364 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



law or rule of the Society requiring periodical 

 ptateraents of the finances to be presented to the 

 President and Executive Committee, they there- 

 fore suggest the propriety of some legal enact- 

 ment enforcing the presentation of quarterly 

 statements. They are not informed that there 

 is any law or rule requiring a committee of 

 accounts to supervise the vouchers and books of 

 the. Society, and report their condition ; They 

 therefore likewise respectfully suggest the pro- 

 priety of a law authorizing the Executive Com- 

 mittee to appoint such committee to perform 

 said duties periodically. 



" Your, committee are informed by the Trea- 

 surer that he is preparing to adopt a system of 

 accounts for the Society, made up of checks and 

 balances conforming as nearly as practicable to 

 the S3^stem adopted at the Treasury of Virginia, 

 and your comnyttee highly approving said sys- 

 tem, respectfully recommend that a law of the 

 Society be enacted requiring the same to be 

 done in future. 



"The change in the organic law of the Society 

 has produced some confusion in the state of in- 

 debtedness to the Society, so as to make it 

 doubtful who are legally members now, and at 

 what time others ceased to be so, — your com- 

 mittee have reason to believe that in future, by j 

 the prudent measures to be adopted by your 

 honorable body, the condition of things will be 

 improved. 



" Your committee have not been enabled to 

 make a more thorough examination of the sub- 

 jects referred to them for want of time. 



Respectfully submitted, 

 Whereupon, on the motion of Wm. H. Macfar- 

 land, of Richmond City, it was 



Resoli-ed, that the report be referred to the 

 Executive Committee, for such action in respect 

 thereto, as in their judgment may be expedient. 



The Speaker laid before the Assembly *a com- 

 munication from Philip St. George Cocke, Esq., 

 President of the Virginia State Agricultural 

 Society, covering a letter from the Rector of the 

 University of Va., and a resolution of the Board 

 of Visitors, which are in the following words. 



Richmond, Oct. 30th, 1856. 

 The Hon. Wm, C. Rives. 



Speaker of the Farmers' Assembly? 



Sir — I have the honor to transmit herewith a 

 communication from the Rector and Visitors of i 

 the University, and a resolution of the Visitors j 

 thereof referring to the establishment of a school ' 

 or professorship of Agriculture in the Uni- 

 versity, 



I congratulate you upon the receipt of these 

 papers in time to lay them before the Assembly 

 at your present session ; and that neither the 

 disposition nor the power is now wanted on the 

 part of the University to co operate with our 

 Society in initiating a scheme of such vast im- 

 portance to the true and permanent welfare of 

 our State. 



My views upon this subject are before the As- 

 sembly in the paper which I have already had 



the honor to csmmunicate — and I can only re- 

 peat that it is ray conviction that action in this 

 great cause is demanded by every consideration 

 which can appeal to the patriotic hearts of our 

 farmers. 



The initiative must, it seems be taken by the 

 Assembly, if we would avoid tedious delay. As 

 a beginning I propose to bestow Twenty Thou- 

 sand Dollars of the bonds of the University 

 bearing six percent interest, for which by law 

 its annuity is pledged, towards the endowment 

 of an agricultural professorship : reserving the 

 right of nominating the professor, subject to the 

 approval of the Visitors of the University, and 

 at my death the nomination of the professor to 

 be made by the Farmers' Assembly, subject to 

 the like approval. 



I desire, furthermore, to enjoy the privilege of 

 appointing two scholars, to be educated free of 

 tuition fees or charge, in the proposed school ; 

 and that the privilege shall vest at my death 

 in perpetuity in the Farmers' Assembiy. 



This donation, (which I am prepared to make 

 so soon as the steps to establish the professorship 

 or school have been taken by the Farmers' As- 

 sembly and the Visitors of the University; and 

 the same has been put upon the permanent legal 

 footing of other professorships therein, and the 

 professor appointed) will leave much undone 

 in completing the proposed school and providing 

 the means of general agricultural instruction, 

 and I indulge the hope that state and private 

 liberality will take up and complete the glo- 

 rious enterprise. 



With the highest respect, 



I remain, your most obt. serv't, 



Philip St. Geo. Cocke, 



Blenlieim, [near Carter's Bridge Post \ 

 Office, Albemarle Co.,) Oct. 24, i856. j 



Dear Sir — In June, 1855, a committee from 

 the State Agricultural Society of Virginia, at- 

 tended a meeting of the Board of Visitors of 

 the University, for the purpose of conferring 

 with them, as to the terms and conditions, and 

 the extent to which the University would be dis- 

 posed to co-operate with the Society, in the es- 

 tablishment in this Institution of a School of 

 Agriculture, and which the Board of Visitors 

 were led to understand the Society loished to 

 endoiu and support, out of their ample funds. 

 This proposition met Avith the hearty and unan- 

 imous approbation of the Board, and suitable 

 resolutions to that effect, were adopted ; but no 

 definite action was taken upon the subject, in 

 consequence of the Board's having no power 

 to create any new professorship in the Univer- 

 sity. But the Committee were informed that 

 the Board of Visitors would apply to the ensu- 

 ing Legislature for authority to increase the 

 number of schools in the Institution, and. if the 

 application was successful, than tHey would be 

 prepared to co-operate with the Society, in car- 

 rying out the proposed scheme of an Agricul- 

 tural Professorship, it being a matter deemed 



