The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1783-02-18 00:00:00, page 1

Look to your Interest, ILon-ReJidents.
WLL be fold, as the law dire&s, so much of the Lands
of the non-resident Proprietors of Goshen, as will
pay all taxes due on said Lands, unless fettled before the 27th
of March next, of the following persons, viz,
Josiah Bartholomew, Laban Beech, Jonathan Bidwell,
Thomas Deane, Philip Cook, Abner Graves, Ebenezer
Garnfey, Benjamin Morton, Samuel Ruffcll, Samuel Prffton,
Samuel & Timothy Hubbart, John Roberts, Hez. Thomp
son, Robert Shelly, Joseph Sweet, Nathaniel Thompson $,
heirs, Landa Beech, Elihu Hall, William Hooker's, heirs,
David Miller's heirs, Joseph Benjamin Atwater, James Gil
bert.
FISK BEACH, (
EPHRAIM STARR, (
WILLIAM BEACH, ( Colle&ors of
THEODORE PARMELE, ( State and
WILLIAM GOODWIN, ( Town Taxes.
ALLEN LUCAS, (
WOSTEL WILOUGHBY. (
Goshen, February 11, 1783. -
MUFF'S and TIPPETS,
JUST come to hand, a variety of MUFF's and TIPPETS,
from 6 co 15 dollars, also a few Men's Caps.
* ¥ * Wanted a quantity of Wheat, Rye, Corn and Oats,j
for which cash will be given, enquire at the store of
JAMES and HEZ. BULL.
Hartford February 8, 1783.
Wanted, a quantity of I obacco,;
For which Cash, Rock Salt or Dry Goods will /
be given, by John Morgan, Hartford.
STRAYED from the fubferiber lait June, a small sorrel,
MARE,fuppofed to be three years old paft,a light main j
and tail, white in the face, branded on rhe fore hoofs ST.£
Whoever will return her to the fubferiber or inform where |
she may be had shall be well rewarded, by
SAMUEL TALCOTT. [
Hartford, January 29, 1783.|
BASKERVILL's largefoho
Bible, gilt and bound in
red Morocco, with Silver
Clasps, plates and corner
Pieces, quire new.
'Crudin'sConcordance,voL 1
Common Prayer Book. I
Stackhoufe on the Bible. 6
British Plutarch. 12
Entick's history ofLondon.4
Leland's hiftoryoflrcland. 4
Kimber's history of Eng
land. e 1
Watts's Logic.l
Cook's Voyage round the
World.2
\<-4lL<^^ NDp-X^^o><t%
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.
T U E S D A Y, Llbruary 18, 1783. 1N0.943.]
Many of the above Books, are of the lateSt and belt Editi
ons and are as good as when Imported, they will be fold
all together or feperately, as may best suit the Purchaser, by
the subferiber in Hartford. HU( , H LEDLra
January 26, 1783. ________ —
TWO lively a&iveHoufe Joiners, that arc good workmen
and will engage for the whole season, from the hilt ofc
March next, who shall have constant employ and good
„g es by applying W , AUGUSTUS FITCH.
East-Windsor, February 7, 1783.
ALL persons indebted to the eltate of the Hon. Robert
Walker, Esq; late of Stratford, deccafed, are called up
on,o make immediate fettlcment to the fubferibcr. And
all persons having any demands on said estate are desired to
exhibit their fcveral accounts for adjustment.
ROBERT WALKER, (
REBECCA WALKER.(
Stratford, January 23, 1783.
ALL persons having any demand on the estate of Dr. Sa
muel Steel, late of Wethersfield, deceased, are desired
to bring in their accounts for settlement, to the Subferibers,
and all those indebted to said estate are requested to make
speedy payment to,
DANIEL & DAVID STEEL, Executors.
Wethersfield, February 7, 1783.
H ARTFOR D: Printed bi H uD SON and G OODWI N, near the Great Bridge;
BOOKS for SALE,
WANTE D,
Gordon's universal Account
ant. 1
Every Man his own Lawyer.!
Law on Evidence.,
Present Sate of Great-Bri
tain and North-America.1
Review of the late War. 1
Godfrey's Poems. 1
The Laws of the State. 1
A molt elegant Edition of
Watts's Plalms. 1
A blank Account Book. 1
One buff Sword Belt.
One Morocco do. with Buc
kles, &c.
One lar^e Prison Padlock. ,
PARNASSUS, No. 111.
