| 1782. |
LAWS of MARYLAND.
CHAP. VIII.
An ACT for founding a college at Chester-town. |
| Preamble. |
WHEREAS inhabitants for the liberal education of
youth in the principles
of virtue, knowledge and useful literature, are of the highest benefit
to society, in order to raise up and perpetuate a succession of able
and honest men, for discharging the various offices and duties of the community,
both civil and religious, with usefulness and reputation, and such institutions
of
learning have accordingly merited and received the attention and encouragement
of the wisest and best regulated states: And whereas former legislatures
of this
state have, according to their best abilities, laid a considerable foundation
in this
good work, in sundry laws for the establishment and encouragement of county
schools, for the study of Latin, Greek, writing, and the like, intending,
as their
future circumstances might permit, to engraft or raise, on the foundation
of said
schools, more extensive seminaries of learning, by erecting one or more
colleges,
or places of universal study, not only in the learned languages, but in
philosophy,
divinity, law, physic, and other useful and ornamental arts and sciences:
And
whereas this great and laudable undertaking hath been retarded by sundry
incidents
of a public nature, but chiefly by the great difficulty of fixing a situation
on either shore of this state for a seminary of universal learning, which
might be
of equal benefit and convenience to the youth of both shores; and it having
been
represented to this general assembly, that it would probably tend most
to the immediate
advancement of literature in this state, if the inhabitants of each shore
should be left to consult their own convenience, in founding and freely
endowing
a college or seminary of general learning each for themselves, under the
sanction
of law; which two colleges or seminaries, if thought most conducive to
the advancement
of learning, religion and good government, may afterwards, by common
consent, when duly founded and endowed, be united under one supreme legislature
and visitatorial jurisdiction, as distinct branches or members of the same
state university, notwithstanding their distance of situation: And
whereas Joseph
Nicholson, James Anderson, John Scot, William Boardly, and Peregrine Lethrbury,
Esquires, William Smith, doctor of divinity, and Benjamin Chambers,
Esquire, the present visitors of Kent county school in the town of Chester,
have
represented to this general assembly, that the said school hath of late
increased
greatly, by an accession of students and scholars from various parts of
the eastern
shore of this state, and the neighbouring Delaware state, there being now
about
one hundred and forty students and scholars in the said school, and the
number
expected soon to increase to at least two hundred; and that the Latin and
Greek
languages, English, French, writing, merchants accounts, and the different
branches
of the mathematics, are taught in the same, under a sufficient number of
able
and approved masters; that sundry of the students are preparing and desirous
to
enter upon a course of philosophy, and must repair to some other state,
at a very
grievous and inconvenient expence, to finish their education, unless they,
the
said visitors, are enabled to enlarge the plan of the said school,
by engrafting
thereon a system of liberal education in the arts and sciences, and providing
necessary
books and apparatus, with an additional number of masters and professors;
and the said visitors have further expressed their assurance, that if they
were made
capable in law of erecting the said school into a college or general seminary
of
learning for the eastern shore, or peninsula between the bays of Chesapeake
and
Delaware (maintaining the original design of the said school as a foundation
not
to be violated) very considerable sums could be raised in a few years,
within the
said peninsula, by free and voluntary contributions, for the establishment
and support
of such seminary, and have accordingly prayed, that a law may be passed
to
enable them, the said visitors, to enlarge and improve the said school
into a college,
or place of universal learning, with the usual privileges: Now this
general
assembly, taking the said petition into their serious consideration, and
being desirous
to encourage and promote knowledge within this state, have agreed to
enact, |
Visitors to erect
the school
into a college,
&c. |
II. And be it
enacted, by the general assembly of Maryland, That the said
Joseph
Nicholson, James Anderson, John Scot, William Boardly, Peregrine Lethrbury, |
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