The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-04-06
From the Family and School Journal.
EXCITEMENT IN BOSTON!

1He cChOtWS DtdWe ~ TWHtPue W. We fe-
Hg,ous Ersreisesi- The Scholars Dismissed
The Excitement Spreading.
BosTos, March 10th, 1859.
Mr.. EDITOR "A considerable excitement
was occasioned at the North End School
yesterday, in consequence of some rather
unusual proceedings at the Eliot School,
North Bennett Street.
The school at the present time contains
almost seven hundred and fifty scholars, of
whom upwards of three quarters are chill
dren of Irish parents. The Committee of
this School District is composed OF the fol-
lowing persons:
George Fabyan, f. D. G. Palmer, A. B.
Hall, NJ &. Greene, C. A. Turner,J F. james,
VIM. A. Kruger.
The Teachers of the School are
Samuel w. Mason, Prin., Lucian Hunt,
Usher, McLauren F. Cooke, Sub Prin, Alb
by Marsh, Head Assistant besides twelve
female assistant teachers.
The reading OF the Bible in the Public
Schools has always been insisted upon by
various School Committees of Boston, and
up TO the present time very little trouble
has resulted, now and then an isolated case
Of resistance occurring.
We have examined the School Reports of
Boston for the past wenty-three years, and
find that the following regulations in this
matter have been in force.
In ls36-The morning exercises of all the
schools in each room shall commence with
prayer and reading the scriptures.
In is39-It is recommended by the Board
that the morning exercises Of all The schools
commence with reading the Scripture and
prayers.
1s5l-The morning exercises of all the
schools shall commence with the reading of
the Scripture, and the Board recommend
that the reading be followed with prayer by
the master.
1s53-The morning exercises of all the
schools shall commence with the reading
OF the Scripture in each room by the teach
er thereof, and the Board recommended
that the reading be followed with prayer.
1S58-The morning exercises of all the
schools shall commence with reading a por-
tion of Scripture, in each room, by the teach
er, and the Board recommended that the
reading be followed with the Lords Prayer,
repeated BY the teacher alone, or chanted
by the teacher and children in concert, and
that the afternoon service close with appro-
pirate singing. and also that the pupils learn
the Ten Commandments and repeat them
once week.
1t will be seen that in 1886 the regulations
simply require the reading of selections oi
Scripture and prayer at the commencement
of school. In 1899, the reading of Scrip
ture and prayer appears in the regulations
as recommendation of the Board. In 1851
the Board made the reading of the Scripture
imperative, and recommended tina, this
reading be followed with prayer. In 1853
it is specified that the reading of Scripture
shall be by the teacher and the Board rec.
commended that the reading be followed
with prayer.
We now come TO the regulations OF the
present Board, adopted after a careful review
of the subject several years since, Rev. DR.
f.otbrop being one of the committee whc
framed the rule. This rule makes it imper'
alive for the teacher of each room TO read
The Scriptures at the commencement of the
proceedings; the Board also recommend thai
The readings be followed by the Lords Pray.
er, repeated by the teacher alone, or chant
ed by the scholars, and also that the pupils
learn the Ten Commandments and repeat
them once week.
Such are the rules and recommendations
of the School Committee. 1t is stated thai
the Subcommittee of the Eliot School, in
accordance with the recommendations o.
the General Committee, have directed the
teachers of that School 10 readthe Scriptures
to have the Lords Prayer chan,ed, and the
Ten Commandments repeated. This rule
has been followed for some time, and has
not met by opposition TO any extent by eth
er parents or scholars. A boy might pu
his fingers into his ears, or he might fail to
repeat certain passages Of The Lords Pray
er, without any notice of the matter, and
there have been cases where an addition
has been made of some OF ,he sentences ot
the prayers of the Roman Church.
Yesterday morning, however, Mr. Mason,
the master, Tor the first time noticed that
there was concerted movement on the
parts of the pupils in the room.
They failed to place themselves in the
usual devotional attitude, but stared at each
other as il TO gain support, and scarcely a
response was heard as the master proceed
ed to repeat the Lords Prayer. 1t was evi
dent that they were acting under instruc'
tions from without OF this, however, the
master took no notice, but afterwards allud.
ed TO it IN the presence of Mr.. Isaac H. Haz
elton, member of the School Committee
for another district, who was at the school
on other matters. Mr.. Hazelton made in.
quiries of the pupils, and found in one di.
vision no less than forty who did not hesi-
tate TO state that they had been intructed
by their parents and the Rev. MIR. Wiset,
clergyman ofSt Mary's Church, Edlncott
street not 10 chant the prayer, repeat the