is becoming less and less sparse, and it may be well, in laying the foundation of a good system, to have a view to this progressive change, much attention seems due to examples in the eastern states, where the people are most compact, and where there has been the longest experience in plans of popular education. numbers and reputation, another has just gone into operation--both are under the fostering care of the state, and furnish ample means for the education of our youth. There are also from 20 to 30 academies endowed by the state, where our children receive the preparatory qualifications for the colleges -but our great efforts are directed to the common I know not that I can offer, on the occasion, any schools. The operation of our laws is silent, but suggestion not likely to occur to the committee.-effectual. Every town in the state is obliged to Were I to hazard one, it would be in favor of add-raise an annual tax, equal at least to forty cents on ing to reading, writing and arithmetic, to which the each of its inhabitants-and, according to the last instruction of the poor is commonly limited, some census, the aggregate of this tax for the whole state knowledge of geography, such as can easily be is $119,334--equal to the income of a capital of conveyed by a globe and map, and a concise geo- $1,955,567, at the usual rate of interest. This tax graphical grammar. And how easily and quickly is expended in the support of free schools; and, for might a general idea even be conveyed of the so- the purpose of an equal participation of the benefit, lar system, by the aid of a planetarian of the cheap. each town is, by law, subdivided into convenient est construction. No information seems better cal- school districts, and the money raised is disbursed culated to expand the mind and gratify curiosity among them in proportion to the number of youths than what would thus be imparted. This is espe between the ages of 4 and 21 years in each. These cially the case with what relates to the globe we districts are made corporations for the purpose of inhabit, the nations among which it is divided, and building, furnishing and supporting school houses, the characters and customs which distinguish them. which they are obliged to build, &c. At a modeAn acquaintance with foreign countries in this rate calculation, there is, throughout the state, one mode, has a kindred effect with that of seeing school house for every 200 of its inhabitants, makthem as travellers; which never fails, in uncorrupting about 1500 in the whole. These cost from 100 ed minds, to weaken local prejudices and enlarge to 500 dollars each, averaging probably one hunthe sphere of benevolent feelings. A knowledge dred and fifty dollars, raised in addition to the reof the globe and its various inhabitants, however gular school tax, and therefore make a capital of slight, might moreover create a taste for history, an 225,000 dollars-to this should be added the aninexhaustible fund of entertainment and instruction.nual repairs, say one thirtieth of the original cost: Any reading, not of a vicious species, must be a good substitue for the amusements too apt to fill up the leisure of the laboring classes. I feel myself much obliged, sir, by your expres. sions of personal kindness, and pray you to accept a return of my good wishes, with assurances of my great esteem and respect. JAMES MADISON. P. S. On reflection, I omit the extracts from the Virginia laws, which, it is probable, may be within your reach at home. Should it be otherwise, and you think them worth the transmission by mail, the omission shall be supplied. W. T. BARRY, Kentucky. the whole expenditure, therefore, for the support of these common schools is equal to a capital of about 2,188,000 dollars. In addition, parents and guardians are obliged to furnish those under their care with such books as the superintending committee shall direct-in default of this, the books are supplied and added to the tax of the delinquent, if he is of ability to pay. The operation of these laws is not considered burthensome, and its provisions are cheerfully and faithfully complied with. The money being expended where it is raised, insures its careful disbursement. The law has also guarded this; for instructors are required to possess a competent skill to instruct youth in reading, in writing the English language grammatically, arithMR. NILES. The remarks in the 21st volume of metic, geography, &c. and it is made their duty not your REGISTER, on the splendid reports made in Vir- only to instruct in those branches, but to inculcate ginia about their university, literary fund, &c. ap-in their pupils good morals and decent deportment peared to me correct, and I truly regretted that the exalted talents of the great and good men of that distinguished state had been more appplied to theorizing than to acting on the most important subjects -and your having again lately referred to the same matters, I thought that I would send you the follow-school mistresses. These last usually keep school ing facts and observations. TO THE EDITOR OF THE REGISTER. -to give them some knowledge of the value of our free government, &c. and