The announcement of the passage of the act was received with great satisfaction by the board, and the following resolutions were adopted:

Resolved, 1st. That the Committee on Public Schools be discharged, and that the thanks of the board be presented to Isaac Collins, one of their number, for his active and efficient agency at Albany in procuring the passage of the law amending our charter, and that the treasurer be directed to pay his bill of expenses.

2d. That the law be accepted, and that, in accordance therewith, this Society forthwith assume the name of the PUBLIC SCHOOL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.

3d. That a committee of five be appointed to prepare and report a revised copy of by-laws founded on the new law, and with such alterations and additions as may appear expedient.

4th. That a committee of three be appointed to look out for suitable lots for two additional school-houses within the following districts, viz., in the rear of the Hospital, between Anthony and Reade streets, and near the junction of Spring and Macdougal streets.

5th. That a committee of three be appointed on the subject of the transfer of our real estate to the Corporation, and that they report their views of the terms on which a conveyance should be made.

6th. That, until after the next annual election, the board will continue to meet monthly, as heretofore, for the transaction of their usual business.

The committees were appointed to the several duties named in the resolutions, as follows:

To Revise the By-Laws-Lindley Murray, R. C. Cornell, J. E. Hyde, Isaac Collins, and James I. Roosevelt, Jr.

To Select Locations for New Schools-Robert C. Cornell, William W. Fox, and Isaac Collins.

On Transfer of Real Estate-James I. Roosevelt, Jr., Benjamin Clarke, and George T. Trimble.

The long-continued efforts of the Society to secure a just distribution of the school money, irrespective of sectarian institutions, and to reorganize the system, were thus rewarded with the seal of legislative approval and authority. The development of new plans and measures commence the history of a new year.

CHAPTER V.

HISTORY FROM 1826 TO 1831.

New Schools-No. 7 Opened-School No. 8-Schools at Harlem, Manhattanville, and Bloomingdale School No. 9-Columbia College-New Locations--School No. 10 organized-School No. 11-Finances and Attendance-High School-The Pay System-Lotteries-Sunday Scholars-Infant Schools-Death of the President, DE WITT CLINTON-New Measures-Additional Tax-Address to the PublicVagrancy-Visitor-Samuel W. Seton-Memorials-Power to Mortgage and Convey Property-The New Tax Obtained-The Schools of New York City-School No. 12-School No. 13-The School Fund-Application of the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum.

THE important proceedings during the year 1825, relative to the reorganization of the system and the prosecution of the steps necessary to ensure the requisite legislation, did not divert the attention of the board from those measures which related to the healthful and immediate expansion of the sphere of labor of the Society, by the selection of additional sites for school buildings, and the erection of substantial and commodious edifices thereon. At the meeting of the board in May, a committee of five, consisting of J. I. Roosevelt, Jr., James F. Depeyster, George T. Trimble, R. C. Cornell, and Stephen Allen, was appointed, to select locations for schools, and to report on the expediency of hiring premises or erecting buildings, to meet the wants of the city. The committee, having examined several locations, reported, in September, in favor of establishing a school on the cast side of Chrystie street, between Hester and Pump (afterward called Walker) streets, where three lots could be procured for fifteen hundred dollars each. A location in the rear of Trinity Church was also recommended, if the premises could be procured from the corporation of the church by a permanent lease, and, if possible, a purchase of the property. The committee reported resolutions authorizing the purchase of the lots in Chrystie street, and the appointment of a building committee to

superintend the erection of a proper house. The resolutions were adopted, and William W. Fox, James Palmer, and Isaac Collins were selected as the Building Committee, who were directed to obtain plans and estimates for the erection of a school-house, which should be similar to No. 5, with the exception of a cellar instead of a basement.

On the 23d of September, the committee reported the plans. and estimates for a house, which should be 40 by 80 feet, with furniture, fences, and other requisites, at a cost of $9,500. The report was adopted, and the committee directed to proceed with the erection of the building. The house was built, and opened as Public School No. 7, on the 1st of May, 1826, with eightyseven pupils, under the care of STEPHEN R. KIRBY.

In April, the Committee on Locations reported in favor of purchasing three lots of ground in Grand street, between Wooster and Laurens streets, for $5,000. The board approved the recommendation of the committee, and appointed Isaac Collins, George T. Trimble, William W. Fox, and Robert C. Cornell to procure plans and estimates. They were submitted on the 29th of the same month, and approved; and Messrs. W. W. Fox, Isaac Collins, and James Palmer were appointed the Building Committee. The house was opened on the 1st of November, under the care of Mr. C. B. SHERMAN, Principal, and filled so rapidly, that, on the 1st of April following, there were 371 boys and 264 girls in attendance.

