Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-19
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
FEDERAL EDUCATION BEFORE
THE SENATE.

WASHINGTON, March 1S.-In the Sen.
ate to-day bill was introduced and ap-
propriately referred as follows:
By Mr.. Hawley-To authorize the Sec
retary of the Navy to offer a reward OF
$4,000 for rescuing or ascertaining the
fate Of the Greely Arctic expedition.
Mr.. Hawley said that such a reward
might induce some of the many ships
cruising in or about the Arctic seas to
keep look out for the exploring party,
or to turn occasionally out of their course
IN order to gather information about it.
FEDERAL EDUCATION.
The bill to aid in the establishment and
temporary support Of the common schools
was taken up. 1t appropriates for the
first year Sl5,000,0O0. for the second S14.-
| 100000, for the third year $4,000, 600,
and so on for ten years, decreasing 81, ,0O0.-
600 yearly, TO be expended for common
! school education, the expenditure in each
State to be on the basis of illiteracy, the
money to be paid by the United States,
IN the first instance to the Treasurers of
/ the respective States or such other agents
as the State may designate, the
/ Secretary Of the Interior to have
charge of the portion going to
| the Territories. The bill asserts the object
TEN Of schools, but simply to aid in the
maintenance of State schools, and pro-
] vides that no part of the money appro-
prlated by the bill shall be paid out in
any State which shall not, during the first
i've years OF the operation of the act an
/ nuaIly eXpend for common schools at
least One-third the sum allotted to it by
the bill, and during the second five years
a sum equal to the whole amount it shall
! be entitled to receive under the act. One
| tenth of the moneys paid to the State may
be expended in training teachers.
MR.. BLAIR's ADDRESS.
Mr.. Blair addressed the Senate ON the
! bill. This was, he said, the most impor-
! tant bill which has been brought before
! the Senate since The war. Had common
! schools existed everywhere and in sufIi-
! Gent numbers all OFer the United States.
| there would have been no war. Knowl-
| edge and virtue were naturally associated
and We're essential to the maintenance of
| a republican government and free insti-
/ tutlons. 1t was, therefore, the paramount
/ duty OF the nation to see that its citizens
/ We're educated. An American citizen
| had continuous public life even without
/ holding public office. He was the GOV
! erning power of his country. He was a
/ king. The education of the common
/ school was all that Observation-Disclosures
/ 1fths of our citizens could secure, and
/ the effort of the nation should be to secure
to all the highest possible good from the
common school.
THE PERCENTAGE OF ILLITERACY.
According to the census of 1880, out of
! 50,0O0,00O Of population in the United
/ States, there were 9.S2 per cent. who
/ could not read, and 12.44 per cent. who
could not write. The proportion of white
| people who could not write was 6.96 per
] nj al n M
number OF persons of school age was l5-
| 52l,332, while the number enrolled was
! only 9,1Sl ,52l, and even of that number
/ the actual average attendance was only
/ 5,oO5342. That is to say, the average at
tendance was about twO-thrds Of the en-
! r0llment or about one-third of the num-
! Der that should attend.
In "a cities of the Union 80 to - par
! cent. Of the children were not enrolled at
all; that is, would never know how TO
read or write. More than One-ninth of
/ the citizens of the United States were un-
/ able to read or write. Mr.. Blair cited sta
| tistics to show the varying proportion of
| llliterates to the whole population for sew
1 eral years past.
TUTORED IMMIGRATION.
/ The average Immigration was now. he
/ continued, equal in intelligence to the
/ average of our native population, fact
! Il. N
/ three-fOurths Of the illiterate voters of the
country were in the Southern States.
| those States having One-third of the voters
/ of the country. Between 1870 and 1880
! there had been no diminutiOn in the pro-
/ portion of illiterates to the whole pOpu-
| latlon, as shown by the census tables.
/ Not more than three-fOurths Of the voters.
Mr.. Blair thought, really had such a
| measure of education as to enable them
] tn oh
| against the public measures which must
come before them and which
must ultimately be adopted or
rejected by the body of the people.
A number Of the foremost. educators
OF different sections of the country
had come before the Committees
on Education Of the two houses OF
| Congress to advocate a legislative
measure which should aid the school
! systems of the States. They had eX-
pressed the conviction that many Of the
States were unable to meet the Difficult
ties which illiteracy was imposing on
/ them. The safety Of the republic, these
/ gentlemen had said, is the supreme law.
! THE NEGROES OF THE SOUTH.
| Referring to the general industrial and
social condition of the cOlored population
of the South, Alr. Blair averred that it
was rapidly becoming worse, the people
1 being discOntented and demoralized.
Young men were becoming more and more
disposed to violence and drifting into
condition which BODIES harm TO the repub-
| lie unless education be brought promptly
to bear. When England freed the slaves
in Jamaica she paid 100000 900 to the
former slave owners, but made no pro-
vision for the education or elevation of
the slaves themselves. The result was seen
in the fact that go per cent. of the births
in the island of Jamaica were illegiti-
mate. Looking at the subject broadly he
thought that for much of the ignorance
which existed in the United States the
whole country was to some extent respon-
sible, because the Southern States were
| not alone in responsibility for the eXis-
tence of slavery, and since the existence
of the nation was as much dependent on
intelligence as was the perpetuity of the
States, the nation as a whole could not
afford to be Indifferent to the education Of
its citizens.
On the conclusion of Mr.. Blair's speech
the Senate went into executive session,
and as the doors were being reopened
adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day the regular order
being demanded the Speaker proceeded to
call the committees, when the following
reports were submitted and disposed of:
BY Mr.. Elliott, of Pennsylvania, from
the Committee on Elections-A resolution
confirming the right of 5. r. Peters, of
Kansas, to a seat in the House. 1t was
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 Indian
Territory. 1t was referred to the House
calendar.
Also by Mr.. Culberson-To author
iZe terms of the Circuit Court for
the Eastern district Of North Carolina to
be held at Wilmington. 1t was referred
to the House calendar.
BY Mr.. Reagan, of Texas, from the
Committee on COmmerce-AuthOriZin
the construction Of bridges across the
Rio Grande river at Laredo and Eagle
Pass. They We're referred to the House
calendar.
BY Mr.. Peters, of Kansas. from
the same cOmmittee-Appropria
$3.50, 600 for the construction of a vessel
for the revenue marine and a steam
launch for use in Alaskan waters. 1t was
referred to the Committee on ApprOpria-
tions.
POSTAL APPROPRIATIONS TAKEN UP.
At the expiration of the morning hour
Mr.. Townshend, of Illinois, moved that
the House go into committee on the post
Office appropriation bill, and declined to
yield to Mr.. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, who
wished an opportunity to submit the report
OF the Foreign Affairs Committee upon
the matter of the Lasker resolution.
IhereupOn the members of that commit
tee mustered their forces and attempted
10 vote down the motion, but though they
made good tight the Appropriations