Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-02-06
Extract eta letter from .JIcmJer of tie Rsaise
Of Delegates, 10 q gentleman IN IL county.

Richmond, Feb Sd, 1916
assure you, my dear friend, the petition OF the
Theological Society has excited much interes,
here as in the county in which you live and in com
pliance with your request, Will give You an nc
count oil ITS fate, as well my views OF the subject
he day before yesterday, MIR. Writ, who's one
OF the petitioners, was heard in support of the ap-
picston, and alter an eloquent speech O. two hours
to which there was no reply, there were 1l9 votes
against the pe tton and but As in favor of it. In civ
ing my vote with the majority, WAS Influenced by
the following considerations IF the sole object OF
the fund was to provide for the education OF poor &
pious young men, and 90 prepare them Cor the mi
nisiry OF the gospel, that object coad be attained
without the interrostion of the leSi,a- ure-There
are already, several Incorporated seminarics of
learning in tue state, To whom the donation of The
iund might be made, with such conaitiois annexed
tolt as the donors should t'tk proper. Professor
ships OF divinity might be established where they did
not exist, or 1t they were Inconsistent vnh tie pre-
sent charters, these might he amended Such
rrotcsso'slp did actually exist at William & Mary
and the professor in day, united the learning of
the divine with the piety of the christian and the
mannersot the genteman.-i has been discount
nucd, presume il has been ell az for want of funds
to support il, of students to employ it, 1t is a
sufficient o. jsction with me 10 law, occupied as
the legislature Is, or ought 10 be, with the highest
Interests the community, tina; the substantial pl-
pose of the law could be effected without it,
Bat let us suppose, for the sake Of the argument
the petitioners could not be ef!ectuay attained at
present. are there not political considerations
which initiate against their petition They ssk
Tor the incorporation Of a Theological Soci ty-Now
what are the privileges ard functions of corpora
ton TO hold property in perpetuity 10 bling
SUI to make bye-lAws, and to bind together in
one set OF feelings and interests as many as chuse
20 become its members. POSSESSED of these arspIe
means OF acquiring and preserving property, they
would be cons antly receiving accessions to
H.... Ii,,- -. 4 al.
lsion have had over mems minds in every age and
country, would greatly promote this result Libe-
rsl donations would he mate II those who migated
the horrors Of agIty conscienee--wIio administer
ed the balm of religion to aiilintion aud misfortune
and who set before the eyes of all that were sick
and weary of the present life, the rapiurous lows of
another and better. Iltliis potent influence were
lett to an unrestricted operation, it difficult to set
any limit to tl~ amount OF property Which It would
IN time Absorb. Every new acquisition Of numbers
or wealth would be the cause al future increase as
1t had bcen the eject OF past increasein the same
manner as Cesar procured men with money and
provided money with men. The misclefs Of such
unhonnded wealth are so great, and the tendency TO
acquire il so obvious, that the petitioners them
selves, anticipated the obj ciOn, and sout ut to obvi-
at t-1hey urged that tue legislature might stoD
the evil whenever they perceived il to exst-and
might even, in their very charter, ret limits t. the
amount ct property the society should acouire-
But the answer did not appear to me satisfactory
have daily examples before my eyt S of the facility
with which the legislature is induced tu listen To the
complaints of individuals, in opposition 10 priuci-
piles of general policy. 1t is maxim, both Of orr
laws and our manners. that marriages should he in
dissouble-and, altho' il is supported by such i'm
pOrtaDt considerations, the protection aud edura
ton of children, TIE purity Of our manners, the
peace Of families, the chastity Of our wives and cur.
own confluence, every day in the habit of
lcs'ening the saneiity OF thi principle by erariin
divorce Again; it has long been the settled 20
hey ioHr laws not to increase tie number of free
negroes among us, and yet we scarcely ever refuse
To violate that policy IN favor Of any individuals who
apply to rs. In Ike manner, am not sure, that
we were now tn say, that the Jhe0io.ical Society
should not own properly to more than $500 We
should not say, ten years hence it might be ineroas-
ed to 100000 or even a mi lion. When the or
der of the Jesuits established, or rather con-
hrrned, By the Pope, It was on the express eOni.
ton that their number should not exceed Co and IN
three years afterwards this restriction YVES taken or
ami IN sixteen years, the nursber had increased 10
upwards OF 10000. Il is also not unworthy Of re.
mark, tsat this sect, which, By the zeal Of found
er and first followers IN the cause Of piey and yir.
tue, had so Just claim to- be called the Society of
Jesus, became, in fine, by the dcl,ternus OpcIati.
on ct the cOpo-o'isa-s3rt an o. ect Of jealousy s.
alarm, even 10 tlIose governments which thoy seem
cd best Fitted 10 support I'd, on the express APP
plcatiOn OF the house ot Bourbon about $50 years It.
ter lis orcin the order was Suppressed IL probable
that their influence in the state and Of course IN the
Legislature, would be greatly augmented when they
could add The support of the vena and The MERGE
nary TO that OF The pious and deyout Nor Is it in
probable that other sects may follow the example Of
the Presbytcriaus on this OCCASION and also ask for
the privileges and powers ofa corporatiOn--f this
we're done Wy MI The sccts, their whole influence
would be united to take offthe r"sfieion on t1.ir
power ufGcq'iiring property. You will srrec than
This united iGaeuee would be- irrss.niJo.