Ift* gjfMoril |ni)inm IS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING I, ft. DLKBOftROVt AXD JOHN LITZ, ox JULIANA St.. opposite the Mengel House BEDFORD, PENN'A TERMS: 82.00 a year if paid strictly in advance. II not paid within *l* months 82.5°. If not paid within the year B.LOO. 3(r*frjs.sio&ai & attorneys AT LAW. JH. T.ONGENECKER, . ATTORNEY AT LAW, BEDFORD, PA., All business entrusted to his care will receive prompt attention. with S. L. RrssEL, Esq., nearly opposite the Court House. °_ ct ; M, '66.-6 m. a. F. J. W. DICKF.BSON M YEItS & DICKERSON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW, BEDFORD, PESS'A., Office same as formerly occupied by Hon. W. P. Schcll, two doors east of the G'-zettc office, will practice in the several Courts of Bedford county. Pensions, bounties and back pay obtained and the purchase of Real Estate attended to. Afa/ If, '**— tjr. JOHN T. KEAUY, ATTORNEY AT LAW. BEDFORD, PEXS'A., Offers to give satisfaction to all may en trant theii legal business to him. Will collect moneys on evidences of debt, and speedily pro cure bounties and pensions to soldiers, their wid ows or hens. Office two doors west of Telegraph office. aprH:'66-ly. T B. CESfcSN A, .J . ATTORNEY AT LAW, Office with Jonx CESSNA, on Juliauna street, in the office formerly occupied by King A Jordan, and recently by' Filler A Keagy. All business entrusted to his care will receive faithful and prompt attention. Military Claims, Pensions, Ac., speedily collected. Bedford, June 9, 1865. J- M'D. K - R - KER CIHARPE A KERR. A TTORNE YS-A T-LA W. Will practice in the Courts of Bedford and ad joining counties. All business entrusted to their care will receive careful and prompt attention. Pensions, Bounty, Back Pay, Ac., speedily col lected from the Government. OB) co on Juliana street, opposite the banking house of Reed A Schell, Bedford, Pa. mar2:tf TOHN PALMER. tJ ATTORNEY AT LAW, Will promptly attend to all business entrusted to his care. ; &S- Particular attention paid to the collection of Military claims. Office on Julianna St., nearly opposite the Mengel House.) junc-23, '65.1y J. B. DDRBORBOW JOHN L.L'TZ. DU Ft BORROW A LUTZ, ATTORNEYS AT LAW, BKBFORD, PA., Will attend promptly to all business intrusted to their care. Collections mado ou the shortest no- They are, also, regularly licensed Claim Agents and will give speciai attention to the prosecution of claims against the Government for Pensions, Back Pay, Bounty, Bounty Lands, Ac. Office on Juliana street, one door South of the 'Mengel House" and nearly opposite the Inquirer April 28, 1365:t M. ALSTP, J ATTORNEY AT LAW, BKDFORD, PA., Will faithfnlly and promptly attend to all busi ness entrusted to his care in Bedford and adjoin ing counties. Military claims, Pensions, back pa v. Itontltr. Ac. rpeedtv Mann <t Spang, on Juliana street, 2 doors south ol'the Mengel liouso. apl 1, 18ot. tf. M. A. POINTS, ATTORNEY AT LAW, BEDFORD, PA. Respectfully tenders his professional services to tho public. Office with J. W. Lingenfclter, Esi!.. on Juliana street, two doors South of the ••Menule House." Dec. 9, lSfi-i-tf. JoHN MOWER, ATTORNEY AT LAW. BEDFORD, PA. April 1,1864. —tf. KI.MMERL AND UNOtENFBIiTER, ATTORNEYS AT LAW, BF.PFORD, PA. Have formed a partnership in the practice of the Law Office on Juliana Street, two doors South of the Mcngel Jiou<- aprl, tl. UK VI'IST*. C. s. HICK OK j. c. SIISNICH, Jit. DENTISTS, Bedford, PA. Office fit the Sank Building. Juliana Street. All operations pertaining to Surgical or Me chanical Dentistry carefully and faithfully per formed and warranted. TERMS CASII. Too th Powders at d Mouth Wash, excellent ar tides, always on hand. jan6'6s-ly. DENTISTRY. F. X. BOWSER, RESIDENT DENTIST, WOOD bi-.khy, Pa., visits Bloody Run three days of each month, commencing with the second Tuesday of the month. Prepared to perform ail Dental oper ations with which he may be favored. Term* within the reach of all and xtricily cash except by xpecial contract. Work to be sent by mail oroth wise, must lie paid for when impressions are taken, augo, '64:tf. PIIYMCIAXS. DR. GEORGE C. DOUGLAS Respectfully tenders his profession*! services to the people of Bedford and vicinity. at Maj. Washabavgh's. ffiST Office two doois west of Bedford Hotel, up stairs. aul7:tf IlfM. W. JAMISON, M. D., VV BLOODY- RON, PA., Respectfully tenders his professional services to the people of that place ind vicinity. [deeSrtyr DK. B. E. HARRY, Respectfully tenders his professional ser vices to the citizens of Bedford and vicinity. Office and residence on Pitt Street, in the building formerly occupied by Dr. J. 11. Ilofius. April 1, IStU—l|, JL. MARBOVRO, M. !>.. . Having permanently located respectfully tenders his pofessmnal services to the citizens of Bedford and vicinity. Office on Juliana street, opposite the Bank, one door north of Hall A Pal mer's April 1. 1864—tf. JKWKLER, Ac. ABSALOM GARLTCK, CLOCK AND WATCH-MAKER, Bl.oonr Rrs, PA. Clocks, Watches, Jewelry, Ac., promptly re paired. AH work entrusted to his care, warranted to give satisfaction. He als.