New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-19
william and Mary College.

The amendment of Mr.. Shanks of Indiana
TO the bill donating Government aid to Will
liam and Mary College, and his speech in ad.
yocacy of the amendment, places him along.
side of the true men of the country who are
determined that the rights of all American
citizens shall be respected, and that the taxes
paid by all the people shall not inure to the
benefit of the few or be used in building up
race prejudices. Mr.. Hoar of Massachusetts,
took a similar stand to that of Mr.. Shanks.
1t is cheering to the colorcd people of the
country to know that the cause of humanity
and equal rights have such able advocates as
Messrs Shanks and Hoar. The following are
the proceedings in the House on Friday last
in relation to the William and Mary College
The House then went into Committee of
the Whole on the private calendar and took
up the bill to reimburse the College of Will
liam and Mary in Virginia for property des-
troyed during the rebellion. The sum pro-
posed to be paid is $4,000.
Mr.. SHANKS offered as an amendment a
proviso that no part of this sum should be
paid until at regular meeting of the stock
holders a resolution shall be adopted and en-
tered upon the records of the institution
declaring the college open to all classes ire
spective of race, color, or previous condition
OF servitude.
Mr.. PIERCE said the result of the adoption
of the amendment would be to close the COL
lege to white pupils and open it to colored
pupils exclusively. The equal rights of all
we're now guaranteed, and there was no me-
cessity for the provision. He preferred to see
the idea embodied in the civil service bill, and
charged that the amendment was prompted
by hostility to the measure. He said that
the corporators were in favor of making the
college opened to all, and the amendment
was unnecessary.
Mr.. SHANKS said it seemed strange to
hear the gentleman opposing just what he
protested to ask for. If it was his (Mr.
SHANKs) money, he might perhaps consent
to give 1t without this condition but as q
member of this House he had no alternative
but to see that the money of the Government
went for the benefit of all people alike. The
colored people paid with the whites under
the tariff and the internal revenue, and were
alike owners with them in the public lands,
and he could not consent to allow the money
to pass out of the Treasury to build a school
where all We're not benefited. The people
had adopted constitution giving equal rights
e
1t was admitted that the property was des-
troyed by irresponsible parties, and the Gov
eminent was not responsible, and that this
was asked as donation. Congress certainly
had to direct the mode and manner of the
distribution of its donations.
Mir. CRITCHER called attention to the
fact that within two miles of william and
Mary vas a college devoted exclusively to
colored pupils, which, he said, was one Of
the most flourishing institutions in the State.
Mr.. HAWLEY said lie had opposed the
bill at the last session, and he was still OPP
posed to it. He had read at the Clerks desk
a letter from General S. +. Roberts, stating
that he was at Williamson after the college
was burned, and from the reports of citizens
he felt morally certain that the burning was
done by the rebels. After he went there
they found the books scattered about, and
gathering them up placed them in the house
OF one OF the professors, whence they were
taken on subsequent re-occupation of the
town by the rebels, and numbers of them
mutilated and destroyed.
MIR. HOAR said the testimony of General
Roberts was only upon hearsay, while the
testimony before the committee showed that
the work was done by our soldiers. He
favored the amendment, and said that he I'M
derstood the corporations of the college did
not object to it. He should consider himself
disloyal to the doctrine Of equal rights if he
failed to give his voice and vote whenever
called upon for such proposition as this.
He classed the institution with Mount Vernon
and the grave of Washington in its claim for
veneration, and on that ground, as well as
an olive branch to the South, he urged the
passage Of the bill, paying flattering tribute
to the former glory of the institution.
The amendment was agreed to by vote of
~ yeas to II nays, when the committee rose
and reported the bill and amendment to the
House.
The question was taken on the adoption of
the amendment, and it was adopted-yeas SO,
nays &c.
The bill was then rejected-yeas &c, nays