The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-03-23


autb.ri,el; but the conversion and funding OF SO
large an amount Of the city Indebtedness was
found To nc a work Ui no slight magnitude, pear
ing, rs all such projects do, an intimate relation
TO the state Of the money market, and the capaci.
~ to absorb securities Of this nature IN our own
community being limited. II was therefore found
necessary to invest the Treasurer with discretion
AIRY powers to q limited extent. aud SAG 800 in
bonds were disposed Of during the year at an av-
erage of about ninety Ave cents on the dollar.
Our temporary debt was. however, not reduced
to an equal extent with the issue bonds, rs near.
~ twenty-five thousand dollars HID to- be nrnish-
ed for bounties State Aid, &C., for which no APP
preparations were made | would still urge upon
your attention the necessity AMI Importance n'
funding the balance of o,ir note debt ~ rapihly
M possible, aud trust that during the year the
largest part of it will he disposed al IN tins man.
ner. The resources ~ the city are nust ample 10
discharge all "f it's allegations, and our bombs
will undoubtedly ntinuc Ia command ny MN
rates rs those of any other city IN Tie S'n'c Inc
total amount Of the City Property, which " new
err rcckonc in Offset Ia the debt. is s7a,oiooo, be-
Ing 81 ,9iS more than last year =.
The enormous taxes with which our citizens
are burdenel are very ju'tly the cause al loud
and bitter complaints; but how few attribute Tie
difficulty 10 tho right source. The fact u we
have been enjoying the luxury OF devastating
and destructive civil war, for which we ran IN
debt, and nrc now simply paying fhr It. But
how few take into consideration when they pay
one hundred dollars in taxes that more than
seventy five dollars Of that hundred are Tor war
purposes. And then again, taxes cannot be PAID
~ easily now ~ formerly. During the war an
inflated currency and the demands III the nation
largely increased business, AMI peculiartics which
perhaps never attended any other great national
conyulsion for while following its close, have
tended TO increase rather than retar'l the great
AL Ill; ,,ta Of fha
the burdens 1T taxation comparatively light; but
the people now begin TO realize In the general
prostraiion Of business affairs tho sal truth that
we possess no immunity from the national eS-
hauston AMI stagnation which inevitably follow,
and have ever been characteristic OF all wars
wagc,l in the interest OF selfish ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Our citizens. however, have an nndOubted right
10 demand that abuses be corrected and reforms
instituted, that these burdens may DO male to
bear with rs little weight a. possible; AMI It will
well become us to give heed to their wishes and
suggestions.
During the war Bdleforl furnished over 900
men. all acquisitions for soldiers being cheertully
and promptly met, and paid IN bounties about
$3.50, 900. II this sum should be reimbursed by
the State Or.Gencral Government, rs every rule
of equity and justice demands that il should be,
II would reduce our debt to u merely nominal
sum.
was chosen early In the past year by the City
Council to fill a call then peniing for about one
hundred and thirty men, who would have cost
the city, hal they all been put into service Ge
tween sixty and seventy thousand dollars. II
had given heed to that numerous class OF patriots
whose greatest earthly fear ut that time was cvi
IDENTIFY 'draft,"I shout have filed the quota
instantly ut any price; but believing the war
about to close, as few men as possible were en-
listed, and o saving of over $50, 900 thereby male
to the city. lay claim to no special credit there
tor. because It was simply matter OF duty; but
in casting balances 1t Is sometimes well enough to
look at both sides of the lelger, especially the
party with whom you are dealing keeps only
debit account.
The Committee on Finance have examined the
Trcasurer's accounts and report the same correct
and very accurately kept. In only one instance
has over six per cent been paid for money during
the year, and that only for short time. IL Is
manifestly beyond the wisdom Of any one to an.
ticpate with exact certainty the future financial
wants Of the city. No one can say in advance
that II will require precisely so many thousands
OF dollars to support our Schools, or Just so many
dollars and cents-no more and no less.-to con-
duct any other department. AL these things, IN
great measure, must be left to your wisdom and
discretion, and to the Investigations aud suyges'
tions Of the Finance Committee AN anxious,
however, that no appropriation shall be over
drawn the present year II 1t con possibly DC
avoided, and trust that your action will be such
rs to preclude its necessity.
The whole amount expended above the nppro.
priatons the past year in all the Departments. in
GLIDING Streets, Sidewalks, Reservoirs, Sewers,
Drains, Highways, Schools, Paupers, Fire Dc
partment, Police, Health Department, Night
Watch, Salaries, Printing, Insane Hospital Ex-
penses, Library, and many other things too nu.
merous to mention, was but SS.726.37. This in
clules the whole cost of the lot and new Engine
House ON Washington street; all the discount
made on Si6,SOO worth OF bonds; n large cx-
pcnsc in obtaining soldiers; 81 ,Oi5 paid for dam.
ages received by defect IN Springs bridge, and
various other matters which could not be antici.
patel, AMI for which no provision was made at
the commencement Of the year.
Everything considered. our financial affairs are
in more furnishing condition than they have
been for several years past; and although we
cannot reasonably hope for q very large reluc
ton in taxes tho present year, it Is safe to predict
that they will DC materially reduced.
SCHOOLS.
A snLie,t of the highest Importance, anil one
which viii always demand of NJ especial consid-
Grafton AMI attention. is that of Elucation. This
subject, in fact, is interviewer With nearly all
others which will engage our attention or which
interest our citizens. To the want Of education
may be attributed nearly everything tending to
lower and degrade either the moral ar intellectual
of the people; while To m increase in
thing tending to elevate and cnnoblc. In tact
every lover of his country louks TO the general
OF sounl education rs the most
certain means Of maintaining our high position
among the nations Of the earth. While politically
the honest and patriotic statesman looks To II to
furnish q more enlightened population rs the
surest foundation of u stable government, the
clergyman looks 10 the same source for the re
moyal Of the ignorance which ob.trucis his hest
efforts; and thus in one sense II is the basis OF
both secular and religious, success.
The American system Of free schools II not only
the pride and glory OF the nation, but the very
bulwarks Of Freedom itself Tor the greatest dan,
ger any nation has to fear is from unclncatei
masses easily controlled by designing men; and
hence in the education Of the people lies the sur
est guarantees Of liberty. This fact was reeog-
nizel by Confucius, one of the most remarkable
men of any are, who nearly six centuries before
the Christian Era advocated the education OF al
the people, AMI established y system OF schools
not wholly unlike those Of the present day, the
effects of which are now, after more than TWO
years, said to be still visible in one OF
the most populous empires of the world. His
teachings were eminently practical in every re
spect. He took the ground that education should
be general, but that II was OF the highest impor-
lance that men should be educated with view to
the professions they designed following in after
life. And this is what is needed Mt the present
lay, more OF tue pTactica' a"u iS's VI W. sP'N"
stiyc and theoretical; more attention to that form
md kind of education which tends to make OF our
children real practical men and women, tit for the
luties Of life, than to that which merely absorbs
the time and attention, and exhlnsts the energies
in fruitless struggles with the languages OF hea-
then nations who became extinct before the Del
nge, or in solving meaningless problems In sciences
20 abstruse as 10 be incomprehensible to common
ntellects, and certainly useless in the common af
fairs of life BY this | do not wish to be under.
stood as dcprcca,ing or undertaking. the higher
orders or branches of education, or casting slur
upon the educated man; for the happiest inspira-
lions Of which any society IL the source, Is the
influence iiIuscl through 1t in various attractive
forms by il. literally educated members; on the
contrary hold them in the highest estimation,
having felt throughout life. in my own case, the
arising from the want of education