University of Virginia Library

Chapman Johnson & James Breckenridge
to John Hartwell Cocke

We returned yesterday from the University, where we regreted your absence very much,
And were the more concerned to hear that indisposition had prevented your attendance--

We had a bare quorum, Mr. Cabell and Genl. Taylor being also absent--the letter had not
been heard from,--the former like yourself was prevented from attending, by sickness--

Want of information of the state of our finances, left us very much at a loss how to proceed,
in relation to our buildings--The first thing to be attained, in relation to them, was the
completion of the buildings commenced, and the erection of the Western range of hotels and
dormitories,--the next the erection of the large rotunda for the library &c--We considered it
an object of primary importance not to contract engagements, which our present resources,
without further legislative aid, would not certainly meet;--for we believed it to be very
clearly the expectation of the Legislature that no further application was to be made to them,
for aid, in erecting the buildings,--and we thought it more than doubtful, whether any
application for material and for that object, would be successful--We therefore wished
estimates to enable us to ascertain how far we could safely go--They were laid before us,
and they indicated our ability to do all we wished--But we were by no means satisfied with
these estimates--They dealt in generals, acceding all the details necessary to give confidence
in their accuracy--The accounts of the proctor never having been settled, and the accounts of
the undertakers never having been liquidated, and not a single building being entirely
finished, it was found wholly impracticable to give us those details which would have been
necessary to satisfy us, of the true state of our funds--

In this state of things, the question occurred, whether we should postpone all contracts for
the library till our next meeting, and, in the mean time, require the settlements and details
necessary to correct information,--or, relying on the correctness of the estimates submitted
to us, authorise contracts immediately,--or, taking the middle course, devolve the duty of
procuring the settlements and details, upon the committee of superintendance, and refer the
contracts to their discretion under certain limitations--Mr. Jefferson felt great confidence in
the correctness of the estimates, and he and Mr. Madison were willing to act immediately
upon their faith--We were unwilling to act upon their faith and differred only as to the
prudence of deferring the contracts till the next meeting or referring the subject to the
committee--The majority of the board, acting under the old prudential maxim ibis in medio
tutissimus,[860] concurred in a resolution, by which it is made the duty of the committee of
superintendance to ascertain, as accurately as may be, the true state of our resources, and by
which, they are authorised, to enter into contracts for the building of the library on the plan
submitted, provided they are fully satisfied, that the funds of the University are adequate, to
the completion of the buildings already begun, to the building of the Western range, and to
the building of the library, so far at least, as to put up the walls cover it in, & render it secure
and fit for use--in which security and fitness for use, are contemplated at least doors,
windows, floors, and stair cases--

On leaving Monticello, we at the suggestion of Mr. Jefferson called at the University to
converse with the proctor, and to stimulate him to prepare for a settlement of the accounts
and for the immediate exhibition of such statements and estimates in detail, as will be a safe
guide, in ascertaining our resources, & the demands upon us, and in deciding on the
propriety of entering into the proposed contracts--

We saw the proctor, and endeavoured to impress him with the necessity of making the
preparations above indicated as spedily and accurately as possible--we suggested to him
particularly the propriety of, at once, settling all his accounts with the workmen, for the
work already done, of ascertaining as accurately as possible, what would yet become due for
the work contracted for, and of receiving propositions for the work to be undertaken,
especially for the work, on the library, so as to enable him with some degree of accuracy to
estimate the costs of the building not yet contracted for--We hope that nothing will be
wanting on his part to prepare such information, as will enable you to survey accurately the
ground on which we are--But our conversations with him lead us to fear, that he had not
been very particular in that department of his duty which relates to the accounts, and that his
information in relation to the actual cost of the work done and contracted for is too
imperfect, to justify much reliance on the estimates, which have been submitted, to us--Our
enquiries too, and some rough calculations made by ourselves induce to fear, that after
completing the four ranges of buildings, making the garden walls, privies &c. necessary to
the plan exclusive of the library, there will be scarcely a dollar left, for the library--

We sincerely hope that the result of your investigations will prove these fears to be
groundless;--but we think them so well founded, and we think it so vitally important that no
material error should be made in the estimates, & that we should not again be brought
before the legislature, with contracts unfulfilled, with foundations not built upon, with naked
walls or useless walls, demanding to be protected or threatening to perish, or be a monument
of our want of foresight and our unprofitable expenditure of public money,--that we have
considered it our duty to communicate to you, what we have done, and what we think most
desirable to be done on the occasion--We are sure you will excuse us the liberty--

We know Mr. Jefferson's great zeal in the prosecution of the interesting plan which has been
committed to our care--We have heard him already express his confidence in our ability to
do what we wish upon this Subject--and we fear he will be too easily satisfied of this ability,
too difficult to persaude that there is any danger in proceeding--Having been ourselves
members of several past Legislatures, and having seen much of the temper manifested
towards the university in that body, we wish you to be fully persauded of the ill effect it is
likely to have upon our interests, if we commit any material blunder, in the work now to be
engaged in--and we cannot hesitate to say that we think it much better to lose a season, in
the building of the Library, than to encounter any Serious risk, of entering into contracts for
it, which we may be unable to fulfil--

We think it of very great importance, that the proctor should be required immediately to
settle all accounts with the undertakers, and that too before any new engagements are
entered into, even for the western range--The undertakers will be more easily brought to
settlements while they are expecting new contracts, than after they have been made--These
settlements will not only guide you in judging of the estimates of work to be done hereafter,
but will enable us probably, at the fall meeting, or at the end of the end of the year to make
such an exhibit,--as will show accurately, the whole extent of what will be required for the
completion of the buildings--and we think that the proctors department should hereafter be
conducted, as it should indeed have been herefore conducted, with a view to such exhibit
whenever it should be required--

These suggestions will probably suffice to explain the reasons which induce a wish on our
part to impress you with the necessity, of requiring full and clear evidence of our ability to
meet our engagements before you suffer contracts to be entered into for other buildings--and
of enjoining it on the proctor so to keep his accounts in future, as to render them at all times,
easy of settlement--

We would suggest an enquiry, how far, it is prudent for the proctor to supply the lumber for
the buildings, and whether it would not be better that the undertakers should themselves
supply it, and be, therefore, entrusted in its careful preservation and use, and in its judicious
purchase--

There is one other subject only we will trouble you with--We are decidedly of opinion that
the hotels ought to be two storied buildings, instead of one--Single stories will furnish very
inadequate accomodation for genteel families, who would be desirous of occuping these
buildings as boarding houses, often for the convenience of educating their children--And
whenever families occupied them who could spare any of the rooms they would furnish very
desirable accomodations to such students, as might desire to be alone, and retired--If the
institution flourishes there must be many rooms of this kind wanting--and they surely cannot
be built so œconomically, any where else, as in the second story of these hotels--As to
symmetry of plan and beauty of appearance, we think nothing will be lost by making the
hotels in the Western range two storied buildings--For ourselves we prefer them not only for
œconomy and convenience but for beauty--We therefore strongly recommend that they
should be so built--with great respect & regard--Yours Truly--

James Breckenridge
C Johnson

LS, in Johnson's writing, ViU:JHC, 7p, with address "Genl John H: Cocke" and JHC docket
"Chapn, Johnson & Js Breckenridge Esqrs. April 1821." A pencil drawing appears on the
coversheet.