and the support of every one who favors academic instruction when given at Middlebury-the great probability of State endowment, of individual benefaction, and of large attendance from its new representation of practical educational interest, all would reduce its probability of success to almost absolute certainty. It can hardly be doubted that a powerful and successful University would result.

But how, under the supposition, would the University at Burlington be affected?

Already, even with the large endowment of the State, with difficulty sustaining itself in life, can any one doubt the result? It could have no hope of aid from the State, for it would be said that already an offer liberal and generous beyond all reasonable expectation, had been deliberately refused. Such refusal to join in a common effort to improve and adapt the higher institutions of learning would be by many construed as an indication of obstinate and prejudiced adherence to old notions in opposition to the declared wishes of the majority of the people; and all inducements to private benefaction would be proportionally weakened.With sources of strength thus diminished, it would have still less than its present ability to adapt to present requirements its methods of instruction; and, however postponed, a diminished attendance must sooner or later conspire with other causes to produce a lingering decay that could only end in death.

The recollection of the omission to seize the right opportunity for recuperation, combined with the constant observation of the growing strength of the rival institution, would have force to prevent a saving and transfer of the property of the institutions to the new University, even if that were practicable.

And land, buildings and equipments, would either revert to donors, or go to decay, or be sold to the scheming and enterprising managers of some private institution, and be measurably lost to the general cause of education.

Death, from inability to compete with advantages beyond its reach, must ultimately close the doors of the University, and in so doing leave a feeling of hardness and enmity for generations, and thus that harmony and union of feeling and interest, the want of which has cursed the higher educational interests of the State for so many years, would still be lacking, and a hostility that would indeed have less power for mischief would remain a continual hindrance to advancement.

Such may easily be supposed to be the results if one college should accept the proposed terms while the others should refuse; and that at least one of the two institutions will accept these terms is rendered exceedingly probable, by the adoption in October last of a series of resolutions by the corporation of the University of Vermont, pointing strongly in this direction, as follows:

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CORPORATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT, OCTOBER 20TH, 1863.

Whereas, The recent grant, by the act of Congress, of lands for the support of Agricultural Colleges in the various States of the Union, and the recent acceptance by this State of such grant, seem to open the way by which the educational strength of the State may be increased, and a union and harmony of action on the part of the friends of education secured, which is exceedingly desirable. And

Whereas, From the position occupied by the different Colleges of the State, an expression of the views of their Trustees, upon the subject of the establishment of an Agricultural College in this State, may be deemed of importance: Therefore,

Resolved, 1st, That a consolidation of the higher educational interests of the State, by a union of the collegiate institutions respectively located at Norwich, Middlebury and Burlington, and a merging of their separate corporate existence in the establishment of a single State University which shall assume such character as shall combine all the distinctive excellences of the three colleges now existing, and, at the same time comply with all the requirements of the Act of Congress for the establishment and support of agricultural colleges, and of the act of the State accepting the grant made by said act of Congress, is a measure that will directly and powerfully promote the general educational welfare of Vermont.

Resolved, 2d, That in view of the paramount importance of such consolidation of strength and means, all minor questions of location, and other details, should be disregarded by every true friend of education until the main object of such consolidation is effected.

The men who adopted these resolutions are undoubtedly prepared to act in the spirit indicated.

If the two existing colleges at Middlebury and Burlington accept the terms of the law, and by vote become merged in the existence of a resulting college, then & somewhat different and still more hopeful condition of things may be expected.

Immediately upon such merger, the pecuniary fund of the resulting State University will consist of the avails of the land scrip, increased by the actual value of the corporate property of both colleges over and above the amount of legal and valid claims against them. If we estimate the value of the scrip at $130,000, the property of the U. V. M. is estimated at $130,000, more than sufficient to pay its debts, and Middlebury having sustained itself entirely upon individual benefaction, may be considered to have property of the same amount. Thus then the new University may be considered to have a fund at the start of from $350,000 to $400,000. It will also, as in the previous hypothesis, for the same reasons and to the same extent, command through the probability of state and individual endowment and increased attendance, all the regular sources of collegiate strength, and so far as a probability of present and

future pecuniary strength is concerned, may be considered to have most encouraging prospects.

And as far as pecuniary matters, sources of supply and the comparative economy of a union of colleges is concerned, there is scarcely a difference of opinion in the whole State.

The main cause of diverse expressions of opinion lies in the necessity, under the law, of locating the new State University either at Middlebury or Burlington, and by such location at one place, of deserting the other.

Throughout the whole prolonged discussion not a syllable has been uttered against the theory of the necessity and desirability of a consolidation of colleges. Could the particular friends of either college be sure that the location of their University would be selected as the location of the new University, they at least would cease all opposition to the law. The inevitable necessity under the law, of a desertion of one or other of the two locations, is the cause of all the woe that has found expression. It may be, and indeed it is entirely evident to every sane mind, that a love of sound learning, good sense, and simple economy, all combine to vindicate fully the wisdom of a collegiate consolidation, and the management and direction of the higher educational interests of the State by a single corporation; but local feelings and prejudices, with the danger of affecting injuriously local interests, have stood directly in the way of a consummation so devoutly to be wished.