-. keeps on hand and for aale I VA TCll- ES, CLOCKS, and JE WE Lit Y. Office with Br. J. A. Mann. iny4 JOIiX RKIMUNDv CLOCK AND WATCH-MAKER, in the United States Telepraph Office, BEDFORD, PA. Clocks, watches, and tilt kinds of jewelry promptly repaired. All work entrusted to his cage warranted to give entire ratisfaeti'>n. [nov.l-lyr lAANIEL BORDER, A J PITT STREET, TWO DOORK WEST OF THE BED roup HOTEL, BEEF HID, P*. WATCHMAKER AND DEALER IN JEWEL RY. SPECTACLES. AC. Uo keeps on hand a stock of fine Gold and Sil v*r >3teh*, Hpect*el** of Brilliant Doable Befln *'• Glw- , aUa Scotch Pebble Glasses. Gold a '-ch Chains, Breast Pins, Finger Rings, best quality of Hold Pens. He will supply to order thing in his line not on hand. MR. 28, 1885—JMJ. ( 100K AND PARLOR STOVES, at B. Me. BLYMYER k CO'S. fl3eMoYi> 3Tnqnirer. URBORROW Si LUTZ Editors and Proprietors. fwfrfl. THE OLD CANOE. Where the rocks are gray and the shore is steep, And the waters below look dark and deep, Where the rugged pine, in its lonely pride, Leans gloomily over the murky tide ; Where the reeds and rushes are long and rank And the weeds grow thick on thewindingbank; Where the shadow is heavy the whole day through Lies at its moorings the old canoe. The useless paddles are idly dropped, Like a sea bird's wings that the storm has looped. And crossed on the railing one o'er one, Like the folded hands when the work is done; While busily hack and forth between, The spider stretches his silvery screen, And the solemn owl, with its dull '"too-too, Settles down on the side of the old canoe. The stern half sunk in the slimy wave, Rots slowly away in its living grave, And the green moss creeps o'er its dull de. cay, Hiding its mouldering dust away, Like the hand that plants o'er the tomb a flower, Or the ivy that mantles the falling tower ; While many a blossom of loveliest hue. Springs up o'er the stem of the old canoe. The currentles3 waves are dead and still- But the light wind plays with the boat at will, And lazily in and out again It floats the length of the rusty chain, Like the weary march of the hands of time, That meets and part at the noontide chime, And the shore is kissed at each turning anew, j3y the dripping bow of the old canoe. 0, many a time, with a careless hand. I have pushed it away from the pebbly strand; And paddled it down where the stream runs quick, Where the whirls are wild and the eddies are thick, And laughed as 1 leaned o'er the rocking side, And looked below in the broken tide, To see that the faces and boats were two, That were mirrored back from the old cauoe. And now, as I lean o'er the crumbling side, And look below in the sluggish tide, The face that I see there is graver grown, And the laugh that I hear has a soberer tone, And the hands that lent to the light skiff wings Have grown familiar with sterner things. But I love to think of the hours that flew As I rocked where the whirls their white spray Ere the blossom waved, or the green grass grew. O'er the mouldering stern of the old canoe IMsffllantw, Ol li COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM, The following articles were prepared by us last winter and published in successive numbers of the INQUIRER, from January .5, to February 2, 1*66. They were intend ed to call the public attention to the impor tance of a revision of our school law, and prepare the way for the introduction into the Legislature of measures looking to such revision by our Senator, Hon. G. W. Householder. At the request of a number of friends of education, wc republish them. It may be necessary to state that the calcu lations were all made on the basis of the school report of 1864, before we received the report of 1865. The results arrived at, would be somewhat modified, by the report of 18C5 ; but as the general princi ples remain the same, wc did not deem it necessary to revise the figures according to the later report. "Some weeks ago, a few stray thoughts on the absurdities and inequalities of our present common school system, found their way by accident iuto our columns. We now propose to give the matter a more thorough investigation, hoping that our humble effort to call attention to a subject of such vast importance to our grand oldCoiumonwealth, will call forth and rally around our standard wiser heads and abler pens than ours, through whose instrumentality the cause of education and the diffusion of goneral intel ligence may be promoted. Our common school system was originally designed, not only to equalize the facilities for obtaining a liberal education, but also to equalize the taxation necessary for the accom plishment of that object. The great funda mental principle, upon which this design was founded, consists in the fhetthat the promo tion of general intelligence is always accom panied by an improvement in public morals, the infusion of energy and enterprise into communities, and as a consequence, increas ed wealth and prosperity. Upon this ground the tax upon the rich man's property, for the education of his poorer neighbor's sons and daughters, was considered as fairly re paid, not only in the increased security of his person and property, butalsoin the lessened taxation necessary for the building of pris ons and the prosecution and punishment of criminals, as well as the increased value of his property, consequent upon the diffsion of general