The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-01-17

Q6nGu DN the pf0lScslOu, cOnliOrG ana
religious solicitqde extended to her
fatherless offspring, and thousands are
the prayers devoutly uttered for those
who have not been unmindful of them
in the time of their affliction. In MAX
ing the generous disposition it has
done for these destitute and helpless
orphans, the Legislature deserves and
receives the heartiest thanks of every
good citizen, all of whom will cordially
approve continuance of that benef-
cence. In shielding. protecting and
educating the children of our dead
soldiers the Legislature is nObly per-
forming its duty. Those children are
not the mere object of our charity, or
pensioners upon our bounty; but the
wards of the Commonwealth, and have
just claims, earned by the blood of
their fathers, upon its support and
guardianship, which can only be with
held at the sacrifice of philanthropy,
honor, patriotism, State pride, and ev
cry principla OF humanity.
Agricultural College.
The act of Congress of July 2, 1862,
granted land scrip to the several States,
to be appropriated to the mainten-
ance of colleges, whose leading object it
shall be to give instructions in the
sciences which minister to agriculture
and the mechanic arts. By the rule of
ppOrtiOnment, adopted by Congress,
100000 acres fell to the share of this
Commonwealth. The act of Assembly
of February 10, 1867, appropriated the
benefit OF the whole of that grant to
the Agricultural College of Pennsyl-
vania, which has thereby become sub
ject to the supervision and guardian
ship of the State. | therefore invite
your attention to the organization
and condition of that institution, as
exhibited by the president of the board
of trustees, in his report for the year
1867, which will be laid before you :
The commissioners appointed by the
Legislature to sell the land scrip
have compeleted the sales, which a.
mount to St39, 1856 so. In accordance
with the act of Assembly, the one
tenth of fthe proceeds has been applied
to the purchase Of sites for "Model and
Experimental Farms" and the residue
invested as follows: $780, 900 in United
States $40 bonds; $4,000 in Pennsyl-
vania war loan, and $235, 900 in the
Pennsylvania bonds Of 1867.
llC IOllGSC iiCS DtNll
organized in order to make it fully
ments of the act of Congress and to
the educational interests of the indus
trial classes, and to meet these ends
it now gives courses of instruction
in general science, agriculture, me-
lurgy and mining, ancient and modern
10 ,,1iIifo1.xr faatinS
ploying faculty comprising six pro-
fessOrs and two instructors in the col
lege department and three instructors
in the grammar school. This inn
portant educational enterprise in the
interests of agriculture and the me-
chanical arts deserves favorable consid-
Grafton.
Military.
An adequate preparation in time
of peace in a preventative against Cne
probabilities and contingencies of war.
This oft repeated axiom was not
sufficiently realized before the rebel
lion, tor, when it broke out, it found
the nation wholly unprepared. Had
it been otherwise, the war which con-
tinued through periO of four years,
and cost the country millions of treas
ure, hundreds of thousands of lives,
and an incalculabie amount of suffering
and want, would have been of cOmpar-
atively short duration, if not crushed
in its incipiency. That war, however,
has not been without its useful less onS.
1t has taught-the necessity of adhering
to principles in practice which we
haVo heretofore only acknowledged In
theory. 1t has trained many thous-
d. TIn
of arms and infused among them a
spirit of military ardOr which may
safely be relied on in any future emer-
gency, and paved the way for the e5-
tablishment of military organizations
that will prove safeguard and honor
to the State, The Legislature, avail
ing itself OF these facts; should adopt a
liberal and effective system for increas-
ing the volunteer militia. The law of
1864, though excellent in many re-
spects, does not meet the requirements
of the times, and alterations and a.
accomplish all the contemplated and
desired objects. The minimum of men
necessary to form company is entire
ly too high, and in many places where
smaller companies would be formed,
IL 10 iii pOSCID " lCtIog lliSIIl III ttSSoA
dance with the ratio established by the
act. From the report of the Adiutant
General, it will be seen that there are
now but thirty-eight uniformed COM
panies in the State, comprising only
about three thousand men, whilst the
suggested amendments, which should
be made as early as possible, would
increase these organizations to any de-
sirable extent, tend to renew and keep
alive in our soldiers the proud mem.
Ories of the service and to preserve the
military ardOr born of our recent strug-
giles for national existence.
NeW Arsejldl.
The necessity for a new arsenal, af-
f0rding place of safe deposit for ord
nance, ordnance stores and magazine,
is so obvious as to require nothing
more on my part than to call your at
tention to the subject, and to ask that
authority be given and an appropria-
ton made for the purchase of site
and for the erection of suitable build
ings for the purpose Indicated.
Reynolds Monument.
Agreeable to the requirements of the
act of Assembly, entitled can Act to
authorize the Governor to transfer to
the REYNOLDS Monument Committee
unserviceable and condemned ord
nance" approved March Z, 1867, L
caused the ordnance in the arsenal to
be inspected and turned over to the
committee for the purpose indicated
five condemned siX-pounder brass can
non, weighing in the aggregated three
! thousands seven hundred and forty