828             JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Mar. 10

ment has been made with Col. Spencer, by the Steward, for cul-
tivating it on shares, during the past year. The Board saw no
reason for interfering in this matter.

The open grounds in front and around the buildings, and the
gardens attached, ore grazed in the summer season by a few cows,
under regulations made by the Steward, at other times by the Prin-
cipal. The small sum charged, 50 cts. a head, has been laid out
in plaster or manures, for the grass.

The Trustees were aware of this usage, and acquiesced, be-
cause it has improved the turf.

5th. It was stated, in the report of the committee upon the re-
solutions submitted by the Hon. John Thompson Mason, of which
he was the chairman, that "considering the appointment of a duly
qualified Faculty to be of the first importance in organizing a
College, the committee recommend that, in order that the Trus-
tees may be entirely free to discharge this duty conveniently, and
to secure the services of Professors of the best qualifications
within their ability to procure, they declare by resolution that the
terms of service of the Principal, and each of the present Profes-
sors of St. John's College shall expire on the first Wednesday of
August next," &c.

This resolution passed, as the Legislature has been already in-
formed by the memorial of that gentleman. Also another, which
authorized a committee to invite applications for the Professor-
ships which were created at the same time. It was expressly
stated at the Board, and so understood, that any or all of the then
Professors were eligible to the new Professorships, if they should
be considered to be best qualified of all the applicants. A consi-
derable number of applications were made for the several Profes-
sorships, and in June the Board met to consider them, and make
the appointments. The action of the Trustees resulted, on that
occasion, in the appointment of Dr. Humphreys, Professors Ca-
pron and Thompson, because a majority of the Trustees believed
that they were thus securing "the services of Professors of the
best qualifications within their ability to procure."

6th. Dr. Sparks was not appointed because he was not consid-
ered by the majority as well qualified as one of the other appli-
cants. No charges were preferred against him before the Board,
because no charges were required, to justify the appointment of
another, whose application had been invited, and who was con-
sidered better qualified.                                                             

The terms of the last interrogation imply some suspicion that
Dr. Sparks did not receive at the hands of the Board the same
measure of justice and consideration which was meted out to the
other professors named. The inquiry as to whether charges were