 | Board of Visitors minutes October 7, 1822 |  |
At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of Virginia at the
said University on Monday the 7th. of October 1822.
Present Thomas Jefferson Rector, James Breckenridge, Joseph C.
Cabell, John H. Cocke and James Madison.
Resolved that the Proctor be instructed to enter into conferences
with such skilful and responsible undertakers as he would approve, for
the building of the Library, on the plan heretofore proposed, and now
in his profession, and to procure from them declarations of the smallest
sums for which they will undertake the different portions of the work of
the said building, each portion to be done as well, in materials, manner
and sufficiency, as the best of the same kind of work already done in
the preceding buildings, or as well & sufficiently as shall now be agreed
on; that (omitting the capitels of the columns, which would be procured
elsewhere) the several other portions be specified under such general
heads and details as may be convenient to shew the cost of each, and by
whom undertaken, fixing also the time within which each portion shall be
compleated: and that his agreements be provisional only, & subject to
the future acceptance or refusal of the Visitors.
Resolved that the Committee of Superintendance be authorised to
employ a Collector to proceed to the collection of the monies still due
on subscriptions, under such instructions and agreement as they shall
approve.
Resolved that the examination and report of the accounts of the
Bursar of the University of Virginia, from the 1st. day of Octob. 1820.
to the 31st. of March 1821. and from the 31st. of March 1821. to the 27th.
day of November 1821. made by John H. Cocke, at the request of the Rector,
by his letter of the 1st. of December 1821. be hereby ratified as
done under authority of this board; and that the said John H. Cocke be.
and he is hereby appointed to examine & verify the accounts of the said
Bursar, from the 27th. of November 1821. to this date and make report
thereof to this board.
Resolved that George Loyall esq. now a member of this board, appointed
on the resignation of Robert B. Taylor, be added to the Committee
for settlement of the Bursar's and Proctor's accounts, with authority to
the Committee to act singly or together, as convenience may admit.
The following Report was then agreed to.
To the President and Directors of the Literary fund.
In obedience to the act of the General assembly of Virginia, requiring
that the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia should
make report annually to the President and Directors of the Literary fund
(to be laid before the legislature at their next succeeding session) embracing
a full account of the disbursements the funds on hand, and a
general statement of the condition of the University the said Rector &
Visitors make the following Report.
The Visitors considering as the law of their duty the Report of the
Commissioners of 1818. which was made to the legislature, and acted on
by them, from time to time subsequently, have compleated all the buildings
proposed by that Report, except one; that is to say, ten distinct
houses or Pavilions containing each a lecturing room, with generally
four other apartments for the accomodation of a Professor & his family,
and with a garden and the requisite family offices; six Hotels for dieting
the Students, with a single room in each for a Refectory, and two
rooms, a garden and offices for the tenant; and an hundred and nine
Dormitories, sufficient each for the accomodation of two students arranged
in four distinct rows between the Pavilions & Hotels, and united
with them by covered ways; which buildings are all in readiness for occupation,
except that there is still some plaistering to be done, now
in hand, which will be finished early in the present season, the gardens
their Capitels not yet recieved from Italy. these buildings are mostly
paid for by the monies which have been recieved, and it is still expected
they would be compleatly so, by the subscriptions due, were they
in hand. but the slowness of their collection will render it necessary
to make good their deficiencies, in the first instance, out of the annuity
of the ensuing years, to be replaced to that fund again by the
subscriptions as they come in.
The remaining building, necessary to compleat the whole establishment,
& called for by the Report of 1818. which was to contain rooms for
religious worship, for public examinations, for a Library, & for other
associated purposes, is not yet begun for want of funds. it was estimated
heretofore by the Proctor, according to the prices which the other
buildings have actually cost at the sum of 46,847. Dollars. the Visitors
from the beginning, have considered it as indispensable to compleat all
the buildings before opening the institution; because, from the moment
that shall be opened, the whole income of the University will be absorbed
by the salaries of the Professors, and other incidental and current
expences, and nothing will remain to erect any building still wanting
to compleat the system. they are still of opinion therefore that it
is better to postpone, for a while, the commencement of the institution,
and then to open it in full and compleat system, than to begin prematurely
in an unfinished state, and go on, perhaps for ever, on the contracted
scale of local academies, utterly inadequate to the great purposes which
the Report of 1818. and the legislature have hitherto had in contemplation.
they believe that, in that imperfect state, it will offer little
allurement to other than neighboring students, and that Professors of
induced to attach their reputations to an institution, defective in
it's outset, and offering no pledge of rising to future distinction.
yet the Visitors consider the procuring such characters (and it will
certainly be their aim) as the peculiar feature which is to give reputation
and value to the Institution, and to constitute it's desirable
and important attractions. but the present state of the funds renders
the prospect of finishing this last building indefinitely distant! the
interest of the sums advanced to the institution now absorbs nearly
half it's income. a suspension of interest indeed, for three or four
years, would give time for erecting the building with the established
annuity; but the subsequent repayment of the principal from that annuity
would remove the opening of the Institution to a very remote
period.
