The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-06
LOCAL MATTERS.
rvr. LAND SCRIP FOR COLLEGES
Preston and Rev. Dr. "''''
before the Legislative Commft'e's'

nar.. preston and Rev. Dr. WHEY
before the Iesssiatfve com'n''
The Educational Committees OF 'ne wv
,.ann,os If the Legislature last evening
resumed the consideration OF 'ae apea."
tions Of the various colleges ior tue eauca-
fiona, land scrip donated the STATE D! ACT
~ Cnncress for the encouragement of In
..r,o,ion IN agriculture and the mechanic
o o Senator Pondeton occupied the chair.
Rev. f. e. Wiley, .. D., president OF
rmorv and Henry College, was the first
sneaker He made most earnest and i'm
nressive appeal In behalf of that time-hon-
ored institution, commencing with brief
history Of 1t, and following that with
sketch Of its curriculum. It's objects, he
claimed, are singularly coincident with the
purpose Of the act Of Congress by which
the donation of land-script Is made.
Many years ago the students were
required to work part Of each
day, and department Of agriculture
was established but from necessity the
scheme was abandoned. There were
yet men, however, in the Southwest who
held to that feature, and expected to see it
ulauc suCCessiu VI W ueaus vi tuLs uouaClOus
He then described the library, cabinet, APP
paratus. building, and other property Of
the college, valued in all at about $130, 900.
The number Of students during the past
year has been 159. Three thousand young
men had been educated at Emory and
Henry, 200 had graduated, and 18 had been
members of this General Assembly. A
number Of distinguished graduates were
named, among others, General j. Z. B.
Stuart and prominent clergyman of this
city. ..... .-.--....
DR.. Wiley then dwelt at length upon the
fine soil and salubrious climate ofthe South
west, and claimed that neither could be sur
passed. He also spoke Of the services OF
the State Of that section, and how little had
been done for il in turn by the State. He
ture would give Emory and Henry 10 per
| cent. Of this fund, she would give in return
500 acres of land for the college farm, and
| with the money repair the buildings now
in use and construct such others as might
he required. But whatever plan for the
division of the fund be adopted, he thought
| the claims Of Emory and Henry could mot be
overlooked. lit is divided into two parts,
give her half; if into three, give her =
third If into. four, give her quarter. In
conclusion, he politely invited the gentle
men Of the committee to 60 out to WASH
ington county and see for themselves the
advantages presented by Emory and Henry.
"a full report of DR.. Wiley's remarks was
prepared, but a pressure upon our columns
demanded its condensation.-Reporter.]
| General Preston, of Lexington, next adj
| dressed the committee. In reviewing the
arguments of Others, he said it seems to be
agreed: 1st. That the State of Virginia Sc
cures this fund as trustee, and Is bound to
| execute strictly the uses created by The
trust. ID. That the fund is to be divided
so that the colored youth shall share in its
benefits. 3D.. That the portion assigned to
Hampton College shall be one-third of the
whole. lie urged that If one-third be given
to the colored people, there should be atwo-
fold division of the remainder. One-third
| should 60 to the Underwater section, one
| third to the Piedmont section, and one-third
| to the Valley section. This geographical di-
vision is most likely to give satisfaction, and
follows the line Of unyarying traditional
| policy in the government of the State.
He then dropped the term, "three geo.
graphical divisions" and used another
.sthe three geological divisions Of the State"
These terms apply to the same subjects,
hut indicate, respectively, different Gle
mcnts in the concept. Whatever reasons
might influence the Legislature in the geo.
graphical division, 1t is indispensable that
any distribution OF agricultural benefits,
meant to be fair, complete, and useful,
should be made, according to the three
grand geological divisions OF the State, into
tertiary. metamorphic, and silurian or
limestone. The speaker addressed him
self to this single proposition. The
connected with the application of the
Congressional fund, demand the es'ab-
lishment of one agricultural college in
each Of the three grand geological divisions
of the State. This proposition was argued
at considerable length, and with great force
| and eoquencc. showing the diversitieS be-
| tween the different sections, and the neces-
sity of an agricultural college in each, if the
design Of the act of Congress is to be faith
fully carried out.
General Preston concluded as follows:
eft the Legislature selects now with wis
| dom the colleges to receive such part Of
this fund as, though not ample, is sufficient
to establish and equip them, the accretion
of another generation and Of unforeseen
vicissitudcs may give to each great section
OF the State an institution fully able to diff
fuse agricultural information all over its
territory, and at the same time, by ex-
pertinent analysis and induction. do itsiull
| part in extending the domains Of the tran
scendentaly important science of agricul-
ture. Gentlemen of the committee, l
| haye confined myself to the develop
ment of single proposition, but it
is u central proposition, around which,
| it seems to me. the other matters Of this
discussion revolve. Determine upon Il
three-fold equal division of the fund, and
what remains Of your work will adjust it.
SELL readily to this scheme. Justice will
he secured, public expectation will be sat
isfied, and, US / verify believe, that DISPOSE
ton of the fund will have been made which,
in doing the best for the agriculture OF Eir-
ginia, will best accomplish the objects Of
the trust you are called on to execute"
General Preston's address was finished
and scholarly effort, and was heard with
profound attention by the committee and
the many spectators. When he concluded,
The committee adjourned.
This afternoon at 5 o'clock Gen. F. II.
Smith, of Lexington, will deliver IN all
dress, and tomorrow afternoon, at the
same hour, Rev. DR.. Edwards, of this city,
will again speak on behalf Of Randolph
Macon. The committee meets in the Sem
ate Chamber at the Capitol.
Prosecuting THE = osTMAsTER.-Coll
Humphreys, James Murphy, and Il. L.
! Wigand, having withdrawn their names
from the official bond of Postmaster Van