The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-17
THE COLLEGES And THE EDUGA-
THONAL LAND SCRIP. ~ v..
TIE REPRESENTATIVES OF. WASHLxG-
TOM RAND 0LPH. .KACoN HAAPD DEN
SIDNEY. AND RICHMOND COLLEGES u
BEFORE THE EALEGTSLATYYE X
~S .astC0 MAITTEE. sre4...., =, .

BEFORE THE A1EGKSLATYVE ~, Il
| ~s- s.eC0 MHITTEE. .se4.s.. 4.
Addresses by Professor Jcynes, President Atkin.
son, DIR. Edwards, and Professor Curry.
The educational committees of the Senate
and House Of Delegates held second meet
in the Senate Chamber last night, to con.
slider the claims Of the various colleges OF
donation Of land made to Virginia under
the act Of iCongessiof July, 1862, "to'pro-
vide colleges for the benefit Of agriculture
and the mechanic arts" Besides the repre-.
sentatives of colleges In attendance at the
first meeting, there were present on this
occasion Rev. DR.. Edwards and Rev. w.
B. Rowzie, who appeared for Randolph
i Macon. Colonel Pendleton, of the Senate,
tpresided at the meeting. ), f.-,, 49,, ..l,7l
WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY.
Professor Joynes first addressed the com.
mittees on behalf of this institution-form-
erly known. as Washington College. He
said that it seemed to be generally agreed
that the college for colored persons at
say a. third-of the fund.-. The, opinion
would possibly prevail that the remainder
should be equally divided between two
other institutions. Washington College
should, he urged, be one Of these tWo, As
setting forth its claims, he presented me-
mortal signed by the Rector of the Board
Of Trustees, accompanied by brief pre-
pared by himself. We present an abstract
of the argument: .te..-.
1. Washington College has already in
full operation all the courses of study
which would be Of most important advan-
tage to the students In the proposed school
Il 2 . nd ha H.
might desire to extend their studies beyond
its special objects. 1t has complete courses
of classical and literary study, in addition
to which, also, special prominence is given
to English studies two Erg glish schools, one
of the English language and literature, and
one of history and political economy, having
been lately established.
2. Washington College has, also, in sue
scessful operation already several of the spe.
cial departments required in the proposed
school Of agriculture and mechanic arts" /"
viz: civil, mechanical, and mining engineer
ing, applied chemistry and natural history,
in addition to the regular schools Of mathe-
matics, chemistry, and natural philosophy.
Iington College, under the advice of Gen.
Lee, determined to enlarge still further the
scientific and practical departments of the
lcollege, both by extending the scientific
lschools already in operation, and by adding
Thereto special courses in agriculture and
in commerce. In accordance with this
Iplan, which is now in course of fulflment,
1.-The agricultural and mechanical courses are
to be taught in connection with an expert
mental farm and mechanical workshops,
so as to afford opportunity for practical as
the chair of applied chemistry has been
filed, and the nucleus of the commercial
department has been formed by the estab-
lishment Of q business school. ..-.,'o ..
4. By the conditions Of the Cincinnati en-.
dowment, Washington College is already
j REQUIRED to teach fertilization and gunnery,
and, whenever 1t is desirable, military tao.
tics. Provision already exists for teaching
the former. If the latter were added, and
the "plan" of General Lee, above referred
to-, were fully carried out, the college would
have in actual operation all the departments
required by the act of Congress. One-third
of the land fund would thus enable the col
lege, by the aid Of its already established
! schools, to complete the required scheme OF
instruction, and to put the whole into im.
mediate and efficient operation. .....-
/ s. This college, which has never received
any assistance from the State, has now an
endowment of S230,000, with building and
other property worth at least 100000
more. This property. has been mainly
.iveu by persons outside of the State OF
Virginia. BY comforting the land fund, or
/ portion thereof, upon this college, the
State would reap Immediately the benefit
of these endoWments, since it is proposed
that the students in the proposed school OF
agriculture and the mechanic arts shall
have the benefit Of the other schools Of the
college without additional charge. Wash
ington College is thus prepared to admin
ister this fund tar more cheaply and more
efficiently for the State than she could do
were her endowments and her existing
schools less extensive and complete. ~
6. Washington College has also other
claims upon the State Of Virginia. In ad.
dition to the students from our own State,
this college has an annual attendance of 25C
students from other States, who bring into
, and expend in this State more than S100, ZOO
annually. This is in addition to the inter.
est upon her own endowment funds, which
is now nearly equal to the annuity paid by
the State to her State institutions. All this
the college has done unaided, and the
benefits of it accrue to the State.
This grant would enable the college to
confirm and extend its patronage, and to
| increase its own influence and usefulness.
the value of which to the State Of Virginia
isnot to be measured by any merely pecu-
mary standard. In addition to this, by its
history, its alumni, and, most of all, by re-
cent events, this college is intimately iden.
titled with all that is best in the history OF
the State itself. The college has also edu-
Gated a large number of INDECENT and
worthy young men without charge, and
continues to extend facilities of this kind to
the full extent Of its means. The grant
would greatly enlarge these facilities.
Z. Washington College is thus able to offer
to the State all the conditions and guaran-
tees necessary to the highest success in all
the objects contemplated by this grant. 1t
can employ in aid thereof means of instruc-
ton, both general and special, already
established without previous cost to the
State, as well rs other powerful influences,
such as would greatly promote both the
efficiency and the dignity OF the proposed
school, and without which its operation
could not be so usefully secured nor so sue
cessfully maintained. Washington College
already offers to the State, in this application,
existing endowments and established means
of instruction, in behalf of the objects OF
this grant, larger than the share of the fund
which she asks Of the Legislature. This
| of the great Valley of Virginia, the richest
agricultural and mining region of the State,
(which, from its population, wealth, and
industrial interests, ,as elements Of the
prosperity and power of the State, is fairly
entitled to consideration In the distribution
Of this fund. Projected lines OF internal
Improvement will soon give to it all the
advantages of it's admirable position.
The trustees of Washington College pro-
pose, therefore, if the State, after having
invested this fund, in accordance with the
act of Congress, shall appropriate the IN
terest, or q portion thereof, as herein