The importance of an uniform and enlightened administration of a system embracing so great a variety of interests and forming so material an ingredient in the intellectual, moral, and social civilization of the community, has not been one of the least among the considerations which have led to the publication of this work: and if through its means any facilities shall have been afforded for the accomplishment of this desirable result, the time and pains spent in its preparation will not have been regretted. That it is free from imperfections and errors it would be presumptuous to assert; but in commending it to those for whose use it is specially designed, and to the friends of popular education generally, the compiler can accompany it with the assurance that no efforts on his part have been spared to render it worthy of their attention and regard. ALBANY, May, 1851.

SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
DEPARTMENT OF COMMON SCHOOLS.

Albany, May 15, 1851.

Having examined the following "Digest of the Common School System of the State of New York," I take pleasure in saying that it is a full and correct exposition of that system; and entitled to the confidence of officers and inhabitants of school districts, Town Superintendents of common schools, and others interested in the cause of popular education.

CHRISTOPHER MORGAN,
Sup't of Common Schools.

ty is excluded from their immediate advantages. The establishment of common schools throughout the state, is happily calculated to remedy this inconvenience, and will therefore engage your early and decided consideration."

On the 11th of January, the Assembly appointed a committee consisting of JONATHAN NICOLL HAVENS, of Suffolk, as chairman; DAVID BROOKS, of Dutchess, DAVID PYE, of Orange, EBENEZER PURDY, of Westchester, DANIEL GRAY, of Rensselaer, ADAM COMSTOCK, of Saratoga, and RICHARD FURMAN, of New York, to take into consideration that portion of the Governor's Message relating to the establishment of Common Schools throughout the state. Mr. HAVENS, from this committee, reported on the 19th of February "An Act for the encouragement of schools," which passed the House on the 4th, and the Senate on the 22d of March, and became a law on the 9th of April 1795. By this act the sum of £20,000 or $50,000 was annually appropriated for five years, "for the purpose of encouraging and maintaining schools in the several cities and towns in this state, in which the children of the inhabitants residing in the state, shall be instructed in the English language, or be taught English grammar, arithmetic, mathematics, and such other branches of knowledge as are most useful and necessary to complete a good English education." This sum was at first apportioned to the several counties according to their representation in the legislature, and afterwards according to the number of electors for members of assembly; and to the several towns according to the number of taxable inhabitants of each. The boards of supervisors were required to raise by tax upon each town, a sum equal to one-half of that appropriated by the state, to be applied in like manner. While this bill was under discussion in the assembly, a motion to add a proviso, "that no town after receiving for one year its proportion of the moneys appropriated by the act, shall be entitled in any year thereafter to receive its proportion of the same, unless the freeholders and inhabitants of such town, should, at their next preceding town-meeting, have voted a sum for the use of schools in such town, equal to at least one-half of the proportion of the moneys to which such town shall have been entitled by this act in the preceding year; and in case such sum shall not have been voted to be raised as aforesaid by any town, the supervisors of the county should apportion the moneys to which such town would otherwise have been entitled, among the other towns in such county, which should have voted for such sum" was rejected, by a vote of 30 to 27. The adoption of this proviso, would have left it discretionary with the inhabitants of any town to comply with the requisitions of the act, and thereby entitle itself to receive its proportion of the public money; a measure subsequently resorted to, as will hereafter be seen, but speedily abandoned on experience of its effects.

The prominent features of the act of 1795, were the following: Not less than three, nor more than seven commissioners, were annually to be chosen by the electors of the respective towns, to whom were to be committed the supervision and direction of the schools, and the apportionment of public money among the several districts. The inhabitants residing in different sections of each town, were authorized "to associate together for the purpose of procuring good and sufficient schoolmasters, and for erecting and maintaining schools in such and so many parts of the town where they may reside, as shall be most convenient," and to appoint two or more trustees, who were directed to "confer with the commissioners concerning the qualification of the master or masters that they may have employed, or may intend to employ in their schools; and concerning every other matter which may relate to the welfare of their school, or to the propriety of erecting or maintaining the same, to the intent that they may obtain the determination of the said commissioners whether the said school will be entitled to a part of the moneys allotted to or raised in that town by virtue of this act, and whether the abilities and moral character of the master or masters employed, or intended to be employed therein, are such as will meet with their approbation." The share of public money to be paid to each district, was to be apportioned by the commissioners, "according to the number of days for which instruction shall appear, by the annual report of the trustees, to have been given in each of the said schools, in such manner that the school in which

the greater number of days of instruction shall appear to have been given, shall have a proportionably larger sum. And if it shall at any time appear to the said commissioners, that the abilities or moral character of the master or masters of any schools, are not such that they ought to be entrusted with the education of the youth, or that any of the branches of learning taught in any school, are not such as are intended to receive encouragement from the moneys appropriated by this act, the said commissioners shall notify in writing the said trustees of such school thereof; and to the time of such notification, and no longer, shall any allowance be made to such school unless the same thereafter be conducted to the approbation of the said commissioners." The commissioners were requir ed to give to the trustees of each district, an order on the county treasurer for the sum to which the district was entitled. Provisions were also made for annual returns from the several districts, towns and counties. An abstract of these returns, from sixteen out of the twenty-three counties of the state, for the year 1798, shows a total of 1,352 schools, organized according to the act, in which 59,660 children were taught.

