No. VII. Remonstrance of the Overseers against founding a College in the County of Hampshire. APPENDIX, means of which the college must needs decline and languish, instead of flourishing, as we might otherwise expect; by means of which academical degrees, those needful aids of learning, will be comparatively of little worth or utility (since the honor that attends, and the good influence and effects of them, are but in proportion to the extent and dignity, the reputation and honor of the College, or University, that confers them); in a word, by means of which, we conceive, a most fatal blow will be given to the interest of learning in this country. And all this at a time, when the spirit of learning seemed to be reviving among us, and to appear more than it has in some former years (which may be attributed, in part, to your Excellency's encouragement, and your smiles upon the College), and at a time, when, from the increase of our numbers and wealth, and the extension of his Majesty's dominion in America, there was ground to hope, that our College would soon emerge from its comparatively low and infant state, and acquire all the endowments, privileges, and dignities of an University! "(21.) These, Sir, were our hopes; and such as these are now our apprehensions of what will be the inevitable, the fatal consequence of founding another College as has been proposed. And while we view things in this light, as we cannot but view them, your Excellency will indulge us in expressing such apprehensions as these, with all the concern, the warmth, and pathos, that decency will permit. And upon the whole, we cannot but with great importunity, though with all proper respect and deference, make the two following requests to your Excellency. "(22.) One is, that you would not permit the aforesaid charter of a college in Hampshire to issue, or take effect, since your Excellency lately gave us to understand that it was not irrevocable; and even invited us freely to assign our reasons and objections against it. "(23.) The other is, that you would not assist or encourage, but rather discountenance those persons who sued for said charter, in any endeavours which they may hereafter use to obtain another, whether here or elsewhere, for the like ends and purposes. "(24.) Which requests we the rather hope your Excellency will be pleased to grant, not only since, as head of the board of Overseers, of which we have the honor to be members, you will have a very peculiar and tender concern for the interests of the college, in whose behalf we more immediately intercede; but also since, as Governor of the Province, you will naturally have at heart the good of the whole: which we cannot but consider as closely con No. VII. nected with the prosperity of that Society, and consequently with APPENDIX, the prevention of a College, or Collegiate School, in the County of Hampshire. "W. BRATTLE, by order. "Boston, March 18th, 1762." No. VIII. See pp. 106, 111. CIRCULAR ADDRESS FROM THE OVERSEERS OF HARVARD "SIR, address from the Overseers, concerning College. "The tender concern on many occasions expressed by the re- Circular spectable gentlemen of the Deputation of Dissenters in England, for the general interests of their brethren on this side the water, leaves us no room to apprehend that this address will be unfavorably another received; or that the subject of it will not engage some share of their attention. "You in particular, Sir, will permit us to hope for your favor. What we are to inform you of at present, is, that an attempt was made about two years ago, and we find is now prosecuting, for establishing a new college in this Province; which, if carried into execution, will not only greatly prejudice Harvard College, but be a real disservice to literature in New England. "We shall here give a short detail of the rise and progress of this attempt; and what we apprehend is now in hand for bringing it to effect. "A number of persons in one of the western counties of the Province, viz. the County of Hampshire, petitioned the General Court in January, 1762, for a charter for the establishing a college in that county. "The petition was so far supported as to allow the petitioners to bring a bill for that purpose; and it was first presented to the Council, who assigned a time to act upon it, at the distance of several days from its presentment, in order that the board should be as full as might be, and that the members of it might have sufficient opportunity to consider it thoroughly. At the time assigned, the bill was taken in hand, and a long debate had thereon; and, it appearing to the board, that the establishment of another college would not only prejudice Harvard College, but be a great detriment No. VIII. Circular address from the Overseers, concerning another College. APPENDIX, to the learning of the Province, they rejected the bill by a great majority. The next day the bill was sent for by the House of Representatives; among whom all the members belonging to the western counties were zealous advocates for the bill; and a vote in favor of it passed by a small majority. Many of the House (who in reality were against the bill, and who relied upon the Council for its rejection,) voted for it notwithstanding, in order to bring the members of the said western counties to favor an application made by the Overseers of Harvard College to the General Court, for building a new Hall at Cambridge, which at that time was under consideration of the House; and many of the House were influenced by its being declared, that the intended college would not occasion any public charge to the government, and a clause of that kind, to make it the more palatable, was inserted in the bill. As soon as it had passed the House, it was sent to the Council for concurrence. A time was assigned to take the bill again into consideration; and, the same reasons still influencing, it was again rejected. The advocates of the bill, before they knew the fate of it, had given out, that in case they failed in it, they should be able to accomplish their design in another way. And, when the bill was finally rejected, some of them said they had the promise of a charter from