Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-07-26
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NEW PORK CORRESPONDENCE.
New YoRK, July 23, 1851.


Circumstances beyond my control have COM
PEELED me to intermit the regularity OF my corre-
spondence, by which suspension, however, am far
from insinuainp that your readers have lost aught
Of interesting incident. During the last fortnight
monotonous uniformity has prevailed in almost
every department Of business and of pleasure, due
in part to the summer emigration of so many OF
our citizens, and to the prevalence OF an almost
canicular heat, which has rendered thermomerlcai
observations and water ices the subjects and objects
that have come most nearly home, IN bacon's
phrase, to our business and bosoms. II was very
pleasant fancy of Heinrich Keynes, to simmer
on an internal hob, with little imp perpetually
pokinp the fire under your pipkin "a conception
whose horrors, doubt not, can be more vlvidly
realized from our recent experiences IN caloric, Tor
the heat has certainly been such as could be en-
loved only by saamanders and the chivaric fire.
eaters OF South Carolina. If all physical pheno-
mena have as II Is sid their moral and if natural
philosophers and Psychologists tell the evaporation gene
rated by cooling to the substances on which
acts may we not consider that the present state Of the
atmosphere in the Palmetto State" has exered most
beneficial influence calming the temperament Of those
politicians who have recently shown themselves Gas ardent
=. soubern sun can make theml' Or must conclude
like honest Horao in the play, that were to consider too
curousy to consider Certain least it's that some
quite as potent as so $50 Of Fahrenheit garra
ous and abdominous old gentlemen has reduced both the
chivalry and the disciples of higher law" to state Of
ouescence quite charming to contemplate.
Leaving of course in indefinite allegiance many topics
which might have furnished occasion at the time of their i'm
mediate occurrence for casual extended remak-such as
he celebration Of National Hoyday with its annual waste
of powder and patriotism the provisions OF the bill hnay
passed in the late special session Of State Legislature for
the Enlargement Of the Erie Canal y the appocnment Of
the State into Congressional districts according to the terms
of the late Census and interesting literary discussion Of
our Solons at Albany on the merits Of Webs'e-no tne
Great Expounder," but the great photographer copy
hose dictionary was ordered be furnished to every COM
mon school at the public e1pensel shall proceed 70 Houo
vour readers with budget of statistics and figures which VIII
Be deemed it is hoped to possess more than fugitive and
incidental interest.
The recent returns Of the city comptroller, furnishing
statement Of The assessed valuation of taxable property both
real and personal this city, afford the opportunity OF gaug
ing the increase Of wealth compared with the
of former years. 1t is not Of to be pretended that such
valuations necessarily partial and incomplete be relied
upon as furnishing exhibit adequate for asceraning with
accuracy the absolute wealth Of city, The valuation Of
personal property must always be especially defective from the
large sums in cash. stocks &C. that come under the
assessors cognizanc while various causes such fraud in
owners and oversight in officers conspre to vtate the in
tnsc truth and completeness Of the data thus gathered
with reference to real Yet imperfect such vaua-
tons always are they valuable furnishing the critic
ria by which we may estimate the relative progress Of cities
and States in the tangible and sensible evidences Of opuence
and art lust as our National Census though innsicay de-
fcve in respects enables to compare with spproxi
mate decenn increase in population and other
items Of the statistical rubrc The inherent OF such
valuations are eliminated by their comparison with each
other since they affect all alike. In the year 1926 the
sessmen Of real in New York amounted to the Of
O50 in the year 1851 is stated at $227 1856
thus showing comparative Of 81 81 sos during
the last Quarter Of century As illustrative, moreover Of
the rapid development Of real estate and the uneIamped
preciaon property in the upper part OF the corporations
have but compare the six lower wards OF the city which
were first settled with those above them In 1926, the
whole city was divided into twelve wards the upper six OF
which contained at that time real estate appraised at
Sa4 976 s0 while that Of the six lower wards was estimated
Al 240 In 1851 the latter wards have reached the
Of $685. whereas in the upper part Of the
cy the number Of the wards has been increased by the ad
ton Of seven Others and the value Of their real estate is set
down at SAL 503 In times Of extravagant speculation,
when property has fictitious vaue these assessments are OF
course highly exaggerated accordingly find that there
was constant increase n these annual valuations until in
the wear 1885, when the maximum Of $685. 742, )3
was resched or nearly millions than that Of the
present yea-a striking commentary the wild speculaon
of that year. In the fifteen years which have elapsed since
1885, however, that the population of the city aswe
as,he number Of buildings has nearly doubled that the actual
value Of real estate be much greater than at that
period After 1886 the apparent value Of property declined
until reached the minimum Of depression in is43 since
which wear there has been advance in the annua
valuations.
From real estss pass to few statistics with regard
the system Of popular education in New York, gathered from
the annual report of the Board of Education which has just
been published Upon Mayor Kngsands accession to the
chief agsracy Of the municipality, be took occasion in bis
inaugural message to remark as follows: e..
"I 6nd in looking the estimates Of appropriations 70
be provided for the year. that Of the total amount to
600 is for support of three departments, viz Po-
lice School, and Aims House and, the two latter the
corporation Of the city Of New York has control whaever
but compelled by the laws Of the State to raise by taxa
ton whatever the organizations controlling them may
see 6t 10 require that the amount demanded for
school purposes S53 000) will have the effect OF directing
10 this subject the attention of those who contribute this sum,
and unless action had with reference to placing in the
nicip authorities control the expenses OF this in
suon they will increase from year to year, until in the
end there may be revuion of feeling against organza
ton enormously expensive, which result in serious
injury to the nobe that commanded the attention
ofpbilanhropss viz. that OF universal educstion."
The whole number Of schools supported by moneys raised
for school purposes New York, is stated in the annual
port be hundred and the registered number Of