" Sovereignty admits of no power in the society
it governs, either Jiforior so, or exemptfrom its
jurifdiaion."
WE now enquire, whether the present charter ofYale
College limits the fellowship andgovernment there
of co clergy men ?
The charter recites, that "in O&ober 1723 the General
Court did explain and enlarge the powers and privileges"
of the firft charter. The Court therefore did not doubt their
right to explain the charter they had given. They explain
ed it by impowering four out of seven cruftees present to aft,
and making it optional with any trustee when to resign.
They enlarged it by making thirty years in Read of "above
the age of forty" fufficient, in point of age, for a trustee.
(Hist. Yale College, p. 34, 46.) Why ''there was an hesi
tation about the reception of this ad," the hiftery hath not
informed us.
The petition for a new charter requests the confirmation
of former powers and privileges, and that additional ones
may be granted. Accordingly, in the last charter there is
no reservation in regard to age in the choice of a President
or Fellow. This is left discretionary with the ele&ors.
And whereas the firSt charter limited them to ministers of the
gofpel,the lad has no such limitation. But these enlarge
ments and explainations, can by no means be called a con
firmation " of all former powers and p ivileJges."
The clause in the firtt chartcf(co v fining the trustees to the
ministry in their choice of ^ffociates from time to time)
was not emitted in the last with ut good reason.
This confirms what was before iuggefted, that the pre
sent charter was understood, when given, to comprehend
civilians in the fellowship, and granted in the expectation
that a proportion offuch would be chosen into it, as va
cancies therein should give opportunity. The diffatisfac
tion with the government of College since, particularly in
the General Assembly, hath been owing principally to the
exclusion of civilians from a partnership in the fellowship
and government of the univerficy. I was nor a member of
the General Assembly in 1745, when the charter was given.
If any gentleman then belonging to either house, will be
kind enough to set me right, in case I have been mifinform
ed refpeaiug the understanding if the charter at that time,
I should be much indebted to such gentleman.
The honorable General Assembly may explain the last
charter, as well as the firft. All orders in the community
would confide in their explanation. Or lome may rather
think that their practice, for a course of years, with refer
ence to Yale College, is the fillleft declaration of their
sense of the charter. Is it to be supposed, that the legisla
ture have incorporated a body not relponfible in their aggre
gate capacity to theirconftituents?
The charter diredr, that "all such laws, rules and ordi
“ nances as the President and Fellows shall think fit and
" proper for the inftrudion and education bf the students,
66 and ordering, governing, ruleing and managing the said
" College, and all matters, affairs and things thereunto
" belonging,---be laid before this Assembly, as often as
“ required ; which may also be repealed or disallowed by
" this Assembly, when they shill think proper." (See sec
tion VIII.) Thus the charter fubjeds to the revision of the
General Assembly alllavs &c. of the President and Fellows;
whether refpc&ing infraction or education, ordering, govern
ing, ruling and managing the College and all matters, af
fairs and things thereunto belonging as often as required
and reserves to the General Assembly the right of repealing
or difallovcing them all, when they shall think , proper. The
President ana Fellowsmay think such laws "wholfome and
reasonable" ; but the General Assembly may think other
wise ; and if so, they may, according to charter, "repeal
ordifallow'' them. It may be said, that alight ^repeal
ing or disallowing, at pleasure, the laws of the President and
Fellows, doth nut imply aright of wafting laws for the uni-
YCifiy. The aufwer is, th t the authority of the Preffdenc
and Fellows being entirely dependent on the General Assem
bly, according to this paragraph of the charter, unless they
conform their laws &c. to the opinion of the Affcmblv, they
may all bc sec aside, at any time. The charter also, by ad
mitting of civilians in the fellowship, lays a foundation for
greater wisdom in the ordaining and eftahlishing laws &c.
forthe College, than there can be while this matter lies
wholy with clergymen, who do not make juiifprudence their
Study.
lam notfo appreherfive of the infufficiency of what has
been remarked, as to fapp fe, thst even rhe Reverend Pel
lows of the College will no fee the propriety of an altera
tion in their constitution, r.s hitherto underwood and praflifed
upon by. them. I do not'd sk to be introduce dto them to plead
this cause : But fnch is the honorable opinion I entertain of
the enlarged views of Several members, :-s leads rre to hope
, their influence may prevail with any of their brethren, who
have been less liberal, to put the seminary under their care
on a footing which will give general fatitfa&ion. It is a
diftefpe&fuijealoufy and w me of cot fidence in any corpor
ation, to deny the Supreme legislative a jurifdi&ion over
them in theirofficilacapicity. It cannot fail to be resented,
as the Fellows of theCollege havclong experienced. It be
gets suspicions ofdefigns with which I would not charge
them. The firft circumstances of the College have been
long since much changed. The proportion oflearned gen
tlemen in civil life is now much greater, than when the Col
lege was erected.