intelligence. These were fair and just deductions, and the experience of many years, even in the present imperfect condition of our school system, has abun dantly proven the wisdom and foresight of the eminent statesmen who first laid the foundation of that noble structure. Our object shall not be, to impair the system from which we have already derived so much benefit, but on the contrary to point out defects and suggest improvements, that shall assist in completing the proportions, harmonizing the various parts, and prepa ring for greater efficiency and usefulness, that which has already been the instrument of much good. It is at the very foundation of the structure that we find the defect, that A LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWSPAPER, DEVOTED TO POLITICS, EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND MORALS. more than all others, has marred the fair proportions and impaired the powers of the whole system. It consists in confining the application of the great principle of equal taxation, equal appropriations, and furnish ing equal facilities for education, to the smallest possible extent of territory instead of extending it to its utmost bounds. It is limited to single school districts (of which there are 1825 in die. State, each with a rate of taxation differing from the others, and varying from i of a mill on the dollar for 5 months school in Oley district, Berks county to 25 mills on the dollar for -1 months school in Red Bank district, Armstrong county) instead of being applied to the whole State alike. Wo cannot for a moment believe that the men, who framed our school laws, either designed the application of this great fundamental principle to be thus limited, or such gross inequalities of taxation to be imposed upon the people. Great reforms are not accomplished in a day. They require time. It may have been an oversight in the framers of the law, but it is more prob able, that, because of the bitter opposition with which the system first met, the friends of the reform consented to limit the application of this part of the law in the beginning, hoping to extend it gradually, as the opposition, which always meets great relorms, should give way under the benign influence of education and the propagat ion of liberal ideas. Why the effort to extend it has never been made we pretend not to know. Perhaps the barriers of ignorance and prejudice have not yet been sufficiently broken down. If they have not, we hope the day is not far distant when they will have forever disappeared before the tide of advancing civilization. We design to show, from the school returns and statistics for 1864, in the first place,,the gross inequality and injustice of the present mode of taxa tion, not only between the various districts of the same county bat between the various counties of the State. In the second place, that like inequality and injustice result from the present mode of distributing the State appropriations, that the present methods of both taxation and appropriation discrimi nate against the poorer districts and in favor of the richer, and that the only way in which our schools can bemade permanently efficient throughout the State, and our school sys tem made to accomplish the object designed by its framers and desired by all good citi zens, is by the abolition of district taxation and the substitution of a general and equal system of taxation for the whole State, and on urnrnnrinfian o/vuinlina ia of schools existing or required, instead of as at present, according to the number of taxables. INEQUALITY OK TAXATION. In order that we may the better appreci ate the significance of the figures which follow, it may be well to state that the law, as it now stands and is enforced, requires of each district to keep open its schools four mouths in each year or forfeit the State appropriation. Under this requirement, we find in Jefferson county that a tax ofl-3 mills to the dollar is required to keep open the schools four months, at an average rate of $2O per month to teachers in Knox dis trict, while its richer neighbo - Corsica, is enabled to obtain 6 months school, at an average teacher's salary of $25, with a tax of only five mills to the dollar. That is, in order to obtain the same advantages, the poorer district would have to endure five times as high a rate of taxation as the richer. In Indiana county, Canoe district obtains four months school at $l6 per month for teachers, with a taxation of 13 mills to the dollar, while Saltzburg district with 3J mills, obtains the same length of term and pays her teachers $lB per month. Here again we find the same advantages gained by the richer district at less than one-fourth the rate of taxation of the poorer. In Lancaster county, East Hempfield has six months school at $2O, with a 13 mill tax, while West Lampeter has eight months at $3O, with a 1.5 mill tax. Here we find the poorer district would be obliged to bear 12 times as high a rate of taxation in order to gain the same educational advantages as its richer neighbor. In Centre county. Taylor district has four months school at $2O, with a 12 mill tax, while Farmer's mills district obtains six months at $28.83 with a two mill tax, or