Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-12-14
MEmoRIAn ON EDuoAT1oN.


To the Ronosu6le Senate and House Of Dale.
gates of L6e State Of VIEgiNiai nOiO sitting
ia WhsslMg:--
+ GhSTLEnEN-As IN humble individual,
having only equal claims with the rest of
his fellow citizens to be heard in your hon
orable body, you're petitioner would offer
as auiapology for tthis memorial the fact
that he has been more or less connected
with the educational interests Of this State
for the last twcnty years;fa aud would, there
fore, respectfully request you honorable
body to hear patiently few suggestions
which be would desire to offer, touching u
general system of education likely to be
adopted, in some form or other, Mt no dis
taut day, for our proposed new State of
West ~ ifginia
And, yiHsSl dtst PlEces your petitioner
may be allowed to suggest that the Legis-
lature should not, NJ present, hastily
adopt any general system of education
materially differing from that already ex-
isting He saysihastily adopt, but by this
would not be understood to mean that the
work should not be commented immedi-
ateiy. On the contrary, in his opinion, it
would be impossible to commence too
soon; md witlI'n Wow to immediate ac-
tion, your petitioner would respectfully re-
present that two very important steps
should be taken. In the first place
a commission of one, or more, competent
persons should be sent to those States
where the best educational systems are
known to prevail, for the purpose of coll
letting information of every description re-
Inting to the Organization, and practical
workings of the school systems in those
States. The laws of the different States on
this subject should be procured, the Pub
lie schools and institutions of learning Ot
every grade should be visited, and ample
time should be allowed to acquire every
species oFinformation which might be reu-
dered available in the Organization, aud
practical working OF general system Of
education for our proposednew Statei aud
the same fully reported at the next session
of the Legislature.
In the second place, your petitioner
would earnestly represent to your honor
able body, the Importance Of appointing
some competent person TO visit as soon
practicable, the county seats of NIL the
Counties to be included In the proposed
new State of West Virginih, to address the
subject Of1a geHerAl and uniform system of
public education, and particularly as TO
the benefits arising to the public from n
general and uuiform system of publtc
schools. ilt ~.
The only substantial objection that your
petitioner could conceive of Rs being offer
ed to the course above indicated, would
arise from consideration of the charge
upon the public treasury which would nee
essarily arise from the appointments of such
commissions.
In answer to this objection, your petit
TONER has onlyto say that the charge upon
the treasury would only amount To a few
,1,S1 IS f1taao
preliminary steps be neglected now, it may
involve !, charge upon the State of thou
sands of dollars hereafter, in the shape of
fruitless efforts at tinkering aud mending
an imperfect or perniotous system of edn-,
cation, hastily adopted by the Legislature
without sufficient information in the pre-
mises.
Your petitioner may be allowed further
to state. That in his humble opinion, any
literary fund IIkslY to be created by any
other means (su0h as fines, eon6scatiou,
capitation tax, &C., than tax laid par
tally on real estate. or a certain percent
age ON all objects OF taxation, would not
in itself be sufficient basis for anything
iikeh respectable system of public educa.
ton. Large property owners are of all
others most deeply interested in the estab-
lfshment ofra fiFstirRte system of educa-
tioa. in the shape of the enhanced value
which is given to property by reason of
the strong fndncement which islheld ont to
emigration; aud the Investment Of foreign.
CAPITAL in our midst. Whynot then cheer
fully bear their just proportion ofthe put
lie burden Why not promptly meet the
demands of the case2 Corporate bodies
also, doing lucrative business in the State,
should for the same reasons; bear their.
share Of the aforesaid burdens.
Your petitioner would, therefore, earn
estIy invoke the Legislature, now sitting in
this city, to strike high striksly vigorously,
and strike as soon as praetieAble, conh-
lieutly believing that inaso doing they viii
NOT only secgre their own. approbAtioni but
the tIlandits of a grateful people.
That the foregoing suggestions may re-
ani,.n thn rarainl. and haIiherate conEiderR-