Henry Crabb Robinson, 2 Plowden Building, Temple, to Henry Brougham, [no address], 29 November 1836. 

2 Plowden Building Temple

My Lord.

       I beg my leave to submit to your Lordship’s consideration a suggestion concerning the appropriation of Mrs Flaherty’s gift to the London University. It is because I have a very strong impression of the importance of the suggestion that I am unwilling to bring it forward myself in the Council, since it would come with no weight from me, but take the liberty of laying it before you, in the hope that it will meet with your concurrence and be carried into effect by you.

       It seems to be the general impression that the present wants of the University are such, that it is adviseable to use this money in building, Or in some other way so that it will become a part of the general property of the University. Now I have not the least objection to the money being thus employed, provided it be not thus spent. I would therefore propose that by an act more formal than a mere resolution And which might be renderd obligatory, And to which perhaps Mrs Flaherty should be an approving party, the money when actually appropriated by the University for such general purposes, should be taken as a loan not gift, and that an engagement should be enterd into, that out of the first proceeds, not required for the annual expenditure, the money should be gradually restored and set apart as The Flaherty Fund, to be appropriated to purely benevolent purposes – Whether those purposes should be now fixed, or reserved for the consideration of the Council acting when the money may be repayd, I leave your Lordship to determine.

       I would remark in support of this suggestion, that the University could not in the first instance have been established, it if had not taken the character of a joint-stock company, at least I am willing to admit as much, but I am still of opinion that the University can never be raised out of it’s present low state unless this character be thrown as much as possible into the back ground; And the University be considerd rather as a charitable foundation Neither Mrs Flaherty nor any other beneficent person would ever think of making a gift in favor of us the legal proprietors of the University, or intentionally allow his gift to become a portion of the partnership property from which the proprietors of the joint stock company or members of the Corporate body, might eventually derive a profit. Unless care be taken to remove the possibility of this abuse, for such it would be, Mrs Flaherty’s example will assuredly be never followed – I had intended to make this suggestion at the meeting which followed the annunciation of Mrs Flaherty [sic] donation, but then the transfer was already effected

       But it cannot be too late now – And a reference to Mrs Flaherty herself might remove any objection to the proposed modification of the gift – It is manifest that she meant the gift to the University in the character of trustees not proprietors.

       I will take this opportunity of adding another proposal which arises out of my impression that the great impediment in the way of the prosperity of the University is its joint-stock-Company character Viz: that a deed should be prepared by which the subscribing parties would severally make a grant of the future and contingent dividends in favor of one or more of a class of specified beneficent objects.

       I am my Lord

             obediently your’s

                        H. C. Robinson

2 Plowden Building Temple

29th November 1836

The Lord Brougham

No Address. Endorsed: H.C. Robinson / Flaherty Fund.

Text: Brougham Papers, MS. 23.133, University College University of London.