MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
0 b lie alio rial. 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
hood,) shall in no case exceed the sum of Owen 
ty-four dollars, and the remainder of such one- 
third shall be apportioned and divided equally 
among the several districts; and the State Super¬ 
intendent of common schools shall, by proper 
regulations and instructions to be prescribed bv 
him, provide for the payment of such monies to 
the trustees of such separate neighborhoods and 
school districts. 
§ 5. It shall be the duty of the state super 
mtendent of common schools, on or before the 
first day of January, in every year, to apportion 
and tlivide the remaining two-thirds of the said 
amount of eight hundred thousand dollars, to 
gether with the remaining two-thirds of all oth 
er moneys appropriated by the state for the sup 
port of common schools among the several coun 
ties, cities and towns of the state, in the mode 
now prescribed by law for the division and ap 
portionment of the income of the common school 
fund ; and the share of the several towns 
wards so apportioned and divided, shall be paid 
over, on and after the first Tuesday of February, 
in each year, to the several town superintendents 
ok,,, : *1 i • ... . . of common schools, and ward or city officers 
c } lotuest in the subject, will give it a entitled by law to receive the same, arid shall be 
careful and candid perusal. After dointr apportioned by them among the several school 
“ Having light, we seek to impart it.” 
THE NEW SCHOOL LAW. 
We publish the New School Law this 
week, hoping that all our readers who feel 
districts and parts of districts in their severs 
towns and wards, according to the number of 
children between the ages of four and twenty 
one years, residing in said districts and parts of 
districts, as the same shall have appeared from 
the last annual report of the trustees; but no 
monies shall be apportioned and paid to any dis 
trict or part of a district, unless it shall appear 
from the last annual report of the trustees that a 
school has been kept therein for at least 6 months 
during the year, ending with the date of such 
report by a duly qualified teacher, unless by spe 
cial permission of the state superintendent of 
common schools ; excepting, also, that the first 
apportionment of money under the act shall be 
made to all school districts which were entitled 
to an apportionment of public money in the 
districts by the State Superintendent of the I y e ^ r ei ghteeu hundred and forty-nine. 
1 1 Any balance required to be raised in any 
this, if you find cause to object to its char¬ 
acter, you will labor for its amendment—or 
repeal—as your sense of duty dictates. 
The law provides for the “ free educa¬ 
tion” of all persons between the ages of 5 
and 21, residing within the several school 
districts of the State. Ail the real and per¬ 
sonal estate within the State is to he taxed 
to raise the sum of §800,000, which, with 
the increase of the Common School Fund, 
is to be divided or apportioned among the 
Common Schools. If the State funds prove 
insufficient, then those sending to school are 
to be taxed so that the school may be kept 
open the time required by law. 
school district for the payment of teachers’ wa¬ 
ges, beyond the amount apportioned to such dis¬ 
trict by the previous provisions of this act, and 
other public moneys belonging to the district ap¬ 
plicable to the payment of teachers’ wages, shall 
be raised by rate bill to be made out by thetrus- 
I he schools are to be free, as under the against those sending to school, in propor- 
law which this takes the nlane rpi,_ l ^ 01 i tu nurn ^ er °f days and of children sent, 
taw v\ men this takes the place of. I he only to be ascertained by the teachers’ list, and in 
difference, worthy of notice, is, that the tax ,nakln S 0,]t such rat0 bill it shall be the duty of 
•*- <»"«• Notwithstanding this, will 
not every reflecting man see at once, that 
the aggregate sum raised thus, somewhat 
indirectly to support the schools to be called 
free, must necessarily be greater than if 
raised in the several towns where it is to be 
disbursed. No one will claim that the bur¬ 
den of supporting State schools is to be di¬ 
minished by this mode of taxation. It may 
seem less onerous, and, if the cities are to 
be taxed to aid in supporting the schools in 
habitants as may, in their judgment fee°entitled 
to such exemption, and the amount of stjch ex¬ 
emption shall be added to the first tax list there¬ 
after to be made out by the trustees for district 
purposes, or shall be separately levied by them 
as they shall deejn most expedient. 
§ 7. The same property which is exempt bv 
section twenty-two, of article two, title five, chap¬ 
ter six, part three of the revised statutes from 
levy and sale under execution, shall be exempt 
from levy and sale under any warrant to collect 
any rate bill for wages of teachers of common 
schools. 