they are liable to be dismissed by the superintending committee, for incapacity or negligence. One third of the whole tax raised is permitted to be expended in supporting in the summer season, and instruct those whose From the "splendid" reports above alluded to, I labor is of little value-the masters keep in the turned my attention to my own state of Maine to see winter, when there is more leisure, and larger schowhat had been done for the encouragement and sup- lars attend. The business of school keeping has port of education, and could not help remarking the with us, from obvious reasons of policy, been convast difference, (on paper), as to the apparent considered respectable-hence our instructors possess dition of the two states, and I thought that I could the proper qualifications; and, from a competition, perceive an equal difference in the practical effect arising in a measure from the respectability of the of their systems. Considering the great disparity be employment, they are procured at a moderate extween the wealth of Maine and Virginia, a great difpense. The support of summer schools probably ference, in effect, ought to be expected and in favor average about eight dollars per month, and that of of the latter. We have no literary fund about which the winter schools about twenty. to make a report, nor a mammoth university to talk of-yet we have not been unmindful of literature, though our legislature has been more zealous to diffuse useful education than to rear up a few great literary characters. We have, however, a flourishing college, in the full tide of success, with an established character, and rapidly increasing in means, Who can calculate the moral force of this system? *By which we mean a corporated district, about six miles square, into which the inhabited part of the state is divided. Public Lands. Statement of nett proceeds arising from the sales of public lands, in the state of Ohio, from the 1st July, 1802; in the state of Indiana, from the 1st December, 1816; in the state of Illinois, from the 1st January, 1819; in the state of Missouri, from the 1st January, 1821; in the state of Mississippi, from the 1st December, 1817; and in the state of Alabama, from the 1st September 1819, up to the dates herein stated. The above statement has been made as far as the accounts received at this office have allowed. JOHN M'LEAN. Statement of the three per cent. fund, allowed for roads, &c. within the following states, showing the amount received by each state, and the balance due. Amo't overdrawn Nett amount re- Amount of 3 per Amount received Balance due to each ceived for sales of centum on the nett by each state, on ac-state, of the 3 per of the 3, per cent. public lands, as stat-amount applicable count of the 3 per cent. fund. ed by the commis-to roads within said cent. fund. sioner of the general states. fund. land office. Foreign Coins. JOSEPH NOURSE, Register. (April, 1821. On the 3d March, 1821, it was further HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FER. 5, 1823. The committee, appointed on the 13th ultimo, and instructed, by a resolution of the house of representatives, adopted on that day, to inquire into the expediency of continuing in force, for a It is believed the acts above referred to were further term, so much of the act, entitled "an act regulating the currency, within the United passed with little or no opposition, and that no States, of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, complaints have been made respecting their prac Portugal, and Spain, and the crowns of France, tical effects; and, when we take into view the inand five franc pieces," passed on the 29th day of creasing difficulty of fulfilling engagements by April, 1816, as relates to the crowns of France and five franc pieces, report, on that subject: That, by the act of the 29th of April, 1816, these coins were declared to be a tender for the term of three years; the crowns, at the rate of 117, per oz., and the francs at the rate of 116 cents The former had been made a tender by two earlier acts, which had been allowed to expire. Foreign gold coins ceased to be a tender on the 1st November, 1819; and, on the 3d March, 1819, the act of the 29th April, 1816, was continued in force, so far as related to crowns and francs, until the 29th per. oz. 6 cents specie payments, which is the inevitable consequence of the acknowledged diminution of the ag gregate amount of our metallic medium during the current year, the expediency of continuing crowns and five franc pieces a tender, for a further term, forces itfelf upon the minds of your committee more strongly than at any former period. It is believed that the gold coins, both foreign and domestic, have been almost wholly exported. They have certainly been withdrawn from circulation to such an extent, that some very intelligent writers have asserted, with every probability of being correct, that there is not now in the United | As one among the many proofs that might be adStates one gold coin for every thirty that were induced to show the extent and rapidity with which the country five years ago. Without inquiring specie has been banished from