Mr. Butler's Discourse 



179 



again continued, and is said to have formed the germ of Co- 

 lumbia college.* 



Between 1746 and 1756, several acts were passed, author- 

 izing the raising of moneys by lotteries for the purpose of 

 founding a college in the city of New- York. By the act of 

 the 1st of December, 1756, the moneys so raised were appro- 

 priated to that object ; and one half ordered to be laid out in 

 the purchase of land and the erection of buildings. Previous 

 to this — on the 31st of October, 1754 — a charter had been 

 granted, creating the proposed institution by the name of 

 King's college ; and a liberal donation had also been received 

 from the corporation of the Episcopal church. The college 

 was soon after opened for the reception of pupils, and soon 

 became, as you well know, a fountain of light and of exten- 

 sive good, to the whole province. 



No other provisions than those to which I have referred, 

 are to be found in the acts of the colonial legislature, on the 

 subject of education. 



On the restoration of peace, and the final establishment of 

 the state government, one of the first points to which the great 

 and good men then at the head of affairs, directed their atten- 

 tion, was the organization of a comprehensive plan for super- 

 intending the system of education to be pursued in the higher 

 seminaries, and for the establishing of additional institutions 

 of that nature. With this view, an act was passed on the 

 first of May, 1784, altering the name of King's college to Co- 

 lumbia college, and establishing a governmental corporation, 

 called the University of New- York, and consisting of twenty- 

 one regents, who were clothed with a superintending power 

 over Columbia college and all future colleges and academies. 

 In 1787, the regents were divested of the immediate control 

 of the colleges and academies which were placed under the 

 government of trustees, but subject to the general supervision 

 of the regents, who were also by this act empowered to in- 

 corporate colleges and academies. 



