The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-23
THE BIBLE QUESTION.
ITS History-The Action OF tho Board OF
Education.


The minority Of the Committee on By Laws, Rules and
Regulations deem IL due TO themselves, 70 those who
concur them sentiment and to the great cause Of
public education, TO present the reasons which con-
strained them TO oppose the yaws compelling the read
Ing OF the Bible all the public schools reported by that
committee and adopted by the Board Of Education at t
meeting the 18th Of June last. Our existing school
system originated in the complaints, whether well or Ill
founded Of portion OF the community that the puohc
education Of this city, which then under the exclusive
charge and control OF the Public School Society a pody
vested with the expenditure Of the public money IL
though all its essential features, close oorporsuon)'
was conducted operate injurousy 10 tne resous
views In consequence of these complaints law was
passed on the llh of April lS4a entitled San Act to ex-
tend to the City and County OF New York the provisions
of the general act relation Common Schools being
the law operative in the rest of the State.
II WAC provided by the said act Of 1912, As fol-
lows No school above mentioned (being the
schools then exisiing) which shall be orga
nzed under this act, in which any religious
sectsran doctrine tenet shall be taught nculcased
pracssed shall receive any portion of the school moneys
to be distributed by this ac, and made the duty
Of the school Off in each ward Aad OF the Deputy
perntendent Gas frequently need be, to examine and
ascertain and report TO the said Board Of Educaon whe
Their any religious secarian doctrine tenet shall have
been taught ncucated pracsed any o. the schools
in their respective wards" No provision whatever
included in the law Of s42 in reference TO the of the
Bible in any OF the schools THIS omission was IN accor
dance with the policy Of the SCHOOL system OF the State
established in 1918, which It the declared object OF
the Law OF 1912 TO exena 10 the ciy and which lett the
reading OF the Bible within the discretion of argei
with the management OF each school, without any attempt
to control the matter by seSers directions
The establishment OF schools 10 January, 1913, under
the lax Of lS42 followed Dy complaints that portions
of Of the books used ia them we're OF a Sec
tarap religious Character a. 10 these we're aided com
nils nfS hat Ia rot ar ~ ~ n
portion Of the schools, was aso secarsn faese
paints fully invssIg gated by Committee of the
Board OF Educatop, alter the presentalion us
report February 90 lSi3) series OF revolutions, with
preamble were submitted or adoption bS tue Hon. john
Sosson. now of The Superior Court. These resolutions
OF great importance, because they sstei the rsa
ton which system Ct public education TO
the exstns religious orsaoizatous The pTean ole, and
the FIRST, second and fourth resolutions adopted
without opposition and tee third fesOlut by q vote of
24toS The first resolution declared thai the Of any
book, containing IN any form " composition dis.
tnctye doctrine o., soy matter Whatever specially
favorable TO, aoy denomination Of nomnA snaus
or any eolt OF condemnation of any Other deronn alton
was violation Of The prohibition against "teachipg or
inculcstirg' any "eectarisn doctrine tenet The
declared that the ooser vance OF any
"resious custom, Lher OF worship other wise peca.
liar 10 any one dissemination vas to be regarded
"pracising tectaraE doJrine TENET within the
meaning OF the law.
The third resolution NJ follows
That, in the opinion OF this Board the of the holy
schools embraced within ssd act prohibited there
by on the contrary this Board tue use OF
The fourth resolution merely declined 10 discriminate
between the different versions OF the Bible The effect
OF these resolutions 10 prohibit any book incucarg
the distinctive doctrine Of denomination whatever
but 10 allow the OF those oich aired matter
though OF religious Character, in which Christians gene
rally concurred and TO tha. the Bible of what
ever version was not sectaran leaving and every
book within the rule thus estsb shs1 be used
might be determined by the rusteee Of respective
wards This has been the basis the subject OF
religion concerned, upon which school syetam has
rested from that day until meeting Of this Board
viii Hhi Z
will be haImouzirg in its operation ~ accord With
character az Christian geo DE- irrespecye o, the Goa.
hctng organizations into which Christians unforu-
nhtely divided.
