I
KOXCH SKO (WIOMI4
r.. tV. ?.j.ulou., Uaiior.
Thiirndar, June II, !!.
Common School.
We had hoped the course adopted ty the
Board of Police, at its last meeting, for
obtaining the sense of the heads of fami
lies in this Towns-hip, in regard to the mat
ter of levying a tax for the support of Com
mon Schools, would have been concurred
in by the citizens of the Township general
ly. Indeed the only ground which induced
the Board of Police to postpone levying the
Tax, was an understanding that neither the
friends nor the opponents of the measure
should take any active part for or against
it : but that a person (8. Durham) selected
for that purpose, should tanetwo petitions,
one for and one against the measure, and
go to each head of a family in the town
ship, and simply ask each one whether or
not he or she is willing for a Tax, not to
exceed in any case the State Tax, to be
levied on the citizens and property of the
Townsffip," for the support of Common
" Schools within . the Township? But it
would seem that the opponents of the mea-
!. . . !
sure are noi witting 10 hsk its late upon so
fair a plan; therefore they have gotten up
a petition setting forth all sorts of grievan
ces.and (we will forbear using harsh words)
very incorrect statements. We have been re
quested to correct some of those misstate
ments, with which request we most wil
lingly comply, being always anxious to
serve the cause of education to the best
of our humble abilities.
The School Turnl of this Townshipa
rising from the sale of the Sixteenth Sec
tion, is about forty-four hundred dollars.
By the new law the county Treasurer is
made the Treasurer of each Township,
respectively. Thus they contend, by what
authority we Know not,that the Treasurer's
commission for receiving and disbursing this
4400 dollars, at five per cent, will amount
to 220 dollars. But is such the fact! We
most emphatically say, No! This fund is
all secured, and bears interest at the rate
cf eight per cent. By an order of the Board
of Trustees passed last winter, and which
will probably be renewed by the Board of
School Commissioners.all those indebted to
said fund in a larger sum than two hundred
dollars, are required to pay jn annually ten ! lira3.V night, and during the entir6 day
per cent of the principal, until each debt- j " KSTTnaay-j
or who is indebted to the fund in a sum
over two hundred dollars, shall reduce
his indebtedness to that amount. The a
mount which will probably be paid in for
a few years under this order, will not ex
ceed 220 dollars annual!-. The interes is
about 350 dollars annually ; and there will
probably be paid in this year about 400 dol
lars, the amount of a Judgment the Town
ship ho'ds against Kichard IIoss ; which
will make in all 970 doliars, which amount
may possibly, but not probably, be swelled
to 1200 dollars by payments of principal
made by borrowers. Assuming this 1200
dollars then, as the amount which will be
paid in and disbursed in one year, and the
Treasurer's commissions will only amount
to sixty dollars, at the five per cent which
they have seen proper to allow. But where
do they get the authority for allowing the
Treasurer this five per cent for receiving
and disbursing Certainly not in the Com
mon School Law. The Legislature never
intended, by passing this law, to mane the
office of County Treasurer a sinecure,
which would be the case if he was avowed
live per cent commissions for receiving and
disbursing the School Funds of the differ
ent Townships in the county. There are
about twenty-four Sixteenth Sections in this
county.and allowing each Sixteenth, except
this, to be worth government price, and
they would all amount t 22,800 dollars,
and the commissions, at fire per cent, to
1140 dollars; and this, too, in addition to
the Treasurer's perquisites from the county
Treasury. But to go Mill farther, and take
for instance one of the rich cotton growing
counties, where the land is worth at least
five times the amount set down for this
county, and thfe County Treasurer's com
missions on the School Fund akme woud
he 5,700 do.ars!!! the greatest sinecure
of an office in the State, or even within
the U. Statesor the commissions on coun
ty taxes woud swell the amount to about
7000 doZars, and this is a greater .a'ary
than the Vice President of the United States
receives, or any other officer in the United
States, with the exception of the President,
(which is no sinecure) and the Governor
of Louisiana, if indeed hit a.ary has not
been reduced under the new Constitution of
that State. :4
But to thow that the Legislature did not
inlaid, and h xot made the office of
Coant Trcasuer, or of School Commis
sioner, a sinecure, wc here insert the Sec
tion of the law regulating these officers
pay, to wit; '
Kkc, 14. Ik it further enacted, That Ravi I
school coininiHstniierit and .said treasurers!
shall not, themselves, either directly or in
ilutt iU, be ih UrmwtM of anv monies
belonging to aid school fund, and tmtl re
crive tttch emnpnisation fur their trrvicet iu
the (HMirdg vf police of tfuir rexnective coun
tin may order and ullou; to be paid out of
tne school lund
Whore now, reader, is your objection to
the Common School Law, on the ground
that it takes nearly all of the available
funds to pay the Treasurer's commissions!