about one-twelfth again. Iu Bucks county, Now Britain has five months at $25, with a 12 mill tax, while Northampton has ten months at $20,25 with a two mill tax, or less than a twelfth, j In Luzerne county, Dennison has five I months at $l7, with a 13 mill tax, while New | Columbia has seven months at $18.86 with a 1.5 mill tax, or less than one-twelfth. In Lebanou county, Ileidleberg has five montho at $2O, with a 12 mill tax, while Cornwall has six and one-half months at $23, with a 1 mill tax, or one-eighteen rate of tax of tho poorer district. In Potter county, Hweden district has four months at $lB, with a 13 mill tax,; while Coudersport has eight and one-half months at $26, with a 2.5 mill tax, or one thirteenth the rate of Sweden. In Northampton County, Moore district has four and two-third months at $2O with a 20 mill tax, while Bethlehem Borough has nine months at $33.85 with a 1 mill tax, or gets the same advantages at one fifty-fourth part the rate of taxation of the poorer district. The average rates of taxation in different counties, by comparison, show a like ine quality. Thus: Bucks county with an average taxation of 1.12 mills has an average of 8.28 months school at an average salary of $25.29. McKean, with a tax of 6.8 mills, obtains 6.07 months school at $21.09. To enable McKean to obtain the same length of school BEDFORD. Pa., FRIDAY. DECEMBER 21, 1860. term at the same salaries as Bucks, would require of her a rate of taxation nearly six times as great. Lehigh county, with a tax of 2.15 mills and a teachers' salary of $22.39 has 5.76 months school, while Clearfield county has 4.29 months, with a salary of $24.48 and a tax of 9.27 mills, or about five times the rate of taxation required in Lehigh to obtain the same advantages. Montgomery county pays her teachers $25.50 per month, and obtains 7.34 months school at a tax of . 66 mills. Jefferson county has 4.7 months school at $20.96 salary, with a tax of 9.6 mills. Here we find that Jefferson county, to enable her to pay the same wages to teachers, and to have the same length of school term would be compelled to levy a tax about twenty-six times as heavy as .Montgomery. The average rate ot taxation throughout the State is 3.27 mills. Yet leaving out the disparity in length of school term, we see the poor district of Moore in Northamp ton county, enduring a tax of 20 mills, or over six times the average of the State while the rieh district of Oley in Berks, pays but three-fourths of a mill or less than one-fourth the average of the State. These are but a few, of the hundreds and even thousands of instances of the gross inequality and injustice borne by the people under the present most unjust system of tax ation. Surely no one will pretend that such results as these were intended to be produ ced by the framcrs of our school laws. INEQUALITY OF APPROPRIATIONS. Before making any comparison of the ap propriations we would reiterate the fact that the various school districts are required to keep open their schools for the full term of four months, in order to obtain their poition of the State appropriation. It follows there fore that, where a tax has been laid sufficient to keep open the school six or eight months, the amount must be reduced to the propor tion required for four months, in order to show the actual inequality existing. Thus Clearfield county, raised by taxation $19,080. 15 and obtained 4.29 months school, at the same rate the amount required to keep open her schools four months and to secure her share of the appropriation would have been $17,790.35, this amount she was obliged to raise to obtain an appropriation of $1,765.10 or not quite one tenth of the amount of the tax. The rate of taxation absolutely neces sary for this purpose was 5.01 mills. Delaware county raised by taxation $38,- 413.68 and had 9.13 months school, at the * -".uuat required to keep open her schools four mounths ana ootam ner ap propriation would have been $16,792.56 ena bling her to obtain an appropriation of $2,673.44, or nearly one-sixth of the amount required to be raised by taxation, and only requiring a rate of taxation of .57 mills. Here we see the rich and densely populated county of Delaware is enabled to obtain nearly twice as large an appropriation from the State, in proportion to the amount re quired to be raised by taxation, as the poor er and more sparsely settled county of Clearfield and this with less than one-eighth the rate of taxation. Fulton county raised by taxation $7,929. 55, and kept ber schools open four months and obtained an appropriation of $788.58 or less than one tenth of the amount required to be raised by taxation. This required a rate of taxation of 4.74 mills. Montgomery county with a tax of $62, 193.46 had 7.34 months school, at the same rate, four months would have required $33, 892.89 enabling her to obtain an appropria tion of $6534.94 or nearly one fifth of the re quired tax, while her rate of taxation was only .3 mills. Here again we find the richer county of Montgomery obtaining twice as large a pro portionate appropriation as the poorer county of Fulton. Though Fulton to obtain herpittance of an appropriation has endured nearly sixteen times as high a rate of taxa tion. Forest county raised by taxation $1,609. 