New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-03
COIUnTUIA COLLEGE,.

COIUnIUIA COLLEGE,.
question of considerable interest is 10" pending
before tie Trustees OF this institution, and we under
stand, will be decided at an early day the ensuing
week Il seems that the nomination ot Or. q. W.
GIBBS, a gentleman Of Acknowledged scientinc dis-
rction ard Of unimTeachable worth in private he 70
tie vacant Chair OF Chemistry aud Natural Phlo'o-
ply has met with vehement opposition from por-
ton OF the Trustees on The ground Of . difference be-
tween his religious opinion and those OF majority OF
II Board The Trustees are almost exclusively mem
bcrs of the Episcopal Church Or Gibbs on the con-
t1ary is attached the Unitarian faith and for this
reason strenuous atteu pr has been made TO procure
the rel, cticn Of hs nomination This act OF bgoty Is
the more remarkable nasuuch i is palpable viola
ton Of tie charter Of the College.
Columbia College now il the Gun!Tedth year Of It's
existence received its charter from George IL Its
endowment was derived from various lotteries esab-
Tshed Tor its bereft well as from the contributions
ofwcll.wislers to learning in England and France.
Trinity Church gaze slice OF the Kings Farm,
and tic College still owns part the Church Endow'
ment consisting o. The entire block between Church,
Murray West Broadway and Barclay SITS After the
Revolution, the College, at various times, asked for
and received grants OF money aud lard from the Legs
lature of the State It's charter places It's affairs under
the control OF q Board Of Trustees This Board fills
its own vacancies The charter is very liberal Pc
cuar feature is the positive enactment that no person
sL0R be e1clndd from holding Gny Office in Tie college by
reason Of his religious b,nf
An act passed April Il, l.S1. confirmed the Char
ter OF the College but excepted among other clauses,
such as require tie taking of oatis and subscribing
the declaration therein mentioned and which rem
der person ineligible to the Office Of President Of
the College on account of his religious tenets and
prescribe form Of public prayer TO be used in the
said College
q An act relative to Columbia College in the City Of
"New.York, passed March % 1919, has the follow
Jog section:
@A,dbcr turtker enacted That the said Trustees and
tler shall have full power ana authority to
make oil ordinances ana by lava, VIII to them she seem
eX1ediet Tor carving into effect the designs OF their sti
tuition Pycriacd aIras That such ordinances or b. laws
shall make the religious '5nes OF any person con
dirion Of admission 10 any privilege 0 9Wcc N 'he sad
College be inconsistent with the constitution ahdlaws
Of tbs State with the constitution and laws OF the
United States
Ihs proyiso subsequently confirmed 10y an enact
nent in the last Act passed relative Colleges and
Academies. is in these words:
No religious qualification or test shall be required from
any Trustee President, Principal Or otter 9c| OF any
incorporate College Academy o. as condition Tor any
privilege in the same
Now in the very face and eyes of these provisions
without the shadow Of all excuse for their illibcred
without much as plausible pretense fer their
trampiing on rights secured by tho mos. solemn
sanctions OF tie lava large number OF these
Trustees propose to establish religious test as
r condition Of Office DR.. Gibbs forsOoth, Is not
to be allowed TO indccirn0te the ingenious youth
Of Columbia College into tie mysteries OF oxygen
and hydrogen because he does not accord with the
Trustees in his Interpretation Of one of the most
obscure mysteries of religion.
The only explanation that We can imagine OF such a
highhanded measure, given to US by graduate oil
the College, whom happened to meet in an omni-
bus On expressing our establishment at the existing
state of thngs broad smile Illuminated the features
Of the olrraEus. 80 Ny unenghtened friend said be,
"you may have observed dozen large sycamore trees
81 on the Collegegr green Between these venerable
trees and Ike number Of the equally tO-be-Vene-
rated Trustees there exists relationship intimate
(" and unusual The breeding in an in system on
which the Board of Trustees has long been in the
habit Of filing its vacancies has produced lis natural
results in tie degererac Of that body Ii TO this de-
Dreneracy YOU add the effects Of senlty. you
"win not be surprised to hear that doubling
his own viry, each Of these Trustees imscines
himself to be Hamadrysd. and measures his
own e1isteuce Jy that Of 4 beloved sycamor,
There are however continued TIE Alumnus, some
eight or ten of the Trustees who think more Of the
young sucklucs IN psutaloous than OF the old syca
rores the green and some Of the recent meetings
d" Of tie Board havc been very stormy The Hama
dTyaGs dcrrcca'e al reiornatoy measures. Ttey
assure that all that rasses IT their meet 1cs nu-t b.
viewed 10 the light o. confidential secret They
,ia,c been told, 20 their faces by IL, progressive
"ucubcrs Of that body Tat they are ly word among
their 1nowc.tisr's for hz.ncs ari nerci'ucy
The, t.ve q Length been compelled ~ hoc tto mu
..nc.. ~ t.c rr.. ta. or o d.. Professor q. Chem