the United States, into the causes which have produced this extraor the committee submit a statement, which they dinary drain, it may be added, that they have, like-think will not be contradicted, that the specie in wise, operated to rid us of American and Spanish the Boston banks, which, in January, 1821, appears milled dollars, to nearly the same extent, and have to have amounted to nearly two and a half millions left in the country scarcely any of its usual metal-of dollars, was, in June last, reduced to $406,275. lic currency, except that which consists of the crowns of France, five franc pieces, and those silver coins which are of denominations less than a dollar. In corroboration and illustration of the foregoing statement, your committee beg leave to subjoin a few well ascertained facts: It is impossible to state, with any certainty, the comparative extent of the whole diminution in the United States; but many commercial men estimate that about one-third of all the specie in the coun⚫ try left it in the course of the last year. Should the act of congress, making the crowns and francs a lawful tender, be suffered to expire There is, and has been, for many months, an un-at this time, and any serious or large demand be interrupted and rising demand, in your sea-port suddenly made upon the banks, they might find it towns, for all descriptions of gold coins and dollars, extremely difficult, not to say impossible, to meet for the purpose of remittances to foreign countries. it. Such an event would be highly injurious; and It is well known, that the former are never under- it might, therefore, be dangerous to degrade their rated in any country, whilst the Spanish milled present metallic capital. Even now, with what dollar have a universality of circulation exceeding they have in their vaults, they are frequently sub. that of any other coin. The American dollar is re-jected to unpleasant embarrassments in providing ceived in the East Indies at from one and a half to for the demands which are occasionally made from two per cent. less than the dollar of Spain. There one commercial place on another; and, it is believ. is very little foreign demand for five franc pieces, ed, that, for nearly a year past, their principal sup and none for crowns. port and credit have been derived from mutual forbearance, superinduced by mutual wants, and a community of interest. The balance of specie and bullion exported from the United States, during the fiscal year ending on the 30th September last, according to the customhouse entries, amounts to 7,434,634 dollars; but it is supposed that the law prohibiting the landing of specie, without a previous entry at the customhouse, particularly that which comes from countries where its exportation is forbidden, is sometimes evaded. Whether this surmise be true, and to what extent, the committee will not undertake to say; nor does any thing beyond an allusion to it fall within the scope of the present inquiry. But, when it is recollected that the amount of specie exportations may also be underrated, from a portion of it going out of the country without entry, it requires no great stretch of credulity to believe, that the balance against the United States for the said year amounts to at least six millions of dollars. To prove that these conjectures are not fallacious, the committee will not go beyond the banks in the district of Columbia, under the immediate eye of congress. By a schedule of the situation of the eleven banks in this district, contained in a report submitted to congress in April last, it ap pears, that, at that time, with capitals exceeding, collectively, 5,000,000 of dollars, they had an ag gregate of $955.712, in notes, in circulation; and only $262,187, of specie, in all their vaults. Under the present state of the money market, should it long continue as it now is, a formidable re-action must ensue, by the depreciation of all property, the withdrawal from circulation of most of the safe paper medium, and the consequent bankruptcy of very many of our most enterpris. ing merchants. There is no reasonable ground to suppose that the account current has assumed a more favorable Whether banks have been productive of more aspect for the last four months; and there is less good than evil, it is not necessary to inquire: but doubt that the said balance was made up princi- it may be stated, that they are now so completely pally, if not altogether, of gold coins and of dollars. fastened upon the community, and their credit is so In consequence of the high rate of all foreign ex intimately connected with the moneyed interests change, especially that of England, which has, for a of the country, and any shock they might experilong time, vibrated from 10 to 12 per cent., it has ence would be so severely felt, that it would seem to been confidently asserted, that some of the banks in be the policy of the general government to afford the largest commercial city in the union, in con- them support, compatible with the discreet exerducting which, great skill and foresight have gecise of its exclusive power to regulate coins.nerally been discovered, have at this time on hand Past