Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-08-19

of The University oil Virginia, neo ~ w M.
on the Bird and 1,h Of July, ms ieso'u'i0A
adopted: - -.
"Rcmlrcd, That Committee OF seven ,,, &c dp r
"poncd 10 prepare and puniish a l, H ,S. rsws
q ihe People of Virginia, setting form me .'eMs
6 NJ his Society in regard 10 the UniverSiy' Us
e character and prospects, and especially ,ne
q views embodied in the resolutions adopted al ms
"meetins" ~ Commit.
The undersigned were appointed The Commit
100 and in discharge al The duty. assigned ihein'
submit the following TO The public:
The University OF Virginia was founded ~ Si an
acr OF The General Assembly, passed III 20
and went into operation in 1925 An act CONCERN
ing the Literary Fund, (rassed also N 81, in,33
after securing the sum OF 80, opo 10 DC
annually in The education oil indiSeh. ci'''',.ni
appropria,es Is 900 dollars per annGm 10 ale sGp
bort OF The University, which was designed 10 ~,
irodrce biaher standard of education than couiu
be then obtained in Virginia, and 10 turnisn pcuei
qualified teachers 10 our academies ana eiehlel.
tary SCHOOLS. If the Literary Fund should al any
time Weld more than The G0,00O dollars mus 1P-
nlied il wa, lie wish Of the best friends OF eou-
cation 10 see the excess appropriated 10 Nv. 81. 81,
duwincnt Of colleges, as a necessary Palt oi uie
plan of. education then proposed bu' ah"o"5"
his fund has increased, Till lis revenue no"
amounts 10 SIS 500 II, ills all applied 10 .hc COW
cation OF poor children, except Inc orl.inn' dn-
nuiiy OF $4,000 10 The University. WINE VIZ
do moi presume 10 call in question the wisdom OF
The Legislature in expanding The whole OF thiS
sum on primary schools, we will express our re-
orc,. Tia, "a portion Of il has been diverted from
the support of colleges and academies, without
which, and The University, no system oil poptiai
education can ever he completely successful
We are moi aware OF any principle in The creation
of The Literary Fund, whichrenders It's proceeds
especially The property of the poor, 10 DC eAPrmu-
editor them in primary schools, excep' lial w.,
900 are required 10 be annually Appropriated ~
he education OF this class. We see no reason
why q norton of The remainder should mol be cX-
nen,!e1 for The benefit Of all classes in HE cstab-
| iishmen, and support OF Intermediate sehihafieS
OF learning
Although Virginia approprates annually more
Than ss5 900 10 The cause oil education, The honor
Of the appropriation is somewhat diminished ~
,wo circnmslances-first by The fact thatlhis snm
is not raised by open and manly taxation, Tor SO
noble purpose, but By accidental escheatS iines,
torfelures penalties conf>caions, &c, when
may accrue 10 the Stale; and By The further tacl,
thai other States, not more able Than she, appro-
pria,e much more, and tax the people 10 gel IT,
Virginia gives $4,000 dollars per annum 10 sup
pcrt her University; South Carolina ves2l ,UOo
dollars: Alabama about 30 U00 dollars; LOUISIANA
about The same 10 her Colleges; and me income
~ Harvard University i about 80 600 dollars
year Leaving out Of The comparison altogether
The enormous sums cXpcnGed IN popular educa-
lion in The States where system oil common
schools has been established we may asa, does
VIRGINIA give loo much for her University? Ii
would seem MOI. ii she intends 10 have such an
institution at all; for similar institutions cost
more elsewhere II she cannot afford TO have
state University. she will Withdraw her support,
az course and her sons must learn 10 seek, IN
The librralily of other States, the education denied
III, m in their own. The question is not between
the existence OF The University with or without
The annuity, but between having such an
institution 1T all, and being willing 10 pay Tor
il il We do have it, For, 50 surely As lie support
Of Tie State is withdrawn, the Institution Will
dwjndle from lis present rank 10 that Q. inieri-
or academies, and Virginia will have no lnirer-
,i.y bu, William and Mary, which is otherwise
endowed ami is rot al all rndcr The supervision
ana control OF The State II should always b.