Indeed, for our part, we don't believe you
ever had any objections to it on that
ground; that it was all subterfuge; that
your objection lies deeper and nearer the
heart. .
We intend to continue this subject in
our next, and would simply ask of those
who are opposed to the measure, to pause,
examine and understand the matter better
before they sign the petition against it, lest
by so signing they should put their names,
and give credit, to thai which is not true in
point of fact. We have heard of some who
are so bittery opposed to the Law as to
threaten jrKyiptian -to some of those in
favor of it, and even repudiation itsef.
To such, we woud say. curb your passions
and remember that by so doing you woud
ony "bite off your nose to spite your face."
"Persons iving in gass houses shoud not
throw stones." If a majority of the heads
of famiies are in favor of the measure
let it go into effect; and if a majority are
opposed to it, then let it drop. The ma
jority must rue, and it is better to give
way to tnem, tnan to stand out against
them and bring down upon our heads the
maedictions ' and execration of all just
and good men.
Our coumns are open to a we. writ
ten communications on this subject, on ei
ther side. Let the peope have ight-
Photr actko Mketing. The Methodists
are now hoding a protracted meeting at
this pace. It commenced on Saturday
ast, and has afforded encouragement suf
ficient to induce the Eders to keep it up
to the present writing, and we understand
it is the. intention to hod on for severa
days onger yet. Hep is much wanted,
and has been sent for.
Extensive Preparation for War
.Inns for the Guff Defences. -On Sat-
BiYihe l1rttsburs Chroni
1 1 " r .
i.-.,ai;.ig numoer 01 wagons were em
ployed in conveying arms and ammu
nition of various kinds from the Ar
senal to the river, where they are being
shipped on board the steamers Talisman
and Hatchee Eagle, and directed to
Forts Monroe, St. Philip, and other
defences on the Gulf. Hundreds of box
es of rifles and muskets, together with
immense quantities of mounted artillery,
etc., have been ordered by the govern
ment from the Arsenal at Pittsburg to
our Southwestern frontier. We under
stand further that the utmost activity at
present prevails at the Arsenal in order
to furnish the requisite amount immedi
ately. The workmen are employed
(lay and night in casting balls, preparing
cartridges, and manufacturing arms of
various kinds.
A correspondent of the Baltimore
American, writes from Washington as
follow
"The President has ordered 43,500
men in all, to be enrolled and made
ready to be called into the public service
at any moment. I Ins includes the troops
already called out from the southwest,
and the additional number will be from
other sections of the Union. New York
will be called upon for eight regiments,
Pennsylvania for six, and so on.
'Two millions of money more you
will observe have been asked for by the
Chairman of the committee on Ways
and Means to feed and clothe 8000 men
added last week to the rank and file of
the Standing Army, and for the Oregon
regiment of mounted volunteers."
Commander of the Gulf Squadron.
We find the following paragraph in the
Richmond Enquirer of the 10th:
"A gentleman just front Washington
informs us that Com. Perry has been
appointed to the command of the Fleet
in the Mexican GulfCom. Conner
having been placed over the Ordnance
Deparment; and that it is most probable
that none of the volunteers from the
Atlantic States will be sent at present
to lexas. Ihey will bo received, and
disciplined, and held ready for action." '
War Steamers.- Mr. King, of Geor
gia, from the Committee on Naval Af
fairs, reported a bill on the 20th inst., in
the House, praying an appropriaion for
the building of thirteen vessels of war
twelve iron steamers, and one iron sail
ing frigate. The average cost of the
of the steamers Is estimated at $400,000
each. fW. O, Bulletin.'
Tl IT T T- BTII1 - - -may 3BL
From the X. O. Delta.)
