The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-04
NATIONAL CENTENNIAL.
BAD pROspECr FOR VIRGINIA.
PROFESSOR MALLET's COMMITTEE
DETERMINED TO RESIGN.
NO MONEY AND LITTLE HOPE.


The committee appointed by Governor
Kemper to secure aproper representation for
Virginia at the National Centennial have ad
dressed the following letter to the Governor,
and will probably place it In bis hands to-
day: sss, 4.
JANUARY /, 1876. =
To His Ercellency Governor j. L. Kemper,
Richmond: >
Sir,-The undersigned, appointed by you
as commissioners to arrange for tbe exhibi-
tion at Philadelphia, during the coming sum-
mer, of collection of the natural and indus
| trial products of Virginia, beg leave respect
fully to report as follows:
Soon after our appointment small sum
| was raised by private subscription in Rich.
| mond, and this was applied to the printing
of three circulars explanatory OF the OBJECT
| In view, OF which circulars about thousand
copies have been distributed over the
State amongst those persons most likely
to exert themselves in the direction
| in question. A list OF the chief spe-
cimens required was sent out With the re-.
Quest that the persons able to contribute
would report the fact, with particulars of the
articles they could furnish. Numerous re-
l
| ise of contributions covering many of the
more important resources Of the State. The
| writers generally express much interest in
| proper representation of Virginia at the In
| ternational Exhibition of 1876. All state
| their willingness to furnish without charge
such of the required ijec!s as they possess,
| but in many cases limited private means pre-.
clude the owners from iDcurring special eX-
pense in getting out tine large and fine specl-
mems which ought to be sent-Obtalnng
| by blasting whole tons Of ore, cutting
and saving trees Of unusual size, moving
such heavy masses to railroad, preparing
special manufactured products, etc.; and in
such cases it became evident, after good
| deal of correspondence, that some noney-aid
| would have to be given on the part of the
| State il We were to secure such creditable
collection as really ought to be sent to Phila.
| delphia.
| An application was made for free transpor-
tation OF goods over the A;nes Of railroad and
canal within the State, and favorable replies
were obtained, most Of the companies grant.
ing what was asked altogether free of charge,
| while others offered reduced rates.
1t being obvious from the first that money
would be necessary for carrying the pre-.
posed collection from Richmond to Philadel-
phis, properly fitting up the space allotted
to it In the exhibition building, caring for
and guarding it during the summer, and re.
turning to the owners such articles Of special
value as might be reclaimed, some effort was
made to procure funds BY subscription and
although the small sum for preliminary ex'
pcnses was collected with little difficulty, II
was pretty clearly ascertained that the prin.
cipal amount required could not thus be OBJ.
tained- certainly could not within the time
remaining for action.
> The only other direction from which means
. might be hoped for was that of an appropri'
alton by the Legislature, as recommended In
your Excellency's annual message. A joint
memorial was addressed to the General As.
sembly by our Board, in conjunction with the
State Centennial Board appointed by the
Philadt lphia authorities, and with the mem.
| bers of the United States Centennial Com
mission for Virginia. A bill making an
appropriation for the purpose in question
was favorably reported upon by committee
of the Senate, but rejected by the Senate it.
SELF The House committee postponed report
and no action has been taken by the Legis'
lature after months session.
We have from the outset seen that the pos.
sibility of carrying out the task assigned us
depended very largely upon the question Of
time, and this has been pressed upon us with
Ii .creasing urgency as weeks have passed
away and our correspondence has developed
the great number of details to be attended
to, explanations to be made, and difficulties
to be overcome with many persons scattered
all over the State. Yet it has obviously been
impossible to take any positive action until
the means Of caring for and utilizing the col
lection had been provided for. We could not
Go2 iY1i
and trouble by actually setting them to work
in preparing specimens until we knew that
} we could guarantee the reception and exhi.
bition of these specimens when sent to US.
We have endeavored respectfully to urge
upon the Legislature the importance of q
prompt settlement of the question of means
il anything was to be accomplished. AL
!, though the matter may, perhaps, be again
brought up, favorable decision is obvious
ly very doubtful and, in any event, we are
reluctantly forced to the conclusion that it is
now loo late to accomplish the tobject in
, view.
We have up to tie last moment possible
continued our correspondence with all parts
of the State in hopes that she means of &C.
; tion will be supplied. On careful estimate
of the work to be done before the 10Th OF
April, the last DAY for the reception of arti-
| CleS Ia tUe eAulUtIlpu NC diC COu-
yinced that the time has passed for success.
Even if the necessary money were now pro-
Yided, though many specimens might be
collected, many others of great importance
certainly. could not be prepared 10 time; and
we could not reasonably expect to gei to-
gether, carry to Philadelphia, and properly
install for exhibition such general COLLECTION.
illustrating the resources of the State, as
i ought 10 be sent forward, and could have
been If we had been free to act at An earlier
day.
/ Feeling sure that Virginia should either
have creditablc representation at Philadel
phia or none at all, and that 1t would be !
waste of public money to receive and at
tempt to use An appropriation if made at toe
late day to accomplish what the public
would have right to expect, we can but
resign the appointment with which you hafe
honored us, and express our regret that what
bas seemed to US to be an opportunity c
securing important material advantage can
not be made available for the State.
| Signed by J. W. NALLEr, chairman, and
members of the committee.
LARGE SUNDAY SoHooL,-On Sunday last
there were present in the Sunday school ol
Leigh.Street Blptist church five hundred
and one persons-ofhcers, teachers, and
scholars. There were in the primary de.
|. partment one hundred and thirty little chill
dren, male and female. This school has so
!, rapidly increased that large room has been
added to Tho basement which will DrObablV