Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-01-11
FOLUME 40; NO 2.

, ei-ii9y fauiAlIS arc proud OF 1t, and it lie
near the hearts Of all true men.
OWING to their greater destitutioD an,
want OF information on the part of tbei
relatives, the orphans Of our colored sol
qIers may require some special attention
Perhaps authority to the State Superintend
enti to use, for short time, the services 0
an agent, 20 ascertain their numbers ant
claims, and bring them into the schools tha
may be provided for them, will be sufficient
Inc whole number IN the State is not large
Of WHOM few have already been tempora
riiy provided for.
recommend that provision be made fol
the maintenance OF such of our soldiers a.
are IN poverty, and have been SO manned a,
70 prevent them from securing a livelihood
l's' thair ie har, BY renting buildings at once
or such other means as you may deem wise
ana proper, until the arrangements promo
seq by the National Government for their
support are completed They are probably
few IN number, and it is due to the character
OF the Commonwealth, that they should
not remain IN, or become the inmates of
poor houses or pick up a precarious sub
slstenee by begging Patriotic and charita-
bic citizens have done much for them. but
speedy and properrelief can only be given
them by the systematic aud continued be-
ngVolence OF the Commonwealth The Leg
lslature can alone afford immediate relief to
all OF this class of our citizens, and ia thus
exhibiting gratitude to heroic and faithful
men, who did so much for their country.
the burden will fall equally on all her peo-
pie.
BY our existing laws, juries are selected
by the sheriff and commissioners of the re
spective counties. As these officers are
generally Of similar political afinities. the
system has always been in danger Of being
abused for partisan purposes During the
last six years, it has been frequently so abu-
sed, In many Of the counties.
10 secure, as far as possible, the admins
tTatlon Of equal Justice hereafter, recon-
mend that jury commissioners shall be cleo
ted in each county in the same manner as
Of elections are chosen, each citi-
zen voting for one jury commissioner, and
the two persons having the highest number
OF votes to be the jury commissioners of the
respective county, to perform the same
duties, in the selection of jurors, that are
now imposed upon the sheriff and county
1t Is impossible TO provide in all respects
for the increasing and changing interests of
our people by the enactment Of general laws
but to a large extent it is practicable TO re-
lIeve the Legislature from special legislation
which Is demanded and occupies so much Of
It's sessions, Special legislation is generally
pass without cue consideration, much Of
it at Tie close Of the session, and is chiefly
object t'gnable from the part ity with which
powers and PRIVILEGES are conferred
] again recommend the pas sage Of gener-
al laws when 1t Is at all practicable; and IN
this connection, recommend the passage of
@ general law, regulating railroads now eEls-
Ting aud tug iEuyI pJrsriyu OTneW companies
so that so far as possible there nav be lust
uniformity in the franchises granted, and
equal facilities afforded to the people Of all
sections Of the Commonwealth.
There are at this time in the various
prisons, a number of persons under sentence
1f death, some Of them for many years, and
rs il has become O custom that an incoming
Governor should not issue warrant of exc
cUtlon in cases unacted on by his predeees-
sors it not unfrequently happens that in
many cases, some ofWhich are recent. while
some punishment should be inflicted that
1i death may appear to the Executive to be
too severe.
earnestly repeat my recommendation
heretofore made, that provision be made
FOR the reception Of such persons into the
penitentiaries, who may be pardoned on
of remaining a limited time there
H.
[ reappointed Hon. c. R. Coburn, Su-
Of Common Schools on The
expiration Of his term in June last, and he
continued at the head of that Department
until the first Of November, when he
resigned, and / appointed Col. j. p Wick
srsham. 1t is due to Mr. Coburn to say,
hat he fulflef all the duties of his office
and efficiently. 1t Itappears from
MS report, that there were in the school
,ear of 1865, !, 1868 school districts in the
State; IS, l46 schools; 10, al teachers. and
rs, 3l2 pupils, with an average attendance
# 4TS, 0G6. The total cost of the school sys-
EN-, for the entire State, including taxes
evied and State appropriation, vas for the
-ear 1866, $4,l95, 2jS 81. The increase in
he number of school districts was 26; in the
number Of schools, 222: in the number of
children attending school, l9, 932; in the
average attendance at school, Is, 945, and in
he total cost Of the system, 1851, ,020 o..
invite yonr attention to the valuable sug-
gestions made in his report and that Of Col
Wickersham, and commend our system Of
public instruction to the continued fostering
,are of the Legislature.
herewith present the reports of Col. I,
Jordan, Military Agent of the State at
of Col. IL. III. Gregg, Chief Of
TRANSFORMATION; Of S. p Bates, on military
1ietory Of our volunteers; Of trustees Of the
Soldiers, Gettysburg National cemetery; of
and ceremony ofthe return of
he flags, on the +th ofJuly at Philadelphia,
md of Col. James WOrrel, commissioner ap-
pointed under an act relating to the passage
IF fish in the Susquehanna, and invite your
attention to them, and the reports Of the
Surveyor General and Adjutant General
The Agency at Washington should in my
Judgment, be continued. 1t has proved
very useful in all respects and especially to
our yoluteers and their families.
-Four thousand six hundred and ninety
claims have passed through the Agency du
ring the past year, and three hundred and
eleven thousand seven hundred and three
dollars have been collected from the Govern
nent and transmitted to the claimants free
ID vii be nocsssaIyto atinue the Office
IF Chief OF TmrspoTta as there are TN
settls. account- with railros s3 companies and
.he National Government and duties to be
performed IN The removal and care Of bodies
5f the dead, which require it. An addi-
.ional appropriation viii be required for ibis
Department.
earnestly recommend. in justice to the
living and the dead, that our military history
be pushed forward vigorously, and that
money for that purpose be appropriated;
The trustees fthe State Lunatic hospital
represent that it is impossible tor them to
and care for the number OF
patients committed to them under the laws
admissions into The hospiitai, aga