The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-12-07
sboI, I,e eble in another yeat to report this
institntion al selEsnpporting. @

,uo,rntnd under the laws passed Dy tne
last Lepi5lature, has surprised It's Warmest
odyocates, It concluslveiy demobstrates
| that our people appreciate the oenehts anu
advantages as welt as the necessity, DOLL ~
material and moral point OF view, Q! eau.
Saht. inst beginning to recover from the
d Jsvs ssfyotions Of war which deprived
snn,e Of all, and all or a porslon
If their property, rally to the sup'
mort of free. school system a. Our people
! have. nj, fears need be entertained Tor Inc
s,1ccess of the cause Of free education. Ihe
| renort Of the able and energetic superln-
PENDENT (which I have not been able TO eA-
| amine) will exhibit In detail tue workings
OF the system, its wants, anu necessitles.
have entertained the fear Cnat possibly VIC
were, under all the circumstances, pusnlns
the introduction ofthe system 100 raplalyJJ
more so than the condition OF Cne o.aIe anu
the neopIe would justify, but ! deYeutly
hone that nv fears Dire tintounded, and
That WAYS and means may be devised TO
nrevent the misfortune Of q check to Its
orowth and prosperity for the want OF ma
terial sunnort. The benefits OF the system
ara universal, enjoyed by all, whether they
Contribute to it's support or not, but It's
hurthens rest mainly upon property. NOW,
II ia but right and just chat all who receive
and erioy it's advantages should III some
degree aid in its maintenance. Our schooi'
are now supported by tax upon properly
and per capita or capitatlon tax OF one
dollar. But scarcely one. hait OF tnls ittter
etas ia collected, nor under our present Con-
utitntjon and laws Is it possible to collect II.
And vet this tax ia the most universal IN
its annIication of all our taxes, and If col
liected would yield half the amount neces.
sary to be raised by the State for the sup.
mort of schools. And l am decidedly OF
the opinion that it is not only right ana
Inst bit that it Is our duty to devise some
Smeans for the etfectual collection OF this
tax: and l am also Of the opinion tnaC IL
ought to be doubled In amount. 10 TINS
end | respectfully recommend the amend
ment OF the Constitution so % TO pfoYiae
for the levy and collection annually o, q
Scanitation tax Of two dollars only, TO oe oe"
voted exclusively to the support and mann;
itenance of schools, a1d prohibit any ana
every citizen from voting at any election
who does not pay this tax. 1t would Do
the most thoroughly .collected tax imposed,
would Weld larger sum man our pTesent
scsDitatjon and property tax together, anu
would be constantly increasing from year
70 wear. Thus property might be relieved
sentirely from taxation by the State ior the
maintenance Of the system, and lts our
Ithens be more equally and equltabiy dlstrl-
lbuted among It's benehciaries. Id thls con-
snection desire to speak OIL
THE CONGRESSIONAL LAND SCRIP.
IT subject of regret to me that [ did
mot, Immediately upon the organization OF
aciyil government IN the STATE, prOceeu
under the act of 1867 to obtain and sell thls
scrip and invest the proceeds IN STATE OF
other solvent bonds. Had l done So
believe q better price would have been
realized than is possible now, and the
Interest on the sum obtained would nave
Samounted to twenty or twenty-five Lhou-
sand dollars. But ut that time, however.
thought it advisable to refer the subject
to the General Assembly; and by It au,
thority was given to obtain the scllp ana
hold it subject to the order OF tue gen
eral Assembly. [Seo joint resolution,
n. %, 1S69-'T0.] Instead Of providing Tor
In. Immediate sale Of the scrip and the in
yestmept Of the proceeds in interest-bea
ing securities, the attention Of the General
Ssembly became absorbed with the ques'
tion as to what institution or institutions
ought 10 receive the fund, and the result
was that nothing at all was accomplished.
The scrip Is still on hand, subject to the
; order of the General Assembly, and trust
sthere will be no further delay IN It's CONVEX
sion into State bonds or other SIX per cent.
Interest paying securities. AS TO what H.
. stitutiou it shall ultimately be given can be
determined afterward. But in this connec-
rion beg to reiterate the recommendation
made ia ms message Of the 9Th Of March,
1870. rs follows: ~ would suggest, as a
subject worthy Of the serious and profound
reconsideration of the General Assembly, the
| nroprietv and feasibility of dividing this
9fuud-appropria one portion Of 1t to
THAT one OF our colleges which, in your
Judgment, you may designate, and the
Gother portion to a college or high school
devoted exclusively to the education OF
our colored people. The colored peo'
white, clothed with the elective franchise.
In order that they may intelliSently
exercise that right, the opportunity
for education should, and under our
Constitution must, be afforded them. This
cannot, however, he accomplished by any
system of mixed schools. Each race must
be provided for separately. have in years
past, and under the most favorable circum.
stances, witnessed a fair and impartial trial
l of the experiment, and it proved al utter
ia lure. The true interests of the colored
people themselves demand that they should
be provided with separate schools. While
Etbey are entitled under our Constitution to
an equal participation 10 the benefits of q
free commou-school system, would eX.
tend TO them Inducements and incentives
TO advancement in mental and moral de-
Hyelopment by the establishment Of 8 college
or university as above suggested, wherein
shall be taught oil the higher branches OF
useful knowledge"
I FINANCES.
| On the Sth Of March, 1870, I submitted
to The General Assembly a very full state
ment of the public debt OF the State, its
l origin, nature, and amount, together with
my own views of the proper policy to be
pursued. The opinions then expressed
were reiterated and endorsed in my last
annual message and desire now to say
that much study and reflection since that
time have served but to strengthen and
confirm my convictions Of their Soundness.
While most Of the recommendations We're
in time sanctioned by the General Assem-.
bly, yet the efficacy and usefulness or some
1 of them were somewhat lessened by the
DELAYS in their adoption. The liability Of
. this State for the whole debt contracted
prior to the late war, and the duty of w est
Virginia to assume her just proportion Of
II it, and pay that proportion into our trea'
sury, to be by us disbursed in fquidating
| the principal of that debt, finds unequtyo.
cal sanction in the organic act authorizing
the organization Of the State OF West Vir.
, ginia and the Constitution adopted by her,
as well as in the Constitution ratified by the
Fl people Of this Suite in 1859 and now In full
, force. But the course pursued by West
, Virginia, and the PROBABLE delays OF
Tia setllemens with her, together with
!, the in.imstion, IL not direct asser.
ton, of her authorities that 1t would
be unwise and impolitic in her to pay into
, our treasury the amount which might be
found against her in such settlement, and
!, 1 hot' ho- wnnl1 A