Freeman's champion., 1858-05-27
The People. College Bill.

We have before US Mr.. MoRRILl'S
bill for the supper, and maintenance
of Colleges for Agriculture and Me
chanic Arts, to which we alluded a
few days since. The bill embraces q
wider range of instruction than we
had supposed. While devoted main
| ly to agricultural and mechanical ed
dcation, scientific and classical stud
les are not excluded, but each State
which avails itself Of the provisions
Of the bill, Is allowed to prescribe the
range of instruction, after adopting
agriculture and the useful arts az the
leading object" for itself. The
main features Of the act are as fol-
lows:
A donation ofpublic lands to the
amount Of 20, 900 acres for each of
its. Senator's and Representatives in
Congress is made to each State, pro-
vided such State contains within its
limits the amount Of lands to which
lit would be entitled. In default Of
lands remaining pnsold within their
limits, such States shall receive, in
lieu thereof land scrip or variants to
the amount of their distributivO
shares in acres; said script to bs sold
by the States, and the proceeds to be
applied to the following uses and pur-
poses; l. All moneys arising from
the sale of such lands or scrip shall
be invested in stocks Of the United
States, or Of the States or other safe
securities yielding not less than five
per cent. per annum.
2. The original fund thus arising
shall remain forever undiminished,
and the interest accruing from the in
vestment Of the same shall be appro-
priated to tho endowment, support
and maintenance Of at least one COLI
lege whore the leading object shall bO
agriculture and the mechanic arts,
in such manner as the Legislature Of
the States respectively shall prescribe,
"in order to promote the liberal and
{" practical education Of the industrial
"classes in the several pursuits and
professions Oflfe." 3, No portion
Of this fund, either principal or inter
est, shall bs appropriated for the pur-
chase, erection or repair of any build
ing or buildings, The States which
avail themselves of the fund must
provide for all expense except endow-
ment and maintenance, and must
have at least one college in readiness
within five years from the acceptance
of the trust, otherwise they must pay
back to the United Safes tho amount
received. The titles of purchasers Of
lands granted through this act, shall
, in all cases be good, 4. If any por-
, ton Of the fund thus provided shall
bs lost or diminished by any State,
, such State shall replace it where it
belongs, 5. Ten per cent. of the
amount received by any State may
bO expended in the purchase Of sites
! for buildings or in experimental farms
{ in the discretion Of its Legislature
6. An annual report shall bO made
from each college concerning its pre-.
gross, recording the details Of its OK
, periments and other useful matter
y copy Of which shall be forwarded
to each of the other charges, to the
Smithsonian Institution, and the ag'
ricultural bu,eau ofthe Patent Office,
These are the provisions Of the bill
in brief We deem them eminently
wise and judicious, and trust the bill
} may become lazy. The only ssri.
GUS objection to Il lies in the creation
of fund to be entrusted to parties
and politicians but even this is in
! great measure obviated by the string
ent provisions concerning investment
1t need not be opprehendod that the
, institutions growing out Of this meae-
uro will compete injuriouSly with
those already in existence, carried on
by private enterprise, or endowed by
private charity. Though the Poo'
ple'S Colleges may provide for scicn-
tifc, classical and literary instruction,
this will only bo incidental to the
more practical improvement which
they will seek to place within the
reach Of every boy and girl in Amer
|, lea. The bill has passed, the House
and been referred to the Committee
: on Public Lands in the Senate.
Chicago Tribune,
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