The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-01
COMMENCEMENT OF yHRGssIA MIL
ETARY INSTITUTE. 49,
Observation-Disclosures X THE BOARD
OF VISITORS. ~.
Repor,ea for .he R,chmona Dispatch.

THE Board OF Vis,toss, o LSGiiei.
presiding, convened to-day. g
MsiorlGenerai Il. III. Smith, Superlnten-
dent, presented his annual report, oil Whch
/ send you q full abstract. $50
It's opening language alludes to the fact
that th!s Is the tbirticth year, both of the life
of the Institute and Of General Smiths adj
ministration Of its affairs, n makes rever-
ential acknowledgment OF the kind Provi-
depre which has watched over the 1nstitu-
ton during this eysntful period.
n fasT AND THE PRESENT. r.
.srour years ago the war Left II in rnins, is
beautiful buildings had been a lest yea ~ 2yro aGs ~
and cadets, homeless and almost hcartiess, i3nn1
no ssidinG place ssais It's G here. ,oy It's , aen too,
was bankrupt; no supplies s,, II amy nm v slssI n ome
we Ell. was uST IN The he midst OF such surroundings a.
these that shc Board OF Visitors met In Rtcismone
cni. without hesitation, although not without
many doubts and apprehensions, they resolved 70
.e1DhSn is &c 6fer by way Of salary to the prefes;;
sors. they nevertheless determinedto call back al
E , had s s1Isdy ss ,ss ws5 &c s eaeas sP Bs H. DEATH sfhS 81
jackson, Rodes, anu Crutchfelld, by new nud CT
Hcient appoin,ecs. Poor as they, knew the inst.
tulion to be. the purpose was 10 build IL up asaln
mon the strength and earnestness snd work OF Its
facuIty. The 18th OF October was designated as
t sis, eaE e sSs ase w 5ssempt t,e usual 81 senSenienees Of
quarters in barracks or other academic arrange
n ,Ss,r re s},sg Mdi 70 t resa eaua, a the a stndies the ,hey had
commenced during the war. Acccssiois 70 Inis
number we're steadily made nssss during s,t ths sca aasets'
Small rs this beginning was. the earnest sp.rit
which animated the little band revived the dormant
aueh disconrngemcnts prompted the Legisla-
ture 70 restore the annuity the next winter;
h Az iSs Boa wss Of wi Visitors spTs1 to q borrow orT he Necessary
money 20 restore the public buildings, accepting
the tender made by The Faculty , OF G N n : ~ 90
the loan. Friends came forward and TOOK the oonds
Of the school ut par not because they were a good
money Investment TO n Spectator, but becttlse the
,vork Itself was a good one, and they had faith that
IL would be accomplished. Provision was thus
made to restore so much of the cadets tsarracks as
would accommodate one hundred and nifty cadets
the next fall. The rooms were filled as rapidlyas
they were made ready. sun the WORK. Went on.
Arrangements were made during the next sumrner
for the admission of one hundred additional cadets,
and still these rooms are flied and more than filed,
the rolls during the academic year. Again the
work ia pressed on. Three hundred cadets were pro-
been restored 70 more than Its former capacity
and conyeniences. During this rapid restoration
the wants of the academic departments were not
added To the library an enlarged chemical labora-
tory, fully equipped with implements and appa-
rsiiogy and geology, organized under a separate
chief, received n like restoration and outfit. The
s s1Isa wltb in snS asawsn and Se mPodels, and Tg material saP
for effective work while the hospital, with all the
n nes ,s'',Yes son Sns Of tsd for pr t9e sisk, T Sons TeSR hns
also been restored, and Is now occupied; the
second Is In an advanced stage Of reconstruction
the cadets barracks and botho the professors
houses, the mess hall, hospital. and laboratory,
found rn,nl,t in r rSIhs In s septsenir s a5e iSs es;n %iti nave of 1f tSe
school at the end OF four years"
The report considers that the facts thas stated
which ,anfin Ss6n ;sh fail s so siTp }ss f imstitr,jo 9t' shnIl hsf se
the psst.'' The Board is congratulated upon the
fact Tint the present prosperity and bright future
sure to their ADMINISTRATION. Grateful acknow,
ledgment Is made to them for the influences cxerted
by them .as constituting one OF the chief agencies
In all that has been accomplished
AN ABSENT MEMBER or THE RI
some. indeed, OF your numbcr, who has borne
his unwearied part through n period or twenty
eight years, having never tailed In his regular at
ring this long period, IS absent, to-day by no choice
andactiou of his own. How much of support and
venerable and faithful public servant of the Com
monweaith, no one knows as l do who have CON
stantIy felt the force Of his strong sustaining arm.
