as the legislature of New York. In 1704 he ex- cluded from the New Jersey assembly representatives that had been duly elected. After two assemblies had been angrily dissolved, the third, in April, 1707, sent Lewis Morris, the speaker, with a remonstrance to the governor. In New York the assembly was likewise twice dissolved. The third, which was convened in August, 1708, asserted with vigor the right of self-government in respect to taxation, the judiciary, and administration. One of his imbecile freaks was to attire himself like a woman, and in that disguise to patrol the fort in which he lived. In compliance with the protests of the colonists. Lord Cornbury was removed in that year. He was immediately arrested by his credit- ors and thrown into prison ; but vipon the death of his father he discharged his debts and returned to England to take his seat in the house of lords as the third Earl Clarendon. He left the reputa- tion of being the worst governor that New York had ever had; but his administration promoted harmony among the colonists of various races and religions, and advanced the principles of liberty.
CORNELIUS, Elias, physician and patriot, b.
on Long Island in 1758; d. in Somers, N. Y., 13
June, 1833. He studied medicine, and at the age
of nineteen obtained the appointment of surgeon's
mate in the 2d Rhode Island regiment. He was
captured and confined in the prison-ship " Jersey,"
but escaped in March, 1778, rejoined the army, and
continued with it till 1781. In later years he ob-
tained a large practice. — His son, Elias, educator,
b. in Somers, N. Y., 31 July, 1794 ; d. in Hartford,
Conn., 12 Feb., 1832. He was graduated at Yale
in 1813, and sent to the Cherokee and Chickasaw
Indians as a missionary. He was ordained an
evangelist in 1817, and travelled through the south,
raising funds to found Indian missions. The cause
was helped by his " Little Osage Girl," widely read
in Sunday-schools, which was founded on the story
of a child that he rescued from the Cherokees, who
had killed and scalped her mother. In 1819 he was
installed as the colleague of Dr. Worcester in the
Tabernacle church at Salem, Mass. After Dr. Wor-
cester's death in 1821, Mr. Cornelius remained in
the pastorate until 1826, when he accepted the sec-
retaryship of the American education society. In
1832, a month before his death, he became sec-
retary to the Board of commissioners for foreign
missions. A " Memoir " of Dr. Cornelius was pub-
lished by Bela B. Edwards (New York, 1833).
CORNELL, Ezekiel, soldier, b. in Scituate, R.
I. He was a mechanic, who educated himself, and
established a library in his native town. In 1775
he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of Hitchcock's
regiment, was present at the siege of Boston, was
made deputy adjutant-general, 1 Oct., 1776, and
subsequently brigadier-general and commander of
the brigade of state troops, which was in service
three years and three months, and was disbanded,
16 March, 1780. This force was of great service
in protecting the state during the British occupa-
tion. He was a delegate from Rhode Island to
the Continental congress in 1780-'3, and chairman
of the military committee. At the close of his
term he retired to his farm at Scituate.
CORNELL, Ezra, philanthropist, b. at
Westchester Landing, N. Y., 11 Jan., 1807; d. in Ithaca,
N. Y., 9 Dec., 1874. His parents were Quakers,
and, although his early educational opportunities
were limited to the common schools of Westchester
and Madison counties, he was through life a
devoted student and became distinguished for his
practical and scientific attainments. He settled
at Ithaca in 1828, and for many years was em-
ployed as manager of the Ithaca Falls mills. The
water-power tunnel at Fall Creek, conceived and
executed by him, is a monument of his foresight
and skill. Becoming associated with Prof. Morse
in the early development of the electric telegraph,
Mr. Cornell superintended the erection of the first
telegraph-line in America, which was opened
between Washington and Baltimore in June, 1844.
Thereafter, devoting himself to the establishment
of telegraph-lines throughout the northern and
western states, he became one of the most active
and enterprising pioneers in that business, from
which he realized a large fortune. He was one of
the original founders of the Western union
telegraph company, of which he was a director for
twenty years, and for much of that period he was
the largest individual share-holder. He gave much
attention to public affairs, and was especially
interested in agricultural development. He attended
the first Republican national convention at Pittsburg,
Pa., in 1856 as a delegate. He was president
of the New York state agricultural society in
1862, represented that society at the international
exposition in London, and travelled extensively in
Europe. He was a member of the New York state
assembly in 1862-'3, and a state senator from 1864
till 1868. Mr. Cornell was the founder of Cornell
university at Ithaca.
|
His original endowment of
$500,000, in 1865, was supplemented by contributions of nearly $400,000 from his private means, and more than $3,000,000 realized as the profits of his operation in purchasing and locating public lands for the benefit of the university. In his address at the inaugural ceremonies Mr. Cornell said: “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” This comprehensive declaration, adopted as the official motto, and graven upon the seal of the university, has been the inspiration of the authorities in directing its subsequent development. Although young, Cornell university already ranks with the foremost institutions of learning in the United States. The Cornell library in Ithaca was also established by Mr. Cornell, at an outlay of nearly $100,000. The last years of his life were devoted to the building of several railway-lines, to connect Ithaca with the general railroad system of the state, in order to facilitate access to the university town. These enterprises proved highly beneficial to the locality, but the capital invested in them was almost a total loss. — His son, Alonzo Barton, 25th governor of New York, b. in Ithaca, N. Y., 22 Jan., 1832, was educated at the Ithaca academy, at the age of fifteen was a telegraph-operator at Troy, and in the following year became manager of the telegraph-office at Cleveland, Ohio, where he continued three years, after which he was for several years manager of the principal telegraph-office in New York city. In 1862-'3 he was proprietor of the