03 to secure four months and obtain an ap propriation of $81.12 or about one twenti eth the amount of its tax. To obtain this amount required a rate of taxation of 7.75 mills. Bucks county raised by taxation $62,936.- 83 and had 8.28 months school. At the same rate, four months would have required $30,404.98 while shqtreceived a state appro i priation of $5,825 or almost one filth of the amount she raised by taxation. To obtain i this amount only required a tax rate of .54 mills. Here we find the richer county ob j taining four times as large a proportionate appropriation as the poorer, though uecessa ; rily enduring less than one-fourteenth as high a rate of taxation. These are but a few in stances out of many that may be faur.d by reference to the report of 1864, but they are sufficient to demonstrate the fact that the present method of appropriating the public : fund, set aside for school purposes, is as grossly unequal and unjust as the present method of taxation, and that it in like man ner discriminates against the poorer and in favor of the richer counties. EVILS ARISING FROM UNEQUAL TAXATION. We have demonstrated in previous arti cles that gross inequality arises from the present method, both of taxation and appropriation. Our present object is to show that this inequality and injustice constitute but a mall proportion of the evils arising from this source. It is a fact well known to every person who has given attention to the sub ject, that the development of all its resources, is of the highest importance to a State, it increases the value of land, creates diversity of pursuits and thus adds to the revenue of the State and the comfort q§ the people. With these views every State endeavors to offer inducements, not only, to its own citi zens, but to citizens of other States to enter upon, occupy and improve its wholly or partially unoccupied lands, to fell its forests, open its mines and manufacture their pro ducts into fabrics for the use of man. It is also well known that the richer sections of a country are quickly settled, while the poorer are left unoccupied, and that in all civilized communities there is a natural tendency to congregate in towns and cities. Idleness everywhere and especially iu cities and towns is the source of untold evils and crimes. It is obviously the interest of every State to promote the settlement and improvement of all its territory, and obviate the tendency to centralization. How does the present working "of our school laws operate upon this point? What inducement does it offer to tho settler in the sparsely settled dis tricts? Oppressive taxes, short school terms, the smallest proportionate assistance from the State, and hard labor and comparative ignorance for himself and hischildren. On tho other hand, we find in the rich and already densely populated districts are held out the inducements of lands already clear ed, long school terras, light taxes, compara tive ease, with intelligent society and the largest proportionate assistance from the State, to bring still more where the popula tion is already overflowing. Who can wonder then that tho farmer moves to town to educate his sons and daughters, even at the risk of all the dangers of town and city life, or to the far West where the new States hold out inducements superior to those he has enjoyed among his native hills. Is it any wonder under such circumstances that towns are crowded with idlers, while the rural districts are crying for laborers and the farms lie waste? Is it any wonder that the sturdy sons of our noble State are pouring in a steady stream into the wide West, while her own broad acres are un occupied, her mineral wealth undeveloped, her manufacturing facilities unimproved, and her oil flowing ungathered to the ocean? Yet these are the legitimate results of an oppressive system of taxation in the sparsely settled districts of the State. If it were patiently borne the evil might be less, though the injustice remained ; but it is not patiently borue, on the contrary it is steadily and surely driving the young, enter prising, and most valuable portion of our population from their native State to seek more favored homes in the far West. Such are the legitimate results of the present unfair method of raising revenue for school purposes. A system that discriminates against the poorer portions of the State and in favor of the richer, while the reverse should ho the ruW. They can only ho ob j j, ieu[ife in their majesty de mand, that the laws be so amended, that the poor shall 110 longer be oppressed be cause of their poverty, nor the rich pam pered because of their wealth, but that even-handed justice be dispensed alike to all. How this may be done we will endeav or to show in our next. A REMEDY FOR SOME OF ITS DEFECTS. With so great a diversity of surface, soil . climate, density of population, &e., as exists in our State, to obtain exact uniformity and equality of educational advantages is prac tically impossible. But a much nearer approximation, than is obtained by the present system, is certainly attainable. The plan we propose for obtain ing such approximation and equalizing taxation is as