§ 8. Nothing in this act shall be so construct¬ 
ed as to repeal or alter the 
-- - ---r-~ — provisions of any spe— 
the country, may be less so to the country cia iUl gating to schools in any of the incorpo- 
but not so to the cities • ’ rat f, c ‘^ e8 or Ullages of this state, except so far 
l .o to ine cities. as they arc inconsistent with the provisions con- 
The New Law takes effect on the first of ! a ' nC(l Tl ! ,ie brst > second, third and fourth sec- 
,, . uimui turns of this act. 
May. Hie people will have an opportunity . § 9. Chapter one hundred and forty of theses- 
to try it immediately, and so to test its ®° n laws of one thousand eight hundred and for- 
mitl] :r- lf - tK , ' ’ SO LO test its tv-nine, entitled “An act establishing free schools 
qualities. It it be found to work well, it will throughout the State,” and chapter four hundred 
be sustained; if not, the peonle will re no I ? n< * f ou f °f the session laws of one thousand eight 
, , .. , , rm repeal hundred and forty-nine, entitled “ An act to a- 
or amelia it nerea.ter. ihe Jaw is a cum- m ciid an act entitled an act establishing free 
promise measure, and will not nrohahlv ® chools throughout the State,” and sections six 
. . .. t ) teen, seventeen and eighteen of the revised stat 
meet the views of either the advocates - - 
d virtufs alto Imgrnpijics. lie, 0. 
THE THREE CALLERS. 
PORTRAITS AND SKETCHES OF THE PRESIDENTS.— NO. 
JAAIES MONROE. 
or utes relating to common schools, requiring the 
opponents of the one for which it is substi- sev ? ral -Boards of Supervisors to raise by tax, on when invasion was threatened, Captain 
• - each of the towns of their respectives counties, a Monroe was found among the volunteers 
. . appropriated to ' 
are the order of the day, perhaps both parties suc 1 t<nvus ’ and providing for its collection and 
■mill i • J ... . . payment, and all other provisions of law incom- 
ill accept this one. We hope it will be palibie with the provisions of 
hope it will be p 
the means of restoring peace and quiet in the re Jff 0 ed T 
districts. Give it a fair trial 
i of this act are hereby 
§ 10. The State Superintendent of common 
schools shall cause to be prepared, published and 
distributed among the several school districts and 
school officers of the State a copy of the several 
acts now in force relating to common schools, 
with such instructions, digest and expositions as 
lie may deem expedient; and the expenses incur¬ 
red by him therefor shall bo audited by tlie comp¬ 
troller and paid by the Treasurer. 
§ 11 . Ail the monies received or appropriated 
by the provisions of tin's act shall be applied to 
the payment of teachers’ wages exclusively. 
$ 12. It shall be the duty of the trustees of the 
several school districts in this State to make out 
and transmit to the superintendent of the tdwn 
in which their respective school houses shall be 
located, on or before the first day of September 
.. statement of the whole number of 
. . ... „ -ng in their district on the first dav 
thousand dollars which i el £ ll,hundre< of August preceding the date of such report be“- 
■i ml 'c o 1 cc tc( 11! it h. i , 1 1 b • C T t <J ’ a f 0S8ed tween the ages of four and twenty-one ; and such 
“ ' / f < Je pre T lbed chapter town Superintendent shall embody such state- 
the l , a re ^ 8edsta tutes, relating ment in a tabular form, and transmit the sameto 
to U,o collection of taxes, aoa the county clerk in snfficiontseA, for 
THE SCHOOL LAW. 
An Act to establish free schools throughout 
the State. 
The People of the State of New York, represented in Sen¬ 
ate and Assembly do enact as follows: 
Suction 1. Common schools in the several 
school districts in this State shall be free to all 
persons residing in the district over five and un¬ 
der twenty-one years of age, as hereinafter pro¬ 
vided Persons not resident of a district may be 
admitted into the schools kept therein with the 
approbation, in writing, of the trustees thereof 
or a majority of them. 
