The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-11-10

mont surrendering its charter, granted in
1871, and receiving a new charter which
should embrace the conditions imposed by
the act OF congress Of 1862 and the incorpo-
ration with it OF the agricultural college.
This was done by the act Of November o,
1865, and the new institution thus created
was named the University of Vermont and
State Agricultural College; not co-partner-
ship to be dissolved at will, but one col
lege-the heir, the residuary legatee of both
institutions, and inheritng all the funds,
rights and privileges, and assuming all the
duties of both these institutions, then
ceased and extinct, and there those funds
rights and privileges must remain till it is
shown that the college has failed in its du
ties in carrying out the provisions of its
charter, which embraces the duties charged
by the act of congress, when its charter will
be forfeited and the college cease to exist.
The new college so created had before it
the task OF striking out path to the temple
Of learning through new and untrodden
field.-that Of scientific education. Hereto
fore colleges had maintained scarcely more
than a classical course and now they were
required "to teach those branches of learn
ing relating to agriculture and the mechanic
arts " as well as to the professions" and
the charter stipulated that such course
should render "the whole instruction in
conformity with the act of congress-"
Somehow the idea was started that the
college was to teach all the arts themselves,
rather than the branches relating to them,
and this idea was fostered by some till it
was largely supposed that boys should be
sent to the college to learn farming; and
that as it was not done they were somehow
being defrauded of their money which they
never had, and in which they never held
any right, title or interest, except as they
might avail themselves of the benefits which
its possession by the college made possible
for them.
These complaints became so numerous
and loud that in 1874 the legislature ordered
an investigation, by joint committee, of
which James X. Tobey Ia farmer and one
understood to be dissatisfied with the course
of the college, was chairman. This COM
mittee, in their report, say: Some of your
committee entered upon this investigation
with doubts and suspicious; they have been
gratifed to find these doubts and suspicious
removed" Also, "Your committee re-
ported that "the act incorporating
the university has been complied Nth to the
| full extent of the means of the trustees and
managers" Thus has been given at some
length the past and present condition of the
university, its rights, its duties, and how it
has performed them.
| When it shall have become clearer in the
minds of the people what the real scope and
| limit of an university education must be,
| that farming must be learned on the farm,
blacksmithing at the forge, carpentry at the
bench, but the branches that tit men to
learn them the more readily and more com
| pletely, because of trained intellect and
scientific methods, may be pursued in col
| leges, we shall have less of fault-fnding
with them, more adequate appreciation of
their powers and limitations, and much
more general availing ourselves of the adj
vantages offered by these institutions.
OF the ACCESSIBILITY of the appropriation
asked for no remark is needed that matter
will come before those who will avail them
selves of all the information on the subject
that may be had, and will no doubt act
wisely in reaching their conclusions.