follows ; viz : First, by a sys tem of general and equal taxation through out the State, to obtain a fund sufficient to defray the expenses of instruction and keep open the schools a minimum term of four or five months, at the average salaries of teachers for the whole State, leaving the present system of taxation in force, for the purpose of raising a building and contingent fund, and keeping open the schools as much longer than the minimum term as each district, for itself, may deem expedi ent. Second, to distribute the general fund among the various districts according to the number of schools in each, instead of, as at present, according to the number of taxa bles. Since writing the last article, we have received the speech of Mr. Householder, in the State Senate, in favor of a revision of our common school system. We shall avail our selves to some extent, of the labors of Mr. Householder, by making use of his statistics. By a laborious calculation he has ascertained that a tax of two mills to the dollar upon the valuation of the real and personal prop erty of the State and about ten per cent, of the gro-s receipts annually coming into the State Treasury, a school fund of at least $1,600,000.00 can be obtained. This nearly equals the cost of instruction for the whole State in 1864, fot an average of 5,55 months' school at an avernge teacher's sal ary of $22.79, and by the proposed method of equalization would be obtained at a rate of taxation 1.27 mills less than the average rate for the whole State in 1564. This is a general system of taxation such as we have had in view, and at the proposed rate would secure a minimum term of at least five months to each school in the State at the average teacher's salary for the State, of $22.79. Thus far we agree. In the matter of distribution we differ radically, not only from Mr. Householder, but also from the suggestion of Mr. Coburn our present excel lent State Superintendent. They both pro pose a distribution per capita, according to the number of scholars. That this leaves the distribution as uncertain and unequal as that according to the number of taxables, must be evident to every one at all familiar with either school orccnsus statistics, as the proportion of children to adults, and of adults to taxables, under ordinary circum stances is nearly the- a me, and every varia tion, produced by this method, from the re sults of the present one, is as likely to ag gravate as to ameliorate the present ine quality and injustice. After a careful ex- VOII'ME 39 J XO 52. animation of this point, we are constrained to adhere to our own proposition, as first made, to distribute the fund according to the number of schools. This wc believe to i be the only method by which any near ap | proxiuiation to equality of taxation and uni formity of educational advantages can be obtained. The chiefiobjectionto this method would be its tendency to unnecessarily in- I crease the number of schools; this we believe would be entirely obviated by requiring each j school district to provide for building and ' contingent expenses by local taxation. This would doubtless be a sufficient check upon jan undue multiplication of schools. We will now endeavor to give a few additional reasons, why we deem our plan the more likely to accomplish the desired result. At first thought, it would appear that the pres- I ent method of distribution, according to the number of taxable?, ought to produce tbe result desired, and it was doubtless intended so to do at its adoption, but on a careful ex amination it will be found that its failure results from well established laws of popula tion and,itseffect upon the value of property; These are, that as population increases the value of property increases, and that as the density of population increases the average cost of'education per scholar decreases, while the reverse of both these takes place where population decreases, that is, the value of property falls while the average cost of edu cation increases; thus in Bucks county, we find the average cost, per month, per capita, is bui 43 cents while in Forest county it amounts to $2.12 or nearly five times as much as in Bucks. These differences in cost arise from the fact that in densely pop ulated districts each school has the maximum number of sckoolars, perhaps 70 or 80, that a single teacher can successfully instruct, but in the sparsely settled districts it often becomes necessary to have schools where, by reason of distance and bad roads, there will be but 15 or 20 scholars at most, yet there must be such schools or a large portion of the children of the State be left without the means of obtaining even the most elementary education. This single case will fully ex. emplify the utter impossibility of arriving at any near approximation to equality by Mr. Householder's system. Taking his own figures we find Forest county would get but $090.75 when the actual cost of instruction in 1864 for four months was $1,242.00. Thus by his distribution she would get but two months school. Bucks county would get $35,000. OU W licit: tin. vvov in 1864 for 8.28 months was $47,924.92. Here wc see the rich county of Bucks would receive from the State an amount sufficient to keep her schools open 6 months at the average salary of teachers for the whole State, while the poor county of Forest, though paying precisely the same rate of tax as Bucks, would only get sufficient to keep her schools open 2 mouths. Does this look like equality? Ah uno disce omncs. This is probably an extreme case, but the same general principles prevail throughout the State and render any system based upon population, whether of children, adults, or taxables, objectionable and incompetent to produce any near approximation to the de sired equality. By the method we propose, of distributing according to the number of schools, the $1,600,000.00 would give to each of the 12,566 schools in operation in 1864, $127.32 enabling each to keep open 5. 