Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-26

In the Supreme Court of the United States,
and in the Court of Claims, the foremost Amer
lean lawyers may be heard making arguments
on the most important questions. The Supreme
Court of the District has the common
law, equity, and probate jurisdiction of state
court, besides that of the circuit and dis
trict courts of the United States. The absence
of any code, even of one governing proceed ure
encourages the study of the common law in
exceptional simplicity; and already sundry in
stitutions, notably the Columbian university,
have endeavored to bring these advantages to
bear upon the country. But these institutions.
| though embracing men of high scholarship
and ability, are greatly hampered by the want
| of the means necessary to provide full uni
| versity instruction.
| So much for the assemblage at Washington
| of men, books apparatus, and material neces-
sary for the highest university instruction. 1
| come now to the two questions: What shall
| the proposed university be? How shall it be
organized? 1 will suppose that some great
| millionaire or combination of millionaires
has given the five or six millions required.
| Certainly such a superstition is by no means
| beyond the possibilities, in view of the sums
even larger than these, either given or to be
given by some of our wealthy fellow-citizens
| for similar purposes
The first duty will naturally be to choose
with care board of trustees. and these should
be men who will give the institution national
but not a partisan sectarian character
There should be, as fundamental feature of its
organic law, provision that persons of every
partyand of every religious sect orof no religious
sect, and OF every nationality, shall be equally
eligible to all offices and positions of every sort
| in the institution, and that neither for service
IN the board Of trustees, nor for servicai in the
| faculty, nor for any other service in the uni
versty shall any candidate be accepted or re-
jected on account of any political or religious
views which he may or may not entertain
The board of trustees will have to erect
1 necessary buildings, which should be in some
central position, giving ample space. Having
visited almost every university of any note
either In our own country or in Europe NAV
be allowed to say that the new university
buildings at Strasburg and Zurich will proba-
| bly, afford more valuable hints and suggestions
than any others. But buildings should not be
undertaken until a considerable faculty has
| been called together who can suggest, advise
plan and superintend the Accommodations
necessary for their respective departments.
Here comes in the most important duty i'm
posed upon the trustees-the calling together
OF the faculty. This body should be made up
OF men who lead the country in power to in.
| vestlgate and teach. There should be resident
professors, nonresident professors, associate
and assistant professors, Instructors, and lee
turers, with such other grades as experience
may show to be required. With suitable
means within the control of the trustees all
| the foremost universities Of the world might
De land under contribution for courses Of lee
lures by men standing at the heads of their
respective departments Of knowledge