$ 2. 1 here shall hereafter be raised by tax, in next, a correct st 
earti and every year, upon the real and personal children residin'- 
estate within this State, the sum of eight hundred of Au.o-nst. n>■<><>£ 
when collected shall be mii< ove t° ft S ’ a “ d th ® • C °' , " ty clerk in sufficient season for the latte 
7% 1 rC fT \° lncorp "*-atc the information tims obtained i 
J | laying »imporyduty. 
real aml nerslma l'‘esmto "tl !” ■* he va f ln j lt ^ n of sidin S ™ their respective districts on the fast day 
p C a r b v the assessment of tT’ ™ Jt . sha11 ap ' of December in each year, instead of the number 
0f ? ach C0U ' lt >'' before § 14. This act shall take effect on the first day 
the tenth day ol July in each year, the amount of May next; but nothin^ herein contained shaM 
tokcmiscdV.toXto.ucU county; aud it»hall be so iUu-uti a, to 
made in the several school districts for the sup¬ 
port of schools therein under existing laws for 
the current year. 
be the duty of the several county clerks of this 
State to deliver to the Hoard of Supervisors of 
their respective counties, a copy of such certifi¬ 
cate on the first day of their annual session, and 
the Jloaid of Supervisors ol each county shall 
assess such amount upon the real and personal 
estate of such county, in the manner provided 
by law for the assessment and collection of taxes 
§ 4. Ihe btate Superintendent of common 
schools shall, on or before the first day of Janu¬ 
ary in every year, apportion and divide, or cause 
to be apportioned and divided, one-third of the 
sum so raised by general tax, and one-third of 
all other monies appropriated to the support of 
common schools, among the several school dis¬ 
tricts, parts of districts, and separate neighbor¬ 
hoods in this State, from which reports shall have 
been received in accordance with law, in the fol¬ 
lowing manner, viz: to eacli separate neighbor¬ 
hood belonging to a school district in some ad¬ 
joining State there shall be apportioned and paid 
a sum of money equal to thirty-three cents lbr 
each child in such neighborhood (between the 
ages of four and twenty-one; but the sum so to 
be apportioned aud paid to any such nernkbor- 
James Monroe, the fifth president of 
the United States, was born in the county 
of Westmoreland, Virginia, on the 2d of 
April, 1759. Iiis parents were each de¬ 
scended from one of the earliest and most 
espectable families of that State. The 
early youth of James was spent amid the ex¬ 
citements which intervened between the 
assage of the stamp- act,.and the breaking 
out ol the revolution. Fired by the stirring 
scenes around him, at the age of eighteen, 
lie left William and Mary at college, and 
joined the continental army under Wash¬ 
ington. He was present at the skirmish at 
Harlem on York island, and at the battle of 
White Plains. At Trenton he received a 
bullet wound which scarred him for life. 
or his brave conduct he was promoted 
to the rank of captain of infantry. In 1777 
and 1778 he acted as aid to Lord Stirling, 
and behaved bfavcly at the battles of Bran¬ 
dywine, Germantown and Monmouth. He 
subsequently commenced the study of law 
Mr. Jefferson. At a later period, 
under 
and performed important services to his 
country. 
In 1782, he was elected a member of 
the Virginia Legislature, and was soon af¬ 
ter chosen by that body a member of the 
executive council. The following year, al¬ 
though on|y twenty-five years of age, he 
was chosen" a dt!Ogata to represent Virginia 
in the Continental Congress. lie was pres¬ 
ent wnen Washington surrendered liiscom- 
mission to that body; and he continued to 
represent his State there until 1786. 
During his attendance at New York as 
a member of Congress, he became acquaint¬ 
ed with and married the daughter of Mr. 
L Kortright, celebrated in the fashionable 
circles of London and Paris for her beauty 
and, accomplishments. She was a most 
estimable woman, in both public and pri¬ 
vate life. 
In 1785, he took the incipient step in 
Congress towards the framing of a new 
constitution, by moving to invest congress 
with the power of regulating trade and of 
The^e movements 
finally brought about the convention to re 
vise the articles of confederation. 
“ According to a rule of the old Conti¬ 
nental Congress, a member of that body 
for a second term; and when, 
A Standard of Wisdom. —We did not 
make the world—we may mend it and we 
must live in it. We shall find that it 
abounds in fools who are too dull to be 
employed, and knaves who are too sharp. 
But the compound character is the most 
common, and it is that with which we shall 
have the most to do. As he who knows 
how to put proper words in proper places 
evinces the truest knowledge of books, so 
he that knows how to put fit persons in fit ! he 
stations, evinces the truest knowledge of' 
men. It was observed of Elizabeth, that 
she was weak herself, but chose wise coun¬ 
sellors; to which it was replied, that to 
choose wise counsellors was, in a prince, the 
highest wisdom. 
1786, Mr. Monroe’s term expired, he 
retired to Fredericksburg, with a view of 
practising law. But he was soon after elec¬ 
ted a member of the Virginia Legislature; 
and in 1788, he was chosen a delegate to 
the State Convention to decide upon the 
adoption of the constitution. Not being 
satisfied with that instrument, although 
conscious of the inefficiency of the articles 
of confederation, he opposed its adoption. 
