Chapter I: Preface: To Third Edition

Instruction in Civil Government should be both theoretical and practical. Unfortunately the text-books in general use stop with the theory.

They deal with the science of government, but, being intended for use throughout the United States, they give no information as to the ART of government as practiced in this State.

Our students learn what is the guaranty of Republican government, but not how that government is exercised in their own town.

They are drilled in Incorporeal Hereditaments, but do not learn what kind of causes can be tried before a Justice of the Peace.

To supply this deficiency, is the aim of the present manual. Beginning with the school district, the names, manner of election, duties, and salaries are given of all important officers from the school trustee to the President of the United States.

The rapid sale of the First and Second Editions of this book encourages the hope that, with the additions now made, this manual may be considered indispensable in every PROGRESSIVE school in the State of New York.

HENRY C. NORTHAM. LOWVILLE, April 22, 1878.

I.--INTRODUCTION.

Officers are elected to administer the government for

I. The United State II. Each State III. Counties. IV. Cities V. Towns VI. Districts

The following are names given to some of the different kinds of districts in the State of N. York

I. Road, School and Election Districts. II. School Commissioner Districts. III. Assembly districts IV. Senatorial districts V. Congressional districts VI. Judicial districts

QUESTION. Which are the smallest districts named?

A. Road, School and Election districts.

Q. What is a road district?

A. A portion of a town placed under the charge of an officer, whose duty it is to see that the roads are kept in good condition.

Q. What is a school district?

A. A portion of a town or city, placed under the care of officers, whose duties are to maintain a public school in and for the district

Q. What is an Election district?

A. A whole or part of a town, in which all the voting is done at one poll.

Q. What is a School commissioner district?

A. A whole or a portion of a county, under the jurisdiction of a school commissioner.

Q. What is an Assembly district?

A. A whole or a portion of a county set off for the purpose of electing a "Member of the Assembly," except Fulton and Hamilton, which together form one district, and elect one member.

Q. What is a Senatorial district?

A. A portion of a county, a whole county, or several counties combined for the purpose of electing a Senator; the amount of territory depending upon population.

Q. What is a Congressional district?

A. A portion of a county, a whole county, or several counties combined for the purpose of electing a "Representative in Congress;" the amount of territory depending upon population.

Q. What is a Judicial district?

A. One county (as in the case of New York), or several counties united for the purpose of electing Supreme Court Judges.

Q. Name the civil divisions in regular order and tell what a combination of each forms?

A. Road and school districts form towns; towns when united form counties; counties when united form a State; and also in many instances, Senatorial, Congressional and Judicial districts. States when united form a Union.

Q. How many States are there?

A. Thirty-eight.

Q. How many counties in New York State?

A. Sixty.

Q. How many towns in New York State?

A. Nine hundred and forty; the number is changing from year to year; the exact number can be found by consulting the almanacs that give the election returns.

Q. How many cities in the State of New York?

A. Twenty.

Q. How many School Commissioner districts in New York State?

A One hundred and twelve.

Q. How many Assembly districts?

A. One hundred and twenty-eight.

Q. How many Senatorial districts?

A. Thirty two.

Q. How many Judicial districts?

A. Eight.

Q. How many Congressional districts?

A. Thirty-three.

Q. How many School districts in New York State?

A. About twelve thousand.

Q. By what authority are counties organized?

A. By the State Legislature.

Q. How are Towns formed?

A. By an act of the board of supervisors.

Q. By whom are School districts formed?

A. Generally by the school commissioners, sometimes assisted by the supervisor and town clerk of the town; sometimes by special legislation.

Q. What power defines the number of Assembly, Senatorial and Judicial districts?

A. The State Constitution.

Q. What power decides upon the number of Congressional districts?

A. The Congress of the United States.

NOTE--The following table will be the guide for questioning through all the succeeding pages:

I. Name of office

II. Number of Officials holding the same office at the same time.

III. Term of office.

IV. Eligibility. V. Duties.

VI. Salary or how paid.

II--THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Q. What is a school district?

Q. How many school districts in your town?

Q. How many school districts in your county?

Q. How many school districts in New York State?

Q. What are the names of the officers in a school district?

A. I. Trustee or trustees; or a board of education.

II. Clerk.

III. Collector.

IV. Librarian

Q. What is the number of officials holding the same office at the same time?

A. I. One or three trustees, as a district decides. If a board of education, it may be not less than three nor more than nine.

II. One clerk

III. One collector.

IV. One librarian.

Q. What are the names of those districts in which there is a board of education?

A. Union free school districts; and they are allowed to have an additional officer, called a treasurer.

Q. What is the term of office of each?

A. I. If there be only one trustee, his term is one year.

II. If there be three trustees, the term is three years, one being elected each year; if the board of education consists of six or nine members, the term is three years; one third of the number being elected each year.

