New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-17

soopieo eifclaaAy ,rry oul ne Wisne, OF the osl-
p.t ard faeir e-itlsi $751; t1e amount. - tnn sr-
f'ng 20 re o1r6ersoue 10 80 'rcivi"usi while the
o. &c. = be effected IS ore ~ tac utmost Gagntu
sIc importance. !, there All individual m sac So
v TO would not cnetrflY pay an annual lsse1> -f'
Of one mdl upon every dollar OF his Ydipaloa. ur
ore dollar upon every thousand. Il thereby he col.d
secure taS blessings ID! education not onV FOR MS
own children. BAT for every cld OF suitable age .n
we Slate, FOR The e. = term during WCcl tHo
s,noOls are kept o-en ~ each year IN all cJDint
uhS i u rot iaf better ne entire eX leoses %
laiilon should - me- fbis manner Or one staple
oShhUe Sed-a1Nstng process aisU' ns itse 20 To-
N2rY lAs sianlaic ot property auf "a Iil0a auf -
tne increasing Nan's ~ the schools tdaa tlt. the
Trustees of each 81 iAe eleven thDasa4d & STREETS
should De- periodically bUrtenei with the tr1' G aat
parents svi,h INC expense ~ yevarous ana srras-
sing rae-Oiil CaDnOt hesitate tpeteio-e cordial
~ and earnestly tO recommend iAt adoption OF this
measure IS Ia uy ju' smept best ca -astei - ren.
der our Common Schools M felhy and permanently
what they now are EomlCa ~ free 0slesIugl u -
be due 10, ouy 70 the highest latercs, % tUcsOn,
but go proper respect 70 the clearly eNpre>s,d VII
CT rngoTlty q. our felOw-cuzens, taat Size noble
enterprise, the foundations o. witch have tseI 50
strongly laic m On enlightened pubic Sslfilnt Dt,
should Without unnecessary Geas, be prOsecpsst 20
aCcmalclOn
,. Whether however. this desirable result sA4u
De accomplished or postpone = q more ftvO,e5ie
period, 10 reaSOnaO doubts can longer cxst As -
the iieucy, 10 say the indispensable neces-
slty % restoration m some form ri the system o.
county supervision. The attention Of the Lagsla-
ture has been annually called - this slolsct oota
DIV ms predecessor IN once ana sell from
rlou ~ tht repeal OF ne act creating the ONCE Of
COUNTY Superintendent 10 The present time AMI
each ADDITIONAL year Ouy increases the strength OF
the argument IN favor OF me proposed reform Every
incumbent of The of e Of State Superintendent,
without exception, during the period wlch has
slsp>tc from the passage OF the original act eStiD-
lishu- tn class ot local officers has borne uniform
ana stroug testimony to rs utl NV and necessity
aLd the most enlightened friends OF popular edu "a.
cai.oa uough'tt tge State have, With equal uuan-
mi 3, expressed their Ce,ded and vayering CON
sfH. it .itff a
ahops which demand ~ restoration, as essential
pat Of or - stem OF public instruction, hume
TOus and nconieStaDe ami l, is BY no means going
too far to say that, II the continued absence vi
inStumcutality Of this nature 4 viii be found nj.
terry lmpraohcable 10 Jay before the Legislature aud
the people thal Information III rel atom u the
condition and acmlnlsuduon Of our school
system, which is 80 indispensably requisite to
MS efficiency and Advancement The annual re-
ports of upNard OF eight hundred Town Su-
peliutendeniS involving full anu detailed acc cunts
CfthG receipts and disbursements Of nearly million
aud half of dollars, now required 10 be made 10
the County Clerkan officer otherwise entirely dis
connected ffom the system, and whose whole duty
consists IN preparing mere abstract OF these Reports,
for tee information Of the Department, without the
power OfascerIaning or correcting any errors or oms
sioLs thai may occur however important. The una
yOlcable consequence OF this state Of IhIngSs the ac
cumE alton OF inaccuracies and errors IN these
ports. So great IN many Instances as 10 render them
wholly unreliable for the purposes for which they are
required careful Inspection O these abstracts for
any two consecutive years VIII show that scarcely
an approximation to that accuracy which should De
required III the official statements of public func-
uonaIles OF every grade. is ataned1n the Reports Of
the great majority of the Town Sdperniendents.
