Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-01-10

The deliuo and costs OF cOAIec-
ton have been more than ordinarily
light, amounting in all to but $40 per
cent. Of the total levy.
The valuation Of the property OF the
people Of the State uD0n the grand du-
pIicate is 81, ,I3S, 754, 1890 being an in
crease of So, ,545s $500 upon the Nalua-
ton of last year. The increase is, in a
very great measure, owing to the n
creased accuracy and care IN the aCiLnlE-
istration of the laws, and the growing
familiarity of local boards of eQual1Za-
ton with their duties under the statutes
The Commissioners Of the Sinking
Fund have, during the year, paid $751;
826.5S Of the funded debt Of the state,
leaving outstanding SIl, OBJ ,94I.56, The
question providing for Ehe iustallnents
% be paid during the next three years,
will be before you. The present rate OF
levy viii not be quite sufficient for the
purpose, about $3.50 600 being required
in addition TO what VIII be raised
thereby. The recommendation OF the
Auditor Of State, that a brief temporary
loan be made for the purpose, IS sup
ported by the fact that 10 is very prob
able that the present rate or taxation
without increase, would IN very short
period, pay both the succeeding INSTALL
ments Of the debt and the loan thus
raised; the expenditures from the
Treasury being exceptionally large at
this time, by reason Of the erection and
enlargement Of Benevolent Institutions,
and the necessity of refunding to the
National Banks taxes which have been
adiudged bv the Courts to have been
unIawfully collected, L therefore con-
cur in the Auditors recommendation.
By a provision of the annual appro-
priation bill of last year the Auditor
was authorized TO transfer, temporarily,
balances Of various funds to the Sink
ing Fund, and to pay Herewith por-
tiOns of the debt of the State, thereby
Stopping interest thereon. The eKpec-
tations of advantage from this statute
have been realized without any practi-
cal detriment to the business of the
Treasury, and by this means saving
1srs been Eaaaeto- of The sum of 81 y430-s4,
which would otherwise have been paid
as interest on the debt. The plan is 50
manifestIy economical and proper. that
L recommend that it be made perma-
nent.
The usual examinations of the Treas
urv have been made during the year,
and a special examination under the
statute was made by Hon. G.. W. Pot
win and the Secretary of State in Au-
gust; the funds belonging to the State
being found accurately to accord with
the balances shown by the books of the
Auditors and COmptrOller's ofices.-
The report of the special commission
viii be found among the papers trans
mitted herewith.
The last Legislature directed a COM
mission TO be appointed to revise the
/ tax laws of the State, and report what
/ changes are necessary to systematic
and make consistent the existing stat
utes relating to this important subject.
/ Their examinations have disclosed a
| great many Inconsistencies and 1ncon-
/ gruous. provisions in our financial leg
islatiOn, and the result of their labor
| ious Investigations viii be found in
their report, which VIII be before you.
They have consolidated the prese Mt
/ laws into several carefully drawn bills
/ to which your early attention is invited.
| The necessity for their work is made
manifest by the exhibit Of numerous
/ contradictions and anomalies which
/ they disclose, and the remedy viii, as ]
1 believe, be best found in the adoption
/ of the bills they recommend.
/ Dnring the past season the proceeds
| of the sales of the lands given to the
/ State by the Federal Govern nment for
/ the endowment of an Agricultural and
/ Mechanical College, have all passed in
| to the Treasury. and that Endowment
I Fund is now complete. 1t consists of a
/ capital of S340, ,S94 40, on which nearly
/ twenty thousand dollars Of interest
/ have accrued within a few weeks. The
disposal of this fund has been vigorous
/ Iy discussed at each session Of the Cen
/ era1 Assembly for four years past, but
! plan for its use. The fact that the
/ proceeds of the sales of scrip had not
/ been fully realized, has no doubt much
influence in delaying final action; but as
/ the money is now in the Treasury, the
| time seems to have come when it use
| should be definitely determined. The
! Executive messages, reports of commits
/ siOns and investigating boards, laid be-
/ fore your predecessors in Office, con-
/ tain full discussions of the various
/ schemes for its application, and the
/ people of the State will look to youl
/ wisdom to make the fund available as
soon as possible to the classes Of OuI
youth and the industrial interests il
was intended to benefit.
( The report of the Commissioner o.
4 Com mon schools is again delayed by
causes beyond his control, to which ref
/ erence was made in my last message
/ The need for revision of the schOO
/ laws, so as to enforce more reliable and
/ prompt returns of the facts needed Il
base legislation upon, becomes NOR,
and Eaore evident every year. In my
opinion, the stability Of our Govern
ment and the preservation of the liber
ties of people depend more upon the eff
hciency. of our common school system
and the resulting intelligence Of the ris
ing generation, than upon all thing'
/ else. Other interests may. be important
but this is vital. As a means OF improv
ing this efficiency, / would earnestly
/ recommend two changes in the system
/ Ist-The establishment of County Su
/ perintendency and zd-The distribu
ton of the public money in proportion
to the number of pupils in actual atten
dance at the schools.
/ The former of these recommendation
/ is made in accordance with a memOTia
of the leading teachers and educators o
the State, and is based upon the ac
knowledged necessity for bringiugsstht
stimulus of com petent supervision clio
ser home to our district schools. Tht
second is warranted by sound reasOI
and by the experience Of those States
which have adopted the rule. If energy
/ on the part of school officers and parents
in procuring constant aud regular at
tendance of children at school, rewar
ded by increasing their share of tn
/ public fund, the stimulus is found prac
Cically to be most powerful in bringing
a larger proportion Of youth within th'
Influences Of education. These suggeS
tions are concUrred in by the Commis
sioner of Common Schools, who will, NJ
doubt, present them with other recon
mendations worthy of your attention.
The reports Of the several BenevOlen
Institutions show not only satlsfactO
ry account of their management ant
the good results which have accrued t
their inmates or pupils, but also sys
tematic improvement in the building
and appliances connected with them
The appropriations made by the las
4 General Assembly for the enlargement
of the Northern and Southern AsyIumi
for she Insane, have enabled the trus
tees to make good progress in the addi
tiOnaI buildings, and it is expected tina
| another year Will see the accOmmoda
tions of. those two Institutions nearly
doubled. The trustees appointed 10 10
cate and build a new Insane Asylum
have fixed upon Athens as the place fol
it, and the liberal gifts in land anC
money of the citizens of that vicinity
! have secured to the State an ample and
! eligible site without cost. Plans fol
the new buildings have been ma,
/ tured and the preliminary work begun
/ When this Asylum shall be built and
| She enlargement of the existing ones
| finished, it is confidently expected that
| the chronic insane, whose pitiable con-
dition in our county infirmaries is now
/ the reproach of the State, viii all OF
| nearly all be brought under skilled and
| constant treatment, their lives made
more tolerable to them, even if cures
/ cannot be effected.
/ An appropriation was also made al
l t6a LAST Inuisl1ffve session for the aTpo.