The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-06
which is the amount of the State debt as before

General and State Treasurer, and In their
unavailable to the amount OF forty-sne thou
sand and thirty-two dollars. recommend the
appoint ment of joint committee by the
Legislature, whose duty IL shall be to examine
the said deprecated and unavailable funds and
TreasuIy; or, II found 70 be worthless, TO cancel
and des troy them, soChat the accounting othe ers
may be rtieyed tTom the nsGessiy a % an@ %respon-
The large cash balance remaining In the
Treasury ON the S0tn of November, 1867, has
been used for the payment OF the twenty. three
million loan aud for the liquidation OF out
standing claims against the State. The invest
recommended in my last annual message has,
therefore, in great measure been rendered
unnecessary for the present. But in the event
OF large ccnmulations OF money hereafter, the
recommendations therein given are respectfully
referred 10. ana renewed wnemevgr Tsy tnos9 mere
can, with safety and benefit to the state, be
employed in the purchase OF IT'S outstanding
bonds, and in saving the interest on them
which would accumulate prior to their
/ regret to state that the last Legislature,
although fully forewarned in regard To the in.
security and want of proper and sufficient
guards for the sale keeping of the money OF the
Commonw wealth, failed TO determine upon any
mode by which the Treasury may be etiectually
guarded against the possibility of loss. The
present Legislature has IT. in its power to secure
for itself no ordinary honor by the enactment
Of such law; strong ana edncIent i0r orr tne puG
The appreciation but the permanent gratitude
Notwithstanding the satisfactory reduction
OF the public Indebtedness. as shown in the
foregoing statements, an immense State debt
of dollars TO be collected to pay the interest
accruipg upon IL annually. Its extinsuishment
at the earliest practicable period, not incou.
sistent with other public interests, is of the
highest Importance to every taxpayer. can
economy in respect to every expenditure and
the utmost retrenchment in every department.
Rerenchmenm Is enphatcg,Mty demanded @ by ne
every other branch Of the Government Their
eyes are open to investigate every transaction,
down those who will not take effective action
in favor Of positive and radical reform. The
money paid into the Treasury Ia the property
of the people, every one of whom has a just
right TO hold his representatives to strict
accountability for every dollar that may be
here renew the remarks made last year on
Which you are respectful y referred For four
successive years the general appropriation
bills have been signed on the llth day Of April,
being about the time of adjournment The
Governor has been forced either to sign the
bills without proper investigation, notwith:
standing any objections he may have. suspend
the me ans to defray the operations of the gov
ernment for the ensuing year, or call an extra
is earnestly desired that the appropriation bill
be taken up. discussed. and passed at q sut6-
enable it to receive that thorough examination
which its Importance demands"
Education.
COMMON SCHOOLS
The annual report OF the superintendent OF
Common schools exhibits the condition of that
department in highly satisfactory manner.
Within the State there are 1918 school districts,
Is 768 schools, 1882 graded schools. Ii 69S school
directors, 70 county city and borough superin-
tendepts; IL III teachers, and 800 5l5 pupils The
cost of tuition for the year was SO 43; of
building, Iurchasng, and renting scnool.
houses, 81 99l l6255 ofcontingencies 1851 .25S2l:
other purposes connected therewith, amount to
the aggregate sum OF 80 2oO, 5I 80. .,,a,,
These facts are exhibited with great satisfao-
a q "a
| the tuition of each pupil TO be about seven
dollars and seventy. four and a half cents. Tue
average amount paid to each teacher is about
$l95.F]9 per annum. This, in my opinion, is
100 small a salary to secure the services of com
| urging the necessity of increased com pensation.
! 1t Is but Just. and II will have an elevating
! manner in which their duties are performed.
Your attention Is called to the fact that, not
by jaW for lhe education OF P ali PERSONS % between
the ages Of six and twenty-one years, large
numbers OF Shidren; PrnSlpaily RI N our cities
thousand OF this class are found in Philadel-
phia, and the number in the state is estimated
| 10 be not less than seventy-fve thousand.
| These children grow up In Ignorance, frequently
without employ menJ and many of them con-
tbem them ' to be- commited to houses h'y Of refnge n
| county prisons, or pt Nitentieries. Humanity
thing be done to remedy this growing evil, and
| also that of the neglected condition OF conside
| houses in many of the counties.
Four Normal Schools are now recognized as
State institutions. The number of students at.
Whom eighIy % Graduated. Two ada Additional @ AIN Nor p
NAL Schools will probably go into operation
| during this year, one located at Bloomsbury,
| Columbia county, and the other at California,
| Washington county. The value OF these institu-
| tions TO the common school sysi EN- cannot be es.
| timsted. Our schools are comparatively worth
| less without qualified teachers and such teach
ers can most easily be obtain d from the Nor
NAL Institutes, where the al Of teaching is
| made specially.
A meeting Of the presidents and other au-
| thorities OF a number OF our principal colleges
! was neld in Harrisburg last winter, the object
| of which was to bring about a closer union of
| all our educational institutions. and connect
| by bond of sympathy, II not OF organic struc-
| ture, the common schools, high schools, acade-
| Y1ies, and colleges. The establishment of such
| an educational department seems to be desi-
| rable.
| There is no subject more worthy the delibera-
! tions of the Legislature than the promotion of
the welfare of our common schools. They Inn
| mediatey underlie the characteristic features
of our social system; they are fountains of that
| widespread intelligence which. like perennial
| vitality, pervades the nation, and are nurseries
| OF that inqulring spirit to which we are
| indebted for the purity and preservation of our
free institutions In a republican government
| education is q sure basis OF power and public
prosperity. BY 1t the people are taught TO dis
| Germ and estimate the value OF their own rights;
\ to distinguish between oppression and the ex-
ercise of lawful authority; to discriminate
| between liberty and licentiousness; TO preserve
| an inviolable respect for the laws, and exercise
"eterral vigilance" against any encroachments
| upon them. II Is admitted that thoroughly
educated people alone can be permanently free.
by educational culture patriotism Is expanded
and the principles, manners, and sentiments OF
the whole people are assimilated. Many OF the
sources of jealousy and prejudice are dimin.
| ished, SOCIAL harmony largely Increased and
the structure of our free and happy system OF
| adorned.
| SOLDIERS oRPHANs' SCHOOLS