There is, indeed no reason 10 believe or 10 suppose
that any portion of the public funds committed TO
their hands IS Improperly or Illegally expended but
from the ImpoSsi0ty OF examining ard connecting
their reports, where obviously erroneOus-o OF point
ing out deficiencies and luaccurdcles-and of sab
ectiDg them b the ssutiIiZng test OF some super
visOIy authorlty-'he official statement of these
officers are, 10 very great extent, comparatively
valueesS a full exposition Of the pecunlary opera
tons connected with their station. The same re-
mark Likewise applicable to other portions OF their
reports. Under such circumstances, II Is obvious
that mere enumeration from year to year of taou-
lar statistics without system or accuracy, must Tor
all the purposes of practical legislation, be not only
useless. but dangerous. 4 county Oflcer, CHOSEN or
elected with express reference TO the performance
Of his duties IN this respect and invested with com
petent authority to exercise supervisory Jurlsdlc-
non over the several Town Supsrntendents, would
efectually remedy TINS evil.
independently, however of these manifest adj
yaLtageS arising from return 70 the system oil
county SUPERVISION there are numerous other Tea-
why the best interests OF our Common Schools
would be essentially promoted by such a measure.
They have been so frequently and fully recapltu-
lated in previous communications from this depart
ment, and in the reports OF the appropriate legsla-
tive committees To whom the subject mas. from time
TO time been referred, that their repetition at this
time would be supererogatoTy and uncalled for. Tne
whole subject viii be found fully discussed and elu
cldated IL The report Of the Commissioner already
referred TO and / deem 1t only necessary - add
teat the entire experience of the department, du
ring the period Of my supervision OF It's affairs, has
strengthened the conviction entertained and ox
pressed 10y ne az its commencement shat a recur-
renee, at the earliest practicable period 10 the sys-
tenn so unfortunately and inJucicously abandoned
in 1917 would be attended with the most beneficial
results 10 the prosperity and welfare OF our Com
mon Schools.
GENERAL REMARKS.
In bringing bis official labors to u close,
L., tba
ment to other bands, the undersigned can only in.
dulge the hope that during The critical and stormy
period in which the complicated interests Of public
instruction have been committed TO his guidance,
some advancement vail be found to have been made
in the night direction. On assuming the responsible
charge Intrsed 10 his hands, two OBJECTS presented
themselves as In his judgment of sufficient import
ance TO demand his individual attention and utmost
efforts The the preservation aud perpetuation
IN all its integrity Of oar admirable system OF District
School Libraries seriously endangered by what ne
deemed, and still deems, mos, njudiclous provls
ion OF the existing law, authorizing under certain
conditions, an entire diversion Of the munihcens
fund provided for the annual rcpenishment Of these
institutions and the other was the enterprise OF
rendering every Of our eleven thousand schools
free TO every child Of the State Of suitable age to
participate III their benefits. In the accomplishment
OF the first Of these objects, entire success has
been obtained by ali incorporating refusal IN any
case under any circumstances 10 give the TeQul-
site sanction Of the Department to the application OF
any portion OF the Library money to any other OBJ
ect than the purchase OF books and scientific aPpa-
ratus for the use Of schools Many and strong
temptations have from time TO time been presented,
for departure from the strict and rigd rule thus
prescribed and doubtless frequent and senosoi-
tense has been given by the unyieldlng psrinacl!y
with which it has bseH adhered 10. The alternative,
however, seemed 20 be presented, on the one hand,
81 a gradual and ultimately entire abandonment Of
that far seeing and enlightened policy by which
every hool district ard every neighoorhood OF the
state was annually supplied with the means OF INTEL
ectuaI and moral cultivation and on the other, Of
firm and decided REFUSAL IN any case whatever, OF
thar consent which the law required as
condition prececen. to the diversion OF the
fund. The importance OF the principle IN
VOWED In this determination may have been over
rated and If so, the remedy is a. hand and may be
easily applied. IL has, however, appeared 70 me,
(romIone observation Of the workings OF the sys-
TEN in this respect, that the means Of free access
on the par, Of every family IN the state, and each
rn.rnher % ererx family OF suitable age. 20 luiI