The Evansville daily journal., 1857-07-02
City Council and schools.

Last Tuesday evening, for the first time,
solidated CITY, and was agreeably impressed
with the appearance Of things in their new
Hall, and the prompt business-like manner
with which business was transacted. The
new Council Chamber. just rented of Council
man Scantlin, is well situated in the center
of business. is an airy, handsome, commo-
dious Hall, beautifully lighted with gas, and
very comfortably and conveniently furnished;
lacking only few more seats for spectators,
on occasions Of more than ordinary interest.
The Council, exclusive of his Honor the
Mayor, numbers eighteen, and is about to be
increased to nineteen members, and is well
accommodated in easy seats, round very
long table covered with black ard with clip
tic ends, his Honor, Mayor Hewson, occupy
ing a. raised seat at one end, commanding a
full view of each member. The Clerk is we'll
stationed at high desk, little apart from
the Council table, and makes very neat.
respectable show, of well arranged papers and
books and other business facilities. The
various interests of the city seem well repre-
sented, for recognized Councilmen from
about as many different occupations as they
numbered members of the Board; and to do
them justice. aud without meaning to flatter
them individually, taken as body of men
their appearance is highly respectable; and if
the transactions witnessed by me, are, a fair
criterion, their mode of doing business is very
creditable
The question of interest for the evening.
was not the School question in general, but
whether present provision should be made
for additional School accomm odations, and
on that question the Council was nearly
equally divided. The question was embodied
in series of resolutions, embracing the
whole question. On the first resolution,
which was, that it is the duty of the city to
furnish to all her children the means of COM
mon school education. was pleased to find
there was not dissenting voice. On the
second resolution, to raise fifteen cents on the
hundred dollars, to defray the current ex-
penses of the schools, there was also no dis
sent. And then came the real issue of the
evening, which was the assessment of ten
cents additional on the hundred dollars, to
purchase additional grounds and commence
the construction of another house similar to
the one now used, but in different part OF
the city. Our School Trustees, who have
shown by results that they understand the
business, recommended this. A committee
on the subject, heretofore appointed by the
Council, had recommended l.; and now it
was submitted for final decision by the Coun-
ell. The Clerk read the resolution; few
very pertinen. remarks were made, the ques-
ton was put, and the ayes and noes were
called: each individual answer was prompt,
showing a mind made up; and when the
last name was called. spectators were in doubt
which side had it, till the Clerk announced,
.Carried by one majority" greatly to the
satisfaction of the advocates of the measure.
And a more business-like, prompt disposition
of an exciting question, by deliberative
BODY. have never witnessed. was glad,
too, that the question was decided in the
affirmative.
One end of the city has an elegant, CON-
mo.ious, well ventilated and healthy PubliC
school building, with good play ground;
about it, with shade trees growing up
whilst the children in the other end Of the
e;.v have no such concentration of delightful
and beneficial advantages. Youth and sehoo
laws to our children will return no more
.ow. hot school rooms in basement stories Of
rowded localities, in this climate, are inJu'
ious and fatal to more children than mos