The New York herald., 1845-10-24
Board of supervisors-case OF DR.. Reese.


Board of supervisors-Case OF DR.. Reese.
This Board me, last even ing pursuant to adjournment.
The Recorder in the Chair
Petitions, were received from Lawrence whitmore,
praying relief from erroneous taxation. Referred.
or George w. Gedney and others, like case and re-
ference.
Reporfs.-Of Committee Annual Taxes Laid on
the table.
The case of Dr. Rsese was hereupon resumed.
The remaining charges, against DR.. Rees which had
been acted upon at the last meeting taken up
That in various communications to the Board of Edu.
cation he has assaed the character OF individual ward
officers and has made various false and
ments concerning them and their conduct, wholly un-
warranted by the facts, and altogether uncaled for in
the performances Of his saicial duties.
The question was taken without debate and stood
The next charge, (being the nh written one)
ken up and divided into two sections The nrs section
went as follows
falsely msstaed facts in relation to ward schools and
has openly avowed himsefa partizan Of the schools Of
the Public School Society and an opponent OF the
Schools and the system and law under which they are
organized and established.
The question was taken and stood-Ayes9; Noes g.
The question the remaining branch OF the charge
was unanimously negatived. He cannot, therefore,
ceve possess the confidence of those who are iavo
rable the ward schools he consequently be at
all useful to the Improvement of the character or the
extension of the advantages of the Ward Schools.
The question the 9th charge was also unanimously
negatived. 1t went as follows - #e..
That want Of confidence to the truth and vsracity
of his statements and reports in relation to the state and
general extent in the community subversve OF the con-
dence which should be reposed in the incumbent of SO
important an office and tenuing to destroy or materially
to impair his usefulness County Supernten nden OF
ommon Schools.
The last charge was then taken up: =
That in licensing teachers for schools, he has un
derstand and believe granted certificates Of quafca
ton to individuals, of whom he has subsequently said,
him. either great negligence gross violation Of duty
a wanton slandering of such teachers.
Aid BRrGGs called the attention Of the Board to the
font nr hah nd nnrtn
mened good deal upon the incompeency of al OF
the teachers; and yet he gave them license
Aid MEssERoLE was OF opinion that the license was
granted by Mr. Weir and Dr. Reese had merely granted
renewal Of the same
Aid. BRIGss referred to the testimony Of Mr. Charde
voyne who stated that DR.. Reese had given guarded
license" to the teacher alluded to-
Aid HART referred to his votes taken the occasion
Of the trial in corroboration of the statement of Dr.
The question on sustaining the after charge was taken
and stood-aycs 3, noes l3.
Aid. BRIGcs hereupon moved that inasmuch as most
of the charges had been that Dr. Reese be
ed from the Office of County Superintendent
The RECORDER who left the chair and called Mr. Ben
thereto hereupon the court He consider
ed that view Of the charges and the testimony in tn,
againstDr Reese had not been made out His Homo
recapuated the testimony, and commented upon it all
the charges being founded upon the basis in relation
But suppose Dr. Reese had violated the law would i JUS
tfy them in removing Dr. Reese under the law of the
State If such precedent were established, it woulo
lead to unpleasant results in other counties and il
but right in deciding upon this question that the BoarC
should take comparative view powers which the
act delegated to the County Superintendent and the
Ward Officers The Recorder here took up the School
Law and cited various passages thererom which direc
schools He would ask when Dr. Reese had merely com
piled with his duty in carrying out the law and ht
woud ask was there one in the community who coulc
| object to the reading Of the Holy Scriptures il
| the public schools7 As well might il be supposed
that the enlightened body he had the honor address
light and vitality to the universe The kble-as it had
been eloquenty said by the eminent lawyer who had
spoken in defence-was the law of the State of New
York well the law of the land and he would
ask them gravely could they fix stigma upon eff
cent public officer for the conscientious discharge of
his duyl He trusted not He next referred to OF
the published reports of Dr. Reese which he urged ia.
Of the pursued by Dr. Reese being conci
atory and kindn and which course was sustained by
the State superintendent Would they thsn under cir
cumstances such as these, fix stigma upon public
officer who acted under an act of the Legislature which
commanded him to act DR.. Rees had also taken occa
sion to consult the counsel of the Corporation, Mr. LIE
veridge, who gave him written opinion stating tina
sions OF this statute If Dr. Rees sustained by the coun
sci of the Corporation-by the law-he would put Il
they remove Dr. Reese for such acts sustained by sucl
authority. The Bible was excluded from the 4th 9Th
and i4th Wards even now and in the face of this they
told by the petitioners that they in favor O
the introduction of the Bible The learned Recorder
here took up the charges seatum which he denounced
as being unfounded in fact and concocted by who
were boiling with magnity, who considered they could
take this Board by de main and use them to carry
he had erred in good faith and under the authorize
which he conceived he had right to exercise If the
Board acted contrary to law therewas other tribunal
for redress. The Board were acting judciay in the
present and to exercise their duty according
powers derived from the statutes when they had then
acted III their judicial capacity and according to
the best of their judgements it to hold that they
to be called to account held liable before another
tribunal for the conscientious discharge Of their duties
The exactly the case with DR. Reese; and as
honorable men, he appealed to them not to fix stigma
on public officer upon such frivolous pretext He
had the acquaintance OF DR.. Reese and in taking
the he (he Recorder) pursued he actuated
by conscientious motives and from feeling Of what was
due to public officer.
Mr.. CoNNoR considered that DR.. Reese had acted in
most obnoxious manner to the people in the Ward Schools
and this he considered the sole cause of the feelings
which had been aroused against him.
Alderman MEssERoLE took occasion to say that he had
objection to allow the Roman Catholics to have theil
Bible in the schools but he held that the Protest
Bible had also right to be in the schools II was
the Bible that fought the battles of the countryt was
General Jackson who after the battle went and prayed
from the Bible When he read the remarks of DR. Power
in his Lecture Sunday evening last they had
feel alarmed when that reverend gentleman spoke in
favor Of excluding the Bible from the public schools,
and also when they read his views the subject of the
sunday schools Alderman NJ here read that portion of
the Report of Dr. Powers Lecture delivered St. Pc.
ters Church Sunday evening last, from the,Herad,
and continued-Such views dangerous to the com.
muny in which live and at variance with the prin;
ciples of the constitution.
Alderman DIvvER-What constitution I
Alderman MEssERoLE.The constitution of tho United
States be hope in God their Bible will
supplant Bible in this land. Let them have their
Duoay Bible they please, put nope Twill never take
had put the fully in legal sense that it would
be unne cessary to say one word further
Aid BENSON followed in support of the general
pursued by DR. Reese in relation to the Bible, and
mened the conduct Of of the teachers who had
been found drinking at Of the groggeries. DR..
Reese had acted promote the of edu.
cation. His acts would be justified by the community
who would compel the Bible to be read in the schools
The people would have the Bible they should have it,
and the trustees who wanted his removal would find that
the people would have it, One of the etioners named
Winslow was notorious for certain delicate operation
at the Aims House--namely, taking away some of the
silver spoons. Shouts Of laughter) He hoped they
would not act in the matter as party men.
AID BRrccs would not this late hour rise but to
flute some Of the remarks of the Alderman from the 10th
ward which he had used in relation to Dr. Powers Lee
ture The sentiments which he attributed to Dr. Power
were merely quoted from another author and Dr. Reese
himself fully agreed with Dr. Power in the sentiments
contained in this lecture relation to the Bible that
the cry of raised by the Alderman Of the 10th ward
was all idle and without foundation-and he might calm
his fears on the subject he attribute words TO DR.
powe whj n he had used