INDIANA UNIVERSITY.
Mr. MELLETT asked and obtained unanimous consent to return from the Committee on Education Mr. Odle's bill [H. R. 50] appropriating $20,000 annually for the use of Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana, to be paid semi-annually--the committee recommending its passage.
Mr. RICHARDSON moved to amend the bill by striking out the word "twenty" and inserting in lieu the word "ten."
Mr. MELLETT would say in reference to this bill and this appropriation, that they have become absolutely necessary, if we intend to maintain a State University and support it in a becoming manner--in a manner that is commensurate with the wants of the State. There were now three hundred students in attendance at this institution, and nine professors in the literary department, and the halls are crowded so that it is impossible to do the students justice; and unless provision be made for their accommodation--to supply its growing wants--the university, instead of going forward, must retrograde. If this bill pass, a portion of the fund appropriated will be devoted to the support of the State Medical College, which is located in this city, and which has been incorporated with the State University; but so far no provision has been made to pay the professors, they having to seek support from students and from other sources. This is unbecoming in the great State of Indiana. The State of Michigan has a University which does her the greatest credit; and there is no reason why Indiana should be behind this much younger State of Michigan. We should feel a just public pride in keeping pace with other neighboring States, and there is no better way in which we can show it than by fostering the educational institutions of the State. If we do not so, the consequence will be to send our young men to the State of Michigan for education; and to give that State a prominence which I do not like to encourage.
I think the proposed appropriation will place the State University in such a condition that she will be on the road towards the purposes for which she was designed, and beyond the reach of fatal accidents. I will submit a brief statement of the condition of Indiana University, and what this bill proposes to make it. It will engage nine professors in the literary departmerit, at a salary of $2,000 each, and $2,500 for the President. This only adds one professor. There will be the President, and the chairs of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Greek, Latin, Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and English and Modern Languages and Literature. The professorship this bill adds is from the division of the class in chemistry into classes in chemistry and geology. It has been found necessary to divide that class, there being over sixty students in it. The bill increases the salary of the professors, now restricted to $1,000, and unless their salary is increased the University will lose them. No professor can be kept in an institution of this kind for less than $2,000; for they are men, or should be men of the best talent and the highest order of literary attainments which the country can afford. There are now two professors in the law department, and the trustees propose to give these a salary of $2,500. In reply to a question by Mr. Woollen, he stated that the institution has for present resources the revenue from the endowment fund of $7,000 per annum; and there is an existing statute granting the University $8,000 per annum. The appropriation proposed in this bill would make the total resources of the institution $35,000 a year. Out of this it is proposed to set apart $7,500 for the support of the medical department--its incidental expenses. So far as these statistics are concerned, he very much regretted than we have not yet the catalogue of the University containing the report of the trustees, which would give the House all necessary information on the subject.
Mr. MILLER, Considering that we have a very scant House, I move to postpone the further consideration of this bill till Monday at half-past two o'clock.
Mr. BRANHAM hoped that the special order would not be made. He supposed that no member of the House is aware of the amount of appropriations which the various institutions of the State are asking for. Whether they are asking for more than they ought to have he did not pretend to say; but one thing he was very certain of, that they are asking for much more than there is now, or will be, in the State treasury. It might be good policy in the first place to see what amount of funds we have, and then make the appropriations. We ought to cut our garments according to the cloth. He would be glad to see the University well cared for; but this is not all they ask for, and are not the page: 145[View Page 145]plans of the University improvements based upon the supposition that the State will aid them? He was about to move to lay the subject on the table--not from any hostile disposition toward the institution, but from a desire, if we can not give them all they want to give them a part. But then he wanted the bill to state distinctly when these funds shall be drawn from the treasury. He did not want to commence by giving so large an amount to one institution as to preclude the giving of any thing to the rest. He moved that the bill be laid upon the table for the present, so that it may be called up at the proper time.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. SHIRLEY, a bill [H. R. 146] to prohibit the destruction of ditches, drains and running streams of water, and provide a penalty for the violation of this act.
