Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-12-05

hoI uhire9uenty used Tor purposes oil eNtoltOn and
1sury. Habits OF extravaganza are often contracted
in the sheriff by the long use of money not his own
he becomes defaulter and the people and the State
are the losers. need not enlarge the abuses in
the Office OF sheriff! IN TINS particular, in Virginia
the subject is familiar to all.
Iwould recommend that the collection Of the Re-
venue be taken from the shers and that the county
court of each county AZ its levy term IN each year
shall be required to appoint person OF good char
acter and business habits 10 collect the taxes; who
shall be paid per diem compensation Tor MS SER
vices; that the commissioner OF the revenue when
his books are made out as now required by law,
shall place them in the hands of the collector whose
duty it shall be TO commence the collection OF taxes
on the first day of October in each year; he should
be required to appoint two consecutive days on
which he shall attend at the usual places of voting
in each magisteral district; and all persons who
shall pay their taxes at the time appointed should
be allowed discount of five per cent. on the amount
OF the same. After the collector shall have thus vi
sted all the districts OF his county, any persons who
shall have failed TO paw should be allowed 10 do so
by calling the collector at his usual place of bu-
siness within thirty days from the date of such
failure, but no discount should be allowed on such
payment All assessments remaining unpaid in the
hands of the collector should be placed in the hands
of district collector to be appointed by the county
court in each magsterial district with ten per cent
added which shall be allowed as commission 10
such collector on all sums collected by him. Power
should be conferred on the district collector to levy
for the amount OF such unpaid assessments, and 10
sell property taken TO satisfy the same after days
notice. These district collectors might be allowed
until the first of March in each year TO make their
returns. The names of the delinquents should be
published and as the constitution of the State
qures the payment Of all taxes assessed the previous
year by every person Offering TO vote no delinquent
should be allowed TO exercise the right of suffrage
after such publication. | believe that competent
persons can be appointed in each county who will
20 4ho
and that all the costs attending the col!
lection of State taxes will not exceed twenty-five
thousand dollars per annUm. The tax on licenses
could be collected in the same mode and at much
less cost to the State than the present plan of coec-
ton. The requirement of prompt payment, after
will be guarantee against all loss to the
State or to the securities of the collector.
VOTING BY BALLOT
The Constitution requires that the votes at popular
elections shall be by ballot instead of . IA g0ce.-
The mode usually adopted for voting by ballot Is
for the voter to place the names of all the parties
for whom he votes on slip OF paper, in printing or
writing, and deposit the same in box prepared for
the purpose. The conductors Of the election have 4
register Of all the qualified voters of the precinct or
ward in which the election is held. After polls ale
closed at the precinct ward the commissioners of
election count the number of persons entitled TO
vote then, without opening, count the tickets de-
posited and if it is found that there are more tickets
deposited than there are persO1s entitled to vote,
they mix the tickets and draw by hazard from the
box number equal to the Overplus; they then open
and count the residue. There are grave objections
TO this mode of voting by ballot All legal voters
should be cgseiel, the judges OF election furnished
with list OF all persons not having paid their taxes
of the previous year whose names should be stricken
from the register. The names OF the persons voted
for should be written or printed on paper OF uni
form color and the name OF the voter written on the
IL bat anna fArn u
book at the time he casts his vote. Let the judges
of election be sworn not to divulge the vote oi any
person who may cast his vote, unless the election
Shall be contested In that case let the tickets be
furnished TO such person rs may be designated by
law let all the ballots cast in each county be re-
turned to the commissioners OF election al the
county court house, to be kept by them until the
time Shall have expired allowed for cOntesting the
election; then if there shall be contest let them
he burnt 1t would be found that this mode of con-
Quoting elections will greatly facilitate the voting,
and materially diminish the expense incurred by our
present system.
INSPECTION LAWS.
| desire to call your attention to the Inspection
Laws of the State, and will furnish you with my
views on the subject hereafter.
EDUCATION.
The Literary Fund is all ,casted, as above stated.
