The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-03-19
F0RTT.EfGHTH CONGRESS.
Senate Proceedings Yesterday.

! - WASHINGTON. Marcn Is, 1884.
bills were introduced and appropriately
/ referred rs follows:
BY Mr.. Hawley: To authorize the Sec
retary OF the Navy 10 offer a reward Of
I $4,000 for rescuing or asceltaining the
fate OF the Greedy Arctic expedition.
I Mr.. Hawley said such q reward might
induce some OF the many ships cruising IN
or about the Arctic seas to keep q lookout
for the exploring party, or to turn out OF
their course in order to gather information
about It.
The bill to aid In the establishment and
temporary support OF common schools was
taken up. IL appropriatcs for the first year
Sl5,000,OO0; second, $4,000 third.
S13,000,000, and so on for ten wears, de.
creasing S1,O00,0O0 yearly. TO be expended
Tor common-school education, the expendi.
( ture In each State TO be on the basis OF H.
llteracy. The money is to be paid by the
( United States in the first instance to the
( treasurers OF the respective States, or
such other agents IS the States may deslg-
nate; the Secretary OF the Interior TO have
charge OF the portion going TO the Terrific
ries. The bill asserts the object TO be not
to establish an independent system OF
schools, but simply TO aid in the mainte-
nance OF state schools; and provides that
no part OF the money appropriated bv the
bill shall be paid out In any State which
shall not, during the first five years OF the
operation Of the act, annually eXpend for
common schools at least one third the sum
allotted to it by the bill, and during the
second five years L sum equal to the whole
amount it shall be entitled to receive under
( the act One tenth OF the moneys paid to
n Etafn ha In f,,t,
teachers.
Mr.. Blair addressed the Senate on the
bill. This was, he said, the most import
ant bill brought before the Senate since
the war. Had common schools existed
everywhere and in sufficient numbers all
over the United States there would have
been no war. knowledge and virtue were
naturally associated. and were essential
to the maintenance Of republican gov
eminent and free institutions. 1t was
thought, therefore, the paramount duty Of
the nation to see that its citizens were edu-
Gated. The American citizen had con-
tinuous public life. even without holding
public office. He was the governing power
OF his country; he was king. The educa.
ton OF the common school was all that
twenty-iour twenty fifths of our citizens
could secure, and the effort of the nation
should be to secure TO all the highest posi-
bic good from the common school. Accord
ing to the census OF 1880. out OF $4,000, 900
of the population in the United States there
were 9.S2 per cent. who could not read and
1914 per cent. who could not write. The
proportion OF white people who could not
write was COG per cent. and OF colOred
~. 20 per cent. The number OF persons Of
school age was 1887 1892. while The num-
Der enrolled was only 9.7Sl,52l, and even
of that number the actual average attend
ance was only 5,S05.342. That is to say,
the average attendance was about two
thirds OF the enrolment, or about one
third OF the number that should attend.
In thirty-four cities OF the Union so TO 81
per cent. of the children were not en-
rolled at all-tbat is. would never know
how to read or write. More than one ninth
of the citizens of the United States were
unable TO read or write. Mr.. Blair cited
statistics to show the varying proportions
of illiterates TO the whole population for
several years past. The average immigra-
ton was now, he continued, equal in in
telhgence to the average OF our native
population, fact not familiar to The pub
lie mind. Nearly three f0urths Of the Tilt
crate voters OF this country were In the
southern States, those States having one
third OF the voters OF the country. Be-
tween 1870 and 1880 there had been no
diminution in the proportion OF Hit
crates to the whole population, as
shown by the census tables. Not more
than three fourths OF the voters, Mr..
Blair thought, really had such mea-
sure OF education as to enable them
intellIgently to weigh the reasons for and
against public measures which must come
before them, and which must ultimately be
adopted or rejected by the body OF tue
people. A number OF the foremost edu-
Gators Of different sections OF the country
had come before the Committees on Educa-
ton OF the two houses OF Congress to adj
VOcate legislative measures which should
aid the school systems OF the States. They
had expressed the conviction that many OF
the States were unable to meet the diff
cuIties which illiteracy was imposing on
them. "The safety Of the republic" these
gentlemen had said, is the supreme law"
Referring to the general industrial and
social condition of the colOred population
of the South, Mr.. Blair said it was rapidly
becoming worse; the people beng discon
tented and demOrallzed; the young men
becoming more and more disposed TO vlo-
lence, and drifting into condition which
bodies harm TO the republic unless education
be brought promptly to bear. When Eng
land freed the slaves in Jamaica she paid
800, 100000 to the former slave-owners,
but made no provision for the educa-
ton or elevation of the slaves themselves.
The result was seen in the fact that
60 per cent. OF the births in the Island
OF Jamaica were illegitimate. Looking at
the subject broadly, he thought that Tor
much OF the ignorance which existed ID
the United States the whole country was
TO some extent responsible, because the
southern States were not alone in respon-
sibility for the existence OF slavery,
and since the existence OF the nation was
as much dependent on intelligence as was
the perpetuity OF States, the nation, as a
whole, could not afford to be indifferent to
the education of its citizens.
On the conclusion Of Mr.. Blalr's speech
the Senate went into executive session,
and, on the doors being re0pened, adj
iourned.
House of Representatives.
The regular order being demanded, the
Speaker proceeded to call the committees,
when the following reports were submit
ted and disposed of:
By Mr.. Elliot, OF Pennsylvania. from
tbe Committee on Elections: Resolution
confirming the right Of S. Il. Peters, OF
Kansas to seat in the House. Laid over.
By Mr.. Culberson. OF Texas, from the
Committee on Judiciary: To change the
eastern and northern Judicial district OF
Texas. and to attach to it part OF the In
dian Territory. Placed on the calendar:
Also, 10 authorize the terms OF the Circuit
Court for the Eastern district OF North
Carolina TO be held at Wilmington. flaced
on the calendar. co
BY Mr.. Peters, Of Kansas, from the , Colh-