In the year 1799 an act was passed directing the raising, by means of four successive lotteries, of the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, $12,500 of which, were to be paid to the Regents of the University, to be by them distributed among the Academies in such manner as they shall deem most proper, and the residue, $87,500 was to be paid into the treasury, to be appropriated for the encouragement of common schools, as the legislature should thereafter direct. This bill probably grew out of a project proposed by the Hon. JEDEDIAH PECK, of Otsego."It is due " observes Judge HAMMOND, in his Political History, "to this plain, unlettered farmer, to add that he was intent upon making some permanent provisions for these institutions, and that he formed the project of establishing a common school fund in pursuance of the example then lately furnished by Connecticut, the state from whence he emigrated: that he never lost sight of it; and that to his indefatigable and persevering efforts, aided by Mr. ADAM COMSTOCK, of Saratoga, another uneducated and plain, but clear sighted and patriotic man, we are principally indebted for our school fund and common school system. What military chieftain what mere conqueror by brute force, has conferred so deep, so enduring an obligation upon posterity?" At the opening of the Session of the Legislature in 1800, Gov. JAY called the attention of both Houses to the subject of Common Schools, in the following language:

Among other objects which will present themselves to you, there is one which I earnestly recommend to your notice and patronage. I mean our institutions for the education of youth. The importance of common schools is best estimated by the good effects of them, where they most abound and are the best regulated."

On the 25th of March of the same year, the Assembly, by a vote of fifty-seven to thirty-six, adopted the following resolution, offered by Mr. Comstock, of Saratoga:

Resolved, That the Act for the Encouragement of Schools,' passed the 9th day of April, 1795, ought to be revised and amended; and that out of the annual revenue arising to this State from its stock and other funds, the sum of $50,000 be annually appropriated for the encouragement of schools, for the term of five years."

On the 3d of April, subsequently, a clause to this effect was inserted in the annual supply bill, on Mr. Comstock's motion, by a vote of fifty-one to thirtyfive. The Senate, however, by a vote of nineteen to sixteen, struck out the clause. The house, on the return of the bill, at first refused to concur with the Senate in this amendment, by a vote of forty-two to forty-one; but subsequently reconsidered its vote, and assented to the amendment, on the last day but one of the Session.

By an act passed on the 3d of April, 1801, the sum of $100,000 was directed to be raised by lottery, of which one-half was ordered to be paid into the Treasury for the use of Common Schools; leaving to future legislatures the discretion of making such application of it as they might judge most conducive to

the end in view. In order to promote so laudable an object, the Legislature of 1803, by an act passed on the 6th of April. directed the Comptroller to invest in good real estate, all such sums of money as had been, or should thereafter be received from the proceeds of each lottery, for the term of two years.

In 1802, the Governor (GEO, CLINTON,) again called the attention of the Le gislature to the subject of Common Schools. He observes, "The system of Common Schools having been discontinued, and the advantage to morals, religion, liberty and good government, arising from the general diffusion of knowledge being universally admitted, permit me to recommend this subject to your deliberate attention. The failure of one experiment for the attainment of an important object, ought not to discourage other attempts." No legislative action however, in reference to the subject, was had during the session of that year. In 1803, Gov. Clinton renewed his recommendation in the following energetic terms: "The establishment of common schools has, at different times, engag ed the attention of the Legislature; but although its importance is generally acknowledged, a diversity of sentiment respecting the best means, has hitherto prevented the accomplishment of the object. The diffusion of knowledge is so essential to the promotion of virtue and the preservation of liberty, as to render arguments unnecessary to excite you to a perseverance in this laudable pursuit. Permit me only to observe, that education, by correcting the morals and improving the manners, tends to prevent those evils in society which are beyond the sphere of legislation."

On the 21st of February of that year, Mr. Peck, of Otsego, from the joint committee of both houses on this portion of the governor's speech, reported a bill authorizing the several towns to organize their schools, and to raise money to support the same. No definite action, however, took place upon it during the session of that year.

In 1804, the governor again called the attention of the legislature to the subject. On the 3d of March, in that year, Mr. Peck, from the committee on that portion of the speech, again made a favorable report, accompanied by a bill, which, however, shared the fate of its predecessor.

At the extra session of the legislature, in November, 1804, Gov. LEWIS brought the subject before that body, in the following language:

"I cannot conclude, gentlemen, without calling your attention to a subject which my worthy and highly respected predecessor in office had much at heart, and frequently, I believe, presented to your view-the encouragement of literature. In a government, resting on public opinion, and deriving its chief support from the affections of the people, religion and morality cannot be too sedulously inculcated. To them, science is an handmaid; ignorance, the worst of enemies. Literary information should then be placed within the reach of every description of citizens, and poverty should not be permitted to obstruct the path to the fane of knowledge. Common schools, under the guidance of respectable teachers, should be established in every village, and the indigent be educated at the public expense. The higher seminaries also, should receive every patronage and support within the means of enlightened legislators. Learning would thus flourish, and vice be more effectually restrained than by volumes of penal

statutes."

On the 4th of February, 1805, Gov. Lewis transmitted a special message to the legislature in reference to this subject, in which he recommended the application of all the state lands for the benefit of colleges and schools; the whole fund and entire management of the system to be confided to the Regents of the University, under such regulations as the legislature might prescribe; the Regents to have the power of appointing three trustees for each district; who should be authorized to locate the sites for school houses, and to erect such houses wherever necessary, employ teachers, apply the funds of the district, and levy taxes on the inhabitants, for such further sums as might be required for the support of the school and the education of indigent children. None of these suggestions, however, with the exception of the first, seem to have met with any favor at the hands of the legislature.