The Portland daily press., 1868-01-03
Terms Eight Dollars per AMMAN, In Advance.

|
facts, arguments, fnd conclusion, seem to me
irresistible. Nor do l see more equitable
5 or practicable basis than that upon which
, tney recommend reimbursement to the mu-
inequalities, namely, Sl00 to each man fur
, nlshed tor three years service This seems
to avoid most of the difficulties which have
always arisen when the question of Just
equlizatIon has been discussed. The striking
difference among our several cities and towns
in the relative per centage OF population and
wealth show how severe the drain has been
upon towns which had to furnish both men
and money on basis of population only of
, our 542 muI icipalities, 81 have more than
half the valuation OF the State while they
snow considerably less than third of the
Popuiatlon. Hence it cost some OF our towns
IIoie tnan six times as much in proportion to
tnelr means to send man to the field. as il
7 ulu some OF our cities The plan now pro-
Poseu sHouiu not involve any antaronism be-
tween onr cities, and our smaller towns. TO
De sure 1t requires the cities 10 divide the
! ptouts Oh tneir cheaper furnishing of men.
cut this is only fair adjustment when wa
consider that this cheaper rate for the citias
was practically at the expense of the towns.
ms assumption does not add dollar to our
real indebtedness, but transfers il, lifting a
burden from the people under which thev are
depressed and discouraged, and putting it into
general debt which the State as whole is
DSoeSA ouiC " oSaIs 1ue dI1OunL proposed is
only one third OF the actual municipal debt
but it is understood that this Is the final ad-
lustment as far as the State is concerned
Ihls reimbursement and the means by which
IL shall be made is a subject which viii re-
quire your careful consideration. If the
measures proposed by this commission are
not adopted cannot but recommend that we
abate the taxes OF some of our towns which
are struggling under the terrible burden of a
| Y-tlV q m ant nj I,atr
Ihe same arguments which show it to be the
duty OF the State to relieve its towns, avail
| lor q Stlll stronger reason upon the general
government to assume the whole expense leg
Ultimately incurred by the people in defence Of
The Nation. 1t is needless to repeat what has
been so often insisted on, but we should en-
deavor to urge this claim upon Congress at
the earliest moment the state of the country
will permit.
| -Ht rr-..... MILITARY. ...--.
The Military Department of the Sta'e now
consists almost entirely in few offices de-
voted to the settlement of the account of the
State with the General Governmont and
with our own citizens for services in the sup
preston OF the late rebellion.
Adjutant General HOdson resigned his
commission early in the year, and General
John Z. Caldwell was appointed in his place.
The Adjutant General is now the only mill
tary officer Of the State who is under pay.
| we have absolutely no militia organization.
/ The old law was superseded by that of 1865,
and have not thought it advisable to organ
ize the militia under the present law on ac-
| count OF Its great expense. 1t is very desir
able however to have small body OF State
troops at command for such exigencies as
may arise, and l would suggest whether it
would not be expedent to furnish such vol
| unteer companies as may Offer, not exceeding
ten, win complete equipment including
| uniform. J his is tar less EXPENSIVE plan
! than to authorize the regular organization,
and the pay which by law attaches to the
service. The companies from Bongor which
! appeared on recent public occasion showed
a soldierly bearing and discipline worthy of
mention, and # such companies could have
recognition and announcement they would
be all we should need to preserve the military
spirit, and to provide for public exigencies.
