Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-01-11

mo of tbe wisest and noblest objects OIL
og;slat;on. All of the differnt institutions
If Learning would be strengthened and their
,sefulness increased by bringing them TO-
,etber in closer union, which possibly can
be best accomplished by the creation OF
general Department OF Educaticn.
t,- SOLDIERS ORPHANS SCHOOLS.
The last annual report of the Superinten-
'ent of the Soldiers Orphans Schools was
made up to include the both Of November,
1866. The appropriation for that year,
extending from January l, 1866, to January
|, 1867, was insufficient to cover the ex-
penses of the whole year, and consequently
those of December, 1865, were unpaid. The
next appropriation, under the present law,
extends from January l, 1867, to June l,
1868. 1t was, therefore, determined that
there was no legal authority to apply any
part of it to the payment of expenses prior
to January, 1867; hence those incurred in
December, 1865, amounting to S31 ,O40 ~,
remain unpaid.
Hon. Thomas II. Burrowes, who was
appointed Superintendent by my predeces'
sor, continued in Office until May l, 1857,
when, under the act of April 8, 1867,
appointed Colonel George F. M'Farland,
Superintendent, Rev. G. Cornforth, Inspector
and Examiner, and Mrs. E. w. Hutter, AS
sistant, who at once entered upon the dis
charge of their duties by visiting and re-
organizing the schools, correcting abuses
which had crept into the local management
Of some of them, and in settling arrearages,
which was done with zeal, fidelity, and
commendable promptitude.
The present Superintendent reports the
expenditures for the eleven months ending
Noyarnbar 1QG- oc fpllnye
Education and maintenance S341 ,ss9 s5
Partial relief 2lO oO
Clothing furnished 1883 children, in
advanced schools, 3.IoI 80
Making and repairing clothing, freight, DC 500 "a
General Expenses, o,iSl bU
----
Total amount, from January l. to.Dec.
j, 1867. S394,4 OF
The expenses for the six months, from December
l, 1867, to June |, 1868 estimated by the Su-
perintendent, follows:
Education and maintenance of 1850
children, in advanced schools, at
si4O per annum, sl20, 500 90
Education and maintenance of 500 chill
per annum, Sl,2jC 90
Education and maintenance of O5O
annum, 55,l25 90
| Clothing ] $50 children, at S25 per an
mum, 2S,l25 90
| Transferring pupils, salaries, &c, 1915 90
Estimate for mos, ending Juno 1, '6S S2i2,975 90
Total actual and estimated expenses for
seventeen months, from January l.
1867, to June j, 1865, 1886 O2
Or, at the rate of S4l9 1925 so per annum.
From which deduct total amount ap-
| propriated for seventeen months, at
S350OOO per annum 4s5,s33 80
And deficit for seventeen months is
shown of l4i5Ol 90
| M thp rpte of
Add the amount due for Deer, 1866. 81, ,0i9 II
And it exhibits the total deficit from
December |, 1865, to June |, 1858, to
be provided for by special appropria-
ton. 1891 46
do not deem it inappropriate here to
state that if the bill which passed the
House at the last session had become law
making an appropriation of $450,000 pei
annum for the orphans schools, it would
have been sufficient to have paid the tota
expenses.
The estimates for the year ending June
lst, 1869, will be found fully set forth in
the report of the Superintendent. From
that report it will also be seen that there
are in operation thirty-nne orphan schools
and homes, having in charge an average OF
two thousand nine hundred and thirty one
pupils, for the year ending November 30
1867, at an average cost of one hundred anc
forty.eight dollars and forty-three cents pei
annum.
These schools have doubtless reached
their maximum numbers. Sixteen year!
being the age at which the orphans cease
to be chargeable to the State. aud they viii
henciorward decrease in the following ratio
viz: 3T4 will reach that age in 1868, 329 il
! in q n
460 IN 1878, 4l6 in 1874. and 344 in 1915
after which there probably will not be NOR,
than 600 remaining in the schools ShouC
the term be reduced to fifteen years, as ha
been proposed by some, fully one fifth of tn,
number now in the schools would ente
upon trades or business within the presen
year.
No calculation can furnish an estimate o
the benefits and blessings that are constant
ly flowing from these institutions. Thou
sands of orphan children are enjoying thei
parental care, moral culture, and education
at training, who otherwise would have suf
iered poverty and want, and been left tC
grow up in idleness and neglect. Many
widows heart has been gaddened by thu
protection, comfort and religious solicitudC
extended to her .fatherless offspring, anc
thousands are the prayers devoutly uttered
for those who have not been unmndful o
them in the time of their afiliction. Ii
making the generous disposition it has don't
for these destitute and helpless orphans
the Legislature deserves and receives the
heartiest thanks Of every good citizen, al
of whom will cordially approve continu
ance OF that beneticence In shielding, pro
tecting and educating the children of oul
dead soldiers the Legislature is nobly per
forming its duty. Those children are not
the mere objects of our charity, or pension
ers upon our bounty but the wards of the
Commonwealth, and have just claims, earned
by the blood OF their fathers, upon its sup
port and guardianship, which can only b,
withheld at the sacrifice of philanthropy
honor, patriotism, State pride, and every
principal of humanity.
ALRIcULTURAL COLLEGE.
The act of Congress of July 2, 1862
granted land script to the several States, tc
be appropriated to the maintenance of col
leges, whose leading object it shall be tc
give instruction in the sciences which min
lister to agriculture and the mechanic arts
BY the rule of apportionment, 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