The future prosperity of our old Commonwealth de.
ponds greatly on the means which may be provided
for the education of the masses 1t Is the duty OF
the State to provide for the education of all her
children. do not mean that the law should pro-
vide for giving to every child a collegiate or AGA
demical education, but it should provide for giving
to all such education rs is attanable IN well reSu-
ted common schools; knowledge Of the branches
therein taught is key by which the whole arcana
of science can be unlocked. 1t is the electric spark
which touches alike the intellect of each OF the
children of the State melting them to activity ana
emulation. Instances are numerous proving that
common school education was the starting point oil
many of the great benetactors OF mankind, whose
minds but for the stimulant received IN those hum
ble nurseries of education. would have dwarled in
obscurity. II is said there are certain lnahcna6ie
rights shall not pretend to define them-but
believe that every child has claim the State tol
the means Of an elementary educanon-a clam tHa'
labor shall not be degraded in public estimation, iol
that is a condition imposed by the Creator, with
the sweat of thy brow &c.-a claim that all the
avenues to happiness shall be left open to it, whether
they are to he found in rural life in the city, IN
the workshop in the learned professions, or IN the
public offices of the State or nation. 1t VIII be
found that no State or nation can deny any or all
of these claims To her children with IMMUNITY 1t IS
only by meeting these requirements that the physical
the moral and intellectual condition oil people are
fully developed. Then in the day OF trial ana
peril, the State expect the greatest assistance
that can be rendered by her people. IL Will be found
by careful investigation that we pay more Tor COM
mon school education in Virginia, by our system OF
subscription and Poor Fund" than is
paid by States where common schools are Kept IN
operation during nine months IN the year. great
portion of the efficiency of our schools Is lost by the
want of uniformity in text books; bat THIS UNIFORM
ity cannot he attained without common school
system. BY this system the parent is saved the
great expense involved in the constant change OF
school books.
POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL.
Virginia needs, at this time, polytechnic school,
for the education OF her young men. The Congress
of the United States, in 1862 passed an act appro-
priating portion of the public lands To each state,
the proceeds of the sale OF which to be devoted
to the support of an agricultural college, in which,
also military science shall be taught Each State Is
entitled to $4,000 acres for each senator and Repre-
sentative in Congress The State is to dciray all the
expense of locating and selling the land. Ten per
cent. If the proceeds may under this act be appro-
priated to the purchase OF farm and buildings the
residue is to be invested in some safe stocks yielding
not less than five per cent. as an endowment The
interest only to be used. Each State was required
to signify its acceptance OF this endowment within
two years atter<he passage oil the act. The neses-
sary LEGISLATION has believe been had to this
donation TO Virginia Provision will have be made
by the General Assembly for the appointment OF a
to locate and sell tine land, and an
made TO deiray his expenses. The
State ought to realize $500 OOO from the sale OF THIS
land ana the location OF the COile8e VIII rest Win
the Legislature. Doubtless 4 number of the institG-
tons of learning in the State will be willing 10 add
the agricultural and military features required by
tits act to their institutions, to procure the endow
ment thus offered. In my opinion the college or
school to which this donation shall be applied
should be located at the city of Richmond, which
is central, and easily accessible from all parts oil
the State. 1t should be a practical POLYTECHNIC
school, teaching modern languages and practical
science. There should he chairs Of mathematics
natural philosophy mechanics, engineering, NINE
ra!Ogy, geology, vegetable and mineral chemistry;
and chairs of design, botany and agriculture, win
military tactics to complete the list The farm should
embrace about three hundred acres, which would
afford ample room for the culture OF the vlne ahI
the ascertanment of all its choice varieties adapted
to our climate Fruits should be cultivated with the
arts Of grating and dwarting. The cereals and
root crops should have their place, and opportunity
afforded for the application OF all the iertilzeS.-
All the berries should receive their full share OF at
tentiOn The school should have no vacation, and
if possible the course of instruction should extend
TO five scholastic years. Three months, from July
to October shoulG be spent in the field with their
tents and the full corps OF professors. ms would
afford ample opportunity for the practical appllca'
cation of all their studies The State, with ts agr
culture, botany, mineralogy, geology and geogra-
phy would afford an ample field for lnvestig ltlon to
the corps of teachers and pupils This is what our
State eminently needs at this time. The young men
of Virginia are equal in intellect to those OF any
State or nation. Their education heretofore has
consisted in the routine of the old collegiate course
fitting them for stump-speaking, politics, law and
moi rinp-all well euOuph in their places-but 1t