The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-11-23
TUESDAY MORNING 81 g, g 1875. J.

I possible to prevent any i1cTesse OF the, debt
tof The fnstitution no ad ddition to the library
has been made for series OF years except by
voluntary donation the enaolumeussof of Che
professors hare been cut down To 81 point
barely suf1cng for the support Of men emi.
nent for talents; $25, 900 will be necessary to
put the buildings 10 good repair and Il iss sug.
igested that $500 per annum should be- eappros
priafed for the etfmproYeInent of the library.
The sdebtSof the institution iss ssa 6aa1b,
including matured and unmatuIed bonds.
| Virginia MILITARY klssttute. 44gys.
In their report to the Governor the Board
Of Visitors to the Virginia Military Institute
say :. Is is well kRo8n thHt the war LEFT the
institution perfect wreck. or all the. hand.
some structures erected by the State. Mt q
cost of SIG6, $50, the superintende quar-.
ters alene remained.f These buildings bsye
been restored, the landed estate be been
increased four-foId, y and the institution put
| in splendid order. s.i-ssss s5is5i4ssi 50,
Commodore Msury's great work on the
resourceso OF the State was done at an ex.
pense OF $4,000 to the Institute. 10.
1 g In addition to all this, the Institute has
been called upon to meet 1tabiiities to the
amount Of S25,000 for supplies purchased
about the beginning of the war, most Of
which were consumed In the service Of the
State. 80 le,s%.5z, x IS 81 = s.
:. The general result has been the neD crea.
ton Of an Institution Of learning OF inesti-
! mable value To- the State. The sole aid re-
eefved from the State has been an annual ap-
propriation Of fifteen thousand dollars, bur.
tbened with the annual charge not only Of
tuition, but of the board Of ffty State cadets,
which charges have absorbed the whole Of
the fund, leaving nothing for current sup.
port or TO aid the institution in its heavy
| work Of restoration.
Last year twenty per cent. of the salaries
OF all professors and officers were suspended,
and in addition to this the professors ad:
vanced twenty-five thousand dollars from
their scanty means,s In the way of loans, to
help the credit Of the school.
| "Last winter the Legislature authorized
the Board of Visitors to raise by loan sixty
thousand dollars upon second mortgage
eight per cent. bonds Of the Institute. Not.
| withstanding the most diligent and persist
ent ef)rts to negotiate this loan this source
Of relief has failed from the general dis.rust
in allsuch securities. In the mean timethe
embarrassment still continues. The income
ofsthe school, from which the. dues of the
Institution might have been paid, have been
invested in permanent improvements, which
inure to the benefit Of the State by giving
substantial value TO its property, which was
| in state OF utter ruinin 1S66.NgiI i!f )
| "T the balances due the Institution could
| be collected there would de no necessity for
this appeal; but they cannot be collected in
| time to save the credit of the school and in
this pressing emergency an appeal Ia made
| for the specific appropriation, by annual
payments, through period Of three years,
of such sum as Shall retire the floating debt.
GA shelter Is needed for the artillery, am
it Is believed that under the authority now
existing by law the Governor has power to
order such structure to be erected. Itis be.
Heyed that $500 would be an ample sum to
give full security to these arms. ),
! "The Infantry arms are much worn. No
equipment of muskets has been supplied to
| the cadets since the war. The arms now
| used are Austrian rife.muskets, presented
to the cadets by three of the alumni in 1855.
A supply. of three hundred muskets, with
bayoDet, sclbbard, and cartridge-boxes
would give efficiency to the military equip
ment." E
The liabilities of the institution are $751;.
003.55; assets, independent Of real estate.
library, apparatus, and general stock, $119,.
990.46. The bonded debt is $S9, ,337.25 -ba.
lance to be provided for, S87 ,666.80. ri
an APPEAL TO CONGRESS. :
The Finance Committee General B. L. T.
Beae, General B. T. Barton, and Colonel
Walter 81. Taylor-in making their report to
the Board said: a:-l- sslI l4a
Now that an era Of good feeling and fra.
terniz ition between the different sections is
dawning your committee would seize the
auspiciouS moment, and recommend that an
earnest appeal be made to The Congress OF
the United States to repair the wrong done
the humanities and to science In the destruc.
| ton of an institution of learning by sol-
dier under their flag by such an appropria-
ton from the Federal Treasury. as will cover
the loss sustained in the burning Of the
buildings, stores, library, and apparatus In
1854" 2