Under the resolve directing the Governor to
procure arms from the General Government,
o. elsewhere, L applied to the Secretary of
War, and received assurance that we should
be furnished. The complications which af-
terwards arose rendered it necessary at that
! time for the Government not to establish that
preee dent, and accordingly the request was
for the present withdrawn.
| Many States have issued to soldiers certif-
Gates oil service as tokens and rewards. Many
| OF the original discharges being lost or worn
out in the effort to obtain payment of their
! just claims, and many families who mourn
their ,'unreturning brave" having no official
! record OF their service, such certificates would
be justly priced. 1t would seem fitting that
Name should render this last office OF CRATE
| tul recognition to those who maintained her
honor on the fields OF the Nations struggle,
and would respectfully recommend that the
Governor be authorized to issue certificates
on satisfactory proof and that they be taken
| as legal evidence OF service in all cases where
such testimony is admissible.
| The administration OF the State Pension
| law amounts i'll its labors to the duties of an
/ entire office. Under the efficient manage
ment OF the chairman ofthe committee of the
| council, 1t has been at a cost less than that
OF last year by s. The work is now so
systematlzed that in another year its expense
| Will probably be still less. Whole number of
applications 1867 granted 1895 rejected 256;
suspended for further proof or explanation
10. Amount disbursed including estimates
| up to Feb. %, 1868, $4,000. The wisdom
and justice of such provision by the State
is painfully testified by the extreme necessities
exl.bttd In the applications. 1t is but just to
| continue this act, and / cannot but recon-
| mend IN view of facts which are within nv
knowledge, that aged or destitute parents or
| dependent sisters of the deceased soldiers or
sailors should be included in its benefits.
| Judging by this years experience the de-
will be met by an appropriation of $4,000.
The Board OF Guardians of soldiers and sail
! ors orphans has had an extensive field. It
mas not yet been possible to search out all
these so as to give complete returns 936
bave been reported Of those ASS have been
aided, and 10 cared for in asylums. The
amount expended thus far, is S95O0; estilna-
ted to end of year $500 leaving balance of
$1,000 unexpended, and not drawn from the
| treasury. 1t has been found that many of
| these were without any proper means of
support and some were actually suffering, and
not the money only but the guardianship of
the State is needed for their care. The de-
mand is still great, more cases having come
| IN during the past month of the year. If in
your Judgment the present mode Of provid-
ing for the orphans is best, in my opinion
witn tae aid OF the State pension which
may often prove sufficient, the sum of $4,000
will meet the requirements
EDUCATION.
The Report OF the Superintendent of Com
mon Schools is d document OF interest and
value. am not aware that it calls especial
ly tor legislation except in presenting the sug-
gestions OF the agent OF the Madawska schools,
| which strike me as worthy OF attention. I'm
| proYementS in the course and methods OF in
struction should not be regarded as impos-
sible in times of general progress like the
present. The people, generous in contrbu-
| 'iOAi, uSiAAohu CSOuOug III expenditure duu
profit in results. Our permanent school fund
amounts to ----, the income of which
for the past year is Sl2,244 IA. The receipts
| ttom the bank tax are rapidly falling off, be-
ing last year but S4475. The people are de-
tcrmined, however, that the schools shall not
suffer. They have raised by direct taxation
the past yeal, the sum of S5l8, 25297, an av-
erage Of $202S a scholar, and have built sew
enty-nine new school houses, at cost OF
S32j, j,5S1.13. Add to this the sum of S15,3l6-
90, contributed to prolong public schools,
with $40, GLASS paid for private schools and
academies, and S7,42S,25 paid out of the
| State tor the same purposes, making an ag-
| grgate expenditure for schools of S635 IS rs,
and you win need no other proof that the
| burdens and dscouragements of the times are
not allowed to diminish the interest OF the
! people i'll our common school education. 1t
will be our duty 10 see that this earnest in
tention is prufitably carried out.
| The Western Normal School appears to be
in prosperous condition. The resolve OF the
Legislature providing for the purchase of the
buildings OF the Pennington Academy has
| been carried into effect, and the State NAV
now congratulate herself upon the permanent
| possession of this desirable location. The
school having now passed its probation, is
| fairly adopted by the state, and it is proper
that we should afford every facility for its eff
tective operation, and enable it to realize a
design which looks TO advantages so general
and so important to the cause of education.
In accordance with the resolve of Il e last