Troiii the Scat of H'nr.
Late Arrival Matamoros taken with
out opposition Mexican Soldiers
Desertins in trrcat numbers Addi
tional particulars of the Actions of
the Sth ami U.A Indian Disturban
ces, 4"C. . .
The steamship Telegraph is just in
From the following synopsis of the lat
est news from the seal of war, it will be
seen that the Rubieof, or rather, the Rio
Grande, is crossed by the advanced !i
vision of our gallant army, and that the
enemy flies beforo them deserting their
towns and forts, and permitting them to
fall into the possession of our army
without a defensive shot. The glorious
and well-fought battles of the 8th and
9ih, have struck .terror into the enemv,
and decided, it w uld appear, the fate of
the campaign. 1 I his is not what our
brave fellows war.l: they would like to
meet foemen wdr hy of their steel ; but
will they?
Point IgAira, May 16, 1840
Messrs. Editor I have been at this
point for two days, and during that time
have been trying to pick up information
that would b& of interest to you and
your reaters. I wrote you a tew lines
immediately after my arrival here, be
fore I git ashore, which I find to be in
many respects incorrect. I received the
inform.tion I sent you from naval officers
wio barded us immediately on our ar
rival off the point. I find the facts of
the two battles fought with the Mexi
cans on the 8th and 0th instant to have
been more sanguine, and the loss on the
part of the Americans to have been much
greater than was at first reported, and
that of the Mexicans to have been some
thing less. The loss on the American
side was 480 kiled, wounded and pris
oners, including 20 or 30 officers ; and
on the Mexican eido from 1200 to 1500
killed, wounded jand taken prisoners.
The Mexicans have been much under
rated by the American people. They
stood their ground like men filling up
their ranks as fast as they were mowed
down by our artillery, in whole platoons.
This victory is considered by milita
ry men here to be the most brilliant ever
achieved on the American Continent.
Gen. Taylor was at the head of his ar
my during both engagements.
I have just taken a look through the
hospital-; the sight is truly heart-rending.
Among 'other horribly mutilated
person, 1 btiserfed in otio ward seven
men with but three legs among them.
I here are several Mexicans among the
wounded who aip laken as good care of
as the Americans, and are regularly at
tended by tne amy surgeons.
An express arrived from Gen. Taylor
this morning the purport of which is
that the Mexicans have all retired be
yond the Rio Gnnde, and fortified them
selves strongly at Mutamoros. Gener
al Taylor is concentrating .ill his forces
so a3 to make an attack on Matamoros,
which will take place in a day or two it
will be the most important battle during
the campaign. " pol. Wilson of the IL
S. A., left here yesterday for Barrita
wim lour companies ol regulars and
two companies of volunteers, of the
Washington Rflgiment, (Capts. Stock
ton' and Tobin's.) There are at this
point two companies, (regulars,) 1st ar-
tiiery under tne command of Lieut.
Hooker; eight companies of the Wash
ington Regiment, and Cnpt. Head's com
pany, ol the Jackson Regiment, all un
der command of Col. J. B. Walton, and
Lieut. Col. H. Forno.
The Volunteers are well and in good
spirits. The Louisiana Volunteers are
eager for the fray all well. Yours, S.
The relative forces of the two armies
on the 8th and 9th were 1700 Americans
; III I T -f"".'--'-
out the fire of a gun. Nothing fur
thcr ha been heard of the reinforce
ments that were reported to be on their
way to the relief of Ampudia.
Capt. Symplon found a Mexican a few
days since in a thicket. A soon as lie
was discovered he threw away his arms,
saying that he had been fighting a month
with nothing but bread and water for
provisions, that he now wished to sur
render to the Americans, as he would
fight no longer under the Mexican gov
crnment, and that two thirds of the
whole Mexican force wishes to do the
same.
The steamer Sea arrived there on the
19th from New Orleans, filled with
volunteers, the steamer Atabama left on
the same day for New Orleans.
The steamer Telegraph is expectei
here this evening. W hen Capt, Wrigh
left there she was then raising steam to
get oil she was slightly aground.
crcu , , gi'. 1 .1.. Pte.aenT.3T
and 7000 Mexicans.
