Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-10-06

uOOW o,UUU dollars, TO support his widow du
ing her life, and if any remains at her death
1t goes to the Institution. We have had OF
caslon, more than once, to lament that thes
gentle men are not content to use words in the
usual sense; who ever heard such a legac
called "residuary? :" That term is apple
to legacy which takes all The estate, afte
debts and other legacies are paid. We d
not know the situation of the widow, nor he
age, but making the most favourable suppose
ton that she will not spend any of the principal
and that is worth as much as above expressed
and taking her age at 35 years, such an estat,
IN remainder, according to the usual table
stating the average length of life, would b,
worth five hundred dollars but with all it
uncertainty about it, as to its present value
and the probability THAT the widow will neeC
1t for her support, it would not sell for one
hundred dollars.
Again we are told, " Adam Johnson be.
| queathed to the Institution about 5000 dol.
lars the question of has competency 10 make q
Win is to be tried before the Supreme Court
and an upright jury" The facts, in this case.
happen to be, that the competency of Adam
Johnson to make will has already been tried
IN the Probate Court, and that Court decided
that he was incompetent, and the will conse-
quently void. The Amherst Institution
thought their chance of reversing this decision
so inconsiderable, that no appeal was claimed
until after the period allowed by law for that
purpose had elapsed. Afterthat time, a Pc
tition was presented to the Supreme Court to
allow an appeal, notwithstanding the neglect
to claim it at the proper time. Whether the
appeal will be allowed is uncertain, but if al
lowed, those best acquainted with the facts
think there is no doubt the decree of the
Court of Probate will be affirmed. Johnson
was prevailed upon to have will written, Git
is not necessary now to state, by whose per-
SuaSion and by what means persuaded) and
after he had become so feeble, in his last i'll
ness, as to be unable TO speak, he was asked,
ifthe will then read should be taken for his
last will and testament--he made a sign by
nodding or otherwise, which those, who wished
so to interpret it, proclaimed as his publication
OF that document as his will. Under these
circumstances would ask, how these gentle.
men can say, with so much confidence, that
Johnson's competency is to be settled {" by the
Supreme Court and an upright Jury ~
They have lost all legal right to such trial,
by their own negligence, probably because
they thought the claim not worth pursuing,
and whether their petition will be granted,
certainly is not revealed to us, if it is to them
selves; but above all, is it credible, that men
who come forth in their own names, RESPONSE
BILE for their own deeds, asking of this House
an important gift, most valuable CHARTER,
should venture to hold forth such legacy as
really a part of their FUNDS? The only thing
in the nature of a permanent fund, in this af-
n 10 uisin
| whether that will be profitable to any, except
the counsel on each side, or whether it furnish
es any part of a College foundation, basis, |
leave to be decided by your Petitioners.
But we are told of 1876 students at Amherst
Institution. 1t came out, unluckily,, in evil
dence before the committee, that not one OF
these young men pay any tuition, and the
speech which has been so industriously cir
culated, as that of the sclicitor-general, made
in behalf of the petitioners before the commit
tee, states, that could be enforced "consist-
emily" without charter. Consistently with
what, Mr.. Speaker? surely every school mis-
tress and master, who teach private schools,
collect their tuition, and feel no want of a
charter. But the gentleman probably meant,
no tuition could be collected consistently with
keeping the scholars there exact only the
trifing tuition Of thirty dollars annually, and
this boosted college in fact" would ex.
plode, and the students disband themselves
AS these young men, by the terms of thei
subscription fund, are to be piouS, it Seems
strange that their sense of moral obligation
cannot be relied upon, to ensure the volun
tary payment of this small sum; it would b.
reasonable that as strong a test of their piety
as this should occasionally be applied.
/ This Institution exhibits list of officers
consisting OF President, with salary o
twelve hundred dollars, three Professors, will
eight hundred dollars each, two tutors, will
four hundred dollars each--all of which sala
ries amount to 4, 400 dollars; of the who'll
number of students, the charity fund, which
they sometimes call the $4,000 fund, or thu
basis. pays the tuition of so, amounting t
500. The rest OF the students, as abov
stated, pay nothing.-How is the balance Q
salaries, So, 900 paid? Where does the mon
, ey come from? fear, Sir, this is but one a
mongst many proofs, of an artificial getting ~
Of show Of College, to gain the gift of ;
, charter.
This whole struggle, sir, has presented
most singular spectacle; the gentleman G
this House from this part the State contend
HlS earnestly LOT new OOIlege IN the west
ern part, and all that section of the Common
wealth, almost to man, striving against il
We, in this part, in great kindness to GU
western brethren, insist, that their literar
wants and necessities are better known to u
than TO themselves; and although they assur
, us, no new College is needed there, and the
totH not haze one, we, ever ready 20 kill VIII
kindness, are about to compel them TO be wis
J if Colleges can make them so, in spite oftheIn
selves. ! consider this proceeding wholly VI
republican--it is against the genius of on
form of government, thus TO force an lnstitu
ton, designed for the public good, upon an
r portion of the community. So long as pei
ceive the western counties opposed to tn
College project, can never, upon principl,
, vote for it; there is something wrong, rad
cally wrong, in this business, if these petition
: ers cannot convince their own neighbour
/ those having the best means TO judge, Of tn
E expediency OF the measure.
0 Moreover, Williams College, already in e,
g istence, demands, and has right to deman,
our protcction. few wears ago we refuse