Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1884-03-27


Senate on Tuesday, the 18th inst,
to guarantee an appropriation of $1,000 per
annum for ten years to Charlotte Hall Acad-
envy in this county, Senator AIlston deliver
ed an effective and eloquent speech, pam
phlet copy of which is now before us. We
know that the great majority of our intelli-
gent readers are deeply interested in what
ever concerns the welfare of Charlotte Hall
and we also believe they will warmly en-
dorse the endeavors of our Senator to obtain
for the school the appropriation above re-
ferred to. Hence the extracts from the
speech given below. After happy exor-
dunn, which we have not the space to give.
the Senator reached the subject of discussion
and spoke as follows:
Il represent the cause of an old seat of
learning in this illustrious presence to-day
lone Of the Oldest of all your schools---one
in which Marylanders from every section of
this State have the right to feel pure pride.
Charlotte Hall in st. Mary's is historical. IL
we can call any institution Anticipated in this
new country Of ours, then it has the smell
of antiquity about it and becomes doubIy
sacred to posterity.
st is located in one Of the most charming
and delightful sections Of our extreme SOUTH
| western tier of counties, and is the principal
seat Of learning there. Colleges are not as
numerous with our people, in the section to
which have the honor to belong, az in the
various other local. les of this noble old
Commonwealth and yet, when you have vo-
ted to pay sums of money to those institu-
ions, our proportionate part has been given
what has been allowed us in return is hard
ly an equivalent.
81 trust, the bill now before the Senate
which proposes to guarantee an appropria-
ton OF 81 ,00g year, for ten years, will pass.
| One object TO be secured by this, Is, that the
buildings are in state of decay, and are not
sufficiently capacious for the purposes in
tended. II this sum of money is assured
them, then, with other aid and resources at
command, the authorities of the academy
can go forward IN making their alterations
and Improvements, without fear of financial
embarrassment. There ought to be no OBJ
lection to this feature, inasmuch as ii will
improve the credit of the institution in ten
years, if the past can be regarded rs critic
rion, that sum, at least, will be voted, and
no harm can come from such relief, as is
proposed by the bill now before us.
| "Pernit me, more at length, TO detail the
history of this school.
at is now reached by the Southern Ma
| ryland Railroad; heretofore its prosperity
was in degree nterfered with, in conse-
| quence Of its inaccessibility. It'll thorough
| ly non-sectaran, and has faculty of five or
six professors, all well educated, proficient,
gentemanly scholars, capable of taking care
Of the morals, as well as the mental devel-
opnent of pupils.
"At present there are ninety students in
attendance; they come from Maryland, Vir-
ginia, Ohio and the District of Columbia;
they could have greater number, but have
not the facilities; some Of them who are
there now board in private families. No
school of similar standing in this State, has
terms more reasonable; $4,000 per annum,
| includes pay for board and tuition; the
course includes the higher languages, and is
thorough and complete.
"The population Of the Village of Char
lotte Hall numbers probably three hundred;
the location is healthy, and the society re-
fined; churches of all tho various denomina-
tons are there represented. Recently there
was built beautiful and imposing memo
rial church through the liberality and untir-
ing efforts of the first principal of the school.
| "The primary schools are kept open in
large majority of the counties, with an av-
eragc attendance of ten scholars; u teacher
/ is provided for each of those schools at three
| nuhureu dollars annually, an average cost
of $50 for each pupil.
III take IL for granted, that II needs no ar
| gument 10 c1nclnsiyely demonstrate that the
| services rendered By Vie institution named,
| are worth to the people of this State, more
than ask yon to give The $1,000 10 be
paid annually, would only average on the
! basis Of the present attendance, SO 90 for each
STUDENT the prcponderating majority being the
sons II citizens Of Maryland, your own peo-
| plea households receive the direct benefit -
| Such bread cast upon the waters will not be
cast in vain. Think of the polished sons with
Their young Municipalities shurpened and
formed, that will 20 forth into the wide arena
of the world some, perchance, TO fill our places
here; some TO become merchantmen; others to
| fill judicial trusts, or hold spell-bound audi
ences In the higher theatre Of public action,
/ either ~ Congressman or Senators. Sir,
when calculate the great good that will be
accomplished through the little aid that Is
asked cannot find II in my heart to believe
that il will be refused. Why, sir, it is a mere
atom to what has been done for many similar
Institutions in this State. Look how the pro-
tecting care of the Legislature upholds ST.
Johns and the Agricultural College; IL is all
right, just and proper; ! say nothing 10 the
contrary, but do assert that Charlotte Hall
produces by comparison even greater prosper
GUS results.
''Now, sir, in voting for the measure pro-
/ posed, no friend OF our State schools can OBJ
ject on the score that ii will interfere with
them. That cannot be from the nature of
things. The public schools are indispensa-
bly, necessary, aud are worthy of the cause
they represent, The college Is the adjunct TO
the school; ligament binds the two together;
they are parts of one harmonious whole
~ am glad We have the Schools and like
wise pleased TO have the colleges With my
vote, will assist TO sustain them both. /
have every reasol 10 the world to love the
common schools but, sir, because was edu-
Gated chiefly in them, learning what little
know there, 1t shall never I've said that am
SO narrow-minded as not TO realize the worth
and actual necessity OF the academy and col
lege.
"lf could make more urgent appeal than
have now done, the service would lie rem
dered gladly. Charlotte Hall has sent into
the world few men of mark. Besides, Sem
atnFa Of the Democratic part y, year illsstriOas
jurist, Rogar Brook Taney, trodi,s halls, and
learned bis lessons there. You have honorea
him In the Capital Grounds Of this State. By
| the bronze statue that perpetuates his monu-
mental observation-disclosures him again by aid
Ing his alma mater; why, were you not TO do
so, 1t would be sufficient TO cause his statue,
were such thing possible, to turn towards
this Senate Chafnber, and search the faces Of
its occupants with scorn.
Recall the gifted Oausin DE orator whose
bursts Of eloqnence so often held his listeners