ENPages
(seq. 1)
Cambridge Oct 14 1782
Sir, I suppose in this session the honorable House of Representatives will make their grants for the Civil list, and that among others, those relative to the College will come in question. In such cases I am told that enquiries are frequently made what Living the Gentlemen have. If this should be the case I could wish the Members may have the fullest & plainest information of what relates to my situation & support. I have been in my present office in the University Two years & nine months, and all the Salary I have {received} for my support, both from the College, & from the State, has been £361-5-4.{legal money}. What has made my situation here more distressing, I was obliged to be at the heavy, but unavoidable expense of £650 L.M. to procure an ordinary house for the removal of my family. I need not make any remarks on the above, Deducting the interest of the Debt incurr'd for procuring an house, there has been but £92-s7 {legal} money per annum for the support of a family which has ever been in easy circumstances before my removal to this place. A sum so inadequate to the unavoidable expences of living here, that my family must have suffer'd for the nescesaries of life, had I not spent a considerable part of my Estate to procure them. It gives me great pain to trouble you about such matters. Nor do I know whether it is best to apply to the Honorable House for relief. I wish to be enabled to hold an office in which I take great pleasure, and have every encouragement that can arise from the steady attention, and application of my Pupils. At the same time I am sensible of the distress'd state of the Country, by reason of the just & nescesary war in which they are engaged, and cannot wish for any thing more than a decent support. If there be any enquiries about our Living I will be obliged to you to give to the {Honorable} House a full & plain account of the nature of my office, and support. I cannot doubt but they would wish to give me all proper encouragement, if I discharge the duties of my office to the public satisfaction; If not I am sensible I ought not to expect it. Begging your excuse for the trouble I give you, I am Sir, with greatest esteem & regard, your most obedient humble servant
Samuel Williams.
(seq. 2)
Cambridge {January} 3d. 1781. From Professor Wigglesworth
Dear Sir As the season is now returned, in which it has been usual for the {honorable} General Court to make grants to those officers of the College, who are dependent on Government in part for thier support, I beg leave to suggest to your consideration, a few thoughts on this subject. The disposition you have ever manifested to advance the interest of science in gen eral, and the reputation & Honour of Harvard College in particular, convince me that I need not apologize for laying before you the present feelings of its Professors. Before the commencement of the present War, the Hollis Professors each received from the Court £100 - annually, and the Hancock Professors about £58 - These grants, together with the salaries they reciev'd from the College Funds, enabled them to support their Families with Decency, but were by no means adequate to the enabling them to make provision for the future support of Widows & Orphan children.
On the introduction of a paper currency, the Professors, in common with all persons dependent on Salaries for for their support, suffer'd the effects of its Depreciation. This they did without relief or complaint, till the beginning of the year 1778, at which time all the necessaries of life had advanced, at least, in proportion of four to one of thier former prices. About this time they laid their distresses before the Court, which was so kind as to give them a partial relief, by granting them, about the month of June following a sum equal to their annual grants, in addition to that already made for their services to the 1st of {January} preceding. The following year the Court increased the Grants at the rate of five for one on the original sums. Att that time one of the {honorable} Gentlemen, who was on the committee that had the allowances of the Servants of Government referred to them, told me that the exchange at that time was seven & a half for one. This Grant, notwithstanding its inequality to former ones, had it been paid with the usual punctuality, would have afforded them sensible relief under their increasing Distresses. But it was their unhappiness that the public finances were low at that time. The Grants were paid in small sums, and the month of June arrived by the time they were fully discharged. During this periodinterval, a very rapid and great Depreciation of the currency took place; which, in a great measure, deprived the Professors of that support which the Court intended them. The grants for the year ending the 1st of January 1780 were made at the rate of thirty five for one, which was about the difference of Exchange at that time. Had not the Prices of the produce of our own country, as well as of foreign commodities, arisen in a greater proportion than that of hard money, their circumstances would have been render'd tolerably easier. But the commodities of
(seq. 3)
of this country as well as foreign ones encreased in price beyond the real Depreciation of the Currency, in proportion to the increase of Taxes and the risk of navigation. By this means, tho' the officers of the college were exempted from Taxation, yet they eventually paid taxes, in proportion to thier income, equal to the rest of the community. They did it eventually because they do not set a price on their own labour, while the Merchants, the Farmer, and the mechanic do on theirs.
On a comparison of the annual salary of the president with the annual grants to the professors, together with Dr. Langdons estimate of the deficiences on his salary, it will soon be seen how much the professors ought to receive, in order to make up their deficiences. I mention this, not so much from an expectation of their being made up, as to show that the Professors are not insensible of their sufferings. By the laws now in force, forty continetal paper dollars, or one of the last emission, are legally as valuable as a silver dollar, tho' it is well known that it will take seventy five Continentals, and a proportionable quantity of the other kinds, to purchase one of the last mentioned sort. For this reason I am apprehensive that, should the Court immiediately proceed to make full grants to the Officers of the College for their services for the year past, they will be in danger of receiving but forty parts in seventy five, of what they esteem themselves entitled to in equity. I submit it therefore to your better judgment, whether it will not be most expedient to imitate the Court of the last year, by making them a grant sufficient to purchase the nescesary supplies for the winter season; and to leave the full consideration of their services and exigenices, till it shall be determined whether the Tender Act, shall be repealed or not. Should that Act be repeal'd, I cannot but persuade myself, that the {honorable} Court will in their great wisdom & goodness see fit, from the principle of equity, to make their grants in full proportion to the difference of the current exchange of silver & paper: In this case the officers of the College will pay their full proportion of the public taxes, for it is a maxim founded in truth, "that the consumer pays all taxes." To prevent those officers paying taxes, it would be nescesary to increase their stipends, in proportion to the average rise of the prices of the commodities of home production. I have Sir express'd my sentiments to you without reserve, on a subject in which I feel myself deeply interested, both for my own sake, and that of the other professors in the University, relying on your candour & judgement, that such use only will be made of them, as may serve the interest of literature and of the persons who are devoted to its cultivation. With respectful compliments to Mrs Lowell & family,
I am sir your most obedient humble servant
Edward Wigglesworth
John Lowell {Esquire}