experience, and present exigencies, clearly a greater amount of crowns and five franc pieces than of all other descriptions of specie; and that none of them have much gold of any kind, and scarcely a single American or Spanish dollar. demonstrate, that we cannot yet dispense with the use of foreign coins, although it was confidently predicted, thirty years ago, by some of our statesmen, that their beneficial tendency would be super. seded, by the operations of the mint, within the space of three years. Your committee have no reason to believe that a better state of things exists in either of our cities, with the exception, perhaps, of Philadelphia, the The committee are aware of the inconvenience proximity of whose moneyed institutions to the of using a variety of coins, unequal in their purity; mint, affords them some little additional facilities in but cannot resist the conviction, that, as a tempo. procuring coins in cases of emergency; and not in-rary expedient, it would be wise in congress to excluding the bank of the United States, which postend its fostering care to the banks, by assigning sesses a decided advantage over all the others, on a determinate legal value to the almost only coins account of the revenue deposites: yet, notwithstand now remaining in their vaults. ing such an immense advantage, this bank, at one time, found it necessary to import quantities of foreign coin, specially with the view to meet any possible exigency which might press upon it. There is another consideration, which ought, perhaps, to be adverted to. If the act making crowns and francs a tender be suffered to expire, the banks, with the exception of those at Philadelphia, will be compelled to transport those coins to the mint, stitution. Mr. T. laid down the position that the at great expense, and some risk, for the purpose power of the federal government had increased, was of being converted into American coins; and when increasing, and ought, at least, not to be extended; that shall be done, their new character would give he argued against all measures which would have the them an immediate passport to Europe. The com-effect to produce a national instead of a federated mittee, therefore, conclude, that, while it is admit-government, and opposed the substitute because it ted that the rate of exchange is heavily against us, the precious metals rapidly vanishing, stocks going abroad, property depreciating, and insolvencies multiplying, every inducement should be held out for the importation of specie and bullion, and for the retention of that which our capitalists now pos would tend to produce that result. He depicted many of the evils which would naturally grow out of the election of president by the house of representatives-the opportunity and the inducement which it would hold out to corruption; its bad effects on the general business of legislation, and the interests of the nation; the improper connecThe committee have prepared a bill, continuing tion it would create between an executive thus crowns and five francs a lawful tender, as hereto-elected, and those in the legislature thus acted on. fore, until the 4th day of March, 1825, which they ask leave to repórt The election of the executive by the legislative branch, even if pure, he deprecated as an unnatural and illegitimate connection of distinct powers and Treasury department, 30th January, 1823. duties; his own amendment he thought would have SIR: In reply to your letter of the 15th instant, the effect to keep the election of president where requesting my opinion of the expediency of pro-the framers of the constitution designed it should longing the continuance of the mint at Philadelphia, be, and where it ought to be-that is, in the hands I have the honor to state, that, in my opinion, a due of the electors elected by the people, and to preregard to the public interest, requires that that es-vent almost the possibility of an election ever betablishment should be continued for some time coming necessary by the the members of congress. All these, and many other arguments, Mr. T. presslonger at Philadelphia. ed and illustrated with force and ingenuity. When he concluded The present state of the currency, also, justifies the conclusion, that the act of the 3d of March, 1821, continuing in force, for the term of two years, so much of the act of the 29th of April, 1816, as makes crowns and five franc pieces of France, a legal tender in the payment of debts, ought to be continued for a limited period. vant, I remain with respect, your most obedient ser. Hon. Wm. B. ROCHESTER, Chairman of the select committee, &c. Seventeenth Congress-2nd session. IN THE SENATE. February 7. Several petitions and reports were received, of no importance to notice at present. The senate took up for consideration the bill to regulate the commercial intercourse between the United States and certain British colonial ports. [This bill suspends our restrictive acts of 1818 and 1820, and embraces a number of provisions growing out of the repeal of the late restrictive laws of Great Britain, in regard to foreign intercourse and trade with her American possessions.] After Mr. Barbour, (chairman