New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-03
BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The Board Of Education was 10 have held meeting
on Wednesday evening but failed TO get quorum 1t
was generally understood that the Committee By
Lass would make report on the reading Of the Bible
in tho Schools, which may perhaps account for the
number Of ebsentee3 who not far from the Hall.
AT tie calling Of the roll the following members were
Samuel Avid. Jared A. Tifo1 1ss James NJ ruta. wiu,n
r. Ess5 u Ds,si Gosc psG,e ] sl0is Jgna,han L. se9g
CusnIng jr, VIM. II Nelson Wn L. Curtis Wm Monelth,
Oliver H. Lee John Davenport Lafayette Rsrney James Mar
Iiicn
Hag1 C,os0, Eagene S.tee Taona, F:ge,ad, Wa sil'
cir. Rehaya BauY Wm. W. Treed John X Lgeetey, Wan
Il CLARK Aaron b Roi1s, Gso.ge vac, I~r. Aiacseaa,
AsTshs@ v sW', & GUyfa & 6,aT%a F, Ane o'p
s'i snco Far.y, r. Hugh mccaoc' JOIN kecGe.
Those marked in tscs in after the Adjournment
Tie Report which was by the Committee on by.
Laws cominerces by giving the history Of the Sch ol
Law IN relation TO The reuding Of the Bible in the
schools II first School Law lS2 extended the State
system to this city, ard provided that 10 scacol ="
(which any religious scctarian doctrine, or tenet,
20 shonlo /. taught rculoated pIaciced should re-
" ceive any portion OF the school moneys" Under
this Act in February 1873 the following resolution
was adopted by the Board Of Education:
R,oea That in the opinion Of this Boad, the Use q The
Holy SCRIPTURES without note comment IN all OF any Of TIE
sbt OLE embraced within -ai A., he Act 1870 not pro-
use % the sanc il al tho schools
In 1913 the Act was amended by extending the pro.
containing any sect rian COMPOSITIONS should be used
in the coul Sc OF instruction" The first school was
opened in January, lsi3 Under these provisions 10
July 1873 a new election having brougls in maiori
ty OF new members. it was insisted that the common
version of the Bible used by Proesauts should be sx-
cluded Il sectsIisn book. An elaborate report on
the sub ct was made to the Board of Education by
Special Committee OF the Board and i'll pursuance OF
the recommendation of tho Committee, resolution
WAS adopted bv majority Uf ~ to Z, that the Bible
w. not d" sectarian within The meaning OF the law,
and the use Of the Bible in the schools was recon-
monded by the Board In lSi4 the whole School Law
for the city was revised and provision inserted deny
ing all authority to the Board of Educatonto eNcue
" the Holy Scriptures without note or comment or any
selections hoTefrom from any OF the schools proyd
ed for by this Act and III these particulars the Law
remains unchanged 10 this day.
Ca the 9TH day Of May last, the fJIowing preamble
and resolution offered BY member OF the Board
HSeaa, Tits Board ha. beard s re. tl. :bc Bse or
the reading Of the BtL hi been eScudd T., N he fdohe
schools in tire Fourth WaId by tho seaoo. CHcers o sad
Ke.olrca That herca,r al the Pth sch9q Of ti' 'i,.
w der ae jurisdiction ol,s Board be opened by .he reading
Of portion of The Holy Scriptures without note or Comment
A large amount OF business was then awaiting the
action of the Board and The resolution was laid On tho
table without discussion. At the meeting Of June },
Immediately after tie Jou-Oa WAS read the iucs by
unanimous const 1T were suspended - give the SUBJ
iect the preference al others. Tins brought on
again the discussion of 1891 az 10 the power OF the
Board in the premises which occupied the whole of
long session Ii suotod with the earne-tness,
good temper and evident sincerity which belong 10 40
important a subject 1t resutea IN the adoption Of the
following preamble and resolution:
BhCreGs II ia due 20 the hsal;ic moral trAnss O. he p'
rs well position Christian people that tae Bi
be whou; uoe oomIneni DC Foad al TIE oleang OF our
Rcol.s That tbs Ba,d met cordially reoomen4s 70 ths
vious Boarcs Of SCHOOL Ofces at tn iTsc. be obseei
IL the Ward Grammar and Pri SeLo' in lis 'i;J with
Ia their Jurisdiction. rc,pcciyely. .
The preamble was adopted without calling the yeas
ard aysthc resolution was adopted by the foh)"ing
vote:
lss-Messr. Tmps,n, LecGmpe, crc;eI, Shine Eii,,T-
Gii, sleeve, Ct So, SiscSta1 wi.m' ss5acia Bum
nell Gr,eI Bcucd, Hssket, Ad.a Cashine ClTtis, Mon
;e,,h Da,,erPer'. sspney, oK','e' NarineT-.a
At the session Of uy :, a communication from with
ont. signed by John Il. VooIhis, Erastus Brooks,
John LLOYD, Simeon BaliSin, aid sN other persons
sgain brCugL. the subject before tie Board, with
request that the Board wonl adopt regulation d.
"rcctirg that portion OF the bible be read daily
"by tue tc schers IN each Of the Public schools Of the
CITY" This was laid the able Ill the other bn:
Of the Board VAS comDseIed, when, on t1e same
evening, with o.Ltr resolutions Oh tie slime Subject u
was reie,red 10 this Committee
The Committee have thIs historically skrtched the
action Of this Board this subject during Is Whole
,xistcnce, that tsSor sistclt course may be known
The Bosrt has always recommended the Use of the
Bible in s the Schools. II has always doubted is
power to enforce il by penalties iorl,i.urcs Uner
This deliberate and settled policy OF this ard, the
Trustees of the Ward Schools III the city followed the
recommendation of the Board, except 10 the Fourth,
sixth and Fourteenth WNds, in which uniformly
since 49,, the Bible has not been read ia tie original
Wsrd schools Those Schools IN each OF these wards
which had belonged to the Public school Society have
contnued to read the Bible, except No. l. IN WAhan
street which discontinued II in Apru last. IhIs
change IN No. | is the only change known to the Com
mit,te in thirteen years last past.
Counting al the departments essspara:s .chool' as
required BY law, aud roudip- the Free Academy aui
the Normal Schools, there are ~ sch"nt' In al
tleac the Bbc u r, .uary read at .he daily opeainS
Of the scioos e,c-,t n No |. ia tie Fo.rth Ward,
-. h1.. r-r.L--. ..--.-N.i ~ u.