Joseph C. Cabell to Thomas Jefferson, 25 January 1819
From Joseph C. Cabell
Richmond 25th Jan: 1819.
Dear Sir,
The question on striking out the central College from the University Bill has just been taken in the Senate, and rejected by a vote of 16 to 7.
And I am happy to inform you that immediately thereafter, the question was taken on the passage of the Bill, and that it passed by a vote of 22 to 1.
I began to take some part in the discussion which has taken up all Saturday & to-day; but in my first effort, the blood vessel which had broken within me, opened again, & I was compelled to abandon the attempt, by the discovery that I was spitting blood. I am now under serious apprehensions on the score of my health. I have retired to Judge Coalter’s, where Mrs Cabell met me on yesterday. Should I not get better, I must withdraw to Williamsburg.
Mr Watts voted for striking out the Central College. Mr Johnson made great exertions to get the Bill amended: but we voted him down very easily.
Joseph C. Cabell
RC (ViU: TJP-PC); endorsed by TJ as received 27 Jan. 1819 and so recorded in SJL; with additional notations by TJ beneath endorsement relating to his 28 Jan. 1819 reply: “send copy of bill. obtain derelict part of the 45,000. D of last year send him estimate.” RC (DLC); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to John Vaughan, 28 May 1819, on verso; addressed: “Mr Jefferson Monticello”; franked; postmarked Richmond, 25 Jan.
Chapman Johnson made the motion on striking out the first section of the Bill to Establish a University (printed above at 19 Nov. 1818), which named Central College as the location of the new University of Virginia. After this amendment was defeated the bill passed in the Senate, with the only negative vote being cast by Joseph W. Ballard, the senator representing Isle of Wight, Prince George, and Surry counties ( [1818–19 sess.], 73; , 296).
Index Entries
- Ballard, Joseph W.; and establishment of University of Virginia search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; and establishment of University of Virginia search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; health of search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; letters from search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; proposed visit to Williamsburg search
- Cabell, Mary Walker Carter (Joseph C. Cabell’s wife); travels of search
- Central College; as state university of Va. search
- Coalter, John; and J. C. Cabell search
- health; hemorrhages search
- health; spitting blood search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Bill to Establish a University search
- Johnson, Chapman; and establishment of University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; and General Assembly search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; Bill to Establish a University search
- Virginia; Senate search
- Watts, Edward; as Speaker of Va. Senate search