I write in camp, on a chair, or bed.
or anything, or with any thing I can
find. The information I send vou. von
may rely upon as being as near correct
as any that can possibly be had, as I use
all industry t procure full and correct
information, and if you can so condense
or shape it as to make it publishable, it
will do me great pleasure to serve you
vou may probably appreciate the disad
vantages underjWhich I write.
Yours, truly, G. W. S.
From the Galveston News, May 21.
The pilot boat L. M. Hitchcock,
Capt. Wright, which left this city with
Capt. Snell's company on Saturday
morning last, returned yesterday, having
left Brazos Santiago last Thursday at
0, P. M. - Wo" get the following infor
mation from Capt. Wright :
Gen. Taylor crossed on the 18th;
took the town of Barrita, with little or
no resistance, on the some day. On
the 19th it was reported that three
thousand men had crossed the river, and
none of the volunteers had yet gone
over. Gen. Taylor was on the other
side. . He intends, as we understand, to
proceed immediately to the city of Mat
amoros, which he expects to take with-
From the Galveston News, Extra.
Dlataiiioro!. Taken.
The steamship Telegraph has just ar
rived from Point Isabel. Through the
politeness of her obliging clerk, we
have been furnished with the following
information:
Reports, that on the 17th inst., a de
tachment of 300 Regulars and 350 Vol
unteers proceeded to Barrita and took
possession of it, and established a mili
tary depot. Its the night of the 9ih
an express arrived from Gen. Tavlor,
staling that he had crossed the Rio
Grande and taken the city of Matamo
ros, without opposition, the Mexicans
having fled from the city.
The Mexicans, from last accounts,
were deserting their ranks in battalions
Two American Regiments, with the
exception of about 350, having marchpd
a few days previous.were stationed at the
Brazos Point, awaiting the orders of
Gen. T., and it was thought they would
eave on the 20th for Matamoros, via the
old Barrita road.
Col. Mcintosh, Capt. Page, and all
the others that were wounded in the ac
tions of the 8th and 9th, are at Point Is
abel, and were recovering.
The Telegraph is just 20 hours from
Point Isabel.
Capt. Auld, of the Telegraph who
has had opportunities for obtaining cor
rect information, has given us 6ome in
teresting particulars in relation to our
army operations which we have now
scarcely time to elludo - - - . . .
The escape of Capt. Thornton, at
the time his company was so badly cut
up, is almost incredible,. After carrying
him safely over the high hedge enclos
ure, into which he had been decoyed,
Ins norse bor6 him swutly over several
other fences and deep ravines, swim
ming the Rio Grande above Matamoros,
then passing down below the town on
the opposite side, in attempting to leap
a broad ditch he missed his footing.when
both horse and rider were thrown. By
the fall Capt. T. was so stunned that he
was suon after taken up by the Mexi
cans perfectly unconscious of what had
happened. ' After the battle of the 9th he
was exchanged, and restored to our army.
iapi. a. mums tne wnole number 0
our killed and wounded must amount to
more than 300. Besides the wounded
taken to.St. Joseph's, there are now a
bout 40 at Point Isabel too badly wound
ed ta be removed all but three, it is
thought, will recover. There are three
Mexican prisoners having but one leg
between them all. After being shot in
the arm, Col. Mcintosh received a bay.
onet wounu in tne moutn, which passed
through one side of his head. There
are hopes of his recovery.
The condition of, the brave and es
teemed Capt. Page is melancholly in
deed. The whole of his lower jaw,
with a part of his toncue and palate, is
shot away by a grape shot. He, how
ever, survives, though entirely incapable
ol speech. He communicates his
thoughts by writing on a slate, and re
ceives the necessary nutriment for the
support of life with much difficulty.
Ole does not desire to live, but conver
ses with cheerfulness and exultation
upon the success of our arms, and con
cluded an answer to some inquiries con
cerning the battle of the 9th, by writing:
"We gave the Mexicans h II."
All our accounts represent the Mexi
cans as having fought on the 8th and
9th with courage and desperation that
would have reflected credit upon the
troops of any nation. They were near
ly in a state of starvation, and had been
promised the ample supplies of the
American camp, in case they would
secure the victory. They met the
charges of our troops manfully, and
stood the destructive fire thst was pour
ed in upon them without giving way,
until the works were incumbered with
the dead and wounded.