By the terms of the law, as it stands, when two or more of the existing colleges shall have determined to unite with the State University, then it shall devolve upon certain three named commissioners to locate the new University, but it must be located where is situated one of the uniting colleges.

The evident intention of the law, as it now stands, is to create from all the institutions that may be disposed to unite with the State University, a single University, with all its branches located in a single place, controlled and managed by a single joint corporation, thus effecting a complete consolidation of collegiate interests. It is plain, too, that the two main objects in view arc to secure such modification of the course of instruction as will give more attention to certain specified branches; and to insure greater economy by intrusting the control of collegiate education to a newly constructed and single corporation; and it would be hopeless to expect any future modification of law that would render the accomplishment of these two main objects in the least uncertain, or any less certain than by the present law.

As before remarked, the manifest intention of the law is to create a single University, all of whose departments shall be collected together in a single locality; and under any ordinary circumstances, the collection of all the different departments in one locality would be the natural and necessary consummation of the plan of union, and indeed the only reasonable completion of that plan. Unless then there be modifying circum

stances peculiar to the educational condition of the State, the concentration of all departments of the new University at one locality is not only the proper and necessary result of the junction proposed, but the only proper and reasonable completion of the scheme.

If so, and the consolidation of all the colleges in the State is a mea'sure of paramount importance and indispensable necessity; and if in order to the completion of such consolidation, the concentration of all departments in one location, and the desertion of every other location are indispensable to the perfect carrying out of the plan of union; then whatever loss or damage may inure to individuals or to particular localities, is not to be allowed to stand in the way of the consummation of the union The highest educational good of the State is to be preferred to the ad vancement of private or local interests.

It is true that the present law imperatively and in plain terms requires such concentration of all departments of the new University in one locality; but while admitting that such concentration would under ordinary circumstances be proper and necessary, even if it were not in terms required; still it is not at all unreasonable to anticipate that a modification of the law in regard to such concentration could be procured hereafter, under certain conditions, if it could be demonstrated that the two great objects of the law, the modification of the course of study, and the management and direction of collegiate education by one corporation, could as well and more economically be attained without requiring any such absolute concentration. By the junction of the two colleges with the new University, as has been shown, more of pecuniary strength would be secured than by any other combination supposable; but however unanswerable might be the reasons urged for a concentration of all departments of the new University, the very desertion of one locality by the preference of the other would leave a bitterness behind, that as in the last supposed case, would for generations prevent that union and harmony of feeling and interest, without which any union of colleges must be deprived of much of the benefit that might legitimately be expected therefrom.

The very walls of the deserted buildings would for years remind the friends of the institution once occupying them of the loss they had sus tained, and prevent that cordial and sincere support of the new college which is so extremely desirable.

But there can be no possible ground of hope for a modification of the law which shall dispense with the concentration of all departments of the new University in one locality and the consequent desertion of the other, so long as either of the two colleges shall hold itself aloof and refuse to accept the law. If one of these colleges accepts the law and the other refuses to accept, all hope of any such modification is at once cxtinguished. Such refusal would be received by all as a preference of particular interests to the general good, and so construed would prevent the granting of an amendment of a law which had been accepted by one

institution in good faith, to accommodate the wishes of another that had positively refused to accept the law at all.

And the college which had accepted the law as it stood, and by so doing had sacrificed all its own individual plans and predilections for the promotion of public good, could, and undoubtedly would, urge against the adoption of any modification of the law to suit the wishes of an institution that was not willing to incur any, the least hazard, the extreme unfairness of any such course.

But if the corporation of the University of Vermont should still continue to be actuated by the catholic spirit of their resolutions of Oct. last, and the corporation of Middlebury College should entertain the same generous and unselfish views, and the two colleges after conference should come to a full and definite understanding with each other, by which they should in good faith agree to accept the act of incorporation as it stands; and also agree upon a concurrent effort to procure such modification of the act by subsequent legislation, as should either specifically provide that all of the instruction given by the State University in the so-called classical and academic departments should be given at one branch of the new college, to be located, for instance, at Middlebury; while all other instruction in the branches relating to agriculture and the mechanical pursuits, in the modern languages, in the natural sciences, in English Literature, and in all the professional schools, should be given in the branch located at Burlington; or upon an amendment that should leave the matter of concentrating all the branches or departments of the new college at one locality, or of distributing its departments between the two localities, to be determined by the corporation of the new college,-then all the benefits of recent legislation would be fully secured, and there need be little doubt but that any such or similar modification of law could be obtained, which should be urged by the friends of both institutions, and which would demonstrably promote the interests of education.

While it may be freely admitted that in the absence of all modifying circumstances, a complete concentration at one place of all the different departments of a State University is much preferable to any arrangement that locates its different departments at as many different localities, it is not at all certain that a condition of educational affairs might not exist, which might not only admit, but which should almost require some other.

Were our State a new Commonwealth, having no University or College, and were the question unembarrassed of all considerations other than as to what was the best abstract plan for the establishment, support and direction of a State University, there could be little doubt but that a complete and entire concentration of all the departments of such an institution at one place would be the only plan that would be tolerated, or indeed tolerable. But such is not our condition. For more than 60 years two colleges of high character have been struggling with adverse