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Rh itself, and it is worthy of note that the petitioners refer to "Harvard College in Cambridge, as well as the other colleges and seminaries" being under the direction and management of the Congregationalists. Why base their plea upon this ground if all they desired was a theological school? And again, it is alleged "we have no seminary over which we have any control." Yet Hebron Academy was already established, so they could not have had in mind the establishment of another academy.

As indicated by the endorsement (1) on the petition, the Senate acted in concurrence with the House. On page 226 of the Senate Journal we read:

Here we have it expressly stated that the petitioners desired the establishment of a college. Surely the men to whom the petition was submitted could not have been in error on so important a point.

The joint committee reported three days later. Their report is in the Archives as House 7196:

The Senate Journal for January 25, 1813, page 238, records the action indicated above in these words:

Up to this point things were apparently going smoothly. It was not until the bill had been introduced that the opposition is manifested.