the school system liable to the charge of violating the rights of conscience —a charge which would be fatal to the system, because it would invalidate its just claim to public patronage. The proposition of the committee who represent the Public School Society appears to us to have been conceived in a liberal spirit. Your committee think it goes as far as a due regard to the true objects of the institution would warrant, and seems to open an avenue which we would fain hope may yet lead to a satisfactory arrangement. Both propositions exhibit more liberality, probably, than either party had before given the other credit for; and we hope that result may prove to be an important step toward the accomplishment of an object which every patriot must desire with intense anxiety. Your committee respectfully ask to be discharged from the further consideration of the subject. WILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN, JOSIAH RICH. The report of the committee being read, the question on its acceptance and adoption was put, and decided in the affirmative, as follows: Ayes-The President (E. F. Purdy), Aldermen Balis, Woodhull, Benson, Jones, Rich, Chamberlain, Campbell, Hatfield, Jarvis, Smith, Nichols, Graham, Cooper, and Nash-15. Nay-Alderman Pentz-1. The application of the Roman Catholics for the school moneys was thus negatived, and the committee were discharged. The proceedings in the Board of Assistant Aldermen were interesting and important. The various petitions and remonstrances were referred to the Committee on Arts, Sciences, and Schools, whose report was submitted on the 27th of April. A brief statement of the facts, together with the report of the committee, will be found in the Appendix marked B. CHAPTER XI. EXPURGATION OF SCHOOL-BOOKS.-1840-1841. Propositions of Bishop Dubois relative to School-Books-Rev. Felix Varela-Commit tee of Examination and Correspondence Appointed-Report of the Committee-Letter of Rev. Felix Varela-Letter to the Freeman's Journal by Rev. John Power, D.D.-Letter to Dr. Powers from the Committee-Address of the Roman Catholics-Reply of the Trustees of the Society-Letter to Bishop HughesReply of Bishop Hughes-Letter of David Graham to the Society-Reply of the Committee-Expurgation of School-Books. THE exciting discussion relative to the distribution of the school fund brought into requisition all the arguments and objections on both sides of the question, and, among the grounds of complaint, it was urged by the parties who advocated a change in the apportionment of the school money, that the text-books in use in the public schools contained passages which were not merely objectionable to Roman Catholics, but hostile to their faith, some of them being even "defamatory," and at the same time false in their statements of historical facts. The trustees of the Society were anxious to remove every objection, and took measures to secure the fullest information upon the subject from the highest authorities in the Church, among laymen as well as the clergy, in order that the obnoxious passages might be detected and removed. This measure formed, at the time, the topic of animated discussion, and the facts are worthy of detail as an important event in the history of the school system. The reader will have noticed, in the chapter devoted to the controversy of 1834, between Bishop Dubois and the trustees relative to Public School No. 5, in Mott street, that he submitted several propositions to the Board of Trustees, the third of which was as follows: 3d. That no books shall be received in the school but such as will have been submitted to the bishop as free from sectarian principles, or calumnies against his religion; and as many otherwise good books may require only that such passages should be expunged, or left out in binding, that, on the recommendation of the bishop, the board will order it to be done. At that time no further action was taken in the matter, as the trustees could not concede the general proposition of the bishop, and no reply to their letter was ever received. At a meeting of the trustees held at Public School No. 5, for the annual examination on March 24, 1840, the Vice-President stated that Rev. Felix Varela had made a request to be furnished with a set of the reading-books used in the schools, and the following resolution was immediately adopted: Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to send a copy of each of said books to Mr. Varela for his inspection. The following resolution was also unanimously adopted: Resolved, That the board continues to entertain an anxious desire to remove every objection which the members of the Catholic Church may have to the books used or the studies pursued in the public schools, and that the Secretary be requested to renew the assurance given on a former occasion, that any suggestion or remarks which the Rev. Mr. Varela may deem it right to make, on his own behalf and that of his associates, after said books have been examined, shall receive the most serious and respectful consideration of this board. The resolutions and books were ordered to be transmitted to Mr. Varela, and soon after the receipt he made a reply. At the meeting of the trustees held on the 1st of May, Mr. Varela's response was read, and the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to examine the books in use in the public schools, including those in the libraries, with a view to ascertain and report whether they contain any thing derogatory to the Roman Catholic Church or any of its religious tenets, with power to communicate with such persons of that Church as may be authorized to meet them in reference to such alterations. The committee so appointed consisted of J. Smyth Rogers, M.D., Joseph B. Collins, Samuel F. Mott, James F. Depeyster, and Robert Hogan, M.D. At the meeting of the Society held on the 25th of September, called for the consideration of the action of the committee, the following report was presented and adopted, and the recom mendation that the subject be referred to the Executive Com mittee was adopted: To the Trustees