Thomas Jefferson Papers

Joseph C. Cabell to Thomas Jefferson, 8 February 1819

From Joseph C. Cabell

Richmond. 8 Feb: 1819.

Dear Sir

Least your Enquirer of the 28th Jan: may have miscarried, I now have the pleasure to enclose1 you that paper.

The President & directors of the Literary Fund have placed us in an aukward dilemma by an egregious mistatement of the amount & proceeds of the Fund. Relying as usual on the statements of that Board, we have appropriated $80,000. as part of the Revenue of the Fund; when in fact that revenue will not amount to more than $60,000. There can be no doubt of the propriety of the repeal of that part of the law, which adds $20,000. to the fund for educating the poor: and I hope that this will be done. Yet I am assured by several leading men of the lower House, that in that House, the majority would sooner repeal the appropriation for the University. Probably they are mistaken; but you must not be surprized if such should be the result. The Senate may be entirely depended on.—The Executive intended on this day to appoint the Visitors: but have not done so, because the Bill was not signed by the speakers of the two Houses. This was no sufficient cause of delay, yet some one or more of the Councellors feeling difficulties the business was deferred, & will probably not be resumed till monday next.   I am, Dr Sir, faithfully yours

Joseph C. Cabell

RC (ViU: TJP-PC); endorsed by TJ as received 10 Feb. 1819 and so recorded in SJL; with table by TJ beneath endorsement giving the estimated revenue of the Literary Fund for 1819 (one digit editorially corrected from “8”; figures stated in the report the Committee of Schools and Colleges presented to the Virginia House of Delegates on 3 Feb. 1819 [JHD description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia description ends (1818–19 sess.), 158–9]):

US. stock 41,364 .69
James river 912
state banks 5,280
US. bank 3,500
outstanding interest 2,099 .48.
in Treasy 158,412.21 4,752 .3[6]
57,908 .53.”
RC (MHi); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to Frederick A. Mayo, 11 Feb. 1820, on verso; addressed: “Mr Jefferson Monticello”; franked; postmarked Richmond, 8 Feb.

The Richmond Enquirer of the 28th jan: 1819 printed “An act for establishing an University” (the law; the bill) (see TJ’s Bill to Establish a University, printed above at 19 Nov. 1818, and note to William C. Rives to TJ, 20 Jan. 1819). The speakers of Virginia’s House of Delegates and Senate were Linn Banks and Edward Watts, respectively.

1Reworked from “enquire.”

Index Entries

  • An act for the establishment of an University (1819) search
  • Bank of the United States, Second; stock issued by search
  • Banks, Linn; as speaker of Va. House of Delegates search
  • banks; stock issued by search
  • Cabell, Joseph Carrington; and establishment of University of Virginia search
  • Cabell, Joseph Carrington; letters from search
  • education; in Va. search
  • education; of the poor search
  • James River Company search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Bill to Establish a University search
  • Richmond Enquirer (newspaper); sent to TJ search
  • Treasury Department, U.S.; and government stock search
  • United States; and government stock search
  • Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
  • Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; members of search
  • Virginia, University of; Establishment; and General Assembly search
  • Virginia, University of; Establishment; Bill to Establish a University search
  • Virginia; and education search
  • Virginia; banks in search
  • Virginia; Council of State search
  • Virginia; governor search
  • Virginia; House of Delegates search
  • Virginia; Literary Fund search
  • Virginia; Senate of search
  • Virginia; treasury of search
  • Watts, Edward; as Speaker of Va. Senate search