In 1789, he was elected to a seat in the 
Senate of the United States, in which sta¬ 
tion he continued until 1794, generally act¬ 
ing with the anti-federalists, and opposed 
to Washington’s administration. 
In 1794, he was appointed to succeed 
Governeur Morris as minister to France, 
but not conforming to Washington's views, 
he was recalled in 1796. ' In 1799, he 
was elected governor of Virginia, and 
served tKe constitutional term of three 
years. In 1803, Mr. Jefferson appointed 
him envoy extraordinary to France, to act 
with Mr. Livings top, and he was a party to 
the treaty for the cession and purchase of | 
Louisiana. Disputes concerning bounda¬ 
ries having occurred with Spain, he went to 
Madrid to settle the difficulty, but he was 
unsuccessful. In 1807, he and Mr. Pinck 
ney negotiated a treaty with Great Britain, 
but it proved unsatisfactory, and was never 
ratified ; and during the year he returned to 
the United States.” 
In 1811, Mr. Monroe was again elected 
Governor of Virginia, but was soon after 
appointed by Mr. Madison, Secretary of 
SLate, which office he held during Madi 
son’s administration. After the capture of 
Washington city, he took charge of the war 
department (still remaining Secretary of 
State), and in that position he exhibited 
great energy. 
Mr. Monroe was elected president of the 
United States in 1816, and was inaugura¬ 
ted on the 4th of March, 181 7. Impressed 
with the necessity of frontier defences, lie 
started in May on a tour of inspection — ex 
tending eastward as far as Portland, in 
Maine, northward to the St. Lawrence, and 
westward to Detroit. He was absent about 
six months, and was every where greeted 
with distinguished honors. 
In 1820, Mr. Monroe was re-elected 
president with great unanimity,—receivin'’- 
every vote of the electoral colleges, except 
one. 1 
On the 3d of March, 1825, Mr. Monroe 
retired from the Presidential Chair, his ad¬ 
ministration having been an eminently har¬ 
monious and prosperous one. lie retired 
to his residence in Loudon county, Virgin¬ 
ia* where he resided until 1831, when^he 
removed to the city of New York and took 
up his residence with his son-in law, Samuel 
L. Gouverneur. He was soon after seized 
with severe illness; and on the 4th of July. 
1831, he expired, in the seventy-second 
year of his age, making the third President 
who had died on the National Anniversary. 
Mr. Monroe was about six feet high and 
w r ell formed, with light complexion and blue 
eyes. Honesty, firmness, and prudence, 
rather than superior intellect, were stamped 
upon his countenance. He was industrious 
and indefatigable in labor, warm in his 
friendships, and in manners was a good 
specimen of the old Virginia gentleman. 
His long life was honorable to himself and 
useful to bis country. 
Morn* callcth fondly to a fair lioy straying 
’Mid golden meadows, rich with clover dew; 
She calls—but still he thinks of nought save paying; 
And so she smiles and waves him an adieu! 
Whilst he, still merry with his flowery store, 
Deems not that Morn, sweet Morn, returns no more. 
Noon cometh hut the hoy to manhood growing, 
Heeds not the time; he sees hut one sweet form, 
One young fair face, from bower of jessamine glowing, 
And all his loving heart with bliss is warm. 
So noon, unnoticed, seeks the western shore, 
And man forgets that noon returns no more. 
Night tappeth gently at a casement gleaming 
Willi the thin fire light, flickering fayit and low, 
By which a gray-hair’d man is sadly dreaming 
O’er pleasures gone—as all Lile’s pleasures'^; 
Night calls him to her, and he leaves his door, 
Silent and dark—and he returns no more! 
THE DIVINE AND THE DOCTOR. 
A Devout minister was once asked by a 
skeptic, if he preached to save souls; and 
on replying that he did, the caviler rejoined: 
“Did you ever seen soul?” “No,” was 
tire reply. “ Did you ever hear a soul ?” 
“ No-” “ Did you ever taste a soul ?”— 
“ No.” “ Did you ever smell a soul ? “ No.” 
“ Dio you e v er feel a soul ?” “ Yes, thank 
Cod,” sa'd the preacher. “ Well,” said the 
caviling doctor, “ there are four out of five 
senses against one, and there is no soul.” 
Bo the nia’ter might have dropped, but 
the preacher, as subtle in understanding 
as >.e was pious in heart, turned the tables 
on the caviler, and being informed that he 
was a doctor, asked: 
“ Did you ever see a pain ?” “ : No,” he 
replied. “ Did you ever lv-ar a pain?”_ 
“ No.” “ Did you ever taste a pain ?” “ No.” 
