The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-14
EXERCISES AT THE COLLEGE.
| Lecture on Geographical and Historical
Virginia.
BUST OF THE LATE HENRY K. ELLISON
Presented by lis Family and Said TO be
Valentines Masterpiece - Large ana
Fashionable Audience.

A large number of ladies and gentlemen as
sembled last evening in the public hall OF
Richmond College 10 listen TO tho first an
nual address delivered before the Society
for Geographical and Historical Study"
The society was organized during the last
session of Richmond College by Professor
Boatwneht. professor Of the School of Mod
ern Languages. II numbered forty active
members among the students and also had a
GOOD many honorary members among the
latter being Dr. j. L. II. Curry. Supernten-
dent Massey, Mr.. w. w. Henry. Mr.. X. A.
Brock, DIR. J. William Jones. of Atlanta, Ga.
and many Others.
The purpose for which the society was or
ganized was the study of geographical and
historical matters. especially of Virginia
The students write essays. which are pre-
sented and discussed by the members Of the
society at their semi-monthlv meetings.
The meeting of the society last evening was
the first public meeting since the organIzs-
ton The college students were very largely
represented and the spacious hall was almost
too small TO hold the large assemblage.
At the annual meeting of the trustees OF
Richmond College held in June last, tho
relatives Of the late Henry h. Ellyson ten
QcTtu 10 the fOIleHt u DUST VI iNt thht may VI
OF the city OF Richmond. The library COM
mittee was then appointed by the trustees TO
make the necessary arrangements TO receive
the bust. Under the auspices OF the library
committee. of which Rev. Dr. II. A. Upper
is chairman, the presentation took place last
evening
The bust is made by Mr.. E. V. Valentine,
Richmonds famous sculptor. 1t IS OF marble
and an exact image of tho departed.
MR. ELLYsoY.
Mr. Ellyson was for twenty years member
OF the board of trustees of Richmond College
and for Six years its president. The bust
will finally find It's place in the memorial hall
of the college. and pedestal for the same has
been ordered from Tiffany, New York.
The gathering last evening was one of the
finest and most intelligent audiences that ever
assembled in this city. 1t included many OF
the most prominent citizens and their ladies.
Richmond Female Institute was represented
py all the pupils, who entered the hall with
Dr. Nelson their tutor. They were greeted
by the college boys with loud applause.
Shortly after o'clock Professor BoatwrIght
welcomed the cultured assembage on behalf
of the Geographical and Historical Society
and announced that the evening would be
crowded with good things. for the exercises
would open with an address by Mr. r. A.
Brock, the secretary OF the Virginia Historical
Society, who would speak on The Colonial
Virginian." Then would follow the exercises
in connection with the presentation of the
bust of the late Henry X. Enyson. He briefly
alluded TO the origin of the College Society.
what it had done during the trst year of It's
existence and what it intended to do
that its object was to systematic
the history of the several cOun-
ties of the State. with a view of inducing
the trustees of the college to establish school
of history The most sanguine hopes had |
already been realized for the society had |
haa,, nd M ttnf 10 dir
stances during the past session. Notwith- |
standing this fact. the students had taken |
hold of it with will. and the success of the |
society seemed already to be secured Dur
ing the past year its members had chiefly dis |
cussed the history of the counties of the |
Eastern shore, and the programme for the |
present session had not yet been mapped out. |
THE ADDRESS.
Mr.. II. A. Brock, who was then formally
introduced by Professor Boatwright. delivered
an eloquent and highly interesting address on
the subject allotted to him. He read from
lengthy manuscript. which to some extent
reviewed the various matters in connection
Gently been discussed before the Associa-
ton for the Preservation of Virginia
Antiquities The address took up nearly
one hour, and was listened to by the
undivided attention. The speaker started out
by referring to the Historical and Philosophi-
cal Society of Virginia, which had been or
ganized about forty years ago. and pointed
out the important work which had been done
by that organization. He alluded to the valu-
able addresses delivered on former occasions
by Mr. Wyndham II. Meredith and Dr.
Thomas Nelson Page and which had largely
contributed to the familiar rising of the resi-
dents of the State of Virginia with its early
history.
He endeavored to show what an important
factor Virginia had formed in the history of
this country and added that the list of the
leaders In the Revolution and that of Con
gress would be very much lessened if the list
of the Nirginans was to be stricken from it,
After briefly dwelling on the history of Will
liam and Mary College. he pictured the action
OF Nirginas first Assembly. He spoke about
the statutes passed in regard to the right OBJ
servance Of the Sabbath day, which practically
centered in the thought that the liberty of
conscience was given TO all congregations,
provided that they contributed their shares TO
the parish dues.
AN ANTI-BAPIIsT.
In 1868 John Porter was arraigned for being
loving to the Quakers and attending their
meetings. He was also charged with being
gu anti-Baptist as far as he was opposed To
the Baptism of children. A brief history of
tho Quakers in this State about the middle of
the seventeenth century followed. John
Peasants. one of their number in 1852 set
tied IN Henrico county. Among the Qnakers
IN this county were found the ancestors of
tho late Henry X. Ellyson, and upon that
sect rested the honor of the germ of religious
liberty in Virginia.
After speaking of the intolerance which
prevailed in the early part of the eighteenth
century, MIR. Brock described the progress
made at that time in educational matters.
He showed how some of the writers seemed
20 delight in the assertion that the Virginans
were largely the descendants IF felons from
European countries and especially from ing
land The old English law there specified
1G0 different feonies which were to be pun
ished with instant death In opposition TO
this erroneous idea he went on to demon
strate that the first colonists of Virginia we're
closely connected with the first families of
other countries.
After comparing the treatment which the
Indians had received IN this country with
that OF the African the speaker pointed out
that Africa had given to Virginia savage and
slave while Virginia had given back 10 Africa
o citizen and Christian. He concluded this
episode by saying that the grand destiny for
the Afro Americans would be to go back TO |
Africa and 10 civilze their brethren in that
continent.
FREEDOM or TRADE
Since the first Assembly met in 1919 the yir-
ginians enjoyed all the privileges of British