New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-03


tsiLsd from the Legislature 81 set incorporating
them as society for establishing free school for
TIE education Of such poor children a. did
not btlopg 70 or were not provided for
by spy religious society. The first school
uI6er this set was established In May, l506,
with forty scholars. The Society received haai
some oops.o,s from liberal individuals, from the
city sr6 TIE State ard in I305 its name va,
chsI gei - .bs. Of the Free School Society Of the
CIty of Neg.Yofk. /; was then authorized 20 re-
ce:ye A. scholars in is schools al children who
were the proper objects Of grs'u,tous educsiion,
spd vss presented BY the city with schOOl-house
sufficient 10 accommodate fve hundred pupils
then oon.dtred very large number for one school.
III. Society continued 10 re,ave donations from
Individuals aid the pubic, and so TO extend It's
OJ4rations IS soon TO take the first place among the
corporate bodies which had taken upon themselves
the care Of popular education IN this city. When
the system Of Common Schools for the State ft.t
came INTO operation IN 1915, twas judged best
ratfe to strengthen the hands and replenish the
treasures Of these existing establishments than 10
set up Lew school,; and the Law accordingly pro-
yided for the distribution Of all the money accruing
+ the city for The purposes of education among
tie e1stIg charity schools, in proportion 70
ibe number OF pupils taught by them, IN
Gliding tte free schoOs under the patron
age Of the Incorporated religious societies,
a. vel a. those Of the Free School Society and some
o'her lay corporations. In l-2i. however, under
an authority gwen by the Legislature to the Com
mol COur eli, the religious Denominations IS such,
were excluded from any share in the public
mCpeys Of which the Free School Society thus
became The chef recipient. In $50 the name
Of he Society wss again changed 10 that OF the
Public School ciety, and IT was further authorized
10 receive INTO its schools all children who presented
themselves az first, tuition was a,ked of those
supposed able to psy; bu, this was soon abandoned,
and in 1870 the Legislature imposed tax on all
the property in the city for the support OF common
school education, to be gratuituousy lurni' he'd to
all children alike. Down 10 l-i2 the Public School
Society continued to have the expenditure of all the
mo1ey thus received. In hat year collateral and
In some respects rival system sprung into exist
epce-;bs systeD namely, of Ward Schools-Of
which the control and management was intrus,ed,
in Uniformity to the general school organization OF
TIE State 20 the hands Of certain elected officers,
according 10 d systern, far mere legal provs-
iors go much the same as that which now exists.
Til 1853 these two systems went on slmultsne-
ously, the public money bemg distributed between
them in proportion TO the number of their scholars.
The Wsrd School system gradually gained IN point
OF numbers and expenditure upon that OF the Pdohc
School Society; yet down to 1852 the Pubic School
Socety kept The lead, morethan half the entire num-
Der OF pupils beiDg stlI under their cha'ge. nego-
tiatlon for the union OF the sw' systems commenced
10 1850, and vas carried into effect in August l-53.
b. virtue of that srraIg ,ment The Public School So
ceiy had fifteen out Of the forty.four members Of
the Board OF Education 10 hoid Office till the end
Of tie ensuing year, ard three out OF the eight
Trustees in each Ward in which the Society bad
had schools, of whom the last have oaly s'ne out
Of Office with the clcse Of he last Jear'
This slight historical sketch will suffice 10 show
that the constitution Of the managing boards Of our
public schools has recently undergone very serious
change. Our schools, instead OF being largely under
the control Of a select and permanent body of ind
yicua., who.e known public spirit. energy of
character and devotion to the cause Unpopular edu-
cation had been the reasons Of their being selec'ed
to FL that important position have passed under the
exclusive management of men placed IN authority
according to the ordinary motrSes uPoG which party
Nominations are commonly made for municipal OF
ices. L, IS indeed true thai since 1912 part, and
constantly ncIea,iDg part, OF the management OF
opr pubic schools has been n the hsnds of Trustees
and Commissioners elected by the wards as at
present. But there are several circumstances
which make il quite unsafe to argue from the char
ac,er our elected school officers in the past, as to
what is reasonably 10 be expected from them IN the
future. The Ward School system az the beginning
was but s small affair The amounts TO b. ex
pended were comparatively small the patronage TO
be- exercised Through the medium Of trusteeships
was but limited. The competition with the Pubic
School Society demanded strict economy and d
laborious d,chaIge Of the duties. Seats al tne
Bosrd of Education or as school orhcers oil Tue
wards bad but little attraction except Tor those
who fclt real interest in the subject ana VINO
knew something about It. Hence the "Hd
Schools DO less than those Of the School SOCIETY,"
bad ,be ya,t advantage Of beng looked after oy
those who made il labor Of love; while the rIva'ry
between the two systems, however serious Us DIS
advantage. in other respects gaze TO the operation
Of both systems the consciousness Of actiae under
inspection.
The important place in the eyes of the pubic
which the school system las come 70 occuPy-the
amount of money constantly snd largely increasing
of which the school officers have tAe disbursement