New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-24


of every window- curtain connagration or t'e-stuo-
brig accident, have wholly neglected this matter.
TIE Sprine field RtpRbiitdn Of Monday made some
statements about it, personal to Mr. A. Il: Rogers,
a member OF The last Executive Council, under
whose advice the last installment was paid. These
statements The Journal and The httas an Dee
contradict; but as the personal controversy
il of no interest or importance, i shall not
trouble YOU with it. In general terms the charge
ia that the last nstalmept of scrip paid to the con-
tractors am uniting to $50, 0OO was PAID before the
conditions Of the act were complied with; that the
contractor has been paid $50, 900 for work which
did not cost over Sl5,0 600 or 10000; that ne has
made money enough during the last year to reIm-
burse him for previous losses, and that twill be Tor
his interest TO renquish the work unless the cry
of Boston can be induced to loan its credit II the
Governor and Council have been humbugged, when
do not pretend TO say, il is not O matter OF very
great suiprife. When / began this letter was
fully resolved TO give you an idea OF the loan act,
and TO explain wherein it il alleged TO nave Deeh
eynded; but find myself wholly unable, alter the
most careful study to comprehend 1t. And iur-
thermore. | do not believe there is man IN the
state except the one who drew the bill, and the one
who drew the money under it, who can explain II
70 the comprehension Of minds OF Ordl-
nary intelligence Over 100 lines OF 1t
are in one single sentence, interspersed
with commas, and semi-colons, and colons,
which mislead the reader rather than aid HIM; and
the "saids," and "aforesaids," and " IN additions,
and "abOye specifeds" and "provideds, run back
ward and forward and dodge fither and thther
connecting. for aught you know, line 100 with line
l. ard battling the most searching inquiston into
tie intentions of tie Legislature. L am decidedly
opposed to the practice of putting questions to the
Judges of the Supreme Court, for the purpose OF
elicting answers which are to form the basis OF
legislation: but conets | should like to see their
L. L. Jo bu tha contamination
this statute and as the Council is again called upon
TO visit the Tunnel for the purpose OF satisfying
themselves as 10 the propriety OF handing over
another nstament of scrip, it Is by no means IN
probable that they may avail themselves OF ther
constitutional privilege, and summon Judge SHAW
and his associates to give an opinion: linen we
shul be fully reyenged upon the Court lot ltS sS Vi
omission and commission of the last ten years.
lam r. minded here of the fact that a JOINT Com
miftee of the LEGISLATURE consisting OF the judiciary
Committees of the Senate and House. nave reported
in favor of amending the Constitution by abQlIshIng
the article which allows the Legislature and the
Governor and Council to require the Court 10 an
swer questions of constitutional law. The lmme-
date stimulus to this movement ia the interference
of the Governor and the Codrt with the amendment
which the Legislature proposed to the militia laws;
but the question is old one, and the demand Tor
the proposed change rests on general and SOUND
PRINCIPLES 1t is generally understood that the
Judges themselves DESTROYS OF having this clause
annulled An amendment has also been reported
making Judges of Probate and Insolvency subject
10 election by the people, for such terms as the
Legislature may prescribe and am informed that
another will be reported limiting the tenure OF
Office of the Supreme Judges. / do not know how
it happens that the judiciary Committees e get
ting such radical nOtOns but probably the Judges
nre themselves to blame. They have so seryllely
followed precedent, and so subsequently tagged ut
he hoo nf tha DrPsldpl
by MIR. fancy at Washington, that the people have
lost much of their traditional respect for them.
The anti-free- schOOl agitatOrs have been making
a stir in the Legislature, or before the Committee
on Education. Mr.. Secretary Boutwell, met them
there and in speech of two or three hours Vlndl-
Gated the wisdom of our present educational sys-
tenn in mastery manner. When 1t Is considered
how impregnable is the ground on which this
system stands it is extremely notifying TO reflect
upon the diseraceful cOwardice OF the men IN the
last Legislature who were so frightened by the
noise of few score of prudential committee men
and as many more village demagogues, that they
consented TO the repeal of the law abolishlng the
schOol-district system. / have no idea that the
macOntents could control two thousand votes IN
the whole State. Their present demand Is that the
school fund shall be distributed among the cities
and towns; that the Board of Education shall be
abolisbed: the normal schools discontinued; the
cfice of experimenting Committee abolished, and
everything be left to the districts and the pruden.
tial committees thereof This would be step
backward toward barbarism, which will never
be taken Mr.. Boutwell, showed the petitioners
that they had no claim whatever upon the
school fund.- that it belonged to the State, and
not to the towns and cities; that it was estab.
lished out of the proceeds of the sales of
public lands, and the money being thus diverted
from the general treasury and the deficit having to
be supplied by taxation if it should be distributed
to any parties, il should 60 where the taxable prop
erty is. In that case, Boston would be entitled to
one third of it. But Boston makes no demand for
il. I he most wealthy and intelligent places are
content that the fund should be used as 1t now Isl
one moiety of it for stimulating educational activity
and thoTougbness by means of the Board Of Educa
ton, the Normal Schools Lectures Teachers, In
stiiutes &C.. and the other mOety for distribution
to the towns and cities, on condition Of making an
nual returns of the condition 4 the schools val
gar demagogue named Bry ant, of the town of Mans
field, is the originator OF this agitation in favor OF
ignorance. Among his charges is, that the School
Fund has diminished in value $3.50, 600 in year.
He has repeated this falsehoOd, after full axpana-
ton has been made to him. by letters from the Treas
urer of the State. The amount of the fund was
stated TO be $4,000 less in 1889, than in 1855.
This was the result Of q law of the Commonwealth,
directing the Auditor to estimate certain securities
at their market value, instead of their prospective
value Not dollar OF the fund has been alb
stracted or wasted.
The Senate and House are at variance in relation
TO the Board of Overseers of Harvard College.
These officers used to be elected in joint cOnyention
but the law was unwisey changed last year, and
they are now chosen by concurrent vote. caucus
was held which was apparently conducted with fair
ness and the result of which was the nomination of
a ticket representing the different religious opinions
of the community. The Senate, however, bolted
this Ticket with the execution of one name, and