Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-12
ASK FOR STATE AID.
Members Of The University Board Ap-
pear Before the Finance Committees.
WANT 100000 TO REBUILD WITH.
The Original Plans Drafted by JEFF
fersOn for the Constructfon Of the
Rotunda Have Been Found-Other
Legislative Matters.

The Finance committees OF the Senate
and House held joint session In the
hall OF the House Of Delegates last night
to hear the committee from the Board
OF Visitors Of the University Of Virginia.
who appeared to ask State aid In the
rebuilding OF the parts Of the institution
destroyed in the recent disastrous fire.
The committees were first addressed
by DIR. Randolph, rector Of the university.
who has been connected with the insti-
tuition for sixty years He set forth that
the university was as much State
institution, as much the property Of the
State, as the Capitol building or the peni-
Tertiary. He then asserted that 1t was
incumbent on the Legislature to render
assistance to the university. and said
that unless the General Assembly came
to the rescue the institution must sink.
He gave q detail Of the fire and OF the
destruction wrought thereby, and
characterized the burned building.
which he said cost $4,000, as fire trap.
MIR. MARSHALL MCCORMICK.
Dr. Randolph closed by introducing
Hon. Marshall Mccormick. OF the Board
of Visitors. who was made the spokesman
of the committee. He made powerful
address. laying down first the proposition
that the State owns the university. and
has invested therein between 100000
and $l,5oO,OOo. The university is recog
nized, he said. throughout the world.
as the leading educational institution OF
this country Mr.. Mccormick then re-
ferred to the fire. and asserted that in
the burned building there were twenty
two lecture-rooms in which 542 students
were receiving their education. The STU
dents had remained at the institution
and were now attending lectures I'm very
crowded quarters. Unless. he continued,
the buildings were quickly replaced. the
students would not stay. and the univer-
sity would go by the board. The speaker
referred to the various successful edu-
cational institutions In the North. and
said the reason for their great success
was that they not only taught the theory
of the various professions. but they had
equipments therein which rendered II
possible for them to apply the practical
to the theoretical.
Mccormick said the question at issue was
whether the Legislature Of Virginia was
going to improve its property and replace
II. or whether II was going to let the
walls now standing rot. Returning to
the original idea. the speaker contended
that the university was the most thorough
institution in the State. and practically the
only one which ecu. pped the youth of
the State for the higher walks of life,
for the arts and the professions.
THE BOARDS PLANS
The plan of the Board OF Visitors, he
said. was to reconstruct the rotunda as
II was designed by Jefferson, except to
make II fireproof. and that they would be
enabled to do this he showed by the
statement that the original drawings
made by Jefferson in 1926. together with
minute and detailed descriptions In JEFF
ferson's handwriting of how the work
should be carried out. mad been found by
sister of the rector. who is a grand
daughter Of jefferson, and were now in
possession of the board. The board Mr.
Mccormick continued, did not purpose re-
erecting the annex. That was an after
thought, and was never intended by JEFF
ferson. The original cost of the rotunda,
he stated. was $4,000. and Of the annex
$500
In addition to replacing the rotunda as
1t was, the board wanted to erect a pub
lie hall. a law-school building. a labora-
tory, and lecture hall for the academic
departments. The whole cost to put the
university where 1t stood prior to the fire
all subscriptions and all other resources.
THE STATES PROPERTY.
Continuing. Mr.. Mccormick said: 81
know the State peeds money. but IL Is
incumbent on her to restore her uniyer-
he fol IN l.tsrv
would replace It, and / venture to say
that the University of Virginia is of more
use to the State than Is the Capitol. IL
the penitentiary would burn you would re-
build II. II the Governors Mansion were
TO be destroyed you would replace Ii. /
am sure there Is not man in this Legis-
lature who would like to record his vote
against an appropriation for these pur-
poses. Now the University Of Virginia is
of as much importance as any other of
the State buildings. Ii is your property,
gentlemen, and you've got to say whether
or not you will restore It,"
Mr.. Mccormick then went into a gene
raj discussion of the ways and means for
making such an appropriation as was de-
sired, and suggested several plans which
have already been printed, whereby the
State might give the money to the uni
versity without feeling It, He concluded
with an appeal for assistance, which was
both eloquent and logical.
PROFESSOR DABNEY'S TALK
Hon. Walter ID. Dabney. Professor of
Law at the university. followed Mr.. Nc
Cormck, and gave detailed account of
the fire. He spoke Of the heroic courage
and energy shown by the students and
the community, and then referred i'm
words of praise to the interest displayed
by the students in the work of the insti-
tuition, and said he felt assured that I'M
less the university was restored the young
men would not return. He then spoke
of the loss Of the library. setting forth
that out Of 62,o00 volumes only 1900 were
saved.
Reyerting to the necessity for an appro-
priation, Mr.. Dabney said that while they
had formulated two bills-one providing
for a cash appropriation, and the other
for permission to borrow, as set forth by
Mr.. McCormick--the Board of Visitors
would prefer. Of course, the cash appro-
oriation.
In response to a query by Senator
Treadway. DIR. Randolph stated that there
was $4,000 insurance on the university
and $4,000 OF that was on the burned
building Already $500 has been paid by
the insurance companies. and the remain
ing s1s,5O0 can be gotten at any time de-
sired
After some little further discussion OF
a desultory nature the committee ad
journed without taking any action A bill
will probably be formulated either in the
Senate or the House within the next few
days.
Legislative Notes and Gossip.
The Committee on Courts Of Justice Of
the House held its first meeting In Room
No. of the Capitol yesterday morning.
In the absence OF Mr.. Saunders. of Frank
lin. the chairman. who came In later. Mr..
H. ,. t.l<