Columbia gazette., 1854-02-18
JOHN BIGLER .
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTEN.
DENT OF PUBLIC INSTRCC-
TION.

HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR -
Under article 4, section 6 of the A ct
in relation to Public Schools, it is made
my duty to suggest to the Legislature,
:" Tays and Means for raising funds for
the support Of Common Schools" and
for the promotion of the general interest
Of education throughout the State,''
desire to do this through your Excellen-
cy the chief executive officer.
The capital Of the school fund arising
solely as yet from the sales of school
land warrants is $463,36O.
The interest arising from the bonds Of
the State thus set apart, is the only rev.
enuc, as yet provided for sustaining the
schools Of the present year, viz: $3a,-
435 20, with a reasonable prospect of
supr ort from the State, the number of
pupils in the schools of this year can be
at least treblcd from that of the report
Of my predecessor for the last school
ycar-will the Legislature withhold that
support or, will the people, under the
existing excitement, expect it,
The sales of ssAool lard warrants has
almost entirely ceased. 1t is unneces-
sary here to advert to the causes-the
fact sufiices our purpose. a
There resna.as by consequence 26S,-
800 acres of the SOC, 900 acres of school
lands uasold and not yet located. This
with the 10Th and 3eia sections, ,ane the
lands donated by Congress for semin-
ary Of learning, "46 ESQ acres comprise
the entire school property in lands.''
Energetic action toward an early To-
cation Of the 268 1920 acres, and of such
Of the 18th and 32d sections, as by pre-
emptor settlement have become liable to
''foat' location; will be apparent to cv-
cry one desirous of outstanding all prop
er resources in aid of our schools.
1t is evidently the desire of Congress
and Of the whole people Of our common
country to sustain, by all proper aid, the
energies Of the settler, and the means
of educating the rising generation
soon to succeed them in the halls of
Congress, and in the varied positions
peculiar to the republic
There can be no clashing of these great
movements; they step in harmonious
concert towards the goal Of their great
destiny.
So careful was the Goth Congress Of
the integrity of common school and sem
mary lands, that they provided that set
Elements made on the l6rh sections four
months prior to survey, (then neces ~
to pre-cmption) should have the pr,vi-
lege to any any other quarter section
within the district ''in lieu thereof
and likewise that any settler upon "sem-
mary lands, haring settled before selcc-
ton by the state" should have the priv
ilege to enter a quarter section "within
the land district IN Il Il Msreof." Stat
utcs at large, vel, ), page $50.
BY subsequent action Of Congress, the
settler on the 10th and 36th sections, is
permitted to enter at the minimum rates;
to exercise in other words, the5same pre-
emptiop rightas though he had been To-
Gated elsewhere-and this is evidently
the exercise of an equitable right
If we were to say that the settler was
compelled to pre-empt-we should ut
ter a silly thought; no settler is compell-
ed to pre-elnpt. 1t is privilege that he
may, or may not use. He may, or may
not pre-empt the 10th and 36th sections
lfhe does not pre-empt, where do the
lands (the 10th and 36th sections set a.
part for school purposes) beleng' GER
tainly no where else than to the school
property! if he pre-empts in his own
name, he must pay in cash to the Gen
eral Government If he makes his en-
try at the Registers, as the agent Of the
State, under the 900, 600 acre law, he
does so now after having paid 50 in
State securities for bis land, and this
realizes to the school fund IA cents per
acre per annum, being 7 per cent. IN