Joel Tyler Benedict, A. M., Adjunct Professor of Pure Mathamatics. George Washington Huntsman, A. M., Adjunct Professor of Moral, Intellectual, and Political Philosophy.

Joseph Howard Palmer, A. M., Tutor in Pure Mathematics.

William Beinhauer Silber, A. M., Tutor in Ancient Languages.
Benjamin Arad Sheldon, A. M., Tutor in Pure Mathematics.

Alfred George Compton, A. M. Tutor in History and Belles-Lettres.
Casimir Fabregou, A. M., Tutor in French.

Samuel Gould Jelliffe, A. M., Tutor in History and Belles-Lettres.
James Godwin, A. B., Tutor in Pure Mathematics.

Lucien Oudin, A. M., Tutor in French.

Solomon Israel Woolf, A. B., Tutor in Drawing.

James Knox, A. B., Tutor in English.

Fitzgerald Tisdall, Tutor in Ancient Languages.

Joseph Oakley Nodyne, A. M., Librarian and Registrar.
Simon Fraser Mackie, A. B., Assistant in the Laboratory.
Grosvenor Waters, Janitor.

Daniel McEvoy, Assistant Janitor.

THE FREE ACADEMY.

The Free Academy of the city of New York is the first institution established in this State by the popular sovereignty, and maintained at the public expense, for the purpose of extending to the pupils of the Common Schools the advantages of free education in those higher departments of learning, which cannot be obtained but at a considerable expense in the colleges previously established in this State. It was intended to be the complement of the system of free public schools-making them complete and available for all classes of the people, and by their courses of studies and means of instruction, fitted to meet the wants of all, from the elementary instruction of early childhood to the more various and profound studies in literature and science, which constitute the higher departments of collegiate learning.

The Board of Education of the city of New York took the first action in reference to the establishment of this institution, by the adoption of a resolution, introduced by Commissioner Townsend Harris, July 27th, 1847, raising a Committee to report upon the subject. On January 20th, 1847, a report was presented by said Committee, recommending the establishment of "a Free College or Academy," and presenting its design, nature, and objects, in this language: Your Committee will not at present enter into the details of the proposed institution, but will briefly remark, that their design is to offer the idea of a college, which, while it shall be in no way inferior to any of our colleges in the character, amount, or value of the information given to the pupils, the course of studies to be pursued will have more especial reference to the active duties of opera

tive life, rather than those more particularly regarded as necessary for the pulpit, bar, or the medical profession."

The report was published, and considered at a meeting of the Board, held on the 10th of February, 1847, when a Committee was appointed to draft a memorial, in the name of the Board, to be presented to the Legisture, praying, among other things:

First "That the Legislature will be pleased to pass a law directing the Regents of the University to pay over to the Board of Education such amount of the literature fund as may be apportioned by them to the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Senate Districts of this State; such moneys to be applied to the support of a free college or academy, in the city of New York, for the instruction of students who have been pupils in the Common Schools of the said city."

Second "That the Legislature will further authorize the Board of Education in said city to call on the Supervisors, from time to time, to raise by tax such sums as may be required for the erecting, furnishing, and fitting up of said college or academy, and supporting the same, such sums to be notified to, and raised by the said Supervisors, in the same manner and under the same heading of taxation that the moneys for the support of Common Schools in said city are now raised."

The memorial was drafted and presented to the Legislature, offering, among others, the following views and purposes:

"One of the important objects designed to be secured by establishing a Free Academy is to bring the advantages of the best education that any school in our country can give within the reach of all the children of the city, whose genius, capacity, and desire of attainments are such as to render it reasonably certain that they may be made, and by such means would become, eminently useful to society; the permanency of our free institutions, the future state of society, the extent to which the laws of the country will be regarded, and social quiet and order preserved, depend essentially upon the virtue and intelligence of the people."

"Another object of the proposed free institution is, to create an additional interest in, and more completely popularize the Common Schools. It is believed that they will be regarded with additional favor, and attended with increased satisfaction, when the pupils and their parents feel that the children who have received their primary education in these schools, can be admitted to all the benefits and advantages furnished by the best endowed college in the State, without any expense whatever. It is believed that such an institution as the proposed Free Academy is designed to be, in addition to the great benefits it will confer by annually graduating a large number of highly-educated young men, destined to pursue some of all the various pursuits of life, would stimulate tens of thousands, who might never enter into this Academy, to additional industry and greater advances, while in the Common Schools. The certainty to a young man of good abilities, and desirous of making large

acquisitions in knowledge, of having the opportunity of gaining as extensive an education as can be acquired in any institution in the State, if his parents can only furnish him the means to subsist at home, is in the highest degree cheering, while the certainty that the limited earnings of his parents will preclude him, in the existing state of things, from having any such advantages, tends to repress such generous aspirations, paralyze effort, and prevent the full development of his ability to become extensively useful to the class in which his lot may be cast, or to society at large."

