Page:The History of the University of Pennsylvania, Wood.djvu/62

56 to turn in favour of the old establishment One effort, indeed, to restore the college charter by legislative enactment, proved abortive; but a bill subsequently introduced was more successful, and in the year 1789, a law was passed by a great majority, which reinstated the trustees and faculty in all their former estates and privileges. In the preamble of this law, the proceedings of the legislature by which these estates and privileges had been transferred to the trustees of the university, was stigmatized as "repugnant to justice, a violation of the constitution of this commonwealth, and dangerous in its precedent to all incorporated bodies;" so different are the views which will be taken of the same subject by men in the opposite states of calmness and excitement.

But the same sense of justice which led to the re-establishment of the college, forbade any farther interference in the affairs of the university than was necessary for the accomplishment of this purpose. The trustees of the latter institution, therefore, retained their corporate capacity; and, as the grant formerly made by the legislature out of the confiscated estates still remained to them, they were not left absolutely destitute of support. New buildings were provided for the accommodation of the schools; the faculties both in arts and in medicine continued their courses of instruction; and a yearly commencement was held as before, at which the various ordinary and honorary degrees were conferred. But the operations, which previously to this change, were not marked with vigour, now became still more languid; and after a feeble existence had been prolonged for the space of rather more than two years, it was found necessary, in order to avert total ruin, to propose a union with the rival seminary.

The trustees of the college had not been negligent in availing themselves of the act which had been passed in their favour. On the 9th of March, 1789, only three days after the