The Bremen barque Carlos Williams
was cast away near Galveston; vessel
and cargo totally lo?t; one woman and
two children drowned.
IFroin the Vash.i.,i..
to the measures of ConKrei Z
orous prosecution of the war with M'
co. Wedonotdonh,n,n, .l hMe'-
. "" meiaro.
ill be
public mar rest ,,i .... .. "e ie
v. , national honoi, and t
a speedy term.nation of the wa L
not apprehend iha, half the amh ?
number of troop, will be immS
mustered into service. True '
and a due regard to the higher aiS
interests, however, make it , ,1, 1
bie.h.t.rBhrf,b.i5;
active sernce, extraordinary . fij '"J
point of numbers, and so laree thai U
cersof the highest rank willli'
ty be , command. From ,he
character of the corps-parlly of J?
lar troops, and more largely of VfZ
teers-it seems natural ,ha, ,,. m
in-chief of the army, should take
and we presume that Gen. Srott will s
a matter of course as.unie the cm,tllirul.
We understand that the volunteer
troops to be immediately c,(int0
vice will be taken from the Slate nearest
to the scene of operations, ,1( for ,,
the necessary orders have bern N.u.d
Measures have also been Inker, to ,ate'
the residue of the authorized flirfB '
ganized, to he called into the servi ,.r
their country at t,he shorte. t nmi,.. ;r
the public exigencies require. We im.
derstand that portions willt r..,i!.i ..
from caeh State and Territorv, f0 that
an opportunity will.be sifTorded to all
her gallant sons to particinate in th do.
fence of their country.
Military Arrangements The of.
fers made to the President, and to the
War Department, of the services of vol
unteers, ihe applications for appointment
as officers, and the inquiries as to the
strength, organization, etc., of volun
teers, are so numerous, that it has be
come impossible to answer them with
promptness. The following is there-
ore published for general information:
The President has deemed it best to
call for such volunteers as are required
rom particular States, through their Gov
ernors ; as, from their generally superi
or information, they can best judge of
tho relative efficiency of the different -
corps, and which of them can, with the
greatest facility and least expense be
embodied for the service for which they
are needed. The President has no pow
er to appoint officers 0 volunteers the
law requires that they be appointed hy
the proper authorities of the Slates, im
the manner prescribed by their laws.
The offers of services, and the applies-,
tions for appointments, should therefore
be made to the Governors of the Slates
and Territories.
Those who propose to tender their
services should be first enrolled and or
ganized in regiments, or battalions where
a battalion is designated in the quota cal
IpH fnr from a Slate. When this is
done, they will' tender their services
through the Governor of the State, who
will give notice thereof to the President,
or Secretary of War. They will be duly
informed of the a cceptance of their offer
by the President and notified to be ready
to be called into service when the puhhc
exigencies may require. Their pay will
commence when actually called and mu
tered into service, and not before.
Volunteers are required by law to fur
nish their own clothing, and, if cavaby,
their own horses and horse equipments;
hut none under the rank of a commis
sioned officer will be received into ser
vice, who i vears, are under eighteen
or over .forty-five; and no hnrw.PW .
such as are perfectly sound and m gooQ
condition to render effective -service.
No particular dress is prescribe' for '
unteers. Thev are at liberty to adopt
such an uniform as they think jwp.
but it is MlviBHhle that those entering tne
service adapt their dresj, as wclls rnjy
be, 10 the nature ot the service and tne
character of the country and rJ'ni'"c '
which they may be called. w nrn.
led into service, they are aimed nuj
quipped at the expense of tne in
states. union. ,
California.- The Mexirr-n WflJ
who arrived at St. Louis rn tne i-
from Chihuahua and Tort Lurrim;.
presented that a strong 'hLt.
manifested among the people ol
nia. to throw off the Mexican oihr y.
and to come under the governm
.1,- nunA at(.. ! that the diPP0S,ll0.n
IIIC K1IIIV-M -vim.-- t,p0 IS
of the people in the upper prov.nr"
decidedly in favor of a mJ 'ff
form of government, and that Bart if
in particular, would gladly ijrow J 1
alleWe. . Nothing had
from the gulf coast, . nou. ' -- for
,een leaving tne cny
Matamoro-. iV. O. Bulletin.
OTWIIWWfl