Such were the objects presented to the Legislature, to induce the passage of the law authorizing the establishment of the Free Academy. The people were promised an institution which, in the character, amount, and value of the education imparted, should be inferior to none of our colleges, and at the same time should be so organized that the course of studies to be pursued would tend to educate the pupils practically, and particularly qualify them to apply their learning to advance and perfect the operations of the various trades and occupations in which they may engage; and, also, to furnish peculiar facilities for instruction of the highest order in various branches of knowledge, omitted altogether, or not practically taught, in our colleges. These views were approved by the Board, and concurred in by the succeeding Boards, who always have considered the Academy as a part of the Common School system of the city, by which, in easy and continuous development, students may pass on, as far as they are able, to the higher levels of literary and scientific education—an institution uniting in a properly progressive system the usual duties of the American Academy and the American College-retaining always its characteristic peculiarity of an agency of the government, in offering to all the people, equally, the means of educating their sons up to the point from which they respectively are to start in the pursuit of manhood and citizenship, and meeting the wants not only of those whose wealth is largely taxed to support education, but of those, more numerous, whose aggregate taxes are still larger, and also those whose more slender resources are subject to no direct pecu niary tax, but who, in numberless indirect exactions, contribute their full share in supporting the burdens of organized society.

The act authorizing the Board to establish a Free Academy was passed May 7th, 1847, providing, as a condition to its becoming a law, that the question whether such academy should be established according to its provisions, should be submitted to the people at the election to be held on the first Monday of June, 1847, and that a majority of the votes given must be in favor of the proposition. The question was so submitted, and 19,404 votes were given in favor of it, to 3,409 against-leaving a majority of 15,995.

ORGANIZATION OF THE FREE ACADEMY.

By the statute, it is made the duty of the Board of Education :

"To continue to furnish, through the Free Academy, the benefit of education gratuitously, to persons who have been pupils in the Common Schools of the said city and county, for a period of time to be regulated by the Board of Education, not less than one year.

"To supervise, manage, and govern said Free Academy, and make all needful rules and regulations therefor; fix the number and compensation of teachers and others to be employed therein; prescribe the preliminary examination, and the terms and conditions on which pupils shall be received and instructed therein and discharged therefrom; direct the course of studies therein, and provide in all things for the good govern ment and management of the said Free Academy; and purchase the books, apparatus, stationery, and other things necessary and expedient to enable the said Free Academy to be properly and successfully conducted, and to keep the said building or buildings properly repaired and furnished. And the Board, upon the recommendation of the Faculty of the Free Academy, may grant the usual degrees and diplomas in the arts, to such persons as shall have completed a full course of study in the said Free Academy.

"To appoint annually a standing committee of not less than five persons of their number, who shall, subject to the control, supervision and approbation of the said Board, constitute an Executive Committee, for the care, government, and management of the said Free Academy, under the rules and regulations prescribed as aforesaid, whose duty it shall be to make detailed reports to the said Board of Education, and, among other things, to recommend the rules and regulations which they deem necessary and proper for the said academy."

The organization of the institution, based on the above enactments, is shown in the following digest of the by-laws of the Board of Education and regulations of the Faculty.

REQUISITES FOR ADMISSION.

The examination of candidates for admission takes place immediately after the general examination in July, and continues at the same hours every day, until concluded. No student can be admitted to the Academy unless he resides in the city, be fourteen years of age, shall have attended the Common Schools in the city twelve months, and shall pass a good examination in

No candidate can be examined for admission unless he shall present to

the Principal of the Academy a certificate, in the form prepared by the Executive Committee, signed by the Principal of the school or schools of which he has been a member, and specifying the age of the candidate, the Common Schools of the city which he has attended, the length of time in each, and when. If the number qualified for admission be more than can be admitted, the preference is given to those who have attended the Common Schools the greater period.

At either of the regular examinations, members may be admitted to one or all of the classes, to pursue the studies of any one or more departments, provided they shall have attended the Common Schools the requisite period-shall be of the proper age-shall pass the proper examination in the requisites for admission, and also an examination satisfactory to the Faculty, in the previous studies of the class or departments to which they are to be admitted.

No person is allowed to be present at the examination, except the instructors in the Academy, and members of the Board of Education, and other school officers; neither are the names of the candidates, nor the schools from which they come, made known to the instructors conducting the examinations, but each candidate is designated during examination by a number given to him on a card, by the Principal. Only the names of such as have passed a good examination are afterwards ascertained, in order to be inscribed on the rolls of the Academy.

Students are not allowed to reside or board in the Academy; they reside or board with their parents or guardians. By removing from the city, they forfeit their right to remain in the institution.

Graduates may become resident graduates, and continue their studies at option.

DISCIPLINE.

The discipline of the Academy is mild, persuasive, and just, but steady, strict, and unyielding. The law on this point is clear and explicit.

'Every student," it says, "shall conduct himself according to the rules of good manners, good morals, and manly propriety; shall give punctual and constant attendance to all his duties; shall use the property of the institution with care and economy, and restore the same when required."

The punishment inflicted in the Academy are demerit marks, private admonition, admonition by the Principal in presence of the Section and of the Instructor in the recitation-room, suspension by the direction of the Principal, public admonition by the Principal in presence of all the students at roll-call, final admonition by the Principal in a meeting of the Faculty, and dismission for misconduct, to be directed by a vote of the Faculty.

Every violation of the rules is recorded in the Book of Discipline, together with the degree of punishment inflicted, and the amount of demerits received. No student is demerited without receiving notice of the fact and the cause.