Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-01-17
forts-eigEt dollars and forty-threo cents per

annum.
These schools have doubtless reached
! their maximum numbers Sixteen years
4 being the age at which the orphans cease to
| pc chargeable to the State, aud they will
hencetorward decrease in the following ratio,
VIZ: 314 wall reach that age in 1863, $40
IN 1859 348 in 1870, 403 10 1871, 47g in
/ 1877, 400 in 1873, ZIG in 1874, and 344 In
1873, after which there probably viii not be
more than GOO remaining in the schools.
Should the term be reduced to fifteen years,
as has been proposed BY some, fully one-ffth
Of the number now in the schools would
enter upon trades or business within the
! present year
No calculation can furnish an estimate Of
the benefits and blessings that are constantly
! flowing from these institutions Thousands
I Of orphan children are enjoying their paren-
tai care, moral culture, and educational
training, 8ho otherwise would have suffered
4 poverty and want, and been left to grow up
IN ldleness and neglect. Many a widow i
heart has been gladdened by the protection,
/ comfort and religious solicitude extended to
her tatheress offspring, and thousands are
| the prayers devoutly uttered for those who
have not been xnmindful of them in the time
! of their affliction. La making the generous
| disposition it has done for these destitute
and helpless orphans, the Legislature de-
serves and receives the heartiest thanks Of
every good citizen, all ofwhom will cordially
approve continuance of that benefcence.
In shielding, protecting and educating the
children of our dead soldiers the Legislature
is nobly performing its duty. Those chill
dren are not the mere objects 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 withheld at the sacrifice of phi
lanthropy, honor, patriotism, State pride,
and every principal of humanity.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
The act of Congress of July 2, 1862, gran
ted land scrip to the several States TO be
appropriated to the maintenance of colleges
whose leading object it shall be to give In
struction in the sciences which minister TO
agriculture and the mechanic arts. By the
rule appOrtionment, adopted by Congress,
100, 600 acres fell to the share of this Com
monwealth. The act of Assembly of Feb
ruary 10, 1867, appropriated the benefit of
the whole of that grant to the Agricultural
College OF Pennsylvania, which has thereby
become subject to the supervision and guar
dianship of the State. therefore invite
your attention to the organization and con
ditl0n 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 ap-
pointed by the Legislature TO sell the land
scrip have completed the sales, which
amount to $439, 1860. In accordance with
the act of Assembly, the one-tenth of the
proceeds has been applied to the purchase of
str 4r. &sNInHaI ar1 arfo al Earvae
and the residue invested as follows: Sl26, 600
in United States $50 bonds; $4,000 in
Pennsylvania war loan, aud $235, 900 in the
Pennsylvania bonds of 1867.
The college has been thoroughly re-organi-
zed in order to make it fully respond TO the
objoots aud requirements Of the act of Con-
gress and to the educational interests of the
industrial classes, and to meet these ends il
now gives courses of instruction in general
science, agriculture, mechanical and civil
engineering, metallurgy and mining, ancient
and modern languages, and military tactics,
employing faculty comprising six profess
sorsand twoinstructors in the college depart
ment and three instructors in the grammar
school. This important educational enter
prise in the interests of agriculture and the
mechanical arts deserves favorable eonsid-
Grafton.
MILITARY.
An adequate preparation in time of peace
is a preservative against tie probabilities
and contingencies of war. This oft repea-
ted axiom was not sufficiently realized before
the rebellion, for, when it broke out, it
found the nation wholly unprepared. Had
it been otherwise, the war which continued
through a period Of four years, and cost the
country millions Of treasure, hundreds OF
thousands of lives, and an incalculable
amount of suffering and want, would have
been of comparatively short duration, 1t not
crushed IN its incipiency. That war, how
ever, has not been without its useful lessons.
1t has taught the necessity of adherlng to
principles in practice which we have hereto
foae only acknowledged in theory. 1t has
trained many thousands of our young men
in the science of arms and infused among
them spirit of military ardor which may
safely be relied on in any future emergency,
and paved the way for the establishment Of
military organizations that will prove safe
guard and honor to the State. The Legs
ature, availing itself of these facts, should
adopt a liberal and effective system for In
creasing and regulating the volunteer militia.
The law of 1864, though excellent IN many
respects, does not meet the requirements Of
the times, and alterations and amendments
are needed before it can accomplish all the
contemplated and desired objects. The
minimum OF men necessary to form COM
pany is entirely too high, and in many pla-
ces where smaller companies would be for
med. it is impossible to raise them IN accor-
dance with the ratio established by the act. I
From the report of the Adiutant General,
it will be seen that there are now but thirty
eight uniformed companies 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 70 any desirable
extent, and tend to renew and keep alIve IN
our soldiers the proud memories Of the ser
vice and to preserve the military ardor born
of our recent struggles for national existence.
--t NEW ARSENAL.
The necessity for new arsenal, affording
place Of safe deposit for ordnance, ord,
nance stores and magazine, is so obvious
as TO REQUIRE nothing more on my part than
to call your attention TO the subject, and to
ask that authority be given and an appro-
priation made for the purchase of a site and
for the erection of suitable buildings for the
purpose indicated E
REYNOLDS MONUMENT.
Aqreeably to the requirements Of the act
of Assembly, entitled An Act to authorize
the Governor to transfer to the Reynold's 9
Monument Committee unservieeable and |
condemned ordnance, approved March 4, |
1867, j caused the ordnance in5the arsenal |
to be inspected and turned over to the COM
nittae for tbe purDose indicated five con- |