The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-01-10

oOiuielo may require some special atten-
ton. Perhaps authority to the State
Superintendent, to use, for short time.
the services of an agent, u ascertain
their number and claims. and brine
them into the schools that may be pro.
vided for them, will be sufficient. The
whole number in the State is not large.
OF whom few have been temporarily
provided for.
recommend that provision be made
Ior the maintenance Of such of our sol.
dlors as are IN poverty, and have been
50 Inamed as to prevent them from Sc
curing livelihood by their labor, by
renting buildings at once, or such other
means as you may deem wise and prop
er, until the arrangements proposed by
the National Government for their sun.
port are completed They are probably
few IN number, and it is due 70 the
character Of the Commonwealth, that
they should not remain in, or become
the inmates of, poor houses, or pick up
a precarlous subsistence by begging
Patriotic aud charitable citizens have
done much Tor them, but speedy and
proper relief can only be given them by
the sytematic and continued benevo-
lence Of the Commonwealth. The Leg
lSlature can alone afford immediate re-
lief TO all Of this class of our citizens,
and in thus exhibiting gratitude to he.
rolc aud faithful men, who did so much
Tor the country, the burden will fall
equally on all her people.
By our existing laws, iuries are Sc.
lected by the sheriff and commissioners
Of the respective counties. As these
officers are generally of similar political
athnltes, the system has always been in
danger of peins abused for partisan pur.
poses. During the last six years it has
been frequently SO abused, in many of
the counties.
10 secure, as far as possible, the ad-
ministration Of equal justice hereafter, [
recommend that jury commissioners
shall be elected in each county, in the
same manner as inspectors OF elections
are chosen, each citizen voting for one
jury commissioner, and the two persons
having the highest number of votes to
be the jury commissioners of the respec.
tive county, to perform the same duties,
in the selection Of jurors, that are now
imposed upon the sheriff and county
commissioners.
1t Is impossible, to provide, in all re-
spects, for the increasing and changing
interests OF our people, by the enact
ment Of general laws, but to a large ex-
tent it is practicable to relieve the Leg.
isIature from special legislation which is
demanded and occupies SO much Of its
sessions. Special legislation is generally
PASSED without due consideration, much
OF it at the close of the session, and is
chiefly Objectionable from the partiulity
with which powers and privileges are
conferred.
l again recommend the passage of
general laws, when it is at all practicable,
and in this connection, recommend the
passage of a general law, regulating
railroads now existing and the incorpo-
ration Of new companies, so that so far
as possible there may be Just uniformity
IN the franchises granted. and equal fa-
cIlties afforded to the people of all sec.
tions Of the Commonwealth.
There are at this time in various pris-
ons, number of persons under sentence
OF death, some of them for many years.
and 1t has become a custom that an in
coming Governor should not issue a war.
rant Of execution in cases Enacted on
by his predecessor, it not unireuuently
happens that in many cases, some of
which are recent, while some punish
ment should be inflicted, that of death
may appear to the Executive to be too
severe.
l earnestly repeat my recommenda-
tlon heretofore made, that provision be
made for the reception of such persons
into the penitedtiaries, who may be par.
doned on condition of remaining lin.
tied time therein.
| reappontcd Hon. G. r. Coburn, |
Superintendent of Common Schools on |
the expiration of his term in June last, |
and he continued at the head of that
until the first of November.
when he resigned, and l appointed Col.
p. Wickersham. 1t is due to Nj.
Coburn to say, that he fulfilled all the
duties Of his Office faithfully and eff.
1lentIy. 1t appears from his report that
there were in the school year of 1865,
L. 1853 school districts in the State =
l3,l46 schools ; l6,l4l teachers, 725,-
BIZ pupils, wi h an average attendance
Of 1906, The total cost of the
school system, for TIE entire State, in.
eluding taxes levied and State appro.
Driation, was for the year 1865,
S4,l95,25S G7. The increase in the
number of school districts was 26; in
he number of schools, 1922; in the
number of children attending school,
1852: in the average attendance of
school, 1895, in the total cost of the