Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-24

NoucE-Citizens of the different counties of tn
State, visiting the city, and intending to returr
an early day to their homes, are requested TO cal
at the Office of the Southern Independence Contra
Committee, no. 2, UNION AND AMERICAN Block) anC
obtain documents and tickets for distribution
CRY AFFARs.-At the regular meeting oil the
Common Council yesterday afternoon, the reslgna
tons of W. H. VIyEREr and HENRY CARTER, mem
bers of the Night Police, were received and &C
cepted.
When reports were called for from the Committee
on the Police Mr. FoeG stated that he had heard re
Gently numerous complaints in regardto the want Of
efficiency on the part of members of the Police force
and he felt it his duty to call the attention of the
Common Council to the matter. He mentioned In
stances in which the services of g policeman were
required, but after fruitless search a policeman
could not be found. In the present state of affairs
he thought these complaints of the citizens should
be needed. He was satisfied from his own expert
ence. there was q want Of efficiency.
Mr.. DAKDENS, Chairman of the Committee on the
Police stated that apparent want of efficiency ex-
listed in some of the wstchWards. which were unu-
suslly large from the fact that they embraced the
more orderly and quiet portions of the city, hence
it was difficult to find Waterman in those wards,
unless the course of his beat were known. Parties
requiring the services Of policeman would always
be supplied by calling upon the Captsin or Second
Lieutenant on the Public Square. The Committee
strict in requiring efficient service from the
police, and all complaints will have respectful
hearing from the Committee.
Mr. FoGG said his object simply TO call the at
tention of the Common Council and the Mayor to
the matter.
The bill for the benefit Of the Rock City Guards
passed on its third reading.
The bill to provide for the election Of the Board
of Education by the people was taken up.
Mr. FoGG deprecated the proposed change in the
election of the Board of Education. Under the ad-
mnistraton of the Board at present elected, the
Public School had worked an immense amount of
good to the whole people of Nashville, and ne was
unwilling to change system that had worked thus
well for an untried one. lie hoped the bill would
be laid upon the table for the present.
Mr.. SHANE was opposed 10 laying the bill upon
the table. The people were not satisfied with
the manner IN which the Public Schools were
conducted, and they demanded the proposed
change in electing the Board of Education A crest
deal of complaint had been made by the people IN
regard to the manner in which teachers were elect
ed. These complaints had assumed a serious shape,
and he desired 70 place the matter in the hands of
the people themselves 1t had been SAID TO him
that Southern men could scarcely get position as
teacher in the Public Schools notwithstanding they
were fully competent having graduated at our
University with the view of teaching. He thought
that in the selection of teachers the Board had
yielded too much to the prejudices OF one lndIVld-
ual he alldded to the Superintendent That OFF,
Ger had been charged with exercising tavorltlsm
and with practices incompatible with his ONCE.
When the charges assumed such shape that the
Board of Education felt constrained to take some
notice of them, he regretted to see members OF the
Board espousipg the of that officer as though
he could do no wrong, and defending him as If they
had been employed as counsel to do so. He repeat
ed, the people had complained that too large num-
Der of the teachers were selected from the North,
70 the exclusion of competent Southern teachers,
and he thought it best to place the matter in the
hanSs of the people themselves, and let them select
such members of the Board as they desired.
Mr.. FoGG defended the action of the Board Of
Education. He contendod that they were not &C
tuated by any such motive as was attributed to
them; that they were Southern men, if some of
them happened TO be born North OF MASON and
DrxoN's line.
Mr.. SHANE tinterrupting) explained that he did
dot refer to the Board Of Education, but TO the
teachers.
Mr.. FoGa understood that. He satisfied that
in the selection of teachers the Board of Education
were actuated by the highest motives of duty, and
be referred to the excellent teachers they had
from time to time selected, as evidenced in
The efficiency of our Public Schools. He
was authorised to tender the resignation of every
member of the Board if they did not give entire
satisfaction 1t was a service they performed with
out compensation, and they were unwilling to hold
the position unless they gave satisfaction.
Mr. PAUL was a member of the Board of Educa
lion. and he felt some delicacy III defending their
action. He then proceeded at considerable length
to show that the Board had scrupulously regarded
the interests of the people in the selection of teach
ers and referred the efficiency of the schools as
evidence of the truth Of this assertion He defend
ed the Board against the charge that they were in
huenced in the selection of teachers by the Super
iutendent. He would like to know what was
sought to be accomplished by the proposed
change in the manner Of electng the Board of Edu>
cation. Was it hoped to get men better qualified to
select teachers, or what was the object! He con-
tended that the City Council held cleck upon the
Board, and if incompetent or Objectionable
teacher should be elected the matter could easily
be remedied by the City Council. The Board had
adouted a system for the education of suitable
teachers and quite q number thus educated had al
ready been employed. He insisted that the highest
interests, the wel-being of the Public Schools de-
manded that the change should not be made.
President DARDEN (Mr. MARTIN in the chair)
thought the discussion on this bill had assumed
a much wider range than was justified
by the bill before the Council. There
was but one point in that bill, and that was
whether the people of the city were as competent
10 selecc Board of Education as the City Council
and he would not assume 10 say that they were not
Couplants had been made TO him in regard TO the
management of the Public Schools. He had the
highest res pect Tor tae Superintendent as gentle
man but it was due to truth to say that complaints
had been urged against thst officer. This was espe
ciaIly the case last year. he disliked to refer Il
parties that had left the city since the commence
ment of our present political difficulties, because
their sympathies were with the North, but it wa
known that several teachers in the Public Schools
had left their positions that account alone and
he presumed it was their places that had been sup
nIied by native born teachers, because Northern
teachers could not be got. He had no personal OBJ
iection to the Board of Education, but the peopl
desired the privilege OF electng them, and he desr
ed to give it to them.
Mr. Fose then modified his motion to lay the bill
on the table until the next meeting which motio
failed
MI Paul offered the following amendment: " Pro
vided the Chief Marshal and his three Assistants
elected by the people at the same time
On motion of Mr.. SHANE, the amendment was lai
upon the table.
The bill was then passed on its third reading b
the following vote {:
Aves-Messrs Hooner Bell. Thomas Shane. MAJ