Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-17

4
| Of SEINE of the members of the corporatio
by the alumni of the college was passed, th
propriety of keeping the results of its delit
srstions to any extent secret ceased.
| 4 body of four thousand or more grsdr
| atss OF the college are called upon ever
| year to cast their votes for members of th
corporation. How can that duty be INTEL
formed in reference to the action taken b
the corporation, and particularly in referenc
to the position assumed by the individual
for whom they are called upon to cast thei
| ballots.
AS long as the corporation remained a myf
| terious body, consisting of certain officials G
| the commonwealth of Connecticut and c
certain Congregational clergymen reignirg b
the 'grace of God" so to speak, there wa
no reason or necessity for making their de
libsrations public.
But when the organization of the colleg
became more popular, when universal suf
frsge was introduced, then public discussion
Of the measures of the governing body va
necessarily involved.
This necessity does not seem to have beel
thoroughly realized as yet. We hear at pres
ent that questions of great Importance, in
volving changes in the organization of i'm
portant departments of the university, havt
been discussed and acted upon, but what tn
details of the plans proposed have been, o.
the reason for the changes suggested, We arr
not informed but are left to gather infor
do
1t is for this reason that the average gradu
ate takes SO little interest in the election o.
corporators. In his ignorance OF the facts
he may cast his ballot in such way as TO de
feat the very object which with fuller knowl
edge he would seek to attain.
Two matters of unusual Importance have
engaged the attention of the corporation
The proposed change In the organization OF
the Winchester observatory, and the ques.
tion whether appropriations should be made
for the further continuance of the Medical
school.
The late o. F. Winchester III 1871 gave
about $40, 600 worth of real estate on Pros
peet street to corporation created for the
purpose. known as the trustees of the Win
chester observatory and consisting OF him-
self and John M. Davies, Professors Chester
s. Lyman, William P. Trowbridge, Elias
Loomis, Hubert A. Newton and Daniel C.
Gilman.
This corporation had power to elect di-
rector, but the director SO appointed was
subject to approval by the college corpora
tors, and the trustees were to report from
frf to fha amt nd f6i 0VUS 0f
the college.
The object for which the corporation was
created was declared to be ''the pursuit of
science especially by the establishment and
of an observatory for astro-
nomical and physical research"
Ths gift of Mr.. Winchester was made for
the declared purpose of being used as a site
for the observatory, and the balance of the
land was to be sold from time to time to fur
nish funds for the and support of that
institution.
In 1879 1t was deemed best that the title to
the property should stand in the name of
Yale college, in order to take advantage of
the exemption from taxation which attaches
to property of the college. A petition was
therefore brought to the Superior court of
Connections, reciting that the cerporati on
had t'passSd vote to accept deed from she
trustees of the Winchester observatory, said
vote being passed with the understanding
that after receiving such conveyance, said
will endeavor, as circumstances
make it practicable. to carry out the plans of
establishing and maintaining an observatory
in New Haven In connection with said COLI
leee," and asking an order of the court sana-
tioning such deed: The prayer of the peti
ton WAS granted and a conveyance vas
therefore made.
The corporation OF Yale college at the
same time appointed a board of managers
IL
uals who constituted the trustees of the OBJ
servatory, who were to have the whole
charge of devising and executing plans for
the establishment and management of the
observatory, subject to the approval of the
corporation. 1t had also previously voted
ito endeavor, as circumstances make ii pos
sible, to carry out the plans of Mr, Winches-
ter and the board of trustees constituted by
him"
Soon after neurological bureau was estab-
lished for the regulation of watches, to be
under the charge of the managers of the OBJ
servatory Subsequently, at the suggestion
of DIR. Waldo, the manager of the horoiogi-
cal department, a bureau for the verifcation
of thermc meters was established This
state of affairs continued up to March OF
this year, when the prudential committee
adopted, on the recommendation of special
a scheme abolishing the board of
placing the whole control and
together with the appointment
of director, in the hands of the corporation,
and creating a verifcation bureau to carry en-
the horolegical and thermometrical ork
heretofore referred to. This department of
the observatory was to be- Independent and
only to the corporation. 1t also
assigned the use of the larger portion OF the
rooms in the Observatory buildings to the
use of the verifcation department. This
report was adopted by the prudential com
mittee without being submitted to the board
of managers, or giving them any opportuni-
ty to be heard upon it although several of
it's members had advanced considerable
sums of money from their own pockets to-
wards the pay ment of the salary of an as
tronomer to carry on the strictly scientific
researches, for which the observatory was
originally established. and had given much
time and labor to the same end.
This report was not adopted by the corpo-
ration, but previously Professors Loomis and
Newton, thinking they had not been courte-
ously treated in the matter, resigned their
connection with the observatory, the former
and Professor Newton abso-
luteiy.
This in brief, and stripped of detail, is an
account of the observatory trouble which
has caused considerable feeling, and given
considerable life to the canvass for and
against the reelection of the member of
The corporation who was the principal &C.
tor in the proceedings of the prudential
committee.
That several of the most eminent of the
professors of Yale college, gentlemen whose
reputation for astronomical and scientific
attainments is world wide, have been very
deeply offended by the action of the pruden-
;ial committee, is reason for the suspicion
hat the action was hasty and iil-judged. 1t
seems to us that q careful examination of the
facts strengthens that suspicion into COR
7iction that suoh is the fact.
I think 1t will be conceded that the COL
ege was bound under the votes, and after
he action above described, to carry out as far
Is possible the wishes and intention of the
lonors of the observatory fund. That fund
was given, az is evident from the terms of
he gift, for the prosecution of purely scien-
;ifis research 1t was given to board of
rustees consisting mainly of gentlemen
whose lives had been devoted to the study OF
hose sciences which it was the object of the
gift to encourage.
Before the acceptance of the deed, and in
order apparently to encourage the gift, the
,orporation voted to "endeavor, as clrcum-
stances make il possible, to carry out the
plans of Mr. Winchester, and the board of
rustees constituted by him." And accord
nefy they further voted to place the fund IN
ler the charge of board of managers, con-
listing of the same eminent scientists who
Tere the original trustees. Under these cir
,umstances the college should be very scru-
,nInna m carry out as far as DOESible. the in