All the laws and charters previous to the American revolu
tion are materially changed by this event. The charter of
Yale College composts net with our present circumstances :
The declaration of independence hath difanniilled part of
it. Is it not hence become proper and necessary that the
honorable General Assembly should take this important
matter into their mature consideration, and establish such z
charter as shall put the College on the most refpe&able
footing, conformable to our present circumstances ? Their
I historian allows, that the supremacy of the General Affem
-Ibly may interpose in case of a "plain breach of trust, or
< fuch mifeondud as should be plainly detrimental to the
> public good." * The General Afembly are the proper
Ijudgesljudges what is far the good of the College and communi-
I cy. Without the fnppefirion of breach of trust, (at lealt
I without a plain breach thereof) the present governors may
;be infufficient to have the sole management of the univerfi
;ty. The fame number of gentlemen of any one profeffiom
; (tho' the wisest and best ofthe profeffion) would be infuffi
jcicnt. It may be plainly detrimental to the public to betruft
I fo weighty a matter with them, without the supposition of
any ether "mifeondud" than confits with integrity, and
with as much wisdom as generally belongs to a Single pro
feffiun. The revision, repeal or difallowance of all the
College laws &c. at any time, with which the charter veft<
the General Assembly, surely comprehends something more
than a cognizance fer"plain breach oftruft." The Rev-
President and Fellows of Harvard College think it no reflec
tion, that their ads must have the Sanction of the overseers.
It adds wisdom and dignity to them.
The public grants to Yale College amount to about three
times what it has received in private donations, Since it was
firft ereded. All the donations from abroad (and doubtless
most within the State) are to be ascribed to the public sup
port and countenance. The legislature Would have done
much more for it, had not the Reverend Corporation dis
puted every inch of ground, when fatisfaftion has been
wanted as to the Rate of College. Much time has been
spent, at one session ofthe General Assembly and another,
in this dispute, to the public detriment in more reff&s than
one. The legislature's care of the College hath nourished
it as a father his child. Whatcan mere endanger the with
drawing of this care, than giving ground For the complaint.
I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled
againf me ? Should the parental care of the State be with
drawn from the College, it would fink into oblivion. A
new university would immediately be established, and the
gentleman who now presides at Yale College, would doubt
less be desired to take the charge ofthe new one. He has
net that afeendancy nor influence in the Corporation to
which his rank and meric entitle him—as may be shewn in
a future paper. I have not the most distant define that z
new university should be fee up. I only wish that such con
cessions may be made asthe charter of Yale College admits
and even requires. Then the legislature's care of it would
again flourish.
More might be said in behalf of the gentlemen, original
ly ptopofed as trustees, being the founders and victors of
Yale College, hadthey provided, or been in a capacity to
}provide, adequate funds for its support. But the affiimpciort
I of the cnara&er of founders without providing fortheir cwm
I foundation, Scarce exempts <rom adegree of the shame,
Iwhich comes on him who undertakes to build, and is not
1 able to finish. Though bad their funds been ever so ample,
, they could have exited only as individuals, not as a corpora
|tion, without a civil establishment. The cxiftance of the
I College is derived from the General Affemlly ; It was not
; founded before rhe charter. It had no name. Those gen
' tiemen who were lift nominated for truftces, were noc
' founders cor fidered as an eteemfoary corporation. No
! other appellation than a civil corporation can therefore be
Iclaimed by their fucerflors. This appellation ofthe firft
;trufteer and their facetffors is in confiquence of their public
! acknowledgment and incorporation by the ruling powers of
Ithe State. The College historian, in availing bimfelfof
I the tarn founded, nfrd in the preamble of the charter, was
! quite inattentive to the clause immediate ty preceding. The
IGeneral Assembly of 1745 did not suppose the College was
founded previous to the firft charter; but "in pursuance us
the grant, liberty and licence" contained therein.
* Hist. Talc College, p. 70,75.