reculIecied by the people Of Virginia that Uni
ycrsirv. n, lis fuundaii n, was mol permanently
endowed l,y the mnniicence OF private indiytu-
ais. as other colleges generally are or by The be-
sLowincnt OF fund by The Stale, the interest OF
which should lie sufficient 10 sustain il; but was
undertaken upon The genera and implied suaran-
of the Legislature, that il shonld always receive
an annual appropriation OF Sl5,0O0. The pefma-
nc1h fund of The University is definite portion OF
the Literary Fund OF The State. Upon this fund
i, is'compel!e 10 place the reliance, which is pa-
ced by other institutions upon their original en-
towmenis Without those endowmen,s, those
institutions could no, be sustained, and without
The annual appropriation The University must in
cvjlaby 30 down In considering the proprlciy OF
Withdrawing the appropriation, therefore, II IS ne
cessary 10 contemplate Inc consequences oi utter
Is des,royin. great institution which is the clca
,nre Of lhe Stale and entirely under is manage
mcn,. and The successful operation Of which i an
object OF vital interest 10 al The people. The an
nuilv OF $4,000 10 The Unirerslly-even II II I've
considered di:ecllax on The people, which II Is
nol-is less than cent and a quarter head for
the whole population Of Virginia. pitlance "a
Their dcroea,ory to The true honor OF so noble and
wealthy commonwealth than proper cause Of
boas,ins with some and complaint with others.
We do moi well see how il can be Withdrawn,
without subecrinS The present generation TO HE
singing npu,ation OF being too nisgard TO bear
the indirect burden Of cent and quarter head,
10 support a seminary OF learning which our fathers
spcn, half million OF dollars 10 6u'fd.
OF The sum annually appropriated By Virginia
10 the cause OF education, the part not The least
productive of good is that bestowed on The Uni.
versy That which is applied 10 The education
of poor children has, We doubt not, been protuc-
been wisely and iudciously managed; but in
many counties owing To mismanagernent or
some defect inherent in the system, nothing has
been achieved, and the money might as well
have been thrown into the sea. In no instance,
how yer, has more been effected than The very i'm
perfect instruction Of a limited number OF chill
dren in the lowest rudiments OF education, as
spelling, reading and writing. The $4,000 ap-
propriaed 10 the support OF The University
/ m. ~ l,ul ,,p Inn
26 wears. and has scarcely had time 10 exhibits all
the benefits il is capable OF conierins) has on The
contrary, amply repaid the bounty of the STATE,
by introducing a higher standard oil education
than was previously aitanahle in Virginia. there
by keeping a, home hundreds OF our Young men
who would else have paid other States for their
education, and by furnishing supply Of the
most competent teachers 10 our schools and acadc-
mics al many of which 4 better education can
now be acquired than could have been any where
in the United States 80 years ago; thus realizing
in short time the chief objects OF lis lounda.
lion. To prove that The University has done It's
pan in furnishing teachers 10 The Stale, we need
only point TO the classical schools under charge
of lis aumni-[viZ: Coleman's, Powers Turn
ers, Calls, EIarrisonS, Barksdales, Bushnell's,
and many others Ito Professors in some Of our
Colleges, and three in the University itself. That
the standard of education has been vastly elevated
in Virginia IN The last ~ years no candid person
will deny and while we are far from claiming
for our alma mater The whole mertol the eeva-
lion, We are sure that none will deny her 4 libe.al
share Of il.
The benefit resulting 10 The State from her
bounty 10 the University in keeping onr young
men ri home 10 lr educated, and in bringing stu
dents from other States, is susceptible of more ac-
curate ejaculation and demonstration. Two
thousand three hundred and thirty eight different
persons have attended lectures al the University,
of whom 1854 were from Virginia AMI Coz from
other States These last have paid Virginia Tor
instruction, supposing them 10 have attended two
sessions (Which is about the average time the
students have attended, and at an average ex-
pense Of $3.50, The sum Of $i22,S0 1t is not
probable that any o. this money wonld have
been brought into Virginia il The University
had moi been built; and although il has moi