The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-01-14
THE GovERNoI'S MESSAGE,

of last week. The message is very lengthy
one, and reviews in detail many subjects Goa
nected with the interests and welfare OF ia,
State. We cannot, in the space allotted il
these columns, even enumerate the many
points presented and suggestions made by
the Governor to the Legislature, but call at
tcntion to a few of the more prominent ones
and which are of general interest to the PEG
pie ofthe entire State. After advcrting to til,
financial condition, and suggesting sales O
certain stocks wherewilh to liqudate thu
States Indebtedness the Governor proceeds
to call attention, among other matters, to thu
subject of education, and expresses his views
upon the public school system as follows:
Some changes the present system undonbt
edly needs, in order to give it symmetry in
point OF form, and greater efficiency and thor.
oughness in point of execution. | venture
however, most respectfully to suggest that
nearly all the defects revealed by the practi.
cal working of the law can be cured by max
ing provision for a more exact and authori
tative superintendent of its operations
When we consider the large amount of money
that is raised by taxation for the maintenance
OF public schools throughout the State, il
would seem both natural and necessary that
some public superintendent, beyond the
mere disbursement of the school fund, should
preside over the operations for which that
fund is distributed by the accounting officers
ofthe treasury. The tax levied for the SUP.
port of free public schools falls equally upon
all property holders in the State, and they
are entitled, not only to know that 1t is faith
fully disbursed, but also that it is faithfully
applied, according to the terms of the law,
for the objects designated The law, for in
stance, requires that the schools shall be kent
open for ten months every year, in each coun-
ty, and makes it the duty ofthe school com
missioners of each county to levy an addi-
tional tax for this purpose where the State
appropriation is found inadequate. This re-
quireEcnt has been disregardcd in some
counties, and thus the conditions on which
such counties received their share of the
state appropriation have been virtually for
teited, for that appropriation is granted by
the State in the faith that there will be en-
ough OF local interest in the cause of educa-
ton to maintain, in each county, open schools
for the space of ten months in every scholas-
tic year. There should be some public su-
perintendence charged with the enforcement
OF the law under this head.
ihc oofcIHor tnllihS IL Woulu nafuly he
safe to repose this supervisory power in the
hands of a single Individual gives the
preference to "a board having competent
jurisdiction" Also he says that "the board
of school commissioners in each county
should, by law, be made corporate bodies, TINT
their corporate character may be distinctly
recognized; )" and that ''the duties and pre-
negatives of the Secretary" as such and as
Treasurer and Examiner, be more clearly
defined In regard TO the colored popula-
ton, in this connection it is suggested that
1t is not proposed to add to the burdens of
taxation tof the purpose of educating the col
ored population, nor to suggest that celored
children be admitted into the schools with the
whites, but that the taxes which are paid by
the colored taxpayers for school purposes be
set apart for the education of the colored
children, and that educational facilities be ex-
tended to this class of our population, and
such encouragement given as will show that
we have due consideration for their welfare
and prosperity.
Passing over the subject of immigration,
and various State institutions recommended
to the fostering care of the Legislature, the
message contains the following in regard to
the Militia law, a subject of much interest to
our citizens generally:
A well-organized and regulated militia is n
necessity in government like ours where
standing armies are oppressive in their cost
and dangerous to the liberties of the people.
1t is the right arm of the national defense,
and the reliance of the State in times of tu,
multi or resistance to the laws. Its service
should be voluntary in peace, and only en-
forced when wars necessities compel Its
cost should fall upon the rich rather than
upon the poor, as one great reason for its
maintenance is the protection of their pro-
perty. Property must bear the burdens of
the State, and no poll.tax is allowed. The
present militia law, good in many respects,
is radically wrong in this, that its cost falls
too much upon those least able to bear it.
l would therefore recommend that that pro-
vision of the law which enforces o fine of
two dollars upon all who fail to enroll them
selves in some regiment be repealed. The
enrolment system, too, has not worked well,
as outside of the city of Baltimore almost
the whole amount collected from those not
entering the service has been consumed by
the expenses of collection, and has, therefore,
added nothing to the military fund.- as it was
lulcuuCu IL SnOulu. therefore recommend,
also, the repeal of this section and q modii-
cation to correspond of all others which the
repeal Of these two would affect In lieu of
the enrolment fund small direct tax should
be levied
large space is devoted to the subject of
railroads and canals, and the following ex-
cellent suggestions concerning general road
law, subject of vital importance to the ma
terial welfare of each county in the State,
are made:
There is nothing which would tend more
to the advancement of the prosperity of the
State of Maryland than perfect road system
which, if possible, should be general to the
whole State. Without better highways than
we now have, the many railroads which are
contemplated or in progress of construction
cannot fill their measures of good. In none
of the older States, and in many of those far
more recently settled, it is safe to saw, the
roads are not in such an unimproved condi.
ton. Nothing causes so much surprise to
strangers coming among us for business Oh
pleasure; nothing so much deters those wins
are seeking lands to purchaseand settle upon
nothing, therefore, SO much reduces the pri
ces of our lands and retards the increase of
our population. Many of our county towns
are far more inaccessible to travellers after
leaving our cars and steamboats, than cities
ofthe West of recent settlement This diff
Guilty exists, not because of the failure upon
the part OF our county authorities or eunpr.