Mayhis valuable life still be sparcdfor many years
OF usefulness to the State and Its Institutions"
.
The report exhibits a very gratifying, condition
of financial affairs, the balance left to the credit oil
the Institute heing T3a. iS0. 81. The whole of this
amount is NOT immediately available, inasmuch as
nm overruiing Necessity, to grant 'liberal indul-
gences,' TO She parents of the cadets. IL Is be.
iieEed, no~eyer' thai : no s,d risk ,1 Is incurred iSs credit n " ' ths
Institution is In no wise impaired blythe temporary
delay, thus occasloned In meeting It's Individual
The report recommends that interest, payable
semi-annually, be allowed upon the bondc held by
the professors under the loan made by them OF one
third {9 of their annual salaries. The amount Of
the debt without interest) to list of July, 1850, IL
SoRrHEnS DEBTS.
Debts contracted by the Institute with northern
merchants previous 10 the war were not paid owe,
to tho confscatipn courts o. thc Confederate States,
Upon the close Of The struggle communication wa
Immediately opened with the creditors of the lnsti.
tuition and now n settlement has been .efectef
with all OF them upon, terms which were fair anC
just-viz., by an abatement of tho interest e, Isl
Jaly, 1896, and by giving iss,s the NOTES notes OF i the sI Institute nnt!
z ments, for the balance due: This entire debt. is
81 ,o72.s So and arrangement has been made TO pay
II by the LIST OF July, 1870. .is'.-.. hI.a
COURSE OF
A detailed sketch OF the course Of instruction In
eaclr department Is given, accompanied bSa sum
mary OF what has been accomplished Ia each dr.
the several y heads Of these different departments,
and TO their assistants. In the section devoted &c
s siS Which is under the Control Of coioncI
Shipp, commandment OF the cadets, 1t Is stated thai
"the discipline of the institution has been good,
and the tone and general character OF the cadets
have been steadily elevated under the admtnistra-
ton whichnow happily directs Them
he l3tDdTLtUeUlO Vi 4 ~ " - NN
last ~lneefinc or the Board. Commodore Maury was
elected Professor, and entered upon the duties @,
his Office on the = r lo't n OF ,h se aaea9d Ser, ana o ff aSe of imp aS.
taat interests embraced IN MS department, hls
preliminary report, on the fhn :sn nnS S%pn yeyc o. ,,s si r
the Board, will show the magnitude and character
of the work which has been undertaken. lfhis Ia.
mart ofibe public which they deserve, Virginia will
soon realize rich return In the development OF he!
Maurv Is respectfully Submitted to the considers.
fiop of the Board of Visitors"
DISCIPLINE AND ENER MORAL
1T Is pleasing to notice the great Improvement
which has been observed In the deportmsnt OF tks
1866. The tone CT honor and OF gent!emanly pro-
priety has been cnnspicuously marked year by
year. This general tone Is not only observable III
The outward department of the cadets, but IN their
regular and faithful discharge OF duty. AS Il con-
and in most cases have resulted either from tie ut
ter worthlessness of the individual; or from
thoughtlessness-the bad being rooted Out Of the
school, the careless and thoughtlcss brought TO bet,
ter consideration and duty"
ORGANIZATION or A NEW DEPARTMENT.
ait Is recommended by the Academic Board that
the Department e Enc arts, Organized }o n L.. a., under she
sal operation by the election, of Mr.. William ID.
Washington as Professor of Fine Arts. He Is
several admirable portraits, which grace the mess
hall and form u nucleus of u future picture gall
lery.I Such u department must become 2 necessity
after II while. The Institute has not the power 10
endow &c now, but II is thought that there Is such q
iBsesls In G ms Gysnta and de1 MI. %nsSin az ,n }sns aese isc
ing. such an appointment. The subject is respect
fully submitted 70 the consideration OF the Board
of Visitors" ts,I.,p Isl
HEALTH.
IN serious sickness has occurred this yesr.
ksThc cases reported on the sick list are necessarily
4 3aree, when 1t Is remembered that no cadet Is ea-
Ecused from any duty--not even from a roll call, or
IL drill, or dress parade, for = spratned hnger, or
other Ike disability, witi,cu. Deing reported 0n the
sick list sta
R~EMARKABLE RELIGIOUS