New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-06
THE BIBLE IN THE SCHOOLS.

The opening of the Public Schools, yesterday. was
of more than ordinary interest in consequence OF the
action of the Board Of Education, in June last, In
tended to compel the residing Of the b bic
in all the Schools of the city. The result
has shown that the power of the Board over
the Schools, popularity supposed to be under
its control, is very slight Previous to the
passage of the now famous bylaw, portion of Scrip
ture was read every morning in the schools of all the
wards except the ith 9Th, and llth-ani in two de-
psrtments of the It'll, also--it is the same now.
The Local School Boards, which assume the power
10 regulate the Schools, far as the reading OF the
Bible is concerned, have their way, as mater OF
course; they can instantly dismiss any te,cher who
should presume to obey the Board of Education
against their will. In but single one OF the three
non-Bible reading wards have the local Boards done
the Board of Education the courtesy to notice lis
action The mapiste of the Fourth Ward School
officers prohibiting the reading Of the Bible in any
Fourth Ward school is on record; the Board of Edu
cation can read it. In the Sixth the old routine ls
continued; the inertia Of the Sixth Ward il too
great to be overcome by any bylaw of the central
Board Only in the Fourteenth Ward has the loo 81
Board paid the Board Of Education the compliment /
contradiction; here the following order has been
served on the TEACHER:
A, meetn. the Board Of Tusees Of Common School, of
the Fourteenth Ward the 5 Of August last the following
resolution uusumonsy adopted: -.
kd That the 'Syel. soepa in The ssaS. 81 bd the
or Departments heretofore aud that the Secretary notify the
said principals Of TIE action Of this B9sJd ursr
MANY OF the teachers are in deep doubt as to the
meaning of the bylaw of the Board of Education,
and indeed it is not very clear whose duty 1t is made
to do the actual reading. The by law says:
p,hIc of fhia eifu urda uris-
dcon Board Of Education shall BE- opened oy the reading
Of portion Of Holy Scriptures without note or comment
school. under the jurisdiction Of this Board to report 70 The
proper Board Of Trustee. and to this Board any violation OF this
bylaw; which repoT, shall be annexed TO the Pay Roll
The remaining sections OF the bylaw are more ex-
pioit at least the teachers think so:
ssc ]? The situation OF tesc her shs be forfeited by
w violation q any rule regulation o, tai, Board and no
sucn teacher shall thereafter be employed in any school unless
he forfeiture RENTED BY this Board Every principal shall
report the proper Bosd " Trustees aud 70 this Board all vo
sog BY Of TIE ROLES S and as 81 n
pay roll shall contain allegation h. the principal
las reported OF the violation by teacher included
in The pay I Of the rules and regasions oi ths
SIC IS No psymn. shall be made 70 teacher IN whose case
II Section II aforesaid shall take saect from and after
the ls' dy Of August is and SECTORS ana 10 Oh 'ne ~
said Articie s. shall take efec, immediately
Certainly there are many important questions in.
VOWED A Principal in a Femsle Department told us
Yesterday, that she had not been supplied with
private, personsl Bblei it was the business of the
Board OF Education TO provide one and then she would
know which version she was to read. much
respected Principal of Male Department thought
that ne could not obey the Board by reading the
Douay version, because the State law mentioned the
resdiIg of the Bible without note or comment and
there was comma after Bible.
This is not the end. There will be long litigation
at the expense of innocent tescbers, and probably
decision upon some technical point, which will leave
the whole question open before. But the action
of the educational authorities great and small in the
matter, shows, perhaps more clearly than ever be-
fore that whether the Board Of Educaton as at pres
EFT constituted, have a desire to make our public
school system good one or not is matter OF very
little consequence, since its powers are chiefly con-
fred to an expenditure OF money without adequate
results and to expenditure Of time and votes with
out re.ults at all.