of the Public School Society : The committee appointed on the 1st of May, 1840, to examine the schoolbooks, confer with the Roman Catholic clergy, &c., RESPECTFULLY REPORT: That they have devoted much time in discharging to the best of their ability, the important duty assigned them. Soon after their appointment, the secretary placed in their hands a letter from the Rev. Dr. Varela, with a few remarks regarding the school-books, copies of which had been placed in his hand under the resolution of the board, passed on 24th of March. A copy of Dr. Varela's letter is appended, marked A. The committee early sought and obtained an interview with the Very Rev. Dr. Power, Vicar-General of the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York, during which he treated the subject with much apparent frankness and candor, but gave very little encouragement to expect a satisfactory arrangement of the points at issue. It resulted, however, in his requesting a copy of the school-books, with an understanding that, when he had examined them, he would communicate with your committee. After a lapse of several weeks, and when the committee were in daily expectation of a communication from Dr. Power, a letter under his signature appeared in the Freeman's Journal, a copy of which is in the appendix, marked C. This unlooked-for course on the part of the reverend gentleman induced the committee to address a letter to him, as per copy herewith, marked D, to which the committee have not received any reply. About the middle of August, the Roman Catholics of this city issued an "Address to the People of the City and State of New York," urging their claims to a portion of the school money; see copy, marked E. The extraordinary character of portions of this address appeared to the committee to call for a prompt reply. They accordingly prepared, and, with the sanction of the Executive Committee, issued a reply, a copy of which is annexed, mårked F. Subsequent to this, the committee had an informal interview with the Right Rev. Dr. Hughes, Roman Catholic Bishop Coadjutor of New York, which resulted in a request on his part to be furnished with copies of the school-books, and as each member of the committee confidently supposed, for the purpose of uniting with the committee in ascertaining objectionable passages. The books were sent, and a letter was addressed to the bishop, a copy of which is annexed herewith, marked G. The answer was received, marked H. By referring to the report of the committee on "Arts and Sciences, and Common Schools" of the Board of Assistant Aldermen, to whom was referred the petition of the Roman Catholics (p. 352 of Document No. 80), it is stated that the committce had "been informed, by the officers of the Public School Society, that no books are used in the schools which reflect in any degree upon the Catholic Church." Your committee are unable to account for this misapprehension on the part of the Board of Assistant Aldermen. By reference to the annexed copy of a note addressed to David Graham, Jr., Esq., chairman of that committee, in reply to one from him, marked I, it will be perceived that your committee expressly acknowledged the existence of such passages. Their answer is subjoined, marked J. The From the foregoing statement, and the accompanying documents, it will be seen that your committee has been actuated throughout by the motives which influenced the Board of Trustees in creating it—that is, a sincere desire to remove, as far as may be done, without sacrificing the rights and feelings of others, every obstacle to the attendance of Catholic children at the public schools. It is now evident that the coöperation of the Catholic clergy in effecting an expurgation of the books cannot be relied on. committee is fully aware of the importance of such aid in order to secure their influence in promoting the attendance of Catholic children, and, possibly, in preventing the necessity of a second revision. But it is believed that the time has arrived for the trustees to accomplish the work without them. If it does not have the effect so greatly desired, the trustees will have the satisfaction of reflecting that they have discharged their duty in the premises. Under a strong impression of the duty which devolves on the trustees to expunge words and passages clearly objectionable, your committee had made some progress in the work; but a reference to the resolution appointing them showed that their powers do not extend beyond reporting the offensive parts. They have, therefore, asked for the present meeting, in order to lay before the board the parts adverted to, and obtain permission to continue the work. In conclusion, the committee have to report that a petition is now before the Board of Aldermen, with a renewed request for aid to support the Roman Catholic schools. As the petition has not yet been printed, the committee is unable to furnish a copy. It is with feelings, more of sorrow than indignation, that this committee have to add that this petition—notwithstanding the repeated assurances made to the Roman Catholic clergy, that every obnoxious word should be expunged from the school-books, and that the trustees only await their aid in selecting them-contains some quotations, and again urges them, as a reason why they cannot permit their children to attend the public schools. The committee respectfully suggest whether, under existing circumstances, it may not be expedient to refer further movements in opposing all applications for school money for schools connected with churches, to the Executive Committee, particularly as that committee will meet nearly every day for some time to come, in making the usual annual examinations of the schools. All which is repectfully submitted, NEW YORK, September 25, 1840. JOSEPH B. COLLINS, Chairman pro tem. A. NEW YORK, April 8, 1840 DEAR SIR: I received the books you had the kindness of sending to me, according to a resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Common Schools, in consequence of an information given by one of them as to my wish of |