The Legislature in tia. time passed april 49,
1S43) act amending school Law partcu
lars Of which extended the prohibition agsns se,ta
ransm to the Of apy book books containing sec
tartan compositions" In Jolly following the Trustees OF
the Fourth ward presened repo the Board OF Etuca
ton setting forth that certain portions of of the
books used in the schools objected by the Je vs.
certain portions by the Unversaas that the Roman
Catholics objected the OF Protestant version OF
IL be ras o. ss Terre d
committee, who presented report upoa the subject
;Smgsned by two Issou'lSns These were adopted on
that there were no well founded objections TO the books
complained of, by vote Of q to 6; and the second
which declared that the Bible, without note comment
was not sectarian" within the meaning OF the Law and
that liz use was not intended to be prohibited thereby
by vote OF 90 u. The resolution OF the previous year
in respect to the versions BILE was also readoped
Tie Legislature OF 1874 passed new school law, in
and the Of the Bible in the schools were few
merely verbal exceptions precisely as in the pre-
sent law, which latter was passed in 1851, aud Will
subsequently considered On the 18th of November 1874
the County Superintendent having reported the 30 ard
of Education that the reading Of Bible of the
ward schools was prohibited by the ward officers the
ground that the be sregious sactariau in
struciion, within the meaning OF the law, the Board
adopted resolution declaring that 'the bble without
note or comment is not sectaran book, and that the
reading portion thereof ct the opening Of the school
not violation Of the law"
On the 18th Of December, 1874, an attempt made
TO pass resolutions declaring that the omission
BIB in any school violation Of the school law and
would precluoe any school or schools 20 offending from
participating in or being entitled 10 any portion the
school moneys but the resolutions lad upon the
table by a vote of 20 to Ia.
similar attempt made on the 7th Of January
lS45. but the resolutions referred to the Committee
on Amendment of the School Law. When their report
was presented it was amended to propose modi.
cation OF the law of lSi4 whereby the Board Of Educaon
ehouio have the power to decide what books should be
used or read In the echoo out should power 10
omit the Bible from such list, though IL might authorize
an omission TO read the Bible any school upon
picaton OF the school o;efs OF the ward There was
also further poviso that the school officers the ward
shouo IN all cases determine what versi OF the Bible
should be used and tue m,nner and extent or using
readine me Same The amendments to the Law
by the Board Of Education adopted by the egs
aure, and the matter remained without further agitation
from the year 1915 until last year the provisions OF
law OF 1851, adopted mean ~bie, baing above stated
Substantially re enactment Of the law OF 1874
during al this tine peace aud harmony prevailed and
the schools advanced IN their and character
and N The benefits they we're copferng upoa aocety
heats expand with the indications OF Increasing go,d to
our race. 30 W
The wise and liberal adjustment OF the subject of rel
sous suction made by the fathers Of school sys
tenn in is Infancy above shown resutea as yas oat
natural IN an increasing hold upon the the pupils
and Increasing manifestations conuuct of those
great principles and rules Of which Bole is the ONLY
foundation This result Will fully appear by the fol-
lowing extract from the report the City
who 49, himself, earnestly favor Of the reading OF ,ne
Bible In all our bubc schoos:--
In all our public schools and departments with very few
snd pconsderabe exceptions the each day s
commenced by the readi Bible bv .be
principal or some one ct the school, Sed b. tos
eoenn OF reyeren repetition OF the Lords Prs by the
pupils and teachers singing oi one or
appropriate CHRISTIAN and nrsjse
In many OF them theee devotional Al
the close OF the school In ali OF th,m without rolary er
cepuon frequent ara Appropriate intervals day
songs imoued with the principles .ty
form portion OF the ofnHructon and are oarp ..d
In by al the pupis. in all Of without s,itary ercen
ton Lessons and peceP,s Of virtue and thrasn
interdents WRITER'S the Fundamental princpIss of re
Ron recognized and enforced The and
city Of rc. honesty aud integrity undertaking truhfulnsss