At the meeting of the board held in May, Messrs. Stephen Allen and James F. Depeyster stated that there were two or three school districts in Manhattanville, Harlem, and Bloomingdale, which were entitled by law to certain moneys-the proceeds of the sale of the Harlem Commons-and they suggested the propriety of a conference with the parties interested in those schools with reference to a scheme of transfer, by which they might be placed under the jurisdiction of the Society. Messrs. Stephen Allen, James F. Depeyster, and George T. Trimble were assigned the duty of making the requisite inquiries, and on the 12th of the same month they reported in general terms relative to the schools, but particularly with reference to that at Bloomingdale. They offered resolutions for the recognition of the school as one of those under the care of the Society, and providing for the selection and temporary appointment of a

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teacher, at a salary of thirty dollars a month. The resolutions were adopted, and the school, which had been under the care of the vestry of St. Michael's Church (Episcopal), became known as Public School No. 9. Jotham Wilson, a pupil who had for several years been a monitor-general, was selected as teacher.

The expenses of the Society for the fiscal year had been $47,344.99, leaving a balance in the treasury to the new account of $6,235.51. The annual exhibit showed the average attendance of pupils to be 5,170, of whom about three fifths were boys and two fifths were girls.

The Society having at that time no convenient place of meeting, an application was made to the Trustees of Columbia College, who courteously granted the use of their hall for the meetings of the Society.

The Committee on New Locations reported, on the 8th of September, in favor of purchasing three lots of ground in Wooster street, between Houston and Bleecker streets, and also three lots in Anthony, near Hudson street, and recommended the erection of a house on the lots in Anthony street. The resolutions to purchase land were adopted, but the recommendation to build was laid on the table. In November, the committee reported a new location in Church street, between Duane and Thomas streets, which, however, was not adopted. In January, 1827, they reported 'favorably upon a location in Duane street, near Hudson, the price for which would be $8,300, and a dower right of $50 per annum in favor of a lady then sixty-eight years of age. The location was approved, and the usual steps directed to be taken to complete the purchase; and the Building Committee was authorized to proceed with the preliminary measures to provide for the erection of an edifice. The house was completed, and opened as No. 10, on the 1st of November, 1827. Contracts were directed to be made for the building of No. 11, in Wooster street (which was completed and opened on the 15th of September, 1828), and the purchase of ground for No. 9, at Bloomingdale, and the erection of a frame house of two stories thereon. Four lots in Bloomingdale were purchased for $250, two of them being granted as a donation. These measures were severally prosecuted with promptitude and fidelity.

The annual report of the treasurer exhibited the fact that the expenditures of the Society had been $64,724.79, leaving a bal

ance to new account of $5,480.69, with an average attendance of 5,030 pupils. Of the amount expended, about $26,000 were paid for buildings and lots of ground.

The close of the year 1826, and the early part of 1827, were partially devoted to the consideration of two important propositions: 1st, the establishment of a central high school, for the instruction of monitors and tutors, and as an advanced school for the reception of pupils from the public schools; and, 2d, the question, whether the pay system had been the means of diminishing the attendance of poor children at the schools. The decrease in the number of scholars, as made apparent by the annual exhibit, presented a fact the very reverse of what had been anticipated. Instead of a considerable increase in numbers with the more extended facilities and new schools, there had been an actual diminution. The proceedings relative to these measures are presented in other pages of this volume.

The great evils of the system of gambling known as lotteries, had become manifest to the trustees, and they earnestly sought to have such a law enacted as would restrict, if not entirely prohibit, the traffic in lottery tickets. The Society received a considerable sum annually from the half of the license-tax paid by the dealers in lottery schemes; but this did not blind their eyes to the fact that the system was pernicious, and should be discontinued. The annual report for the year 1827 makes the following allusion to this topic:

The subject of lotteries, in which, through the medium of moneys received for licenses to sell tickets, they are directly interested, has engaged much of the serious attention of the trustees. Fully convinced of, and deeply regretting, the great and increasing evils incident to this legalized mode of gambling, they have deemed it their incumbent duty to endeavor to moderate and lessen the mischiefs of this pernicious system, and accordingly directed a committee to prosecute offenders against the provisions of the old law, which prohibited the selling of tickets in foreign lotteries. They also presented a memorial to the Legislature, requesting, if they could not constitutionally abolish the whole system, that such further regulations might be adopted as appeared necessary for the limitation and curtailment of the evil. The board exceedingly regret that an act on this subject, which had passed both branches of the Legislature by large majorities, was negatived by the Executive on the ground of its being unconstitutional. Another bill was, however, subsequently introduced, passed, and has become a law, and which, it is hoped, will prove efficacious in preventing that branch of the evil arising from the sale of tickets in lotteries not authorized by this State.