Governor Bernard; and a few days after his Excellency acquainted the Council, that, upon application made to him, he had signed a charter for establishing a college in the County of Hampshire. Alarmed at this, a number of the Overseers of Harvard College waited upon the Governor, to request that he would not grant the charter till the Overseers should have a meeting upon that important affair. His Excellency having granted the request, a meeting was called, and held, at which the Governor was present; and, after a large debate, a vote was passed, requesting that his Excellency would not grant said charter. At the same meeting, on the Governor's declaring that he should put this affair of the charter out of his own hands, to be determined upon by those who had authority to direct him, and on his proposing that a committee should be appointed to draw up the reasons against the granting the charter (which reasons he said, should accompany his representation of the affair to the ministry), a committee was appointed for that purpose, who were to make report at the next meeting of the Overseers. Upon this, the meeting was adjourned, and at the adjournment, the reasons were reported, and unanimously accepted; and a committee appointed to wait upon the Governor with a fair draft of them. No. VIII. address from the Overseers, concerning "Thus have we given you a short account of every thing material APPENDIX, that has passed here upon the affair of the charter;* and, as it is probable, that further measures have been or will be taken to Circular obtain a charter, viz. by procuring an order from his Majesty to the Governor here, to grant said charter, (in which case, the Governor has said, it would not be in his power to refuse it,) we think it another College. our indispensable duty, in pursuance of a vote of the Overseers aforesaid, to take every lawful method to prevent the grant of the said charter; or for any charter for establishing another college in this Province: and the first and most likely method that occurred to us (and which we are persuaded will prove effectual, if they will please to afford their influence in the affair,) was to apply to the President and Board of Deputation aforesaid. "And in order that they may be informed of the reasons, upon which the opposition to such a charter is grounded, we take the liberty to send you herewith a copy of the reasons presented to Governor Bernard, referred to above. And we cannot but hope they will have weight enough with you, Sir, and the other gentlemen of the Deputation, to engage you to use your joint interest with the ministry and the several public boards, that no such charter be granted by his Majesty, nor any order or mandamus sent to Governor Bernard for granting such an one. "You will observe, that, in the reasons aforesaid, it is not questioned (though it is hinted that it might be) whether the Governor had a power of granting such a charter: yet, as there seems to be great room to question that power, not only as it respects the particular charter mentioned, but charters in general, we have procured the opinion of a gentleman of the law on that subject, and send it herewith; by which you will see what ground there is for our present opinion, that the Governor has no such power. But whether he has or can have such a power or not; or whether it reside indelegably in the King or not; or whether the Province charter, granted by King William and Queen Mary, in 1691, has abridged the Crown (so far as relates to the Province) of such a power or not; it is of great importance, that no such charter should be "That the governors of Harvard College neglect to propagate orthodox principles of religion and vital piety, and that a principal end proposed in founding another seminary is to remedy this supposed defect in the present method of education, this insinuation we think very injurious, not only to the immediate governors and Corporation of our College, but to the board of Overseers." No. VIII. Circular address from the Overseers, another College. APPENDIX, granted. For though the charter, if obtained, should finally prove not good in law, yet for a while, and perhaps a considerable while too, it would have effect; and such effect as might gain a solid establishment for the intended college: which would be equally concerning hurtful, whether the charter was originally good in law, or not. As the Overseers aforesaid, and, indeed, all well-wishers to literature in the Province, (except those who are immediately concerned in the intended new college,) have this matter greatly at heart; and as the prevention of the charter aforesaid may prevent an establishment that will be greatly prejudicial to the interests of learning here, we persuade ourselves, Sir, that the President and the other worthy gentlemen of the Deputation, from their known regard to the welfare of New England, will do their endeavour to put an effectual stop to the granting of such a charter. "In the name of the Overseers of Harvard College, we are, with the most profound respect for the President and members of the Deputation, Sir, "Your most obedient humble servants." "At a meeting of the Overseers of Harvard College, by adjournment, at the Council Chamber in Boston, April 1st, 1762. "Voted, That Captain Erving, General Brattle, Mr. Bowdoin, Mr. Treasurer, Dr. Chauncy, Dr. Mayhew, Mr. Pemberton, Mr. Eliot, and Mr. Cooper, be a committee to guard against the influence of any application that may be made at home by the Hampshire petitioners, for a charter from home or elsewhere, in such ways as they may judge most effectual; particularly by transmitting to some suitable person or persons at home, a copy of the reasons presented to his Excellency, against the expediency of his granting such a charter." Letter from Hollis. EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF DR. MAYHEW TO THOMAS "There has been another scheme lately set on foot here, which we are very generally of opinion would be highly prejudicial to Harvard College, and, indeed, to the general interests of learning amongst us. I mean founding another College, about seventy or eighty miles' distance from the former. |