The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-21

Loo A l. EWs
prulc scnoors We are informed thai the sab9oined
memorial is nov being circulated m this city ior sigma
tures
10 he honorable ne s1.as and HAs q RrvessrpasS q
az EHiod Saaz h Cbagress assembled The unaeisiSheu'
oiti1ans Of Washington beg leave most repeciislg W
call the srtenton OF your honorable bodies 10 the pre-
condition and future prospects Of the pubhc schools
That the cause Of public education demands the sen
consideration Of Congress the following J' VIII
show
FVs-rhs Present. sysen
The existing system OF public schools established
in Iss5 and all that could be expected from IL
There are school districts, embracing thirty
schools employing forty teachers, and giving IN
struction 20 I, 400 children.
Five school houses are owned bv the city, the remain
ing schools occupying Of churches and such
other places the trustees with their limited means can
procure.
Sscaad.-Ths Sasishes q the cs~ss # ls57
census Of the children between the ages Of 1--WE and
eighteen has been recently taken by the authority OF
the CITY, and the following facts obtained thereffom
1. The number OF children between the ages OF nrc
and eighteen Is Thousand six hundred and ninety
seven
2 Three thousand three hundred and twenty eight OF
this number are in private schools
g. Two thousand four hundred in public schools
4 Five thousand sixty nine In school at all
s. The public schools cannot accommodate twenty hve
4 per cent of the number of ehldrcnof the city
The simple of the above facts carefully as
oertaned sends It's warning voice through all rAnks Of so
cety forctelng with unerriDg certainty the black cata
logue of crime which ignorance will surely bring on TINS
CITY as the thousands of unedncated youth develop into
manhood
Third Means
From our peculiar position and relation to the national
/ government curtailed in our means
We have no commercial manufacturing relations.
More than thrceourhs Of the citizens directly or In
al sapfny
of every administration there is change OF large class
citizens thereby destroying any permanent interest IN
our public schools
But far greater difficulty lies In the fact that not one
\ third of the property in the city is taxable
Again large class of citizens are not residents and
are consequently exempt from taxation
g. To proper accommodations for public schools
by tax citizens and all taxable property OF every
description would make tax many times larger than
that levied similar purposes in any other city or town
| in the United States. ,
private absolutely requires that something be done speed
| lily.
In view OF the above facts and of utter inability
TO provide better promote public education, we
most earnestly but respectfully appeal to your honorable
bodies to aid by either money lands in securing
such liberal provision for the system OF this
District as is with that high grade of in
tecence respect for law and love of order which should
the inhabitants of the metropolis of this great
nation
SMITHSONIAN IsaTuRa.-IAst evening Rev T. L. Cuyler
lecturcd before crowded and apprecatiye audience at
the Smithsonian Institution '4On London. The lectu-
rer gave pleasant sketch Of the leading features OF the
great metropolis showing how its twoanda-half millions
Of inhabitants live labor and die OF the national gal
Iery he said that the sweetest female countenance he saw
in Europe the Madonna OF Sasso FeErao, and he did
despair of seeing in this country free art galleries as
the natural result of free education From the national
gallery his audience to the houses of Parliament
of which and Of the most prominent men, Palmerston,
Bright DIsraei Roebuek and Brougham he gave des-
crption and took occasion bestow extrayagant en-
comum ON the new hall of representatives He considers
Congress imposing body than Parliament Queen
Victoria and Prince Albert photographed very
pleasantly and great many Of the social pecuarite OF
Brother Bull were touched off with skilful pencil.
Bunhl Field battle-ground gave opportunity for an eio-
quent allusion John Bunyan the prince of dreamers
spurgeon sthe modern whitfield next and the lee
turer related several anecdotes of that celebrated preacher
whom be considers sound in matter although eccentric
in style The lecturer concluded by graphic description
of London by night from the top of the monu
ment. Mr. Cuyler frequently interrupted by ap-
pIause and his address seemed to give great satisfaction
to his audience We do protest. however, against biz
elaborate aluson to great blot the world of London
Moralists and political economists do not ignore thu
crimes and oles of society but the topics of lecture
hall should be select those of drawing Lep
rosy must be confined to the lazar-house
| COLONIZATION SocKTY.--Presdent Latrobe being in
Europe the senior vice president Hon Elisha White
ey occupies the chair at the present session The nan
cal position of the society very encouraging the last
year receipts having been se7 1857 95 of which s45
900 was the generous donation Of David Hunt, esq OF
Mississippi All outstanding debts have been paid
Among other interesting portions OF the proceeding
are the addresses of the Rev Messrs Bowen and seys
both of whom have aborcd missionaries in Africa Mr.
seys the founder of colony called Careysrile some
miles back in the interior from Liberia, where civilization
has been successfully and permanently introduced.
The Mary Caroline Stevens which belongs to the so
ciety has made two voyages and is absent this
third ON her first voyage she carried 2l7 emgrants
ON the second 20T and the third, 1853. Total born
free, 63 slaves, 5s4.
wAsIsGros THEArRE-Agncs Robertson continues to
elicit enthusiastic applause by her consummate acting
which attracts fashionable and crowded audiences 1t il
seldom that individual combines many hstrionic
exoellences accompanied by the charms Of youth and
beauty Her representations of Irish lads very clever
and the so because they not caricatures.
Tonight Mr. Bourcicaut appears again, and will doubt
less attract his admirers. He is actor OF
ability and the fact that he performs In pieces of h
composition lends additional interest his perform
ances Mr.. and Mrs Sloan evidently thoroughly &C
nrainttd with business of M