Daily national Democrat., 1860-03-07
Communication from tbe 1Tovor

'N",'HS III person Whatever of r,.-
commentator or suggestion | had to ,,olo
10 you when IN Council. Had it been deem
ca eNPedleht or necessary to recommend
tne adoption of measures. other th"n
'"oSe presented IN my inaugural meseooe
iei"ViFe 10 the security, health, clearli.
ness and ornament Of the city and th. inn.
proVeheht OF its government or had tbcr.
Oee'i ialIure Ito maintain the peace and
good order OF the city" your attention would
nave been promptly called to the subject and
your immediate action invoked upon if The
same Officers who report to you quarterly
STATEMENTS OF the situation and couliiion If
the cry IN relation to its finances would
nave 10 derive my information from to mnkn
u formal general statement When sub-
mltted to you it would he but the pencrnliz,.
Iioh ol the particulars aud details SET firth in
Tue reports OF the officers referred TO- Fo,
.1e feaS situation and condition of the cil,.
III relation TO Its government, its fnuuc,s and
us improvements must always be best shown
"y lhe financial rel orts Of the Citv Clerl,
ana treasurer. The improvements, the eyi-
uehces OF the business activity, prCspelit.
ana growing Importance of our city surround
you and are so plainly visible, that, in INV
humble Judgment, it ought not to reanira
the Mayors official hand to index Won to
them. 1t Is true, there are themes upon
which that tunctiouary, if he be ambitions of
Official parade, can eXpatiate-or ret some
more erudte erson to do it for hin-wifh
seItpieaslng magistrrial echt and buneonle
erect, IN the stereotyped expressions of felici
tntlon employed ON similar great state occa-
sions."
In compliance with requirement of the
city ordinances, | here endeavor to exercise
general supervision over the interests of the
pu' lie schools Of the city, Believing that
no branch Of our city goyernn ent that no
interests OF its citizens equal in public i'm
portance the education OF the common mind
us provided for 10y our system of common
schools, have ayaied myself of YOUR meet
ing to communicate to you for the considera.
ton OF those for whose benefits our schools
are established, such information az that Sill
pervision has furnished me with. NV renort
on this subject was deferred owing to the
inability Of the Secretary of the Board of
school Commissioners to report to me. 1t is
called forth at the present time more narlic
ularly from the fact that the annual city
election is near at hand at which Board Of
School Commissioners for the ensuing yeur
will have to be elected
l have the satisfaction to say that under
the able direction and iudcious management
OF the Board of School Commissioners Sc
lected 10y those for whose benefit the schools
were established, and at whose expense they
are supported, the common schools of our
city have attained in all their departments
high degree Of perfection. For respectable
ty and usefulness they are not surpassed by
the best conducted private schools in the
country. While they are open to all, and
the children OF the poor, the depressed and
the neglected are there furnished with suita-
ble means OF instruction, they have been ren.
dered SO efficient and respectable that the
children of the opulent and of those in all
and situations of life readily
enter.
The main efforts of those who have done
most to make these schools what they are,
have been directed to the education and
training Of the pupils for not only intelli-
gent, but moral members of society.
1t IS but doing simple act of justice of
giving credit where credit is due, to state
that the public are indebted for the flourish
ing condition of these schools mainly to the
and active efforts Of w. Q.
Belcher Esq, and the Rev. E. b. Walsworth,
who for several Yeas have been the working
members Of the Board. They have indeed
made the schools what they are Others
who have composed the Board, like myself
convinced ofthe superior efficiency Of the mem
bers referred to, have at all times cheerlully
co-operated withithem.
In the Rev. Mr.. McClay, whom I appoint
ed to fill the vacancy occasioned 10y
the resignation of the Rev. j. d. Blaiu the
other members of the Board, have found
very able coadjutor.
So perfectly convinced have l been of the
perfect ability of these gentlemen to direct
the school system and conduct ell its affairs
that have felt that the inter-
ests of parents and children would be best
protected by using my position to prevent all
interference with the Board The Commis-
sioners, who stand among the first of your
citizens for moral worth and responsibility,
are accountable for their official acts imme-
diately to the people. Aud here it may be
well to remark that the proposition which
was introduced at your last meeting to take
from the voters of the city the choice Of
school Commissioners and give it to the
Common Council, shall never receive nay
approval.
Transfer the election Of such important
public agents from the people to the Council
And for what purpose2 Is it to degrade
the office by making its incunlbents, like
those OF the police department, creatures Of
some scheming Alderman whose only test of
qualification might be partisan service or
personal consideralions2 Or viii it be pre-
tended that the iect is to free the selection
Of the Commissioners from politics? If such
Is the pretense, then the proposition becomes
simply absnrd. For it would be in truth car
rying out the old homely proverb Of Jump
ing from the flying-pan into the fire
The people have selected them, and con-
tinue3 the most efficient in office. term after
term, without any regard TO their politics
Can it he said that the controlling party in
this Council has at all times acted thus wisely
and unbiassedly in conferiug office | think
not Besides the active feelings which are
engendered in their favor by an election 10y
the people, will naturally operate to render
their agency more beneficial.
The teachers engaged in the several de-
partments of the schools have been selected
and retained for the qualifications which
learning knowed e of their profession and
high moral character, give. And being in
every respect competent, they have hbored
in their respective positions with a zeal and
interest deserving Of praise.
The whole number Of scholars in the dis
trict, as per Marshals report, is five hundred
and twenty three OF this number, four
hundred aud ffty-two have attended school
since the first Monday of April last. The
average daily attendance, however, has not
exceeded two hundred aud twenty, until late
ly. At the present time the average daily
attendance is fully two hundred and thirty;
being two hundred and twenty-five less than
the number that really belong to the schools,
or daily average of that number of alb
sentees.
Last year the average daily attendance