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resenting that there was a great necessity for a free school in 

 that city. It provided that a skillful and competent person 

 should be appointed " for the instruction of youth and male 

 children of such parents as are of French and Dutch extrac- 

 tion, as well as of the English, in the languages and other 

 learning usually taught in grammar schools ;" that £50 per 

 annum should be levied by tax on the city, for the support of 

 the schoolmaster, who was to be recommended by the common 

 council, but to be licensed and approved by the bishop of 

 London or the governor of the province. This act was limit- 

 ed to the term of seven years, and at the expiration of that 

 period was suffered to expire, in consequence (as is stated in 

 the preamble of a subsequent law) of the misapplication of 

 the monies raised for the payment of the teachef . 



The unfortunate result of the financial part of this experi- 

 ment, seems to have deterred the assembly from any further 

 effort in aid of public education, until 1732, when a law was 

 passed to " encourage a public school in the city of New- 

 York, for teaching Latin, Greek, and mathematics." This 

 act recites, " that good learning is not only a very great ac- 

 complishment, but the properest means to attain knowledge, 

 &c. ; that the city and county of New York abounds with 

 youths of a genius not inferior to those of other countries ; that 

 Mr. Alexander Malcom, by keeping a private school, had 

 given satisfactory proof of his abilities to teach Latin, Greek, 

 and mathematics ; but that the income of his school was not 

 sufficient for his support ; rj and it therefore established a free 

 school for five years, of which Mr. Malcom was to be the mas- 

 ter. For its support, forty pounds were to be annually levied 

 on the city of New- York, to which were to be added the resi- 

 duary proceeds (not exceeding forty pounds per annum) of 

 the moneys to be received from licenses to hawkers and ped- 

 lers. For this consideration, Mr. Malcom was to teach twenty 

 youth, to be selected from the several counties, in the propor- 

 tion of ten from New-York, two from Albany, and one from 

 each of the eight other counties ; such youth to be selected 

 by the corporations of the cities of New- York and Albany, 

 and elsewhere by the courts of general sessions. In Decem- 

 ber, 1737, this act having expired, it was renewed for one 

 year. It was not afterwards renewed ; but the school was 