14 months with the average teacher's salary of $22.79. This would give Forest county and Bucks and onnlila each to keep its schools openthe same length of time while bearing the same rate of taxa tion. This fte believe to be the nearest approxi mation possible at present to the true spirit of our common school system. With this view of the subject we shall await the action of the legislature, with the hope of seeing it acknowledge the true and fundamental prin ciple of our school system and make the richer portion of the State assist in provi ding for the education of the poorer, instead of as heretofore making the poor assist in supporting the rich. Judicial Kctorm in England. It is considered certain that the British Ministry are preparing a bill for judicial re form, which they will lay before Parliament early in the approaching session. The details are not known, but it is believed that tlili bill will routalli piuvblotw ior longfeliuu ing terms of office, for rearranging the circuits, and for increasing the number of judges. The reasons for the proposed re form are forcibly stated by the London lie vine. It says: "The condition of the nation has entirely changed, yet we attempt to make the old machinery answer. The judges still hold the assizes with little more frequency thau they used to hold them in the reign of Henry 111. The courts still sit in banco at A Vest Minster for the same number of days as they sat before America was discovered, and when the commerce of the whole country was not equal to that which now belongs to a second or third rate town. The time has surely come for the abolition of arrangements no more suited to modern times than the armour of a cru sader would have been to the combatants at Sadowa." NEIGHBORHOOD FEUDS IN NORTII CARO LINA.—The Wilmington Journal says : "In certain portions of our State, especially in the extreme western counties, where commu nities anil districts were divided in their support of tho State and {Confederate gov ernments, we are sorry to see that the enmi ties and ill-feelings engendered then, are still rankling in the hearts of many, and in some neighborhoods the most deplorable condition of affairs exists. The criminal and civil dockets of their courts are crowd ed with indictments and suits for offences or injuries committed upon one another during the war. The efforts of their best citizens and the advice of friends have failed in many instances of stopping these prose cutions. and in not a few cases violence, even to the taking of human life, has at tended these unhappy affairs." HONEST poverty is no crime, and God is no respecter of persons. "It is the mind that makes the man," not worldly honor, wealth or station. RATES OF ADVERT ISINQM Ail advertisements for lers than 3 months cents per line for each insertion. Special notic^H oneh&if additional. AII resolutions of tion, communications of a limited or mdividuflH interets and notices of marriages and deaths, eBS ceeding five lines, 10 cte. per line. All legal notlifef CM of every kind, and aU Orphans' Court an >ffl other Judicial sales, are required bv law to be pub-|9 lishei in both papers. Editorial Notices Ift eentlßj per line. All Advertising due after first Insert itnj® A liberal discount made to yearly advertlzere. i-fl 3 months. 6 months. 1 year® One square $ 4.50 $ 6.00 slo.o®| Two squares 6,00 0.00 16.00'* Three squres 8.00 12.00 20.64® One-fourth column 14.00 20.00 35.0<jhl Half column 18.00 26.00 45.09® One column 30.00 46.00 80. Mil BED RIVER NEWS.—The Caddo GazetlA ays that with fine weather for the next terig days, half a crop of cotton will be made. Ii adds : "Confidence in the labor of the freedmen is being restored, and the lands on Red RiV' er are commanding high prices, either f'oi rent or sale. As they are the finest cotto* lands in the world, and not subject to over flow oftener than once in ten years, capital ists will purchase them, being fully assured that they will steadily enhance in in proportion as the country recovers from the effects of the war and the revolution in the labor system incident upon emancipa tion." LOUISIANA CROPS.