University of Virginia Library

Arthur Spicer Brockenbrough
to John Hartwell Cocke

Your son Charles handed me your letter of the 7th yesterday evening--Mr Randolph
(through delicacy), I understand has not written you as he informed me he would, on the
subject of the Bond to be given by me, making an exception to the enactments making me
an assistant to the Proctor as police officer & in settling his accounts. with undertakers &c
&c--I now enclose you the Bond for your approval with such remarks as you may think
proper to make on it--you can then enclose it to Mr Madison or Mr Randolph for their
signatures or return it to me & I will send it to one or both of them, my feelings would have
been very different and I could have given advice much more cheerfully if such enactments
had never passed the board--As to the book Store, I asked Mr Randolphs advise & wish to
know if the Visitors would grant the privilege of my Keeping one within the precincts, my
object was if I had been continued Proctor to have employed a young man to Keep it and aid
me writing & keeping up the accounts and there by enabling me to attend more to the
external affairs of the institution as I expected my misfortune of not hearing well would be
set down as an argument against me, but I must contend it has not disqualified me from
performing the most essential duties of the Proctor, true it is, it disqualified me as a spy or
eavesdropper and a surcher out of little petty offences against the laws of the institution and
as a runner for the Chairman, all of which offences he was to be informed of, to make a
show of great Vigilance on his part in the police department, such duties I am not qualified
for--The Chairman should have (in my opinion) a police officer at his command, But the
duties of Proctor Should be as seperate & distinct & as clear of his controll as the Judiciary
of the U. States is of the executive--he should be amenable to the Visitors only for his
conduct--such are my opinions and give them freely tho' perhaps I may be in error--The late
changes have changed my views of the Book Store, I have no longer any intention of
engaging in it--Capt Garrett has always been a faithful & correct officer, my astonishment
was great when it was proposed to me to make me Bursar, but Capt Garrett has been amply
compensated for the services he has performed--I believe you will find upon examination,
Capt G. did not serve the institution "a considerable part of the time without reward" for, to
my knowledge he was very soon authorised to charge 1 pr cent on the disbursements--he
served the central College gratis I believe, but in that he received his reward in another
shape--I never asked for Capt Garretts office, but I can tell you I have performed duties
properly belonging to the office in which he got the pay I The work, for instance before now
I have drawn large sums by order of the Rector from the Bursar at one time $18,000 at
another $7,000 to do which I had to go to him get his check, remit it to Richmond, make
an[d] arrange for its deposit in the Northern Cities &c upon which he received his com: of 1
pr. Ct. for simply giving his check--I name those things to show he has been well paid--I
wish to have nothing to do with the duties of Proctor if the present incumbent is better
qualified to fill it you have done a Service to the institution my only wish is To perform my
own duties faithfully and not to intermeddle with the business of others I am Sir respectfully
your Obt Sevt

A. S. Brockenbrough

ALS, ViU:JHC, 3p, with address "Genl John H. Cocke Bremo Fluvanna Winn P.O." and
JHC docket "Brockenbrough A. S. recd. Sept. 10 ansd. Do. 12th."