The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1861-01-16
NEW SERIES.---V0L. Z, NO. :;

Ohlo hdS no eause OF sell fepfoeCh on this
account. The wise provision OF her organic
law, imposing the duty upon the General
Assembly of maintaining a thorough and
efficient system Of common schools through
out the State, and the fidelity with which
this obligation has been discharged, bear
honorable witness of her zeal in behalf OF
popular education.
Our pressat school law was enacted in
1865. 1t is much more comprehensive and
effective In its provisions thnn-any preceding
lev in Ohio. Being radical in some of it's
features it is not surprising that it met with
early opposition. II imposed what seemed
to some an unreasonable taxation, and con-
ferred authority upon Boards of Education
the Grst large majority Of the people hsve
approved thesystem, and aince it has vindi-
Gated its yalne By ts-aciSsl sor kings httle
opposilionis arrayed against it. Wherever
it has been faithfully administered, it hos
acco nplished q noble work for the people of
the State.
For full exhibit Of the progress in edu-
cation, under this system, refer you to the
report of the School Commissioner.
The receipts aud expenditures for the
school year ending August 81, 1850, were as
follows, viz:
Balance on hand September /, 1859, $3.50 80 81
Fines. licenses and miscellaneous sources, 6h71j IL
lrreducible school funds, l70,640 45
| State tax 1874 Is" Sc
Township tax for proongiug schools six
months and sustaining high schools, Sol ,3h3 U7
Township tax for sites, building, repairs,
and contingent expenses, 57S,236 %
Total, $3,506 ,99l 50
Amount paid teachers, $2C4O.OGO %
Sites, buildings and repairs, Az 644 81
Fuel and other contingent expenses, 257,l25 A
Total, So 76O,S28 81
Tae following table shows the encour a--
ing progress made BY our schoo system dn~
rrng the past six years; also, a COMPARISON
between tho last two years:
Nc. Of youth enumerated, se6esi s659,i yea,s44
No. enrolled in schools s. a3o Ggoos4 IA es5lm
No. OF teachers employed, 1864 l9,544 20 13l
Amount paid teachers, I,77576s ,0il ,5552,O4G,OGo
No. of school houses, go IO.2l9 l0,42l
Value "f,cnool ousos 2,9s9,oil 44o0, 47oo, ,2s7
i,''nil, s1, iu BIZ schools, 7,5aa 1888 1888
r.sese facts satisfactorily show that ouf
selma, eys>am is rapidly demonstrating it's
owonItcps,s. The etendy increase i'll tie
rr7.bar ct childrsn in attendance npou the
.nha,gs the il. nrovement III the quaillca-
,io,s nf teechere The Smber and character
OF the high schools of the o'n'.' an' 's
great Improvement in the arch ''ec'u'e o' .h7
schuo! houses, are iBdicative OF u" pF'F"oi"&
educational interest among tho people.
/ do not deem il necessary to ra aHomt'SH"
any essential mUdifcaton Ui tHc sch H' law
The small appropriation which the Comn,I5
sjoper recommends for the eHcourgg gctaent
of Institutes in the more spDFae!y sattl9d
countiea would, l. doubt not, be productive
OF good, ="
Connected with the subject Of educatio
invite your attention to the report for this
wear. OF the Commissioners Of the Site LII
brsry, in which they make some Sugg rsrionf
q hich are entitled 20 your consideration.
The State Library has now been iastiu-
Ted for forty three years. TIE eotire rX-
pepdiures foI its increase al d preservation
Including salaries to N"vember l6, 1850.
have been S35S 542 81. The whole number
OF registered books is % 1893.
The people o Ohio naving provided ibe-
raj in. truction for all the outh OF the State
it seems not only appropriate but imPeFstiVe'
that while the common school furnishes
that instruction. necessary 10 iar knoWl-
edoe of the methods snd means of intellect
u.l eervi?e, an Institution should be fcstert
which is cap BILE OF collecting and preServ-
ing the appliances most approved for the
OF actical application OF those methods and
means.
Libraries are not merely respectable owl
dences Of intelligence, nor are they onIy
places of deposit for public records. They
are workshops, wherein the highest achieve
mep,s OF the human mind are preperd 'oi
or wrought out. Tbs Ohio State LibfHry
has become in respectable degree, work
shop for writers of books of historic value
end it would be source Of just pSde to th'
people Of the State i; 1t were 70 supplied
with books Is would afford an opportunit!
for sny citizen to execute whateVer intel
DectuGl engage ments his tastes or his busi'
neee might require
Such apDrupriotion as The finances of th
State permit, OF the fiuishiu. OF the Librar
Hall and tor the incTeuse and presorvatiu
OF the Lbrary by means OF accessions a"
by catalogue, are respectfully recon
!, meIdedd.
/ The suggestions OF the Library Commits
= si0ners respecting exchanges Ut Ohio Ia~E
rpports and documents, with Sistur State
5 md with governments and societies Of Eu
ruve, deserve consideration. The Libfaria
) has piven particular attention to that br nc
of his duty, end ought moi to be deprived t
, any reasonable me"ns Of premotIRg sue
exchanges. Interchange of laws and publ
documents 81 CUursges that intercourse {
} nations which mu0t rInnently contribute t
thorough acquaintance with the characters
; tics of their people. ThIs, The Federal Go
} vernment liberuly recognized when it au
} thorizds the ire e transmission of all publ
Q records between the States, and in that spir
t we may encourage thorough interchange, d
!, well with foreign nations as within the Un
ion. Many OF the most valuable accession
# made te the Library within the last fiv
!. wears have been made by means of an in
D ternational exchange.
e The benevolent Institutions OF the Stat
= continue to make ample returns for the pa
# tronsge they have received. tske grei
n please in referring you to the reports I
d those entrusted with their administration
e snov;ss. their operations during the pa
wear, and their present. condition accom-
s panying these Reports, you will be gratift
# 10 Gnd the first Annual Report OF the Ham
iIton County Lunatic Asylum, which pre-
- misses to be one OF the most valuable an
}. successfu institutions OF its kind in til
d country. No provision having been mad
e by law, for printing this Report, ! tEansm
ir il to the Senate in manuscript.
= It will be seen by reference to careful
prepared table Of Institutions for the Insar
Q In the United States, in connection with Il
10 suhieet of recoveries OF lunatics, forming