The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-02-09
HISTORY or rus INSTITUTION.

TIA bprufne Of William aud Mary College, NeNn
took placs yesterday morning, % aa1oaneee oy
ts,~srsnA. d Q calamity which will send sorros
20 every Virginia heart. II wss good and cher
s.ASd monumeut Of former era, hallow~d by the
hand ofsntiauiay and associated with some OF the
brightest names OF virgiaia, both ~ Colony and
Coumonwsaith. with she exception OF Harvard
Univessty IL 10 the oldest literary institution 10
the Uaiep. Il was founded In ld93. in tho reign
Q. William and Mary, who granted is q donation
Of $1,000 acres Of land. In lco3, the Assembly
ordered that It should Be built al williamsburg
II was built by penny pound duty on tobacco
exported from Virginia aud Maryland. which had
been levied By the statute of the 25th of Charles
II, and the Assembly also gave 1t, by temporary
laws, duty on iquors imported, aud skins and
faFs exported. From these resources IL received
upwards Of 5000 pounds. The buildings we're
Of brick and suiscient for the accommodation OF
eas hundred students Its charter was dated on
thA Sth OF February, 16e2, so that it was burned
o. he aaniuersary Of us charter, l6' years from
she date of It's establishment. William and Mary
was formerly allowed a representative in the Gen.
ssai Assembly. In addition to the other pro fsssor
ships, . considerable donation was made by Mr
Boyle, OF England, for the instruction aud ccr'
version Of the IndiAns, called the Brafferion pi o.
sessorship, from estate of that name In England
purchased with the money given. The Rev james
Blair, D. d., was the first President. lie died Ii
174a, and was succeeded by the Rev. VIM. stiib
author Of History Of Virginia, who died in Il %
Bishop James Madison was President from l'ld K
1872 His successors we're the Rev. W. II. Wilmer
Or. J. Augustine Smith, Rev. Adam Empie ID. ID.
former Rector Of st. James church 10 this city.
Thomas X. Dew, A. NJ, Bishop Johns. and b. 7
Ewell, A. NJ, the present President. In the squar
fronting the College Is statue OF Lord Botetonrt
one Of the colonial governors.
The loss Of the College library 10 one which
cannot be repaired, not on account Of the humble
of the books % the interesting circumstances con
neeted With some of them. "The College librar.
contains somewhat less than four thousand vol
umes, Of which many are theological Some O
the books we're presented BY Robert Diowiddie
and have his coat OF arms affixed the crest, al
eagle and the motto, 'Ubi Libertds fbf paf'fa. Ii
others was inscribed the name of Majcr Genera
Alexander Spotswosd. Some were thu gift Of tn
f,rmsr Presidents of the College, aud others of tn
Assembly of Virginia. Ca.esby's Natural iiistor,
Of Carolias Florida, and the Bahama Islands, wa
given, las appears from q note on the first page
IN the handwriting of Thomas Jefferson y on cou
dition that it should never go out of the College
This work was printed in London. 1854. with col
orsd plates, 10 two volumes, foIio in English an'
French"
A large proportion of the graduates Of this Col
lego, including Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Winhei'
Scott, and other iiustrious names, have filled TIL
highest place in the councils aud the camp OF tn
nation,