Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-08-14

Y
board of trustees are not mcoporatea. They
nave ho perpetual succession Their person
| III property will vest in their executors or ad-
ninlstrators, and their real, in their heirs
How then is the Church to secure the appli-
cation of the fiinds in time to come, to the
use nj the School? Il can he done, bat in one
nj two ways. Application must he made to
the Legislature 10 incorporate Trustees of the
! Episcopal Theological School, or ti,r funds
must he vested IN some corporate body oLe1dI
established. ,ckich triW undertake TO dpgiy MeS,
to tae Objects Of Tic Trust. If there is any
other mode Of securing the property, / would
he glad To be informed of it,
But TO the first alternative, insuperable diff
cu!ties are likely TO be opposed. The Legis-
lature have more than once, by an over,vbelm-
ing majority, refused to incorporate Trustees
Tor amy such purposes. Not all the eloJuencr
OF Nv Writ, could prevail upon them to suf
Ter a bill of this nature in favor of IA Preshy-
terrain establishment to pass to IA second read
lnS and think il very Improbable, that an
application of Il similar character from Ep;s-
copaslaIis, would meet with any better fate
OR habits, our feelings the principles of our
revolution, our Bill of Rights, the noble act for
establishing Religious Freedom, and the sub
sequent declaratory acts made ia pari mate
rio, are all opposed to tn. Legislative cncou-
raSement, directly or Indirectly, ofany reIigi-
Gus sect; and the act of 1893 explicitly de-
clares, that the mere incorporation OF any re-
hSious sect, is inconsistent with the princi-
pies OF the constitution; of religious freedom ;
and uanfestly tends TO the re-es;abiishmrnt
OF National Church" So is the incorpora-
ton of Theological School, for the purpose
oil educating young men, in the tenets of any
particular sect.
But can the difficulty be surinoun;e,l by
NfsSfllH (stnI 4
established, and which never dying NAV he
relied on to perpctuate the establishment !?
II has been said, that this Is a part Of The
Scheme, and that the Corporation OF William g.
Mary College, as selected for int purpose TO
this there are two objections. a corporation
cannot hold property for any other ;han the
original purposes of the institution. 1t cannot
be seized for the use of another. 1t cannot
be made responsible fer funds accepted bv
some OF lis members, for purposes othe: than
those limited by the charter; and wasted 4
court olchanccry, am persuaded, would not.
and could not, compel the corporation of vii
liam s. Mary College to account for money
paid for the use of a Theological School. much
less to perform the trusts. For secondly.
This would be 10 sanction an evasion ofthc
law. The Legislature refuse to Incorporate
theological School, and the corporation of
william u Mary becomes the instrument of
rendering their will abortiye, In the same
manner, half The property ofthe state nav be
held IL mortman for various useless or PERM
cIous purposes and our active policy BE- sub
verified. III the college possessed the Do,cer,
ana consented to lend itself TO any sucn pur-
poses, Ia the face of what has passed in the
Legislature, do not hesitate To affirm. thatit
would be high time TO enquire, whether CHAR
tered rights are always to stand in the way of
public poiicy.-Let those interested in the
prosperity of that institution look TO it; for as
surely as they NEEDLE improperly with nrli-
Sion and Theology, or lend themselves to the
views oil one sect rather than another so surely
VIII lhey hasten the fate, which it is To be fear
ed, IS already too fast approaching.
nor would it be consistent with the caudor
and known prohity of the board of Trustees.
and the other promoters OF this scheme that
they should come at their object by any indi-
rect means, and therefore [ am disposed 10
doubt the information which ascribes 40 them
this design. But have looked at the address
to the people of Virginia, and to the Extracts
ii the proceedings OF the Convention, and
f'iaNe moi been able 10 satisfy myself, how the
object have mentioned, is meant 10 be at
tanned: and yet il would seem TO he one of
primary Importance to all who subscribe 10
the institution. The public are entitled TO
know how the fund which shall be raised, is
to he appropriated.
line objections to The whole scheme, | will
lmSiy leave 10 others, but it ought to be stated
as corol'ary to what | have said concerning
corporations and their powers, that the pro-
fess0rs of William & Mary have no authority
to give the use of their Library to any persons
or sects, other than those embraced by their
charter. They may doubtless, deliver Lee
lures gratis TO any body WHO will listen TO
them; but to bestow the {" pairono~e of Ire
College" the " use of the Library" and Of the
Lecture rooms, are privileges which they
cannot, and ought not TO Confer. [ say ought
not, IN reference tn their own true interests
not to the object itself. For they know the
prcJudIces, if they chuse 10 term them so, of
the people of Virginia, on the subject of a
Church Establishment. They know the lea
lousy entertained by one sect towards another
And leave il Ia them to Judge, whether any
Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or other dis
senter, is likely TO send his son to a college,
which has avOwedly under lis paironGpe."
an Episcopal Theological School. Alas the
Professors fear, are tolling the knell of alma
mater, which is destined soon to become like
one OF The waste places Of Zion, so fcclingIy
described by the board of Trustees in their
address. May heaven avert the augury!
n Friend 10 HiAiam s. .uary.
TO TUE EDITORS.
~. augustine, Jniy %, 1891.
:" wrote TO you some days ago and inform
ed you of the cession Of this country 10 the
government of the United States. This was
an event which was hailed with Joy by every
American who was here, because each natter
ed himself he would be under the protection
OF the constitution aud laws of the Il. States
But this was a short-liycd hope; for imme-
dIate'y after the exchange of flags took place,
Gnu InnLu...i. ..r....l ..-..-l:---