SUPPLEMENTARY REMARKS ON THE SCHOOL LANDS AND THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION FOR COMMON SCHOOLS.

We have already stated that there were in this state several districts, all of them entitled to a thirty-sixth part of their superficial contents, for the support of common schools.

In 1836-7 the subject of school lands and common schools, in the general assembly, was taken up, and it was generally agreed, that something must be done, but there was no sufficient data to act upon. Complaints, it is true, came up from every part of the state, some of one thing and some of another, and there was much difference in the proposed remedies. A superintendent was appointed for one year, to collect information on all the subjects connected with the department, and make report to the legislature with such recommendations as appeared necessary to place the system on proper ground.

One thing that seemed to require the immediate attention of the department was the school lands. The state was divided into so many different grants, each having distinct school lands, and the legislation had been voluminous and complicated, adopted frequently to promote the interests of individuals who, pretending advantage to the schools, sought an appropriation for personal advantage. It was made the duty of no individual, or department, to superintend this interest, and great iniquity was practised, while the legislature sought honestly to do right.

When the law passed, allowing the sale of the school lands, it was intended for immediate effect, and the frauds afterwards practised were not foreseen. No limit as to value was fixed for the sale of the lands, the result necessarily was, that, in the new counties where there was but little demand for lands, and, but few residents, sometimes, not five freeholders in a township, and, not a quarter of the land entered, the school land was sold for from ten cents an acre and upwards. The most extensive speculations were made in this way. It was sometimes worth, in a few years, several hundred per cent. more than it brought. A price should have been fixed, below which, the land should

not have been sold, and not have left it to the valuation of men, who were sometimes imposed upon, and sometimes interested. Nor should it have been sold until the government lands were all taken up in the township.

A still greater fraud was committed in surrendering the leases. Some of the most valuable school lands were first leased, on 66 improvement leases," that is, the tenant took a quarter section of land, for ten or fifteen years. He was bound to build a cabin, and clear some fifteen or twenty acres of land; and might clear any larger quantity. He paid no rent, the improvement was the consideration of the lease and the use of the land. After these leases expired, the land was leased for ninety-nine years, renewable forever. Thus, the tenant paid for rent, the interest on the estimated value of the land, and it was to be revalued every fifteen or twenty years, as the lease might call for. At such revaluation, the tenant was bound to pay the interest on such amount as might be fixed on as the value of the land, without improvements. In our rapid settlement, land thus leased for from five to fifty cents per acre, estimating the land to be worth from one dollar to eight dollars, subject to such revaluation every fifteen years, and before the expiration of the fifteen years, the land was sometimes worth ten times the first estimate. The law, directing the sale of school land, allowed these tenants to surrender their leases, and on paying the amount of the last valuation to receive deeds in fee simple for the land. So they obtained the land at $3 or $4 an acre, and sometimes for less, when it was worth from fifty dollars to one hundred dollars an acre! In this way at least a million of dollars have been lost to the school fund of this state, and by the sacrifice of premature sales, another large sum has been lost. In the winter of 1838 both of these practices were put a stop to, so that what land remains will probably be carefully managed. At least we so hope.

The different school funds are as follows:

The Connecticut Western Reserve Fund is the proceeds of 56,000 acres of land, or $158,656, It belongs to the several

counties in the Western Reserve, in which, at the last enumeration there were 76,000 youth to be taught by it.

The United States Military District Fund, being the proceeds of school lands given to that part of the state, is now $109,193, and the territory had 58,860 youth to be taught by it.

The Virginia Military School Fund is composed of the proceeds of 105,155 acres of land, given for the use of schools in the tract of country reserved by Virginia for satisfying her military claimants. Sixty-eight thousand seventeen acres of it are sold for $129,550, the residue is leased on permanent leases without revaluation, and produces $4,503 per annum. The number of children is 72,500 in this district.

The three tracts of country before named, composing about one-third of the state, have no school sections reserved, and the lands thus given are in lieu of such sections. The Connecticut Reserve has recently obtained 20,000 acres in addition, which is well located and worth at least four dollars an acre. The people will profit by their former error, and by keeping this tract a few years, they will realize, at least, $15 an acre for it.

The residue of the state, with some small exceptions, has every section sixteen, being one-thirty-sixth part of each township reserved for school purposes. Under the various proceedings for the sale of these sections, there have been sold something more than 240,000 acres, which has produced, say $800,000. This is divided into different sums for 388 townships. Some townships have a fund as high as $30,000, and others do not exceed $100, as the proceeds of their school lands. The principal of all these funds is paid into the state treasury, and lent to the canal fund, at six per cent. interest forever.

There is unsold, of sections number sixteen, something more than 200,000 acres, besides the lands now being located for fractional townships, about 20,000 acres; and lands to be provided for the Indian reservations, about 8,000 acres, which, with the 30,000 acres recently secured, makes in all 258,000 acres of lands unsold.

If the policy commenced last winter, 1838, is persevered in,

this will ultimately produce a sum much larger than all those which have been sold. There can be no doubt but, in ten years, this land will bring an average of ten dollars per acre at least; a portion of this is rented, and produces rent to a considerable extent, for the support of schools.

There is a direct tax, for school purposes, of two mills on the dollar, which produces about 200,000 dollars per annum, The grand levy is not put at one-fourth of the actual value, and while it seems to be two mills on a dollar, it is not, in fact, a half of a mill on the dollar. One-third of a mill would be nearer the truth. Each township has for its own use the pro

ceeds of this tax.

The state provides a state school fund of 200,000 dollars per annum, which is the interest on the surplus revenue, the tax on dividends of banks, insurance companies, &c., the interest on the proceeds of salt lands and other funds to be provided by the legislature. This sum is distributed among the counties according to the number of youth in them.

The public feeling is in favor of the present system of free common schools, and we may add, that each township has the power to vote any further school tax, that a majority shall agree to raise. New life seems to be imparted to the whole system; houses are building; teachers arc called for; the standard of qualifications is rising; and, if we can keep it clear of every other subject, we have no fears of ultimately making our Ohio system of common schools superior to any thing in the United States, and this will be done in a very few ycars.

From the year 1825 to 1836-7, various amendments were made to the law without essentially varying its general features. The tax, which had began at half a mill on the dollar, had increased to a mill and a half on the grand levy, and in a few towns and cities it was greater; some township too, in the country, under a provision in the law, had voted an increase of the tax for schools.

The law had been loaded with some extraordinary provisions in school district proceedings, that greatly embarrassed the ordinary proceedings, prevented the building of school houses,

&c. &c. There was not quite enough energy in the law to secure its systematic operation in the state; the people had no sufficient inducements to take hold of the law and carry its provisions into effect, except in those parts of the state, where the citizens were from common school states, and were accustomed to the operations of such a law, and the duties under it. The people did not generally neglect education; private schools were established, and as well sustained as in some of the older states. The most formidable objectors to common schools, were those who thought them too far below what they should be, and yet just good enough to prevent good private schools being established. It is probable that, taking the state together, as few children have been reared without learning to read as in any other state, except in New England.

The preceding remarks contain the substance of the several reports to the Legislature, by SAMUEL LEWIS, ESQUIRE, the Superintendent of Common Schools. This gentleman's labors have already been worth several hundred thousand dollars to the State, and if continued in office, five years, a further large sum may be added to the school fund. We conclude, by inserting entire, an abstract of the SUPERINTENDENT's last Report.

tricts.

This includes the estimated number of children in non-reporting dis