The weekly Placer herald., 1854-02-18
Report of I've SUperiptprdentO O
VV'tn VrS+",,c+i~n.
His FrceUenru the Gorernor:


relation TO Public Schools, it is made
my duty to suggest to the Legislature
"Way> and Means for raising funds for
the support of Common Schools" and for
the prnmotion of the general interest of
education throughout the State, desire
to do this through your Excellency the
chief executive officer
The capital of The school fund arising
s"ely as yet from the sale of school land
warrants is S469 $50.
The interest arising from the bonds of
the State thus set apart, is the on v reve
nue, a. yet provided for sustaining the
srhoo of the present year, viz: $92 ,435
with reasonable prospect of support
from the State, the number of pupils in
the SchoolS of this year can be at least
trehIed from that of the report Of my pre-
lerpSsnr for the last SchOo ypar-will the
Legislature withhold that support? or
will the peope Q, nnder the existing ex
citement, eTDeesn!
The sale 1T school land warrants has
n most entirely ceased 1t is unnecessary
here to advert to the causps-the fact
suf1ireS our purposes.
There remain by consequence 26S 800
un>nld and not vet lrrated. This with
the 18th and Seth sections, and the and>
donated by Congress for seminary If
learning, "46, ,0S0 acres comprise the Ell.
tire school property in lndS."
Energptic acton toward an ear Ioca-
ton Of the 26S,S2O acres, and of such of
the 10Th and S2I sections, MS l,y pre-
emptnr settlement have become lah to
"fnat" 'ocati"n; will be apparent to ever,
one desirnu> of hu>hauding all proper re-
sources in aid Of our schools
1t is genera the desire Of Congress
and Of the whole people of our com non
country tn sustain. by all proper aid, the
energies of the settler, and the means Of
educating the rising yeneration soon TO
succeed them in the halls of ongre>~,
md in the varied positions peculiar to the
republic.
There can be no Gushing Of these great
movements; thew step in harmonious CON
cert toward the goal of their great destiny.
So careful was the Goth Congress of
the integrity "f common schools and semi
nary lands; that they provided that settle
months prior to survey, (then necessary
III pre- ~H''uHI udSF lHt Di ~ iIVSF
TO enter any other quarter section within
the district sin lieu therent"--and ike
wise that any settler upon "Se,nlnnry
andS, having settled before selection b,
the State" should have The privilege to
enter Il quarter >erti'n "within the land
district IN ,eu thereof" Statutes at large
vol. 5, page 3o2.
BY subsequent action Of Congress, the
the Sett or on the 10th and S6ih sections,
is permitted 10 enter at the minimum rates; !;
to exercise in other words, the same pre-
enption right as though he had heed ocnt-
ed el>ew h-re-anh this is evidently the
exercise of al equitable right.
II we were t" say that the settler was
compelled t" prr-enpt-w should utter
ii siI.y thought, no settler is compelled
To pre-empr. 1t Is privilege that he
may, or may not use He may, or may
NOT pre- -en,pt the 10th and 36th s-rrIon>
II he does not pre- etnpt, where do the
lands (thr 10th and 36th sections sci
apart for srhn pnrpo>+>) belong? GER
tainly n" where else than the school pro-
pertA! II he pre-empt> in his own nane,
he must pay IN cash to the General Gov
ernnent. If hr makes his entry al the
Registers, rs the agent of the State, under
the 100000 "rre law, he does so now after
having paid 2 in State securities for
his land, and this rea ize to the school
fund ID cents per acre per nnnuli, ben-
: 7 per cent interest of So Of State indeb-
rdneS>, and the township in either case,
then locate their two sections el>ew here.
The interest only of the school fund
ran he used hence | suggest that the
settlers on the 10th and S6th sections,
who choose to decline the exercise OF
their pre- enpron rights with the U. 5.
Government, be permitted, with CONSENT
Of township Srh"o Commissioners, t"
file their bonds to the township with lien
upon the lands, providing for the pay
trrnt of 50 25 per acre after - years,
and paying an advance each year, the in
tere>t upon the same ut the rate of tei
per cent per annum to the proper office
for township school purposes
Thus, It the whole of the school lands
in each township Of ST sections he settle
upon. they would produce t" the township
C miles ~Gnare) the annual interest 60"
best security OF $loo on y 900 of capt
tai
Each township of six miles square may
be expected to maintain Il school, and
This sum, though small, would he sen~bly
felt in th- rural districts OF the State,
being applied oHly to cases where the
town school onr,ission-,~ deem it pre-
frrah g to locating e srwhere their two