Joseph C. Cabell to Thomas Jefferson, 26 February 1823
From Joseph C. Cabell
Williamsburg 26th Feb: 1823.
Dear Sir,
The Legislature being on the eve of adjournment, & all the business of my district, & indeed of the state in general, being compleated, or so nearly so, as to admit of my departure, I left town on the 23d inst & arrived here on the evening of the same day.
During the latter part of the session we provided by law that visitors of the University should not lose their seats by the mere fact of being absent from two successive meetings, but only after a notification of that fact to the Executive by the Board of Visitors. I do not recollect whether the provision had a retrospective bearing so as to embrace Mr Johnson’s case. Perhaps it did not. I think Mr Johnson seemed to wait for you to state to the Governor whether you would wish him reappointed. I would take the liberty to recommend that you should do so. Then you would certainly hear from him in approbation of the loan.
Genl Cocke, in a letter lately received from him, expresses the strongest wish that in contracting for the building of the Library the undertakers should be bound down to compleat it for a definite amount. This wish is general among our friends. Nothing, in my opinion, would be more advantageous, or grateful to them. Great fears are entertained that the workmen will be left too much at large. A strong & general wish prevails that we should finish the buildings with the third loan. If we do this, I think, all will ultimately succeed. The opposition in this quarter is broken. I think the enemy is ready to strike his colors. My friend Doctr Smith confesses that the public sentiment is decidedly with us; & if he admits it, it must be so. Thro’ the Senators & Delegates, I have, in conjunction with the1 delegates from Albemarle, dispersed the circulars respecting the Professorship of agriculture over the whole state.
Joseph C. Cabell
RC (ViU: TJP-PC); endorsed by TJ as received 6 Mar. 1823 and so recorded in SJL.
The law stating that members of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors should not lose their seats by the mere fact of being absent from two successive meetings was “An act to require all annual reports to be made to the legislature on the first day of the session, and for other purposes” ( [1822–23 sess.], 12–3 [15 Feb. 1823]). It stipulated that the Board of Visitors henceforth make its annual reports to the president and directors of the Literary Fund by the first Monday in December, and provided that when a visitor failed to perform his duties for a year, the governor was to be notified and the vacancy filled, but that if the Board was given satisfactory reasons for the visitor’s absence, the governor need not be informed nor the seat vacated. The measure took effect from its passage, without a specified retrospective bearing.
For the circulars respecting the professorship of agriculture, see Benjamin Waterhouse to TJ, 8 Feb. 1823, and note.
1. Cabell here canceled “county.”
Index Entries
- Agricultural Society of Albemarle; and professorship of agriculture at the University of Virginia search
- An act to require all annual reports to be made to the legislature on the first day of the session, and for other purposes (1823) search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; as member of Central College Board of Visitors search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; as Va. state senator search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; letters from search
- Cocke, John Hartwell (1780–1866); and University of Virginia construction search
- Cocke, John Hartwell (1780–1866); as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Johnson, Chapman; appointment of to University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Johnson, Chapman; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Literary Fund; and loans for University of Virginia search
- Literary Fund; University of Virginia Board of Visitors reports to search
- Pleasants, James; and appointments search
- Smith, John Augustine; and University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; and governor of Va. search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; and loans for University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; annual reports of search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; members of search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; building costs search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; progress of search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Rotunda (library) search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; workmen at search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; opinions on search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; opposition to search
- Virginia, University of; Faculty and Curriculum; agriculture professorship search
- Virginia; General Assembly search