III. Clerk, collector and librarian, each hold the office for one year.

Q. Who are eligible to school offices in this state?

A. None but males; they must be twenty-one years of age; and trustees can hold no other school office.

Q. What are some of the duties of school district officers?

TRUSTEES.

A. I. To hold and keep district property for the use of the school.

II. To hire and pay a qualified teacher or teachers, and maintain a school for at least twenty-eight weeks during the school year.

III. To make to the school commissions an annual report between the first and second Tuesdays of August in each year.

IV. To make out all district taxes and issue a warrant for their collection, etc., etc.

CLERK.

I. To record the proceedings of the district.

II. To give notice according to law of annual and special meetings.

III. To notify each person elected or appointed to office, and also to report their names and post-office address to the town clerk.

IV. To notify the trustees of every resignation accepted by the supervisor.

V. To keep and preserve all books, records and papers belonging to his office, and to deliver the same to his successor, etc, etc,

COLLECTOR.

I. To collect all district taxes made out by trustees and placed in his hands.

II To pay out the money as directed by their order.

LIBRARIAN.

To have charge and supervision of the school district library.

Q. What is the salary of these officers and how paid?

A. The collector only is entitled to pay; he receives one per cent. on all moneys collected during the first fourteen days after advertising; after that time five per cent.

Q. How shall we find hereafter that officers are paid?

A. Some are paid a salary; some by the day; some by a fee; some by a per cent.

Q. What is meant by a salary? a fee? a per cent?

Q. How can a school district having three trustees change to one trustee?

Q. Can a district having a sole trustee change back and legally elect three?

[NOTE--All questions unanswered here, should be studied by teachers very carefully, and the correct answers obtained. they should also introduce many others that will be suggested by the lesson.]

III.--THE TOWN.

Q. What is a town?

Q. How many towns in your county?

Q. How many towns in New York State?

Q. What are the names of the officers in a town, the number of officials in each, and their terms of office?

A. I. One supervisor, elected for one year.

II. One town clerk, elected for one year.

III. Four justices of the peace, elected for four years.

IV. Three assessors, elected for three years.

V. One or three highway commissioners, as the electors may determine; if one be elected, the term is one year; if three, the term is three years.

VI. One or two overseers of the poor, as the electors may determine; term one year.

VII. One collector, elected for one year.

VIII. Constables, not to exceed five; term one year.

IX. One game constable; term one year.

X. Three town-auditors; term one year.

XI. Three excise commissioners; term three years.

XII. Three inspectors of election; term one year; and in some villages and cities a sealer of weights and measures.

Q. What are some of their duties?

I. SUPERVISORS.

I. To receive the school money belonging to the town, and pay it out by order of the trustees.

II. To receive other money belonging to the town, and disburse the same according to law.

III. To meet with the other supervisors of the county as a "board of county canvassers."

IV. To meet with the other supervisors of the county as a "board of supervisors"; to audit all lawful accounts against the county, make out the tax lists and cause them to be collected; and perform such other acts of legislation as the constitution and statute laws have conferred upon them.

II. TOWN CLERK.

I. To keep the records of the town.

II. To keep in his custody such books and papers as belong to the town.

III. To act as clerk of the town meetings,

IV. To file such papers as properly belong to his office; and to perform the general clerical duties for the town.

III. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

I. To be the judicial officers for the town.

II. To issue warrants for the arrest of persons accused of committing crimes, and also summonses for the purpose of bringing before them persons for trial in civil actions.

III. To take acknowledgment of conveyances, administer oaths, act as inspectors at the town meeting, etc.

IV. ASSESSORS.

I. To make an inventory of the real estate in the town, naming the number of acres owned by each person, and fixing upon the same a valuation in proportion to its worth.

II. To make an inventory of the personal property held by the several persons in town, such as notes, mortgages, &c., which with the real estate forms the basis for taxes.

V. HIGHWAY COMMISSIONERS.

I. To have the care and general supervision of the highways and bridges.

II. To lay out new roads, when directed by a jury legally called for that purpose and discontinue others when directed by the same authority.

III. To divide the town into districts, and appoint overseers for the same.

VI. OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.

To look after and provide for, either at home or in the county house, such as are in indigent circumstances.

VII. COLLECTOR.

I. To give a bond to the supervisor for double the amount to be collected, with one or more sureties for the faithful performance of his duties.

II. To receive the tax list and warrant, and collect the tax and pay it over as directed.

VIII. CONSTABLES.

I. To serve summonses issued by the justices.

II. To arrest and bring prisoners before a justice, and to have the custody of them.

III. To collect moneys upon executions, and if necessary to sell property to satisfy the same.

IV. To see that order is preserved in the community.

V. To attend the higher courts in their official capacity when directed by the sheriff.

IX. GAME CONSTABLE.

To look after and prosecute for the violation of the game laws.

X. TOWN AUDITORS.

To examine the accounts of the town officers and pass upon the same.