Year: 1861

ette I might multiply these instances of th
Partially OF the law, to considerable extent
but it Is only necessary to call the attention o
; members to these facts, and they will not fai
J to put proper estimate upon law which Il
, 80 totally unjust. Let me ask why child, who
} happens to live in a county where the cost o.
; education is two or three times more than it il
in other counties Of the State, should be per-
mitted to attend school at the expense of the
; State only one-half or one-third of the time o.
the more fortunate child who happens to reside
In county where the cost Of education is in in


verse proportion to the time it is permitted tc
4 attend school Circumstances modify the cost
OF education materially, and make very great


disparity in cost in the different sections oi


the State. The differences exhibited In


the table to which | have referred are appa.


rently greater than they are in fact, In some


instances, for the reason that. in the counties
where the greatest difference is shown in the
cost of education, there is also difference in


the length Of time which the schools have been


kept In session. Making due allowance for


tbis, the difference of cost would not be 80 great


AS wish to take no advantage in the presen-


tation Of my argument, have deemed il bu.
just and proper that should make this state


ment in explanation.


But, after making every reasonable allow


ance for difference OF time, and the greater cost


because of the higher grade of schools, we have


overwhelming proof that the State, in making


distribution of the school fund, utterly fails


in dispensing equal educational privileges, which
is the end that ought in justice and fairness to
be accomplished. l take it, this is what was de.
signed, both by the trainers Of the Constitution
and the law, and the character OF those men
warrants me In the opinion that, if they could
have foreseen the practical operation of their
legislation upon this subject, we should not have
the present law, nor Sec. Q of Article vi. of the
Constitution to annoy us at this time. Nor can
believe that the friends and supporters Of this
law ever fully realized the fact that It was pos.
sible that such outrageous wrong and injustice
were contingent upon its practical operation; for


surely, that sense of Justice and right for which
the true friends of free education are proyerbial,
would have impslled them to wipe off from the
statute book this instrument of oppression and
wrong


The county of Hamilton, which have the
honor to represent in part, pays an excess into
the Treasury Of $57 900, to be distributed for
the support of schools in counties where they
have relatively more children than material
wealth. And twenty-seven other counties pay
an excess into the school fund, to be distribut.
ed for the support of schools in the remaining
sixty counties. In five of these counties, this
excess is less than one thousand dollars; in the
remaining twenty two counties, this excess va
ries from one to sixteen thousand dollars. Ofthe
sixty counties that are benefciaries of the State
school tax, seven Of them receive less than one
thousand dollars; the remaining 9fty-three re-,
ceive sums varying from one to nine thousand
dollars. make the statement in round num-
bers, as absolute accuracy is not important to
my purpose. True, the passage Of this bill
would not divest the law, as has been admitted,
of its obnoxious features; but i. will render it


lees Objectionable, for the reason that it will be
much less burdensome. This is possibly the only
relief that can be had, while the present Consti.
tuition remains in force. But time is the great
corrective of errors in human legislation, and
it will sooner or later bring q change that will
dispense, with unerring certainty, equal and ex
act justice to all. And if 1t be true that the
Constitution requires legislation upon this sub
ject that is obnoxious to justice and equity, it,
too, will have to yield to the influence of the
great reformer, and undergo such modification as
experience has proved to be necessary, to per-
NIT legislation that will be equitable to oil parts
of the State.


The total State tax is SO, ,5O3,7l2 90. The
State school tax is $l,242. sll 7S, or more than
one-third Of all the State taxes. submit, Sir,
whether it would not be good economy to di.
mnish the State school tax, as proposed in this
bill, and increase correspondngly the amount
levied for payment Of the Statedebt. This, with.
out increasing the State taxes, would give US
more;than three fourths of million to add to the
Sinking Fund, which would greatly hasten the
period when the State debt, now noar Sl4 ,000,'
600, shall be extinguished. Hamilton county
pays $472, ,O57 81 of the State tax, and $l67,-
3ll Al of the school tax, or nearly seventhof
all the State taxes. desire to suggest to gen.
tlemen who sometimes indulge in making COM
plants that the Legislation for Hamilton county
consumes good deal of the time of this House,
that these figures indicate that she is entitled
to some consideration. Within her limits is
situated the great commercial centre of the
State the Queen City, the pride Of the West.
This renders necessary greater amount of local
legislation than is needed in any other county
of the State. However, Hamilton county has
asked for no more consideration than she is just
ly entitled to-, from this or any previous Legis.
laturel / will, with great pleasure, avail myself
of the opportunity to acknowledge the courtesy
which has been extended to the delegation from
Hamilton by the members generally, aud de-
sire to say it is duly apprecia ted.


In addition to the facts that have already
presented for the consideration Of members,
wish to state that, in a number of the counties
that receive an excess from the school fund, the
local tax for sustaining schools is only about
one. fourth Of the amount of their State school
tax. an that the effect of the Law IL will be seen,