To James Madison from Robley Dunglison, [ca. 30 September 1826]

From Robley Dunglison

[ca. 30 September 1826]

The Committee to whom the Revision of the Laws was entrusted, with the Approbation of the Faculty, offer the following Suggestions to the Visitors.

Rule 29.	For “if there be only one” substitute “should he choose to be the only one.”
33.	Is again respectfully submitted to the Consideration of the Visitors and their attention to it particularly requested at this time in order that the proper period may not pass over for making known any alterations (which they may please to adopt) prior to the next session.
38	Is recommended to be expunged as impracticable.
40	Add to this rule “and that any student who shall, within the precincts introduce, keep or use any spirituous or vinous liquors shall be subjected to the same punishment.[”]
41	Let this be substituted “No student shall make or contribute to any festive entertainment within the precincts of the University or elsewhere but with the consent &c.[”]
42	Dele—“minor”
45	Dele—“minor”
47	Dele—keep or use any spirituous or vinous liquors.
49	Dele “on pain of a minor punishment,[”] and add to the Rule “and farther the student so refusing shall be deemed guilty of Contumacy.”
51.	Connected with this rule the Faculty remind the Board of Visitors of the subject of a special Court for the University.
57.	line 11—dele “minor.” Qu. Why is the school of modern languages to be pretermitted as the hour appointed for the military school interferes only with that of the Law Professor?
62	Dele the whole rule.
63.	Let this rule stand thus “No student shall be permitted to have more than three” &c.
64	Dele “the day limited on his permit” and substitute “the end of a fortnight” Qu. Ought not the order of fines to be the same for books of all sizes—say 20 cents.
65	line 3d. Dele “or” and add “or other reason which they may deem sufficient.”
68	Instead of this enactment the following are suggested.

“The Librarian may employ three assistants to be nominated by him and approved by the Faculty—such assistants being liable to be displaced, at any time, by the Librarian or by the Faculty.
b.	The Library shall be open to Students every day except Sunday, during such hours as shall be fixed on by the Faculty for the receiving of Books returned and the distributing of such others as may be applied for, but the Professors may at all times have access.
c.	Students who may wish to enter the Library during the hours it may be open are required to send on the previous day a written note to the Librarian to that effect whose duty it shall be to give to each of them a printed, transferable ticket of admission—limiting the daily issue of such tickets to 20—whilst the library is open the students who may be the holders of those tickets shall be allowed any books for reference only on delivering a written paper to that effect to the Librarian with the Students name attached, it being understood that no privilege permitted to the Students by this or any other enactment in regard to the library shall be abused by any Student for the purpose of indulging idle curiosity or imposing unnecessary trouble on the Librarian or his assistants.
c.	[sic] The Librarian and his assistants are especially enjoined to preserve the strictest order and silence in the library—to see that no damage is done to the books or room, and that the above regulations are enforced—and any student who may be reported to the Faculty by the librarian, as offending in these particulars will be liable to interdiction from the use of the Library or to such other punishment as the Faculty may think proper.[”]
76.	In this rule the following is recommended—“If any student be irregular or not making due proficiency in all his classes for a month or more after his parent or guardian shall have received information of the circumstance, or, if the Faculty feel satisfied he is not fulfilling the purposes for which he was sent to the Institution and is not likely to fulfil them, they shall have the discretionary power to dismiss him—but the Faculty may, whenever they think proper, acquaint the parent or guardian of such student of his character & Conduct and leave it to such parent or guardian to remove him by his own act.”
80.	Qu. This Enactment having been made for a temporary purpose is it now necessary to retain it?
84	line 5. after “own family” add “without the Consent of the Faculty” and after “boarding-house” add “and farther that it be a condition expressed in the same lease that no Hotelkeeper shall entertain in his hotel or within the precincts any expelled student for the term of five years after such expulsion—nor any dismissed or suspended student during the continuance of such dismission or suspension and it shall be farther required of each Hotelkeeper that he shall give any information he may possess regarding infractions of the rules in his own tenement by any student, if called upon by the Faculty to do so.[”]
85.	line 11 &c. dele the words from “and especially” to the end of the rule inclusive.
87	Dele the whole rule.
90	Add to this rule “and it is farther enacted that no student shall, for the time above specified, admit any student into his Dormitory who has been or shall be expelled from the Institution, nor shall he admit any student who has been or shall be dismissed or suspended from it during the Continuance of such dismission or suspension, under pain of such punishment as the Faculty may choose to direct.[”]
92.	Dele the whole rule.

Supplementary

a.	No Hotelkeeper shall receive any student into his Hotel unless such student shall have previously paid his board for half the session, and it shall be required of each student to present the Hotel-keeper’s receipt to the Proctor before such student shall be permitted to matriculate.
b.1	Every student shall be required to have his name painted on the Door of his Dormitory and no student shall be allowed to change his Dormitory without permission from the Faculty.
c.2	Each student who may reside without the precincts shall be required to register his place of residence with the Proctor.
d.	Each student shall, at the Commencement of the session make a deposit of 5 dollars—for the payment of library fines,3 but if such student shall not incur penalties to that amount—the sum not so incurred shall be returned to him at the end of the session.
e.	Each student who may be desirous of leaving the University shall be required to present to the Chairman of the Faculty, a written permission signed by each Professor he may attend, as well as a receipt from the Proctor of his having left his Dormitory in good order & deposited the key in the hands of that officer, and a receipt from the Librarian that there is no library accompt existing against him.
f.4	Each student shall be furnished gratuitously by the Proctor with a copy of the Enactments at the time of his Matriculation.

g.5	Any combination of students to do an unlawful act shall subject the offenders to any of the punishments at the discretion of the faculty.
h.6	No suspended student shall be permitted to reside within five miles of the University, during the Continuance of such suspension, unless with the consent of the Faculty.
Rule 67	line 2. after “book” add “or set if it form part of a set” & after borrowing add “books.”

All which is respectfully submitted.

Robley Dunglison
Chairman of Committee.

Sepr. 29.

It was farther resolved that it be suggested to the Visitors to modify Rule 71 as follows—

Dele the words “with respect to his general good Conduct” and substitute “that he has not been dismissed for any violation of the laws of the Institution to which he belonged.”

MS (ViU: Special Collections). Undated; conjectural date assigned based on Dunglison’s docket: “Report approved. Robley Dunglison Chairman of the Faculty. Sepr 30. 1826.” Addressed to the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia. Cover docketed by JM: “Military Instructor to be considered at next meeting.”

1. Note in left margin reads “agd” here.

2. Note in left margin reads “agd” here.

3. Dunglison placed an asterisk here and in the left margin wrote: “*or towards indemnification for damages done according to the 48th. Enactment.”

4. Note in left margin reads “agd” here.

5. Note in left margin reads “agd” here.

6. Note in left margin reads “agd” here.

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Source Project: Madison Papers
Title: To James Madison from Robley Dunglison, [ca. 30 September 1826]
Author: Dunglison, Robley
Recipient: Madison, James
Date: 30 September 1826

Reference

Cite as: “To James Madison from Robley Dunglison, [ca. 30 September 1826],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/04-04-02-0119. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Retirement Series, vol. 4, 3 March 1826–29 February 1828, ed. Armin Mattes, David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Anne Mandeville Colony, Ellen D. Goldlust, Mary Parke Johnson, Katherine E. Harbury, and Mary K. Wigge. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2023, pp. 105–108.]

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