Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-27

DER OF the Board OF Education, commune
cate to you the Report of the Superintendent,
showing the state of our Schools for the last
year, with request that you would order the
same to be Published
| The financial accounts of the Public
Schools are kept and furnished TO you by
| your Treasurer, and it is therefore unneces-
sary to make out an account of our expendi-
lures and receipts. The books and vouchers are
at oil times ready to be produced aud our Secre-
tary sciu furnish them Uhen desired
FRANCIS B. FOGG
President Board of Education.
This is a very brief way of telling tax-pay-
| ers what has been done with some $50, 600 of
their property. That the Treasurer of the
| city keeps the accounts of the Public Schools
| is certainly new idea How can the Treas
urer know what amount of books, &C., have
been bought by Mr.. Pearl. at what price
bought and sold, and the amount of stock on
| hand? How can he know when Mr.. P. is or
| dered TO buy 30 gallons of ink at 80 cents,
why he should buy AZ gallons at 60 cents?
(See voucher ard minutes of the Board)
How can the Treasurer know how to keep the
accounts without even having the voucherss
He keeps ihe accounts of his oscn Office to
show what money he had received and paid
out on checks; but to call this keeping the
accounts of the Public Schools is absurd. 1t
| simply let's the people know that above $780,
| 600 of their money has been paid out, wheth-
er prudently or not is for them to guess.
Again, "it is therefore unnecec, ssary to
make an account of our expenditures and
receipts" and this too in the very face of
the law passed December 18th, 1854, which
says they shall snake some annual reports
OF the amount of money expended for Pub
lie Schools, and hoW expended" Do the
Board and Superintendent think laws are
made, like pie-crusts, to be broken. The
I<nlr
to be produced, and our Secretary will fur
nish them when desired All, if they are
ready at all times, how happened i; that a
gentleman outside of the Board had to work
several days on them before they were han
ced over 10 the Committees These youch.
ers are here spoken of as evidence OF pay
lent, yet this was deaied before the con-
mittee, because they were not receipted, and
yet the check-bOok shows that these unre-
ceipted bills have been paid, and that too,
iu many instances in direct violation of the
Boards own rules that all sums paid out
shall be receipted on IL receipt-book kept for
that purpose. The letter of the President is
published in connection with the report of
the Superintendent
In 1858 the report of the Superintendent
is published, but without a single line from
the Board.
The reports of the Superintendent for 1857
and 1858 are literary curiosities, on account
Of his easy disregard for the rules of gram
mar as laid down by such fOgys as Lindsey
Murray, and for the meaning of words and
for the structure of sentences. This / sup
pose accounts for ''the infinite call for home
teachers" 1Dfnitude was once an attribute
OF Deity and his works, but in its new use
does the infinite belong to the calls or to The
number of calls! commend them to the study
of the student. A criticism on them would
be profitable to the pupils of the free school.
Unlike hastely written editorials, they are
tie careful product of a years thought and
labour.
His reports have generally been made in
July, but that for 1859 is dated Oct. LIST.
Jan. 18th, 1860, the Board say, " the very
satisfactory and luminous annual report of
MIR. Superintendent Pearl for the year ending
last summer was lead and ordered to be
communicated to the proper authorities Of
the CITY," yet the manuscript did not reach
the Recorders Office till called on one of
the Board for it, after 1 began writing this
series of articles
read the manuscript but was so "igno-
rant as not to find its luminous properties
more substantial than luminiferous either.
IL Is not yet Published. Why was the delay
as 1t that the people might forget. fiat If
truthful, 1t must contain a histor, III,
Brown game, that continued some three
months, in the teaching hours of the Free
School, and would be an essential part of Il
correct report.
This report for 1860, was accompanied by
not single line from the Board. Why do
not the Board report here as they do in other
placesY Are the people beneath their no.
tice, or is education thing of no value?
]. W. DOLBEAR.
P. S.-Wiil the Board be so kind as to re-
turn the minutes of the Board to the Record
er's office, where they were kept before be-
gan publishing these articles. True, l have
some further notes which I took before the
minutes were withdrawn, but wish to have
further access to them; and the people wish
to compare my statements and the COM
Eittee's, to see who is correct.
For the Board to ask for a committee who
report against the correctness OF my state
ments, and then Withdraw the records from
which l had quoted and on which / based |
my statements, is rather an uneqal game,
besides, it appears to me that the Board owe |
it to themselves to treat the people in such |
manner as not to lead them to believe the |
Board unwilling to have their original re-