The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-18
still held liable to The holders Of YirglnIa

still held liable to the holders Of Virginia
bOndsl &. k
have directed your attention TO this
1 phase oithe subject solely with view Of
impressing upon you the importance ol
an early investigation, in order that some
plan may be agreed upon TO determine,
not only how much OF the debt we owe,
but towhom we owe It; so that when a
settlement Is made, II shall be q satistacto-
~ and an enduring one.
As TO the mode Of settlement, deter 10
the Judgment Of the Legislature. Idesire,
however, TO express the opinion, that the
plan suggested by the Governor Of Yir,
einia, OF submitting the whole question to
q board Of aFbitratOTs selected. from other
States, whose action shall be final, does
not strike me as q safe one for the inter-
ests Of West Virginia. Our State has no
public debt Of lis own; and II It's affairs
are economically administered In the fu,
ture, 1t Is safe TO say that the heaviest
drafts for the construction Of public build
lngs, school houses, and other extraordt'
nary outlays, have already been made, 80
that whena plan Of adjustment shall have
been agreed upon, the prospects are that
we shall be in o fair condition to pay our
portion Of the debt, should we be found
liable for any part Of Il. 1t Is, therefore,
highly probable that persistent and per
laps successful efforts, by interested par.
ties, would be made 70 induce arbltrators,
not entirely familiar with the history Of
the debt and the peculiar circumstances
under which It was created, 10 iasten an
undue proportion Of itupon West Virginia.
As to the basis upon which settlement
should be made, think there is but one
that will be Just to our State. II Is that
set forth In the ordinance Of August 20,
1861, already referred To, and Is in these
words: "The new State shall take upon
itself q Just proportion Of the public debt
Of the Commonwealth Of Virginia, prior
to the first day Of January, 1861, 10 be as
certained by charging TO Il oil State expen'
ditures within the limits thereof, and a
lust proportion OF the ordinary expenses
Of The State government, since any part OF
said debt was contracted, and deducting
therefrom the moneys paid into the trea.
sury Of the Commonwealth, from the
counties included within the slld new
State, during the same period" This Is
a plain and fair proposition, and, as 1t
seems to me, the only one upon which an
equitable adjustment can be made,
All these, however, arc matters upon
which the judgment Of the Legislature
should be passed, and therefore, hope
the whole subject may receive from you
prompt and careful examination, with a
view OF bringing about, at an early day,
some arrangement that will be Just to
creditors, and mutually satisfactory 70 the
people Of the two States. 4.5r aat
REPORT or THE ApJUTAET GENERAL. Z
You will find in the report Of the AID.
jutant General and es-oGleio Quartermaster
General, a clear and comprehensive state;
ment Of the transactions In his Depart.
ment during the year. / would call
special attention TO what is said In the TO
port in reference to q modification OF the
militia law. I am clearly OF the opinion
that there can be no efficient military or
ganization obtained In the State except
through the volunteer system, properly
encouraged by tho Legislature
The gratifying announcement ismRde
| that The Soldiers Record Is completed.
Attention b also called To- the fact that
while the law makesit the duty Of asses.
sors 10 enroll the names Of oil persons
subject to military duty, and fixes their
compensation iorldoing 80, yet no appro.
pration was made at the last session Of
the Legislature To- pay them II will,
therefore, be necessary 10 correct this
oversight in the next appropriation bill.
Other matters relating 10 the military
affairs Of the.State are referred to in de.
tail.
The Adjutant General expresses the
opinion that, as the Soldiers Record is
finished, and many other duties connected
with his Office, growing directly or re-
motley out Of the war, are much less than
formerly, that the office Of Adjutant Gen
eral might be abolished, dnd the duties
pertaining to 1t discharged by one Of the
other State officers. AS amatter Of econ
omy, l think this thould b done, 7 4 , 'gi
FREE SCHOOLS.
l have the pleasure Of laying before
you the report OF the General Supcrinten-
dent Of Free Schools. 1t will be found
an unusually interesting document, ex'
hibltlng very clearly and ably;nO only
the advantages, but tho detects l,of the
common school system as Y exists in tho
State, - = = - ~ ~
Since the establishment Of pOpulatedd-
cation amongst US, It's growth has been
steadyand permanent, and II may now
be regarded as o part OF Our fixed policy,
and Justly so; for whatever merit may be
fairly claimed for other agencies designed
to promote the public good, free school
education, stripped Of party politics, sec.
tionalism, and sectarianisT. Is, and must
continue 10 be- the chief element Of our
success; and o blow at It. whenever, and
by whomsoever made, will be aimed at
the rights OF the people, and at the high.
est interests Of the State. I; y ". y ~
| The report shows that the increase
LOT school houses during the year was 495,
and that the whole number Of school
houses in As out of So counties In tho
State, Is 2,113. The number Of youth Of
school age in the State is 1862, 430, q gain
oil II ,4S3 over the number reported the
year previous. The whole number OF
pupils attending schools during last year
was s7,S30, during the.year previous 49,.
$40, an Increase Tor year Of II, 0e0.
The average attendance during last year
was 55,088, during tho year previous 3d..
1858, an increase for last year Of TO- 20.
The permanent or irreducible school
fund now on hand, amounts TO 1854
500 IA. @Theamount Of moneys received
during theiyear, for school purposes, was
1862, 7e1; and the total value Of school
property reported from 4S out OF the 90
counties, IS St,o57, 473 94. Many other
valuable statistics are given by the Super
Iintendent but for these I must refer you
to the report ITSELF I'm
NORMAL SCHOOLS. r
The report of the Regents Of the State
| Normal School. Shows, on the whole, an
Improvement in this idernrtmene pfiedu.
cation over the. preceding year. The