements. but ultimately in
| ducnd the sale OF the main line to the railroad
company itself, at a price many millions of
\ dollars below what il would have produced, in
| the absence Of such competition il is certainly
not to be presumed that the Commonwealth
will willingly yield her demand for revenue
from this source. until she is, at least, folly
indemnifed for the pecuniary injury sustained
in the depreciation OF her own property, by her
liberality extended TO the company which now
denies her power to enforce a contract, volun.
tarly entered into, upon a consideration en-
tirely adequate.
The annual Report Of the Superintendent oi
| Common Schools, with the tables and docu-
ments accompanying IT, will exhibit the condi-
| ton of the vast engine of social improvement
| TO which it relates The number of pupils. in
all the public schools of the State, is 63i COL -
| of schools, ii iS5-and of teachers, 4.011.--
| The schools have been in operation, on an ayer-
age ovei the whole State. five months and nine
davg. Tn. average salary Of male teachers is
So1 ?}. and of female teachers SI7 70. and the
cost of instruction. Der pupil, fifty-three cents
per month. The average tax for tuition. &c.
| is about FIVE and a hall mills. and for building
plrposes. about three and one-sixth mills. on
| the dollar Including the city of Philadelphia
| tbe entire cost of tuition. &C. was So O47 .66l.
| ~ ,ne bnildincr exnenses S53I Ala S5 and the
whole exnanse of The system. in the state for
the wear 80 57g O-677
| 1'boprh the school year ending on the frat
Monday of .Irne last was one Of unusual diff
| cr,tv in money tTaairs vet the system monifests
an encouraging ACTIVITY in all its denartments,
while the rate Of taxation. both for tuition and
/
MOTT - have son,nyrhat decreased Rnt il is
nv tr,st n, the nresant condition of the VS.
tenn with that of 1874 when the apencies now
o,,orat;nrr 80 bane6cislIy. yrara created that no,
| CHE or. ,po.r nIainIv sean Within that par;
| od tho whole number of nunils has heen in
| crnscnd nearly ore-seveptb-of TEACHERS one.
| tbirteentb and tho saiarv of teachers the
h.s+ indey of imnrovement of one.siYtb the
rooIas ond one-toprtb for females Tbe.e
| Iesni,. With tbe o.hers which the Official
rennr, vii, eybihit unerrinp,v nojnt IN tbe du.
ty az we'll "a necessity. of the utmost care and
at,antion ON the mart Of all nuhI;c soentc IN
this primary social acknowledgements in i'm.
portance. no less than in the career of each cit.
| izen To strengthen, TO retain pure, and to
uroperlv direct this fountain head of social in
| tluenca is ii seems to me. the great duty OF
the law maker. in his highest aud most respon
sble capacity. rs the framer Of the future State
Tho attention Of the General Assembly was
called, somewhat at length, to the existing con.
ditior and further requirements of our school
system, in the annual message of last year.
1t is not therefore, necessary 10 repeat the sug-
gestions and conclusions then presented They
are again. however; commended to Your favor
able consideration the events and experience
Of the intervening period having increased the
conviction of their propriety This issespeci-
ally the case in regard to the plan devised by
the act OF 10Th Of MAY. 1857. for the due train
ing OF teachers for the common schools OF the
State. A full supply of competent teachers is
admitted by all, to be the Preat need OF the
system and the first want to be provided for.
unerring Indications, IN every quarter, not only
establish tins TACT but point TO the general
aaop'i99 OIL Inc l'oPo,s'i @ MEAN, a. no uls.in'