The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-12-23


under their own names, and deny the general
accuracy Of those reports. The speech Of Mr.
Blunt was merely condensed view Of what he
said-quite sufficient for person of his position
and standing in the community. 1t was SUBJ
stantially correct, and he dare not deny its sccu-
racy.
So much on that point Now, what could be
the motives of the otherwise respectable conduc-
tors Of the Tribune, in departingtrom their usual
habit, and descending 10 the language and the
manners of the stews, while talking OF the con-
ductor of the Herald, and the manner in which
he gets up his reports
We understand that the conductors of the
Tribune have been endeavoring TO bring forward
new system OF reporting, which they call pho
biography. He and his photographers had every
| opportunity, on the evening of the meeting in
question, to give a specimen of the fullness and
accuracy of their system; they tried their BEST
and more decided or ridiculous failure never
took place than the report Of the Photographic
gentlemen in the Tribune of Tuesday morning
exhibited. They are stung with the superior
accuracy ofthe practical men who made our re-
ports, and vent their spleen, their chagrin, and
their malgnity, in ungentlemanly application of
vulgar epithets to those who are more successful
and more energetic than themselves.
The BOARD OF EDUCATION This Board, if not
the most important, at all events ranks amongst
the most valuable of the public institutions of
this city. To it is entrusted the education and
training of our youth, by which we mean the cu-
tlvation Of their moral, mental, aud we may add,
their physical faculties-to give to the children
entrusted to their charge mot merely what is called
q lndu kuf oh he, tba,v
duties as men and as citizens--to train them to
good principles, good temper, and to obey the
laws. Such are the duties Of the Board of Edu-
cation. Yet, strange as it may appear, there is
no other public body amongst us SO little thought
of or looked after. Its meetings scarcely ever
attended by any but the members themselves, nor
are their proceedings ever canvassed or COM
mented upon by the public press. All we know
about them is, that they meet once month. when
a very meagrc report of the business transacted
is given to the public, through the columns of the
morning papers.
II is but justice, however, TO observe that the
two former Boards have fairly enough done their
duty. BY the lberality and enlarged views of
these two Boards, many Objectionable features in
the common school system have been removed
every concession consistent with the genius and
spirit of our institutions and laws made, and the
prejudices and bad passions of antagonistic de-
nominations of Christians softened down and set
at rest, for the purpose of diffusing and making
more general the blessings Of education amongst
the poorer classes of the community.
The present Board are also deserving OF COM
mendation. To it the citizens are indebted for
the establishment of free academy, an institu-
ton which we hope will at no very distant day
confer invaluable benefits, not only on this
city, but on the country at large. We can,
Of course, now only Judge of what its results
may be by reference to the results of similar
establishments in other countries; and when we
look back to their history, and find they have
produced the most distinguished scholars, poets,
and philosophers Of the last and present century,
whose genius and writings have exercised so
powerful an influence on the arts, sciences, and
literature of Europe, 1t is not, say, an unrea-
sonable or far-fetched idea to anticipate like re-
| suits from like institutions, amongst ourselves,
under careful and judicious management.
Now that we have given the Board of Educa-
ton full credit for the good it has done must,
at the same time, tell its members they are not
exempt from the faults and errors common to
other public bodics-that if the public eye be not
| steadily kept upon them, their proceedings
watched and canvassed, and they, themselves, re-
buked when they quit the. proper sphere Of their
| duty, they are just as likely to forget the ends
| for which, as body, they were created, as any
other of our public Boards.
| We are led to make these remarks by dis
cussion that took place at one OF the recent
meetings of the Board. 1t seems that by an act
of the State Legislature, the title to all school
property in this city, is to be vested in the Cor
poration-that in pursuance of this act, an ordi-
nance was passed directing that the titles to all
school property, to be thereafter purchased,
should be Investigated and certified to by the
Corporation Counsel. After the passage of the
ordinance, the Commissioners and Trustees OF
| the 18th and 18th wards purchased eight or ten
lots of ground for the erection of school houses
in these wards, and employed the then Counsel
| of the Corporation to search the title pay
ment of the bill was subsequently demanded and
refused, whereupon a suit was instituted against
the Board of Education. The subject was re-
ferred to a committee, consisting Of two law
yers and one layman. The commit e,
after discussing the matter for a week,
could not agree on a report-one OF the lawyers
being of opinion that the whole bill should be
paid the other lawyer, that only part ought to be
allowed; but the layman would not agree that the
claimant was entitled to anything. At the meet
ing of the Board a resolution was offered and
passed, requesting the Corporation to direct their
counsel to defend the suit; and In the event of
refusal, that then the President of the Board
mis- ht be authorized to employ counsel to defend
it, The debate on the resolution was kept
up for three mortal hours, the majority talk
ing the ground that as the title to all school
property was by law to be vested in the Corpo-
ration, and that body having passed an or
dnance directing their own counsel to examine
all titles to such property, they, the Corporation
were bound to pay the costs out of the city trea-
! sury. thus leaving the al ,uao,;or - ~. ....