“ Did you ever smell a pain ?” “ No.” “ Did 
you ever feel a pain?” “Yes,” said the 
doctor. “ Well then,” rejoined the preach¬ 
er, tueie are, _. ou see, also, lour senses 
against one, to prove that there is no such 
tiling as a pain.” 
THE CAPTAINS REQUEST. 
Mv lads, said a captain, when about to 
take command of a ship, reading his orders 
to the crow on the quarter deck, “there is 
one law I am determined to make, and I 
shall insist on its being kept. It is a favor, 
indeed, I will ask ol you, and which as a 
British officer, I expect will be granted by 
a crew of British seamen. What say you 
my lads, are you willing to grant your new 
captain one favor?,’ “ Af, ay,” cried all 
hands, “ Let’s know what it is, sir.” “Well 
my lads it is this: that you must allow me 
to swear the first oath in this ship. No man 
on board must sweai an oath before 1 do; 
I am determined to swear the first oath on 
board. What say you, my lads, will you 
grant me this favor?” The men stared, 
and stood for a moment, quite at a loss 
what to say. “ They were taken,” one 
said, “ all aback,” “ They were brought up,” 
another said, “all standing.” The appeal 
seemed so reasonable and the manner of 
the captain so kind and prepossessiti'>-, that 
a general burst from the ship's company 
answered, “ Ay, ay, sir,” with their usual 
three cheers. Swearing was thus 
abolished in the ship. 
I 
wholly 
THE SALT LAKE. 
A traveler who has recently visited the 
Salt Lake gives the following facts: 
“ I he Lake itself is one of the greatest 
curiosities I ever met with. The water is 
about one-third salt, yielding that amount 
on boiling. 1 bathed in it, and found that 
I could lay on my back, roll over and over, 
and even set up and wash my feet without 
sinking, such is the strength of the brine; 
and when I came out I was completely cov¬ 
ered with salt, in fine crystals. But the 
most astonishing thing about it is the fact, 
(as I was informed by the gentleman who 
was manufacturing salt (here at the time) 
that during the summer season the Lake 
throws on shore abundance of salt, while in 
the winter season it throws up glauber salt 
in immense quantites. The reason of this 
I leave for the scientific to judge, and also 
what becomes of the enormous amount of 
fresh water poured into it by three or four 
large rivers—Jordan, Bear, and Weber—as 
there is no visible outlet.” 
THE DOOM OF OUR WORLD- 
M hat this change is to be we dare not 
even conjecture, but we see in the i.eavens 
themselves some traces ol destructive power. 
The fragments of broken phmets— the de¬ 
scent of meteoric stones upon our globe_ 
the wheeling comets welding the ; r loose 
materials at the solar furnace —the volcanic 
eruption in our own satellite — the appear¬ 
ance of new stars, and the disappearance 
of others—are all foreshadows of that im¬ 
pending convulsion to which the system of 
the world is doomed. Thus placed on a 
planet which is to be burnt up, and under 
heavens which are to pass away; thus 
eading, as it were, on the cemeteries, and 
dwelling upon the mausoleums of former 
woilds, let us learn the ,esso” of humility 
and wisdom, if we have not already been 
taught it in the senool of revelation .—North 
British, lieview. 
Benevolent Motives.— If we closely at¬ 
tend to the operations of our mind, and 
carefully observe what passeth within us, 
at that very instant when we are doing a 
charitable or friendly office, I am apt to 
think we should find that the pleasure 
which lesults from it arises either from a 
sense that what we are doing may procure 
us the approbation of men—or it proceeds 
f’oin a sense of having done our duty, and 
recommended ourselves to .lie favor of the 
Deity. Our benevolen e, as far as it is > 
owing to the former, is not virtue, but a ! 
desire of fame and distinction; as far as it S 
is owing U, the latter, it is a virtue, btu 1 
virtue founded upon the love of Cod. Joy j 
undoubtedly, like the light of the sun, never < 
rebounds so strongly back again upon our- i 
selves, as when it comes reflected to us I 
born others. The grosser pleasures soon ' 
flatten upon the sense, a.,d grow ii.Upjd to ‘ 
a well turned mind; but we feel the < 
most exquisite and delica: ij, ,*.•■ meet • 
Listing touches of pi asur. > ,\ o cum- ( 
municate it, iu any great deg. . to those • 
about us. < 
