Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-07-06


wAsurSGro., d. c., July I'd, 1870.
CoLoREp SCHOOLS.
From the report of A. E. Newton, Super
intendent of the colored schools OF Washing
ton and Georgetown, there is at present an
average attendance of $500 colored children,
which is estimated to be only one-thrd of the
whole number of children of colored parents.
| The school houses will not accommodate more
than are now attending. The first free colored
school was opened on the 10th of March, 1862,
one month before the passage of the bill abol-
ishing slavery in the District. 1t was con-
Quoted by the American Tract Society. The
first public colored school was not opened I'M
til 1864. The same year the first public school
house for colored children was obtained
through the exertions of Miss Francis w.
Perkins, a teacher in the first public colored
school. The report also shows that there have
been eight or ten less teachers employed and
about 1000 less pupils the pas year than dur
ing the previous two years. The whole num-
Der of public colored schools now is sixteen, of
which five are owned by the Trustees, six by
the Government, one by Miss Mann "a niece
of Horace Mann, teaching the school her.
SELF one by the New England Friends,
| (Ouakers,) one by J. Bligh, one by j. Ram
sew, and one by A. Bowen. quote from the
Superintendent report:
.'The capabilities of the pupils in general
for acquiring knowledge have been demon
strated TO be not inferior to those of any class
of children in the country, while the rate of
advancement of beginners, where their teach
ers have possessed fair degree of skill, has
been found to be generally twice, and in some
instances four times as rapid as that pre-
scribed in the school systems of our northern
cities" Both white and colored teachers are
employed.
The MONTHLY DEBT STATEMENT
issued yesterday, shows the tremendous redue-
tion in the Public Debt of over SIC, 600, 600
during June, or "a, 900, 600 more than the de-
crease in June ls69,-the greatest amount of
reduction in any one month. The payment of
the income tax, which falls due in June, is the
cause of this great decrease of the Debt.
Since March LIST, 1869, when the present ad
ministration came in, the receipts of the Gov
eminent above the expenses have been $780,
+ 600, 900, record which the people can well be
proud of, and enc which astonishes the gov
ernments of Europe. England has never re-
duced her debt in IL months so much as we
have during the last month.
/ The FUNDING BILL
as passed the House yesterday provides for a
loan of one thousand millions of dollars
at four per cent payable in coin in thirty
years, or after that time if the Government il
, not ready to redeem them. This is substan
tally the bill reported by Gen. Schenck from
the Committee of Ways and Means. The bill
passed by the Senate sometime since provides
!. for a loan of twelve hundred Millions at ar
average of l-2 per cent; $500, DOC, 900 at
per cent. payable ten to twenty years; $4OO,-
600, 900 at l-2 per cent. payable twenty to
forty years and $500, 600, 900 payable in thirty
to sixty years,-at the option of the Govern
ment. 1t is probable that the Senate Bill will
pass as there is no probability that the Gov
eminent will be able TO fund at per cent.
unless it consents to sell the new bonds below
par. There are no per cent. securities OF
any Government at par; and we certainly
cannot expect that ours will be received with
any greater favor.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
went into being yesterday by the recent act O
Congress 1t reorganizes the Attorney Gen
erals Office very radically and makes a De
partment of it, with Solicitor General, and two
Asst. Atty Generals to assist the Atty Gen
eral 1t transfers the several Solicitors of the
Departments, together with their office forces
of Clerks and Messengers to the new Depart
ment, and makes the Attorney General re-
sponsible for all their legal decisions. This
will be enough to kill him both physically and
in his reputation; at least such is the opinion
of Attorney General Hoar.
| ATTORNEY GENERAL AcKERMAN
is in town. His commission has not yet been
| signed, and he will not enter upon the office
of Attorney General until Judge Hoar closes
up some important cases which he has under
consideration. The latter arrived in town
Judge Ackerman is small sized, slightly
built man, with thin but pleasant features.
lie will probably return to Georgia before en-
tering the Cabinet. No further
CABINET CHANGES
are likely to take place at present, though it
is strongly asserted that Secretary Fish will
soon retire. The friends of Cuba and the
Fenians consider him altogether too timid in
his foreign policy. lie is talked of as Minis
ter 10 England.
INCOME TAX.
The Senate, very wisely, yesterday, recon-
sidcred its former action in striking OFT the
income tax, and voted to retain it until Dec.
3lst, 1872, at "a per cent. with $1,000 ex-
emption. The House had already voted TO
continue the tax at 3 per cent, with $4,000
exemption. This will yield an annual income
of from fifteen to twenty millions of dollars.
The present tax of per cent. with $1,000
exemption yields fifty millions.
~,a.-.o.. h.s n.ssad a hill finally authOriZ.