The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-11-22
The University Fund.


According To the ordinance passed By the con
stItrtional convention at kaskaskia On The 26ti
day Of August, 1918, accepting the proposition
OF congress IN reference to certain grants ofland'
and moneys for school purposes, DC, in this state
itappears that there was a certain percentage oil
The noneys reserved exclusively for a college OF
university That part Of the ordinance, which re-
fs.s to this subject reads as follows:
81. That FIVE per cent. Of the net proceeds OF
The lands lying within such State, Iof Illinois.
aad which shall be sold by Congress from and AZ.
Ter the frst day Of January 1919, after deducting
NIL expenses Incident TO the same shall be reser-
we'd :,r the purposes following viz: Twoffths 10
bs dlsbnrsed under the direction Of congress in
making roads leading TO the state; the residue to
lie appropriated by the legislature of the state for
the encouragement Of learning, Of which one sixth
part shall be exclusively bestowed on a college
or university. Stat p. ".
z This oue.sirth has now accumulated to over three
hundred thousand dollars, and is daily being aug
nented BY the rapid sales OF the government
lands 10 this state.
During the session Of the last Legislature an eff.
fort was made, by the colleges of the different re.
lgOus denominations Throughout, the state, to have
this fund divided among them; but, as there ex-
isted some doubt in the minds Of our representa-
t7os as TO the legality Of such division, nothing
was done on the subject. No doub, similar effort
will again be made during the next session of the
general assembly, sud it is quite probable that
ifno better disposition is soon made o. thi. fund
il Will DC distributed among the different colleges
nov in existence in this state
BY reference TO the proceedings of the Far.
mers' Convention, at Granville. which will be
found in another column, it will be seen that il
vas the design fthat body to adop, such mea.
saTss rs would be calculated 10 induce the legisla
tire TO devote this fund TO an entirely different
parPo'O namely, To apply it 10 the establish.
'tsn Industrial University, in which the secace
Of as'i,aitafe and the principles Of mechanism
shall DC practically and scientifically taught
Too present system Of collegial education is
entirely unadap,ed TO the industrial classes Its
'ols oojec, is to prepare the studen, for profes-
slonal pursuits and hence il is not uncommon
70 and tie sons Of farmers or mechanics, who have
graduated in our colleges, less qualified for the
drties they are to perform than If they had re-
manned at home, and simply learned to read
write, and understand tie common rales Of ari.h.
ms,lc. The industrial classes, then, who are a,
least ninety nine hundro,hs Of the entire popula.
ton OF this state. have no institution Of learning
adapted to their wants. This fund is ample TO
give them good one; and as it has been raised
GU, OF the cultiyators Of the sol--those who have
bought the public lands-they are the only ones
who have right to it, and they ara foolish if
they do not demand it at once
il vii! be seen, by perusing III. proceedings Of
tho Granville Convention, that Prof Turner has
been requested to furnish for publication, gener.
al outline Of the plan Of an Agricultural or In.
du''rial University We happy to say. that
he has complied with that request. We shall
lay before our readers at the earliest day.