of the committee en foreign relations), had delivered a speech of much length, giving an historical view of the trade, &c. the bill was laid over till Monday. Mr. Dickerson observed, that he was not in possession, at this moment, of the facts and materials necessary to enable him to answer the ingenious and impressive speech of Mr. T. now, if it should be in his power to do so at all; for he confessed that the remarks of that gentleman had produced much impression on his mind, as they had, no doubt, done on others. He moved, for the purpose of allowing time for reflection and investigation, to postpone the subject to Tuesday; which motion was agreed to; and The senate went into the consideration of execu tive business; after which They adjourned to Monday. February 10. Amongst the petitions presented to-day was one by Mr. Mills, from lieutenant Robert F. Stockton, of the navy, late commander of the schooner Alligator, stating that, in the discharge of his duty, he captured and brought in for adjudication, two vessels, the Jeune Eugenie and the Mariana Flora; that, in defending the legality of the captures, he has incurred great expense, for which he prays reimbursment; and that the United States will take such order for the defence of the suit in the case of the Mariana Flora, as may be deemed just and proper; which petition was referred. The senate then resumed the consideration of The senate resumed the consideration of the bill the proposition made by Mr. Taylor, of Virginia, to amend the constitution of the United States, in re-directing the payment of the Georgia militia claims gard to the election of president of the United States, and the substitute offered thereto by Mr. Dickerson, of New Jersey. Mr. Taylor, of Va. rose and addressed the senate about an hour in support of his own proposition and in opposition to the substitute. He opposed the substitute, because,so far as it proposed an uniformi. ty in the election of electors, by districts, throughout the union, it had a tendency to create an aristocracy of small states; to prevent an election of president by the electors, and to throw the election of president into the house of representatives, where the small states would have an undue weight, the effect of which might in time be to produce a revolution in our political system that would be fatal to the present equality assigned to the small states by the con for services rendered in the years 1792, '3 and '4, and on the question whether the bill should be engrossed and read a third time, it was decided in the affirmative, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Barbour, Barton, Benton, Brown, of Lou. Brown, of Ohio, Dickerson, Edwards, Elliott, Findlay, Gaillard, Holmes, of Maine, Holmes, of Miss. Johnson, of Ken. Johnson, of Lou. Kelly, King, of Alab. Lloyd, of Mass. Noble, Parrott, Smith, of Md. Smith, of S. C. Stokes, Talbot, Taylor, of Va. Van Dyke, Ware, Williams, of Miss. Willams, of Tenn.-28. NAYS.-Messrs. Boardinan, Chandler, D'Wolf, Eaton, King, of N. Y. Knight, Macon, Mills, Morrill, Ruggles, Van Buren.-11. Several bills were taken up, partially considered and postponed to different days: and a good deal of preparatory business transacted. Nothing decidedly acted upon. February 11. Several petitions were received and disposed of. Agreeably to the notice yesterday given, Mr. Smith, of Md. asked and obtained leave, and intro duced the following joint resolution; which was read and passed to a second reading: Resolved, by the senate and house of representatives of the Unit ed States of America, in congress asssembled, two thirds of both houses concurring, That the following amendment to the constitution of the United States, be proposed to the legislatures of the several states, which, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the states, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of That congress shall have power to adopt and execute a system of internal improvements, confined to great national purposes. After disposing of a variety of matters, to be no the said constitution: ticed hereafter The senate resumed the consideration of the bill to regulate the commercial intercourse between the United States and certain British colonial ports: and, after some further discussion of its details, and some amendment thereof, the bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time. Considerable time was spent in considering the resolution submitted by Mr. Taylor, of Va. and the substitute offered therefor by Mr. Dickerson, to which, after a short speech, Mr. Holmes submitted a resolution by way of amendment to the original motion, which was read and ordered to be printed. After which the senate adjourned. The rather "chaos might come again" than that their Friday, Feb. 7. After other business--Mr.McCoy, from the select committee, appointed on the subject of militia fines, (leave being granted), reported a bill vesting in the state of Virginia the right of the United States to all fines assessed for the non-performance of militia duty during the late war read twice and committed. [Ordered to be engroswith Great Britain, within the said state; which was