 | Board of Visitors minutes October 30, 1845 |  |
On Thursday October 30th 1845, in obedience to a special
call by the Rector a meeting of the Visitors was held at the
University of Virginia at which were present the following
Visitors to wit: Joseph C. Cabell, Rector, John H. Cocke,
Thomas J. Randolph, Andrew Stevenson, and R. M.T. Hunter. The
session continued thro Friday the 31st October & part of Saturday
the first of November- After a thorough investigation
of the matters which occasioned their convocation the following
proceedings were had by the Board.
The Board of Visitors having assembled at the University,
the Rector submitted the following letter from himself calling
this meeting
Circular
The very high trust confided to the Visitors of the University
by the people of the state, & the very great importance
of reestablishing public confidence in the institution, induce
me, under existing circumstances to request the members
of the Board to give their attendance at the University on
Thursday the 30th Inst: My object is to invite an immediate
& more careful investigation by the Board itself of the administration
of the office of Proctor for some time past, which
I think due not only to the best interests of the Institution
but to the officer concerned. I am led to this conclusion
by communications which I have received from the gentleman
employed to settle the proctor's accounts, & from others since
the last meeting of the Visitors which will be communicated
to the Visitors when they assemble. I trust that the meeting
will be full and that it will eventuate in a manner satisfactory
to the Board & to the officer concerned. Permit me
to remark that as such may be the result it is advisable not
to give publicity to the cause of the meeting until it shall
have taken place.
Rector.
To - - - - -
and having laid before the Board two letters to him from the
settle the Proctor's accounts.
Thereupon it was resolved
1. That this Board approving of the call made by the
Rector, deem it expedient & proper to proceed instanter to a
full & thorough investigation of the accounts & official conduct
of the Proctor & Patron & of such other officers of the
Institution as in the course of the examination it may become
expedient to investigate and for that purpose that the Proctor,
Bursar, Commissioner & Clerk be notified to hold themselves
in readiness to attend this Board with their books & accounts
for the purpose of the said examination. And thereupon the
Board proceeded to a full examination of the Books of the
Proctor & Patron, & those of the Bursar and received the testimony
& explanations of the Proctor, Bursar, Commissioner, &
Proctor's Clerk, and of professors Rogers, Harrison & Shele,
and after a full consideration of the whole subject the Board
came to the following resolutions viz.
2. Resolved unanimously as the opinion of the Board, that
it is expedient that the present incumbent of the offices of
Proctor & Patron e removed, & that a successor be appointed
for the residue of the session.
3. Resolved unanimously that in the opinion of the members
present, there is nothing in the conduct of the proctor
& patron which is calculated to affect his individual character
for integrity, but that his removal is justified upon grounds
4. Resolved, as the opinion of the Board, that the
present investigation has disclosed sufficient grounds to
render it inexpedient, that the Librarian should longer continue
to act as Clerk of the Proctor & Patron.
5. Resolved that Geo. W. Spooner be appointed Proctor &
Patron of the University for the remainder of the session.
6. Resolved that the Proctor & Patron be authorised to
rent for a reasonable compensation for the remainder of the
session the houses & grounds occupied by the proctor & the
agreement that shall be made shall be laid before the Chairman
of the Faculty for his approval.
7. Resolved that a professorship of History and general
literature shall be instituted in addition to the professorships
already established in the University.
8. Resolved that the salary & fees of the professor of
History & general literature shall be the same with those of
the other professors of the University that the said professorship
be filled at the next annual meeting of the Board of
Visitors, and that it shall be the duty of the proctor to give
public notice two months previous to the meeting that the
appointment will then be made.
9. Resolved that the Faculty of the University be requested
to prepare and to lay before the Board of Visitors
at the next annual meeting a scheme of instruction in the
School of History and general Literature.
10. Resolved that the Proctor and Patron shall pay over
to the Bursar all money received by him from the Students for
the use of the University or it's officers as soon after he
receives it as practicable and that the Bursar shall forthwith
deposit the same in the Branch of the Farmers' Bank at
Charlottesville.
11. Resolved That Wm. A. Bibb Esqr. Cashier &c be requested
to settle the accounts of the Proctor and Patron monthly upon
an examination of his Books & vouchers and make to the
Chairman of the Faculty a statement of this account presenting
a view of the receipts & disbursements of the Proctor & Patron,
and noting any departure of that officer from the mode of
keeping and disbursing the University funds or those held by
him as Patron, as prescribed by the Enactments. The last
statement which closes the account of the session shall present
also an entire view of the money received and expended
by the Proctor and Patron during the whole of the preceding
year. A copy of this monthly statement shall be further transmitted
by the Chairman to the Rector should he find reason to
suspect any improper conduct on the part of the Proctor and
Patron. Should no such cause of immediate action occur these
statements shall be transmitted by the Chairman of the Faculty
to the Board of Visitors at their regular annual meeting. For
this service a reasonable compensation shall be allowed by
order of the Chairman of the Faculty subject to the approval
of the Board of Visitors.
12. Resolved that all drafts drawn upon the Bursar by the
Proctor shall be made payable to order.
13. Resolved that the patron shall hereafter deposit in
the Branch of the Farmers' Bank at Charlottesville all money
deposited by each Student for other purposes than those of
the University or it's officers to the credit of the "Patron
and of A. B." (the Student paying the same). This money shall
only be drawn by the joint check of the patron and the Student
for whose benefit it is deposited.
14. That the Proctor in future shall receive a salary of
$1000 per annum in compensation of his duties as Proctor &
Patron with the privilege of employing a Clerk at a compensation
not exceeding $500 per annum during the residue of the
present session; provided however that the office of Clerk
shall then be abolished.
15. Resolved that the Hotel Keepers shall receive quarterly
the money deposited by the Students for diet, bedding
furniture &c for the Dormitories & for servants attendance:
provided however that the Chairman of the Faculty may restore
the former mode of monthly payments should he deem it necessary.
No action having taken place under the resolution of
the 3d July 1845 in relation to the donation of books under
the will of the late James Madison.
16. Resolved that the said resolution be rescinded and
that James W. Saunders be appointed the agent and attorney of
the University to obtain, if practicable, a catalogue of the
forthwith all needful steps to obtain possession of all the
Books to which the University is entitled under the said will,
and for that purpose that he be requested to confer & correspond
with Mrs. Madison upon the subject & ascertain whether
the portion of her late husband's library which he devised to
her has been received & that the said agent be authorised to
adopt all suitable measures to carry into effect the wishes
of the Donor towards the Institution as expressed in his
last will & testament.
17. Resolved that the agent be allowed as compensation
$100 & a commission of 5 per cent upon the value of the Books
actually recovered.
18. Resolved that all meetings of Students in any of the
public rooms of the University be hereafter prohibited, unless
the written consent of the Chairman of the Faculty be first
obtained.
Whereas the practice of illuminations within the precincts
appears to the Visitors to be fraught with danger to
the Buildings of the University, besides that they will be
certainly defaced by such illuminations
19. Resolved that all illuminations on whatever occasion
be henceforth forbidden within the precincts of the University.
20. Resolved that it be publicly notified two months previous
to the next annual meeting of the Board that the Visitors
will, at that meeting proceed to elect a proctor for the University.
The Board then, on Saturday the 1st day of November,
adjourned sine die.
| Board of Visitors minutes October 30, 1845 | |