The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1823-06-18

wards of 5 $4,000 OF this permanent fund has
been satisfactorily secured to them by actual
payment, or by notes or bonds; and the re-
mainder rests on the original subscription,
most Of which will unquestionably be paid
Five sixths of the income OF this fund is appro-
priated for paying the tuition and room-rent Of
INDECENT students, Of hopeful piety and promis-
ing talents intended for the gospel ministry,
which thus in reality furnishes, IN part, TIE
support of College Officers. The remaining
sixth of the interest is to be added to the prin-
cipal fund from year to year. Besides this
permanent fund, many liberal contributions
have been made for enabling the said Trustees
to erect two College Buildings, each OF them
100 feet long, 40 wide, and stories high, and
a commodious house for the President, and to
procure a library Of more than 1900 volumes,
and a philosophical and chemical apparatus.
In addition to which subscription OF S $4,000
has been commenced, which will most certain
" be made up soon; so that the funds OF the
Institution may be estimated at about 3 80, 600,
besides the two College Buildings, Presidents
house, Library, and Philosophical and Cheni-
cal Apparatus From which estimate, howev-
er. is 10 be deducted debt OF 10 or TO thous-
aud dollars. incurred in building and Tor other
PURPOSES competent number OF able In,
structers has been appointed, and a60iH one
hundred students are nOio Gndef Metf f7tSffuc-
ti0n "a course OF education mas been adopt
ed and pursued in the Institution which is ell
eyated and extensive, ard calculated to rem
der students worthy OF college honours, and 10
prepare them for eminent usefulness. The
course of study in the Institution is precisely
the same as that pursued IN Yale College
more extensive than what is pursued Ia most
of the ewEngland Colleges. These facts
are exhibited to you by gentlemen OF high
reputation, whom none will suspect OF coming
Here to deceive. The Trustees now simply
ask for Charter of Rights. Their request is
smalt-they ask ut for money, not for lands
they ask merely for corporate powers to man
age these funds, and these buildings, and 9TH
er property according to the will Of subscribers
ard donors, and for the liberty to confer on
students the degrees Of which they are wor-
thy.
1t is not surprising that many honorable
members of the Legislature opposed giving a
Charter to this College at the last session, as
the cause OF the petitioners was not advocated
in either House. The petitioners at that time
returned to thar respective homes before the
subject came before the Legislature, without
any ptlsOu 10 dIpedi III its oShdli3
expecting that, without doubt, their petition
would be referred TO the next General Court.
1t may be safely said. that no Institution ev-
or came before Legislature and asked for a
Charter with fairer claims than the present.
1t has ample funds for the support of Col
lege. 1t has been brought into existence by
similar efforts and for similar purposes 10 those
which led our pious ancestors to establish the
College at Cambridge, which Tor wealth and
talents connected with il, now holds a pre-
eminent rank among the Colleges of our coun-
try. But the Amherst Institution has far more
ample funds, and furnishes far more elevated
and extensive course OF instruction than the
College at Cambridge when it was incorporat-
ed.
As these two Institutions have been brought
forward under very similar circumstances,
though at distant periods of time, it is hoped
aud confidently believed, that the Legislature
of 1928 will not shew themselves less ready TO
encourage literature and science than the Le-
gislature of 1858.
The Institution is recommended to the de-
cided confidence of the Legislature and the
publick, by its peculiarly Favourable locGtiOn.-
The speaker, from personal knowledge though
he may appear enthusastick, has no hesita-
ton in saying, that, let any man of candour,
intelligence and refinement, visit the town of
Amherst and the surrounding towns let him
place himself on the beautiful eminence ocCu-
pied by the College Buildings let him sur
Vey the unrivalled beauty of the scenery,
which the God of nature has spread extern
sively around let him observe the fertility
of the soil, loaded with the bomties of Provi-
dence Jet him contemplate the character of
the people who nhabit that section of the
Commonwealth, disting uished as they are for
good moral habits, religion, and the general
encouragement of education let him recol-
lect the central situation of the College, as it
respects the other Summaries of New England
and New-YorS, and he will be led irresistibly
TO the persuasion, that no spot in creation
could be selected, more favourable for the
establishment and prosperity Of such an lnsti-
tuition. However fabulous may be the poet
lex representations Of the influence of the
Grecian skies, it is undeniably true, that cir
cumstances of climate, natural scenery, and
the associations OF external objects generally.
have most powerful influence in forming the
intellectual and moral habits, principles, and
character of youth.
This College is near the centre of the old
county of Hampshire, which at present fur
nishes l05 College students. OF these 1O5
students, 5 only are at Harvard, and at Will
liams, according TO the last printed Gaia
logues. That College is needed in the
State, situated differently from Harvard OF
Williams, is manifest from this fact, and more
especially from the general fact, that notwith-
standing the State now furnishes 5l3 College
students, yet 267 of them, for some cause OF
other, do not choose to so either TO Harvard OF
Williams: but 81 Of them are now at Amherst.
and the remaining 203 are in Colleges of other
States. 1t furthermore appears from the Cat
alogues, that 40 students go out Of tie State
for education more than come an Surprising
that in addition to these 40, the Ga from this