The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-01-05
Legislature Of New York.
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


President took the chair called The Senate to order,
and the oath of office was administered 10 the Sc
majors elect.
The HOUSE or ASSEMBLY was called to order al ii
O'Clock, by Mr.. PRINpLE, the Clerk of the last
House. and the oaths of Office were administered by
Chief Justice NELSON.
The House then proceeded to ballot for Speaker.
Mr.. L S. Chaifed, OF Otsego, received 90 votes
Mr.. George A. Simmons, of Essex, received -
votes, scattering votes.
Mr.. CnArFrELD was then conducted to the chair,
and addressed the House in brief but very peril
nent speech
The Governors Message was then received ;
from which we make the following extracts in rela
ton to the leading topics of interest.
Alter speaking of the Lunatic Asylum, a very
proper topic to begin with, the Governor speaks of
the Geology of the State, the mission to Holland,
his disputes with Virginia and Georgia, and then
remarks thus about
The Banks
Nineteen associations under the General Banking
Law. and five Safety Fund institutions, have been
closed recommend that measures be adopted TO
repenlsh the Bank Fund without delay and that il
be exempted from Liability for private deposties To
guard hereafter against fraudulent excuses Of crcu-
ation, suggest that the Safety Fund Institutions
may be required 10 receive their circulating notes
from the Bank Commissioners, or the Comproler
While | cannot doubt that you will adept these or
more suitable measures 10 sustain the currency and
correct abuses in banking, am sure that no harsh
or injurious spirit will be INDUCED towards inslu-
tons which, deriving their powers from public grants
have performed their trusts with general fidelity, and
whose stability is Intimately connected with The
pubic Interests and the general welfare.
He then speaks of the reorganization Of the Con.
grcssonal Districts, the state OF crime in the State,
and expresses himself in favor of abolishng capital
punishments The Heldebanach war, Bill johnson,
and Mcleod, are all discussed at a tedious length
and then makes the following remarks about the
SCHOOL FUND QUESTION:
1t was among my earliest duties to bring TO the
notice Of the Legislature the neglected condition of
many thousand children, including a very large
proportion OF those OF immigrant parenage in our
great commercial city; misfortune then supposed
TO result from groundess preiudces and omissions
OF parental duty. Especially DESTROYS at the same
time not to disturb IN any manner the public schools
which seemed to be eitclently conducted alihoug n
so many tor whom they were established were I'M
willing 10 receive their instructions | suggested as
thought, IN a spirit not inharmonlous with our c-
VII and religious institutions, that if necessary, il
might be eXpedlent TO bring those excluded from
such privileges ntO schools rendered especially at
tractve by the sympathes of those to whom the
task of instruction should be confded IL has since
been discovered that the magnitude of the evil was
II,
perfectly understood.
1t will be shown you in the proper report that
twenty thousand children in the city of New York.
OF suitable age are not at all instructed in any OF the
public schools, while the whole number in all the
residue OF the State, not taught in common schools
does not exceed nine thousand. What had been
regarded as individual, occasional and accidental
prejudiGes, have proved to be opinions pervading a
large mas, .lncludlng at least religious commu-
mon equally with all others entltledto civil tolerance
opinions cherished through period of sixteen
years. and rlpened into permanent conscientious
distrus OF the lmpartaly of the education given in
the public schools This dstrust has been rendered
still deeper and more alternating, by subverson of
precious cvi! rights OF those whose consciences are
thus offended.
The philanthropy aud patriotism of the present
managers OF the public schools, and their efficiency
III mpartlng instruction, are cheerfuliy and CRATE
fully admitted. Nor is it necessary to maintain
that agents thus selected will become unfaiihiiI or
that system that so jealousy excludes popular in
reference, must necessarily be unequal in lis ope-
raten 1t is only insisted that the institution after
fair and sufficient trial, has failed to gan that
broad confidence reposed in the general system Of
the State, and indispensable TO every scheme OF
universal education.
The late eminent Superintendent, after exposing
the greatness oil this public misfortune and tracing
1t TO the discrepancy between the local and general
systems, suggested a remedy which, although If is
not urged TO the exclusion of any other seems TO
deserve dlspass tomato consideration submit there
adequate remedy you may propose, the expediency
of restoring 10 the people Of the city of New York
what am sure the people of no other part OF the
State would, upon any other consideration, relin-
quish-the education OF their children. For this
purpose il is only necessary TO vest the control of
the common schools in board, TO he composed of
commissioners selected by the people which board
shall apporion the schools moneys among all the
schools GLIDING those now existing which shall be
organized and conducted in conformity to its gene.
raj regulations and the laws OF the State in the pro.
portion Of the number of pupils Instructed
Ii not left doubtful that the restoration 10 the
schools Of the city, OF the simple and equal
feature of the common schools of the state, would
remove every complaint and bring into the SEM.
Mares the ohspurg OF want and misfortune present.
ed by grand Jury on recent occasion, as neglect
ed children of both sexes who are found i'm hordes
upon the wharves and IN corners of the streets sur
rounded by evil associations, disturbing the public
peace, committing petty depredatons and going
from bad to worse, until their course terminates In
high crimes and iniamy.
e. This propositlen, to gather the young from the
streets and wharves into the nurseries which the
State, sohcltous for her security against ignorance
has prepared Tor them, has some time been treated
az device TO appropriate the school fund To the
dowment OF semlnarles tor teaching languages and
faiths, thus TO perpetuate the preudces It seeks TO
remove sometimes as a scheme for dividing that
precious fund among an hundred jarrlng secis and
thus increasing the religious anlmosltles II strives TO
heal sometimes plan 10 subvert the prevailing
religion and introduce repugnant TO the con-
sciences of our teow-citizens while in truth, il
simply proposes, by enlighening equally the minds
of all, TO enable them 10 detect error wherever ii
may exist aud 10 reduce uncongenial masses into
one intelligent, virtuous, harmonious ane happy
psope.
Being now relieved from all such misconceptions.
its presents the questions whether il is wiser and
more hun ane to educate the offspring of the poor,
than 10 leave them 10 grow up in ignorance and vice;
whether juvenile vice ls more easily eradicated by
court of sessions than by common schools whether
parents have right 10 be heard concerning the in
sructiou and instructors Of their children, and tax
payers in relation 10 the expenditures Of phbllc lands
whether, IN republican government, il is necessa.
~ TO interpose independent corporation between
the people and the schoomaser, and whether il ID
wise and Iusl TO sislranchise an entire community
OF all control over public education, rather than sui
fer part TO be represented in proportion to is mum
bers ard contributions. Since such considerations
are now involved, what has hitherto been discuss
ed is a question Of beneyolence and of universe
ed has hpcpulp nj fou2l civil riuhts