On this view of the condition of the University, the Visitors
think it their duty to state that, if the legislature shall be of
opinion that the sums advanced to the University, in the name of loans,
from the general fund for education, have been applied to their legitimate
object, and shall think proper to liberate the annuity from their
reimbursement, it will suffice in three or four years to compleat the
last building, and the institution may be opened at the end of that
term. and further that if the requisite sum can be supplied from the
same or any other fund, then the University may be put into as full
operation, as it's income will admit, in the course of the year ensuing
the present date, and while the remaining building will be proceeding
on such supplementory fund. this however, or whatever else their
wisdom may devise, is subject to their direction, to which the Visitors
will in willing duty conform.
In the same Report of the Commissioners of 1818. it was stated by
them that `in conformity with the principles of our constitution, which
place all sects of religion on an equal footing, with the jealousies
of the different sects in guarding that equality from encroachment or
surprise, and with the sentiments of the legislature in favor of freedom
of religion, manifested on former occasions, they had not proposed
that any professorship of Divinity should be established in the University;
that provision however was made for giving instruction in the
Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages, the depositories of the Originals,
and of the earliest and most respected authorities of the faith of
every sect, and for courses of Ethical lectures, developing those moral
obligations in which all sects agree. that, proceeding thus far, without
offence to the Constitution, they had left, at this point, to every
sect to take into their own hands the office of further instruction in
the peculiar tenets of each.'
It was not however to be understood that instruction in religious
opinions and duties was meant to be precluded by the public authorities,
as indifferent to the interests of society. on the contrary, the relations
which exist between man and his maker, and the duties resulting
from those relations, are the most interesting and important to every
human being, and the most incumbent on his study and investigation. the
want of instruction in the various creeds of religious faith existing
among our citizens presents therefore a charm in a general institution
of the useful sciences. but it was thought that this want, and the entrustment
to each society of instruction in it's own doctrines, were
evils of less danger than a permission to the public authorities to dictate
modes or principles of religious instruction, or than opportunities
another. a remedy however has been suggested of promising aspect, which,
while it excludes the public authorities from the domain of religious
freedom, would give to the Sectarian schools of divinity the full benefit
of the public provisions made for instruction in the other branches of
science. these branches are equally necessary to the Divine, as to the
other professional or civil characters, to enable them to fulfil the
duties of their calling with understanding and usefulness. it has therefore
been in contemplation, and suggested by some pious individuals, who
percieve the advantages of associating other studies with those of religion,
to establish their religious schools on the confines of the University,
so as to give to their students ready and convenient access and attendance
on the scientific lectures of the University; and to maintain,
by that means, those destined for the religious professions on as high a
standing of science, and of personal weight and respectability, as may be
obtained by others from the benefits of the University. such establishments
would offer the further and great advantage of enabling the Students
of the University to attend religious exercises with the Professor of
their particular sect, either in the rooms of the building still to be
erected, and destined to that purpose under impartial regulations, as
proposed in the same Report of the Commissioners, or in the lecturing
room of such Professor. to such propositions the Visitors are disposed
to lend a willing ear, and would think it their duty to give every encouragement,
by assuring to those who might chuse such a location for
their schools, that the regulations of the University should be so modified
and accomodated as to give every facility of access and attendance
to their students, with such regulated use also as may be permitted to
either by public or private munificence. but always understanding
that these schools shall be independent of the University and of each
other. such an arrangement would compleat the circle of the useful
sciences embraced by this institution, and would fill the chasm now
existing, on principles which would leave inviolate the constitutional
freedom of religion, the most inalienable and sacred of all human
rights, over which the people and authorities of this state individually
and publicly, have ever manifested the most watchful jealousy: and
could this jealousy be now alarmed, in the opinion of the legislature,
by what is here suggested, the idea will be relinguished on any surmise
of disapprobation which they might think proper to express.
A committee of the board was duly appointed to settle finally the
accounts of all reciepts and disbursements, from the commencement of the
Central college, to the entire completion of the four ranges of buildings
of the University. they found it necessary to employ a skilful Accountant
to make up a compleat set of books, in regular form, wherein all the
accounts, general and particular, should be stated, so as that every dollar
might be traced from it's reciept to it's ultimate expenditure, and
the clearest view be thus exhibited of the faithful application of the
monies placed under the direction of the board. this work has taken more
time than expected; and altho' considerably advanced, is not entirely
compleated. until it's completion however, the committee cannot proceed
on the final settlement with which they are charged. the Bursar's accounts
for the year preceding this date are rendered herewith; as are
also the Proctor's for the first six months; but his books and papers
being necessarily in the hands of the Accountant, his account for the
committee, when made, will be transmitted, as a supplementory document,
to the Literary board, as well for it's regular Audit by their Accountant,
as to be laid before the legislature.
And the board adjourned without day.
| Board of Visitors minutes October 7, 1822 | |