—The West Baton Rouge Sugar Planter of the 24th says : j "Since our last but little rain has fallen, while the weather remains cool and clear. Every hour of such weather is worth gold to the planters, many of whom have not cleared their fields of cotton. The rain we had last week did but little damage to the cotton, although it was of great benefit to others. From appearances we shall have good weather until the cotton 13 out of the fields, unless "Mr. Freedman gets into his natural stubbornness about the price of picking—usually about one-half of what the cotton is worth." THE Jleraldoi this city publishes extracts from letters written by a citizen of Montreal who served in the American army, and af terwards was in the Papal service. When ir. the South he bccarie acquainted with John 11. Suratt, whom he identified in Italy serving in the Zouaves. This person informed the American Am bassador at Rome, who sent for instructions to Seward. In conversation, Surratt is re ported to have said that the assassination of President Lincoln was planned at Richmond , and with the assent of Jefferson Davis. 1 This informant against Surratt is now on his way to Washington. ECCLESIASTICAL. —In the Southern Gen eral Assembly, now in session at Memphis, overtures have been adopted, and delegates appointed to bear to the Associated Reform Church and the Cumberland Presbyteries, in order to effect the union of those bodies with the Assembly. The attempt to re move the Theological Seminary from Co lumbia (S. C.) to Memphis has failed. The report of the committee on the freedmen is eliciting much attention, and the indications are that the debate will be violent and pro tracted. ffist_The rock-boring machines that are boring the Mont Cenis Tunnel, it is estima ted, will have to drill 1,500,000 holes before that work is completed. The total depths of these holes will be 4,205,890 feet, or 105 times the length of the tunnel, and to drill them, nearly 13,000,000,000 blows will have to be struck by the perforators. The. en — - riuuca Brae IS 3,945 feet above the level of the sea, and on he Italian side 4,380 feet. PURCHASE OF LOWER CALIFORNIA.— This transaction took place in Washington, with the tacit consent of the government, and through the active agency of Senor Romero. It has now been formally confir med by the J uarez government. It is the largest purchase by private persons in mod ern times. It covers 46,800 square miles, extending from gulf to ocean, between the parallels of 24 degrees and 20 minutes and 30 degrees of north latitude. A VALUABLE REPORT.—A dispatch from San Francisco says: "J. Ross Browne, United States Commissioner for collecting mining statistics, has transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury an elaborate re. port on the mineral resources in the states and territories west of the Rocky Mountains. It is pronounced by competent judges the moat comple digest of statistics and geolog ical information respecting our mineral re gions ever yet compiled for public use." A GOOD COUNTRY FOR GAME.—The Santa Cruz Sentinel anyb that Tuesday last a party 01 gentlemen went out on a hunting excursion, and so fortunate were they that one day's shooting sufficed to load their vehicle with game, and satisfy them and astonish their firieuds with their extraordi nary skill. They brought back 1 deer, 15 dozen quail, 5 dozen rabbits, aud any quan tity of woodchucks and other small fry, and several dozen empty bottles. JOHN MORRISSET is now the favorite subject for conundrums in New York. He was some time ago compared to Daniel Webster because he is the great, ex-pounder and now it is asked why he is like a iamb:— because he gambles on the green , —and why he ought to be an influential member of Congress,—because he is heavy on the eye 3 and nose. CL'T-TFIROATS IN Missorßi.—Governor Fletcher has declared martial law in Ray and Platte counties, Missouri, and has marched a strong force to those couuties._ It was not safe for any one manio show .himself out of His nou'c tnera. Horse-thieves, robbers and murderers infest the frontiers of Mis souri, Kansas and Nebraska, but detectives arc at work, and it is expected they will pick them all up. A HOTEL proprietor in San Francisco an nounces that he has opened "a large read ing room, containing five hundred volumes of standard works, which is entirely for the use of patrons." This excellent example moves a correspondent to write us: "What a boon such a library would be in some of our hotels at the East 1" JAMES RIVER AND KANAVVIIA CANAL.— The Richmond Wk iff soßcits government aid to complete this canal to the Ohio River as it is a work of national importance, "and will benefit not simply Virginia, but all the states touched by the Mississippi and its tributaries." A BUSINESS WOMAN.— It is said that a woman has gone into the freighting business between Nebraska City and Denver. She owns a train of five wagons, which she con ducts herself, receiving her freight, hiring her hands, and superintending the loading and discharging. TNE BRIDGE OVER THE OHIO RIVER.— The suspension bridge over the Ohio, at Cincinnati was opened on Saturday, and forty .six thousand persons crossed, Mr. I Roeblmg, the builder, says the cables would readily sustain a double procession of lorom- k river over its entire length. THE first proclamation for a in Connecticut was issued in 1664, a model of, brevity, as follows: "itg|H ed, there shal be a pubiiek day oj® riving through this Jurist Wednaday oora fortnight.' vgH
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers