New-York tribune., 1841-09-16
PRICE ONE CENT.

of their communion are educated shall combine tb'
religious instruction of their faith with their literary
studies. In accordance with this desire projects
have been submitted TO the Legislature which Il
sdop,cd would. in the opinion of the Commission
ers. prove of serious injury. Several gentlemen OF
,bis civ designated by the Secretary OF State have
recently made diIig.nt inquiry into the conduct and
character of the schools Of the city, and borne the
highest testimony their efficiency Notwithstand-
ing this favorable report from his own Committee,
The Secretary prefers the objections already alluded
to. and proposes TO engraft on the existing system
provisions introducing the district plan in operation
in the rest Of III. State. The Commissioners sub
nit, in reply to this the fact that the district sys
tenn which is in full operation in the adjacent city
of Brooklyn, has been pronounced by the Comuas-
sioncrs of Schools there wholly Inefficient and map
plicable Leaving the consideration OF this, then,
they adver, to the objections urged by the Catholics
in their memorials TO the Legislature, which they
consider in their order.
l. 1t is urged that the system OF the Public
School Society dcvolyes upon private corporation
the discharge of one Of the most important func-
lions of government, without that responsibility to
the people which is provided in all other cases.
The Commissioners apprehend that the Society
has been styled private Corporation without due
reflection; every man in the city may be a member
who will pay ten dollars, without regard to any
ones will all the accounts and doings Of the So
ciety must be submitted to the scrutiny of the Lee
sisuture and the people, and the qualification for
membership is far less onerous than that required
under the district system, where none but free.
holder in the town, possessing personal pro-
perry in the Dis,rc, to the amount OF $50, can
for Trustees Equally uniounded is the second
part of this objecton all The proceedings of the
Society and its officers are open to inspection, and
they are held BY law to strict accountability for
al! their acts.
. 1t is again said that in the administration of
the Society the conscientious opinions and feelings
of large classes of citizens are disrcgardcd and
other schools excluded from participation of the
common fund. This vague charge is understood to
be urged in behalf of the Catholics, and the exclu-
sion complained of is the refusal BY the peoples
representatives. 10 devote portion of the public
moneys to the support of schools erected and 60
verned by that denomination and intoxicating their
distinguishing forms and creeds. The Charter of
the Society requires them TO educate all children
without regard the religious sect to which their
parents belong and it would be an obvious infrac
ton of their duty TO apply any portion OF tn" School
Fund, in any way the nculcation of any rel-
gious doctrines. The tax is imposed upon those
who pay it as citizens and not sectarans; its
purpose is to educate the children of the city for
discharge of the civil obligations of this life, with
out reference to another; and the fact that fund
has been raised by the taxation OF nl for general
education, creates right in the taXpaying secta-
rian TO demand that any portion OF it be aPProPri-
ated 10 the spread Of his particular creed The
erection of church school announces scctarian
object, is part of the church establishment and
finds no authority in our State Constitution.
3. The remaining allegation is that fenr'uIy
large portion of the indgcnt children OF the city
are not reached or in any way benefited by the pre-
vailing system of education. The Commissioners
enter into proracted statement showing clearly
the fallacv in the Report of the Secretary OF State
BY which he attempted to sustain this charge 1t
consists In the different modes of return prescribed
for the City aad the State, upon which the Secre-
,ary has founded his argument, without making The
proper distinction. This process of calculation,
composed mainly Of statistics and differences drawn
from them, necessary tor us 10 follow the
positive results with reference 10 the comparative
efficacy Of the District and Public School systems
are these Of the white persons o. and under the
age of twenty years who cannot read or write,
there is in the City of Newlork, one out OF every
twcn,y-one; in the county of Montgomery, one out
of every tventy-onc Rensselaer,, one out OF every
twenty-one; Wayne cut of every twenty-five
Steuben, one out of every twenty; Delaware, one
out OF every twenty; Columbia, one cut Of every
twenty; Essex, one out of every twenty; Duchess,
one out of every fifteen Franklin, one out OF every
fourteen; Fulton one out o. every fourteen Men
roe. one out of every thirteen; Chemuns one out
every twelve Sullivan one out OF every twelve
Lewis, one out of every eleven Putnam, one out
of every ten; Tioga, one aut of every nine Her
kimer, one out of every eight; Clinton, one cut OF
every five. Again, the number Of paupers, who
may cmpha,ically be called the INDECENT, in the
CITY over the age of twenty. found By estimates
based upon official returns 10 be a. 1872, of whom
7.77S canno, read or write; in the other portions
Of, the State the number of paupers Of the same