Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-06-08
RUTLAND HERALD.
TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1865.
The Vermont Agricultural College.


of the State. After perfecting the ar
rangements for a thorough canvass of
our county by the appointment of agents
to represent every town, ! briefly allud-
ed TO the subject In an address to the
citizens of our county through the col
umns of the HERALD. 1t appears to me
now that my ,ohols duty will not be dis
charged until have said few words
to the people of my own town,
From what learn from committees,
| am induced to believe that we shall
get good report from different parts Of
the county. 1t would be a source of
great modification and regret to all Of
us, If the town of the largest wealth,
most central in its position, and of
larger business enterprise than any 9th
er in the county or State, should be
found, by actual figures, behind towns
of whom less is expected than of us,
and yet sometimes fear that this will
be the case, not from want of ability or
enterprise, or unwillingness even to aid
the establishment of the College among
us, but for the very reason that we are
so engrossed in other enterprises that
we shall neglect this. Lest this may be
the case, I am induced to address you
few words. There is among the people
of our town, and the towns about us, a
general desire to hear from our distin-
guished Senator and townsman, Mr..
Foot, and much regret is expressed that
he was unable to be with us last Friday
evening, and speak upon the subject.
His generous answer to the call upon
him, that he would give $500 for its To-
cation here, evinces his interest in the
location, and shows an appreciation of
the advantages it would be to us. 1t is
indeed liberal donation, and if our cit
liens would generally do half as much
in proportion to their means, it would
secure the location here beyond perad-
venture. Inasmuch as he cannot speak
to us at present, it seems to me that the
school district committees should at
once proceed with their work.
. On the I'd day OF. July, 1862, the act
passed by Congress donating to each
State 10000 acres Of public lands for
each of its Senators and Representa-
tives in Congress, was approved by the
President, and became law. The State
of Vermont therefore was entitled by
this act to 10000 acres of land. The
purpose of the grant, as expressed in
the act itself, was "the endowment, sup
port and maintenance of at least one
College, where the leading object shall
be, without excluding other scientific
and classical studies and including mill
tary tactics, to teach such branches of
learning as are related to Agriculture
and the Mechanic Arts in such II manner
as the legislatures of the states may re-
spectively prescribe IN order to promote the
liberal and practical education of the indus
trial classes IN the several pursuits and pro
LESSONS IN lJe." "t#
The legislature of 1852 appointed
agents to receive and dispose of this
land scrip for which the sum of $780,
241 40 was realized, and was invested in
bonds of our own State, drawing an in
terest of six per cent. semi-annually
The principal and interest of this sum
now amounts in round Numbers to
$141 ,000 ,..-.
The land having been sold and the
money realized, the next question which
arose was how should the funds be dis
posed of to meet the requirements Of the
law of Congress The friends Of edu-
cation in the State had long desired
that there should be union OF the Col
lege and Universities in one consoli-
dated literary institution, and the popu.
lar theory in the legislature of 1868 was
that this union, so long sought, could now
be accomplished through the avails Of
this grant. An act was passed in pursu,
ance of this sentiment Incorporating "Tht
Vermont University and Associate Col
leges," presenting to those Institutions
q basis on which, it was believed, the
Vermont University at Burlington, Mid
dlebury College at Middlebury, and the
Norwich University at Norwich would
be united, forming one Institution Of
large endowment, on which the whole
patronage of the State would be Gen.
tered. Either from lack Of inclination
or from the impractieabiiity of the union,
tho echema faiIed To commend itself to
those representing these institutions, and
the union was not accomplished.
The whole subject was thus thrown
back upon the legislature of 1854. AT
ter mature consideration and an extend
ed hearing of parties interested, the leg
islature passed an act incorporating the
Vermont Agricultural College, and it is
under this incorporation that you are
now called to act. The corporators
consist of one from each County in thu
State. The avails of the land scrip, nov
amounting, as I said, to sl4l,0OO, il