Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-04-20


ITS passaee-i seldom imtrude upon the DELI
berationS of this house yet must now beg
theit indulgence, while htieay assign tbOse
reasons, which govern my opposition TO The
bill Il object TO the bill, Sir, because il Divers
funds, which are destined Tor the dissemina-
lion OF Knowledge generally through the state,
ioa sin.le, solitary institution. Because IL
draws from the funds. applicable TO primaty
aud elementary schools. an undue share OF
Tie monies arising from these funds Tins
impeding the progress of that most estimab se
aud desirable work, elementary ins,i uction.&
By the LIST aud 2d second sections OF The sact
creating The literary fund. all escheats, cUnfis-
catious, torfeiiuies, aud all personal property
accruing To The commonwealth AZ dereiicI i;
aud al! tines aud pecuDiarv penalties receivers
ed, shall be appropriated To the encourage
ment 81 learning, and I've designated The
literary tupd The i2th section of the same
aci Declares the said literary fund. shall
be divided. and appropriated, IA 10 the legis-
laiurc shall seem best addp,.d To the promo
non OF literature Prorided always, that the
aforesaid fund shall he appropriated 10 the
So'e benefit of a school or schools, To be kept in
rnch, aud erera county within This common
wealth subject to sncb orders aud iegula-
tious a. the General A ssembly sh al hereafter
direct. The first section ot the bill, Sir is In
direct Conflict with ihis law. Ii authorizes
loan 10 the University" out OF such money as
shall hereafter be received by The president
anu directors oil The literary fluid from The
government ofthe United States, 81 cut OF
such other money a. may be at The disposal OF
The SAID president anu directors" iueH, Sir,
the nouiCs arising from escieats auJ forfeit
uIcs &c. and which are positively given 10
the erection OF primary school, in each conn
", ma, be !oantd TO the Usivetsiiy under this
bal. That which was intended To have been
accnnula,ive capital, may by this bill become
unproductve Tor no person can believe, 10
tins hill passes and the sum authorised by IL +,
shall he borrowed OF the literary fund. that
the ANIMAL appropriation of fifteen Thousand
~ lsp Stsf In fla lnta
npun owe hundred and twenty thousand
support the University, pay its professors and
redeem tile principal bOirowed.....AEu it
the principal thus borrowed be not 4 ed. med,
Is II not trencbih. in, upon the funds, express
ly devoted 10 elementary education! 10 the
educaiisn OF the poor! Aud shall we, Sir,
who ought TO be tie guardians of the Interests
ard rights OF the people quietly suffer that
tmhd 40 bs wasted OF diverted. (sveu upon
splendid ana imposing objects which ought
10 go, 10 enlisii,eu aud iniuinl those, who can
MOI iuioEm aud enlighten thrmst Ives f-Shall
lie humane and patriotic designs OF our pre-.
decessors. be thus frustrated Was not this
mud created expressly tor the education OF
the poor Aud shall II now he applied To the
edncatioB Of The rich We're not the poor
children OF The state The - SOLE objects Of This
legislative bounty? i cali upon The worthy
gentleman from Bi cooke, (Mr - who 4 mn.
derstamd bore no considerable share IA the
Enactment ~! the law, creating the literary
iund, 10 say,if IT was not primarily, with d
view 10 this sacred object, that Tins fnnd was
enacted and the system Of pducatiuu in eic.
mentary Instruction adopted Is there Sir a
supJec' wiihin The pale at Legislative duty
mole impoitantto society, thau Ica. of fur
nisnins opportunities, aud facilities To the
people, TO The acquisition OF knowledge E? Aud
ShfH tnoSe fluids, which we're destined TO
spread vide, and djfase the blessings of e.
aucdiion 10 extend and ramIiy them INFO
every nook, aud corbcr OF the state 10
cary TO the door OF every man within the
20 I'll, 81 .
be withheld, and confined To enishi.ning
The few I! The wealthy i,w! / cannot be.
lieve this Legislature will be guilty OF such
i'Jusiice 10 the people TO those whom they
are sent here TO protect.
Ms Speaker, one other and a most Obnox-
ions feature presents itself in the fourth Sec
non ut the bill ii declares that the surplus
OF the annual appropriation is pledged fov
ihe redemption nf The principal sans loaned
aud 10 be loaned a. aforesaid after the follow
ivy manner, that is 10 say first Tor The redemps
too OF the principal sum, sums which may be
borrowed oi any person, bod. polite or cor.
p0raie other than The president aud directors
OF the literary fund and neat for the redemn.
tlon oil the principal sum borrowed and 10
be borrowed, OF the said president and d.
rector, Gan aHy thing be more unjust /?
MONEY borrowed from any other source, is
inst 10 he repaid Individuals bodies uoIi,ic
ara corporate, banks are all made creditors OF
-"ptrior dignity 10 The literary fund Tina,
fund which waS created for tile wscsi ana
noblesf purposes is thus made a secondary
creditor, and exposed TO injury, and fiuai ruin
by the future bankruptcy Gifts creditors. |
toibear, Sir further 10 diate on this feature
ot The bill. II has been fully and ahlv dis
cnssed. and it, hOTrid defoImity exposed on
ye>terd ", aud this day by The worthy gentle
man nom New heht who preceded me in
this debate
The gentleman from HenIicO saws that the
tund Is accumuls ling, ADD its revenue will
be Sufficient tor all the purposes OF the law
Whence does the gentleman deduce his in
terence from the reports from the board of
directors of ,his fund? surely not The gen
tlenian certainly forgot, Tie report made Ia
this session, of the state of thai fund Sixtv
thousand dollars OF The revenue of this fnni
are annually Appropriated by law 10 The Uni
veTsity, aud primary schools {; these are peI.
manent, liked appropriations. The Whole
amount OF revenue Tor the last fiscal wear
ending 3Oih September 1921, was d lew hun
dred dollars only, over the sum OF fifty three
Thousand; aud even with the aid uf a i'm
quarter Gas 10 The last report WHICH is btonshf
np to lat January, 1921 reaches the sum of
hfty eight thousand, three hundred. aud a
few dollars Only Tins falling short of The
standing annual appropriations charged on
tile fund. What now, Sir becomes of the zen.
~ mans arithmetic? Aud here Sir, an euig-
ma presents itself 10 me, and which permit
nae Oplace before the house in the reports
10 the last and present sessions the principal
oil the literary fund appears TO be aunuaIlv
increasing. AID its dividend, or revenue de.
crRasIng: this cannot solve and pray
the genilemao from HeuricO, aud this House
at'eBtiveiy 10 examine the two last reports
Before they give their sanction 10 this bill
Sir. gentlemen complain that tie friends TO
the primary schools opposed TO this bill !:
could they expect otherwise has not Tie
University been, and is il uoi annually aided
from the literary fund has any assistance
yet been given to the intermediate seminaries
OF learning in the state has any aid been
afforded frpm N NJ ADJ
iuNTginIa Sir, in governments based on the
public will, the objects OF which are the
welfare and protection OF the people, The only
real sufeiies which are 20 be had Tor their
IL .l.AlLL L Il