The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-07-25
LOCAL MATTERS.

ThuFsdsy night -
The Convension re assembled, and was opened
With prayer ey The Rev. DR.. Ryiand
Inc following delegates were enrolled:
From RandolpA Macos-D. 8. Doerest. Trustee.
Alchm0ad Cotle1s-B. Manly, Jr
WaAa~ and Mary Coilegs-Bent s. Eweu Pre-
Hdnocr County-John Page. Superiutsrdeu.
Common Schools; e. A. Tompkins, Hanover co
FangIie- cosaty-L. w. Smith, Upperville Mill
tary Academy. =
Richmond Gay-Robt F. stubbs, Richmond city.
yppeuile Male Academy-C w. Smith
The President stated that in comtltsncs with
the request Of the Convention, he had waited on
the Governor, who, while he declined delivering :
public address, expressed his disposition to attend
fhe sittngs of the Convention to which he was 40.
cofdngly invited.
Prof Campbell. from the committee on business,
made the following report, which, after remarks
by Prets. Dsbney, Junkin, Rylsnd, Davidson and
Gov. Wise, was adopted as follows and referred
to the committees therein named
The Committee advise the appointment of Com
mittees to report on the following subjects:
lst To consider the condition Of the Literary
Fund-its annual amount-its distributon-dis-
bursement-application or amount Of
beneht-and whether any better application of it
could be made.
Committee :--President Junkin, PeudIeton,
Christian Of Stauntcn, Drs. Webster and Hoge.
2nd To examine into and report on the evils re.
suiting from the premature admission of students
~.
and propose remedies for the same.
Committee:-Profs. Campbell. Dabney, L. w.
Smith, J. Fuller aud Rev. T. v. Moore.
Sd To report en- the expectancy Of more inti-
mate relation between the University, Colleges
Committee-President Ewell Professors Chris
tian Hc.chkss, Dr. Doggetf, McGuffy, Campbell
and Holiday.
4th TO report on the subject of the qualities tons
OF those entering the professional schools of Law,
Physc and Divinity,
Committee-Dr. Ryland, Davidson, Brockett,
Hume and Coleman.
18th To report on Female Education
Committee-B. Manly, Jr., c. s. Cooke, DR..
Jeter, Barclay and w. 4. Davis
On motion, the Convention adjourned to meet at
IL o'clock on Thursday morning.
The President called for reports, when
Rev. GEORGE JUNKIN, from the I" COMMITTEES on
the Literary Fund.-" presented q lengthy one, the
substance Of which we append in part:
The Committee state that they find It utterly
impracticable, for want Of time, to prepare q re-
port as all adequate 70 the vastness Of the subject
and of the interests it involves Nor did they sup
pose the Convention expected it; yet they were
unwilling to defer all report to future meeting of
the Convention They therefore agreed to pre-
sent for immediate action single point ON the
By tho act passed February o. 1921, which was
q acompromise of three interests claiming benefits
from the Literary fund.- the faith of the Legislature
was pledged to the Colleges and Academies Of the
State IN IOHOWIuB IeTUs, VIZ: BE fHTfhET
acted, That whenever the annual income of the
Literary Fund shall exceed S60,00U the surplus
above that sum, until said surplus shall amount to-
$40 900, shall be appropriated, and the same 10
hereby appropriated to the endowment of colleges
and academies or intermediate schools within this
Commonwealth, As the General Assembly NAV
hereafter designate rs fit institutions for such en-
dowment."
In view of this pledge, the coramittee think this
Convention might put in, the behalf of the par
infAr tn Ifl ltorAl fs,txsl
syospectirely. But as this would involve the ne.
cessity of appropriating q very large amount of
money, and the subordinate necessity of either
curtailing the amount now by law appropriated to
the schooling of poor children. or the trenching
upon the capital of the Literary Fund, or the in
crease Of the State debt they feel indsposed to re-
commend this course. Each Of these involved al
teruatives they would avoid
For these reasons in part the committee thought
il unadvisable to fall back upon the claim of sur
plus above 100000 ~ pledged in the compromise
act above cited. On this ground Q very plausible
and just stand could be taken and sustained by
arguments which could not be successfully met
Here 10 . legislative appropriation the same is
hereby appropriated" wanting only the desgna-
tion, to rest absolutely right to this surplus of
SEQ OU0 and they cannot avoid the conviction that
here is a legislative pledge to the colleges that
whenever the annual income would reach over
the $50 900 the General Assembly would make the
designation The omission to designate" then,
was founded no doubt upon the contingencies
which have actually occurred-other colleges and
academies might spring into being and extensive
usefulness before the surplus would existence
the whenever" OF this section-it was wise and
prudent They therefore think this claim might
be put in for the surplus over 0,000 until it
reached 500 000, which is now the case. But ~
this would involve the diminution of The amount
appropriated to the poor Children who are the espe
ciai objects of public education, they forbsar
placing down their feet upon this firm ground,
and falling back upon the actual unappropriated
surplus.
This, then, they recommend to the Convention.
that they ask of the Legislature the surplus that
now exists, and that shall hereafter exist beyond
the amount Of present appropriations, until that
surplus shall amount to e30, ,0O0.
This surplus for the current year Is estimated
in the Second Auditor report at $6 lS3 &c. and for
the year ending the 30th September, 1857 S8, 563-
80 Even this driblet, distributed among the forty
Professors who do the great mass Of educational /
labor for the people OF Virginia, ana who now re-
to simlar laborers in the University, and the In
stitute or to Office clerks at Washington, would
tell for good upon the public wea and the comfort
of this class Of the public servants.
As to the compensation to be rendered for tie
benefaction, by the recipients, they have plan
which they think will be highly satisfactory to the
great public, and of course to the Legislature
This, however, II Is impossible now to elaborate ~
Suffice 1t t. say, 1t goes to SECURE to poor young
men, ~ bonus from the Commonwealth, an edu
cation paid for by the Literary Fund, and the re-
cpents to be admitted to its benefits BY the County
Courts. s
Begging time for moro full report to future
meeting OF this Convention the report closes with
presenting for confederation the following resolu-
tions:
Resolved, That the General Assembly Of Virginia
be- and they hereby most earnestly and respect
fully aAked pass law sppropristns ali the annual
surplus income Of the Literary Fuud beyond tho
amounts now set apart By law, 70 s2ecify objects
squitsbly to the use Of William and Mary, Wa.hns-
ton, Hampden Sydney, Randolph Macon, Bethany.
Richmond, aad Emory and Henry Colleges, and such
other Colleges and Academies may b thought pro-
per until said surplus shaIl reach the sum OF
Resolved, That standing Executive Committee OF
Ace be appointed whose duty II shall 20 procure
the dissemination Of information upon the OF
education In ssnsrs and IN TO.
tls history disbursement. he, of the Literary fand
BY the press and the Yostrsua. For tins END they
shall psoeurs If posshle, or more gentlemen To-
canvass every county In the State, ana exPain TO-
the people the plan Of this distnbuiion, and show
how education OF al classes of children dspends nck
on siyins them uoney hut ase tTdined able Gad ho1
eat eacsys who shah make that tho ousness Of thr
livss, and dwsll amcng the people whose childrsn
Is.oivsG, shat this conventioa win adjourn to
meet 1t such time snd place - the Executive con,-
miftee. upon conference aad cooperati0n with the
re a nah