sed next day.] On motion of Mr. Fuller, it was inquire into the expediency of reviving, for a limited time, the acts Resolved, That the committee on naval affairs be instructed to red about the resolution for the distribution of the A desultory debate of considerable length occurDigest of Manufactures,' &c. It appeared to be admitted that the returns had been very imperfect, and so the abstract must needs be. [We apprehended this, from the small amount of the approFebruary 12. The senate was chiefly occupied priation allowed for taking the census and performthis day on the bill to extend the charter of the ing this service, as many of our readers will recolMechanics' bank of Alexandria. Not decided upon. lect.] The engrossed bill to regulate the commercial pies in the library of congress--that is, to suppress A motion was made to deposite all the cointercourse between the United States and certain the work. In some parts of the union it appeared British colonial ports; and the engrossed bill for that these matters had been pretty well attended to the relief of Eleanor Lawrence, were severally--in others, they were almost wholly neglected, and read the third time, passed, and sent to the house from various causes. Finally, the resolution was of representatives for concurrence. laid on the table--65 to 63. February 13. Several bills were partially consid ered, &c. That to extend the charter of the Me-amend an act, entitled "an act to regulate the col The engrossed bill, supplementary to, and te chanics' bank of Alexandria, after debate, was order-lection of duties on imports and tonnage," passed ed to be engrossed and read a third time, as fol. 2d March, 1799, and to repeal an act supplemenlows: other purposes, was read the third time and passed. tary thereto, passed the 20th-April, 1818, and for YEAS-Messrs. Barbour Benton, Brown of Lou. Brown of Ohio, Chandler, D'Wolf, Elliott, Holmes of Maine, Johnson of Ky. Johnson of Lou. Knight, Lauman, Lloyd, Md. Lowrie, Morril, Palmer, Parrott, Ruggles, Seymour, Smith of Md. Smith of S. C. South ard, Stokes, Thomas, Ware, Williams of Tenn.-26. NAYS-Messrs. Barton, Dickerson, Eaton, Findlay, Gaillard, Kelly, King of Alab. King of N. York, Lloyd of Mass. Macon, Mills, Taylor of Indiana, Taylor of Virginia, Van Buren, Van Dyke, Williams, of Miss.-16. After debate, the resolution, and its substitutes, to amend the constitution of the United States, as to the election of president, was postponed until Monday next. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. On the question to agree to the title of the bill, Mr. McLane moved to strike therefrom the words "and to repeal an act supplementary thereto, passed 20th April, 1818;"* which was determined in the affirmative. The bill was then sent to the senate for concur. rence. The house, then, in committee of the whole, resumed the consideration of the bill for the more effectual protection of domestic manufactures. Mr. Eustis was opposed to striking out the enacting clause, though he was not friendly to some of the items in the bill. Mr. Buchanan delivered an able speech in favor of the bill, and then the committee rose, &c.; and The house adjourned. Saturday, Feb. 8. Mr. Eustis, from the select committee appointed to inquire whether any legis lative provision was necessary in the final adjustment of the accounts of Daniel D. Tompkins, late governor of the state of New York, made a report thereon, accompanied by a bill to provide for the The discussion, on Wednesday, the 5th, in relation to the suppression of a certain part of one of the documents, was unpleasant-perhaps, we might say, not creditable to every one who took a part in it. There was a good deal of personality, and considerable roughness in the remarks of one or two of the members. But matters were much softened down the next day, time having been allowed for reflection, and a committee was appointed to make a further investigation of the business--though it appears most probable that no new light can be shed on the matter. We again express our regret at the course which this matter has taken, and must be permitted to deprecate the feeling which it has excited. It is right that the affair should be rigidly inquired into--but we cannot see any possible good to result from the feeling manifested. There is a great deal of sound sense and sober discretion in the house of representatives; but, among so many persons, collected from all parts of the union, it is not to be wondered at that there should be some Hotspurs, and others, of ardent minds, who would | 4th of March next. settlement of his accounts; which bill was read twice, and ordered to lie on the table. The following resolution, submitted by Mr. Rankin, would, from its nature, lie on the table one day, by a rule of the house: to lay before the house of representatives, at the next session of Resolved, That the president of the United States be requested congress, the information heretofore requested by a resolution of accompanied by such other information as he may be in possession this house in relation to the salt springs, lead and copper mines; *This acts expires, by its own limitation, on the |