The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-01
IS IT STATE OR PRIVATE?
A REVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF THE
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VA.
Citations from the Acts Of tho Genera
Assembly Showing thatit 10 State Prop
perty and Private Faculty.
fCOmmunicated.)

the tiCHHtOHu DfsIdlcn, NdASh A'"''
p communication signed "The Faculty
Of the Medical College Of Virginia. cans
attention to a remarkable instance OF the
long enjoyment Of public property by
private corporation, and the repeated con-
cession Of its growing demands without
even a pretence Of any public service
to be rendered In return. The history Oh
this institution In its relation to the
public and to the public treasury Is Gu
rious indeed.
Its first appearance in the-Aets Oh
Assembly is February Q. 1874, as the
recipient Of a loan to the medical de-
partment Of Hampden Sidney college, at
Richmond Of $500, with security loi
the prompt payment of interest at PEI
cent per annum, and Tor the payment
OF taxes. February 20. 1915 another loan
Of $4,000 still proposing TO pay interest
and taxes, with personal security LOT
the same. March Q, 1850 the payment OF
interested is RENTED
February %, 1854 1t acquired its present
name and charter, Acts of Assembly
1853 and 1854. page 2s. In this charter
the rights of the faculty as sole owners
Of all the property. real and personal are
guarded with the utmost care and skill,
in SPITE Of the fact that the State then
held a lien upon the entire property lor
more than its actual value.
In 1860 about three hundred students
| led by Or. Mcclure who had been teach
| ing in Philadelphia, left the Northern
colleges and came TO the Medical collese
cs Virginia. 1t was a signal for anolher
| onslaught upon the public treasury. lhls
a IA OH
| Io, Acts Of Assembly 1859 and 1860. Ihe
law making the appropriation provides
that the amount shall not be paid until
a deed conveying all the property OF said
college to the Literary Fund snaii pe
etc and duly recorded.
| The property thus conveyed 10 the
state had been paid for az 1t was acquir-
ed. out Of the funds appropriated by
| Acts passed February g. 1874, ana feDru-
! airy 90 1915 as above referred TO. III we
include simple interest at the rate agreed
,rpon when these loans were made,
| ISIS. 600 in 1874, $1,000 in 1870 the property
cost the State $4,000, loaned. interest
renitted s23. 400 plus $4,000 appropriated
March /. 1860 or $7S,4OO. Almost the last
to receive money from the state In the
sunny day "be TO de wah." The Medi-
cal college of Virginia was among the
very first after the war 10 receive money
| from the treasury of an exhausted and
| Impoverished people Acts or Assembly
1865 and 1866, chapter 33l. February 70
| 1866 appropriates $500 TO reimburse the
| "Eacuifv of the Medical College of Nir-
ginia. for money spent for repairs ana
| Insurance I'm 1865. Chapter 4, March q
| 1866 appropriates like amount Tor re-
| pairs and insurance during looo 'hdp'eI
! i4S Acts Of Assembly 1866 and 1867 renews
| . then
comes an item in the annual appropria-
| tion bill. continued without change until
| Sentember 80. 1881 Since that time the
annual appropriations have been, for the
fiscal year. ending on the Thirtieth day
of September. 1855. 5000 1889 $780, 1880
5000: 1891. 5000; 1892, 5000; 1898, $780,
| 1894. 1000; 1895, 5000.
The amount of the annual appropria-
ton has been determined by the Finance
Committee of the two houses since lS6'
and only appears as an item In an act
appropriating the Public revenue. Inc
aggregate amount thus appropriated is
So. 900. / believe that the long continu-
ance of this appropriation is simply an
oversight. once approved and made
part Of the annual appropriation Dill
even an improper appropriation, with
friend at court, may be continued Tor
years. This appropriation secured during
a period Of great distress for specihc
purpose. by emitting the work Of repairs
and insurance, becomes an annuity 10
the faculty Of the Medical College OF
Virginia. / have been a member or the
board Of visitors for twelve years (al-
though / am now a member Of the faculty
and Interested in the University College
Of Medcine) SO far as know, no report
that complied with all of the provisions
oh "A
shall be made has ever been made. For
many years no report was made by the
faculty or by the board. The appropri-
| alton from the State cannot be accounted
for separately nor devoted to any speci-
| fc object not directly Of benefit to the
| faculty. How is such thing possible?
| The faculty are in fun control and pos
session Of all the property. Every i'm
| provement or repair must be for their
| exclusive benefit. The appropriation,
when paid TO the Dean and receipted
for by him as the agent Of the faculty,
| must become the property of the faculty.
! There is positively no one outside Of the
| faculty 10 whom il can go legally. The
| object for which II Is spent cannot In
| terest the public. The fact that interests
| the tax payer is the full possession Of
public property by the faculty Of this
institution and the exclusive enjoyment
of its use for their own private and in
| dividual gain for fifty years. That an
| appropriation has been and Is now made
| of the public revenue, 10 sustain an in
| stitution that can result In no possible
| public benefit. That this expenditure has
| been incurred by the State for fifty years.
| and no period is fixed for its termination.
| Ii is the old question Of privilege, THAT
! no man or set Of men are entitled TO
| exclusive or separate emoluments or priv
! ileges from the community. but In con-
sideration Of public service" is the fun
| damental law of our land.
The public revenue can be appropriated
| legitmately only for the beneht of the
| public. That the faculty of the Medical
College Of Virginia have received for
| many years, exclusive and separate emo
| luments and privileges from the cOmmu-
| nifty without consideration OF public SER
! vices a careful examination of the Acts
| OF the General Assembly already cited,
| shows conclusiyely. Not one of these
| acts contains suggestion OF any public
service TO be rendered by this institu-
| ton in consideration of their use and ex-
| elusive control Of public property. No
| act appropriating a part Of the public
| revenue to the Medical College OF Nir-
| einia contains a single provision for the
| performance Of any public services in
| return for the emoluments conferred. In
fact there is no reason OF public nature
| for the existence Of the Medical College
| OF Virginia. as a State institution, with
| it's present charter Nor. indeed, can there
| be as long as the "Bill Of Rights" con-
| tinueS a part OF our constitution. The