Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-05-07

lie purse and to what obce, can it be dedicated with
greater prupucy o.
"Ihc cultivation Of the soil iaaifafiona "snppofted by
the public purse, hc cxcaims "to what object can il
be dedicated with greater proprcty o. IL cannot be
doubted that donations n land for agricultural colleges
would have received the approval Of Washington. lie
proceeds.
"t have heretofore proposed to the consideration N
Congress The cxpcdcncy Of establishing national un
Ncrsty, and also military academy The dcsrabencss
of both these institutions has so constantly increased
with every new view have taken Of the subject that
cannot omit the opportunity o once for al, recalling
your attention.
"Ihc assembly to which address myself is too en-
Rn'ncd not Co Dc fully sensible how much hourshng
haie oi the arts and sciences contributes national
WoapeT and reputation True 20 j., that our country
' lo lN honor contains many semntrics of Learning,
highly respectable and useful but the funds upon which
n,Y res. ore 700 narrow TO command The ahest profcs-
sore m nc tercnt departments Of liberal knowledge for
cellent auxiliarics"
This will be- enough 10 satisfy all as 10 the oninons N
Washington. Let us now what the opinions of
Jefferson In bis sixth message he thus speaks.
'hdnf'ton Is here placed among the articles Of pub
ie -fe' not that would be- proposed take its ord
nary branches out of the hands OF private enterprise
which manages 20 much better al the which
IL is elual but public institution alone supply
n"re sciences which, though rarely called fo orc yet
necessary 90 complete the circle. l the parts Of which
e9atroue 70 the improycmcnt Of The country, and some
Tho message goes on TO show that II public moneys
were 90 Do used or roads and canals amendment of
the Constitution would bc necessary but that and might
be used for that purpose without an amendment. lie
then proceeds TO urge his avor,e university thus
'lhe present consideration Of national establish
mcnt Tor cducltion. particularly. Is rendered proper by
this Circumstance also th,f II Conorrss ppr1yny tho
lopo on' shall yet think itmore eligible 70 found it
cnduw 90 with those which win be- o,onrst tbe egret
produce the necessary nrot,c This f,,pl,ton ,rod
nave uc ad'9niaso OF being independent in which
may suspend other improvements, hy requiring ur it,
own purposes the resources destined for them"
suuimt mat here the whole question Of constitutional
gcstcd by Jefferson
For want Of time all reference IN Madison Morroe
and Adams must hr omitted T,ckson was the scadfst
friend of agriculture and tho fr.t i'm ts9- IN can into
the Patent Office practical farmer fNfr Fn.wortbl TO
collect .f.tis,irs S,r'.,,.r r..,11i - Ia n
township NJ land 10 Ia F,,etip lie appro,cd lime si
1884. of giving tirtr.i, sertion ~ I5nd 10 the Polish
c1lcs expelled from Europe bv Austria lie approved
Arr 1880 Of lil -i,nr land to St,tc f,r the com
siruction Of hr Miami canal January i3 1881 he an
proved Of bin granting sirrlo seefion for schools In
Lawrence Mi.,issDpi March p lsg an act was r1ss.
ed changing the Illinois canal grant To- railroad grant
with obligations attached This WAS aprovcd by Gene
ra jackson Tint par, of the Cumberland road in Ohio
surrendered IN iS3l and that I'm Virginia i'm 1888 IN
tho respective States with roui1ct that tbcy ,houd
keep the in repair and collect the tols-approved
by General Jackson and the act decided since To be CON
suutoual hy the Supreme Court of The United St,tr
General Jackson rejected tc land I'm of 1884 mainly
or Che reason that IL first gave 90 the States wherever
ihc lands might lic twelve and hnlf pcr cent before
This hc denounced as iuin.tiro and ineounlitv II +.
enough to say that no such objections can be raised
against The division proposed now. There can be no
question that General Jackson and the men who cooper
atcd with him would have approved Of grants Of land
at ht states for the benefit of agricultural colleges
The b donltng lands 20 the state Of Connecticut for
seminary OF learning 1r the deaf and dumb passed the
Senate in 1919 without even call Of the yeas and navs
The bin approved January 20 1927 donating lands IN
Kentucky for seminary Of learning for the deaf and
dumb passed the Senate by vote Of y to 5 and
lucky, Benton OF Missouri Eaton and White Of Tcnncs-
see, and Woodbury. Of New Hampshire. voting for the
measure In the House. the bill PASSED by l21 20 as /;
and among the yeas will be found the names Of James
Buchanan, James X. Polk. Camhrcleng, Livingston
McDuiie and Wickliic Surely these are no mean au-
thoriiics constitutional questions. he added the
names Of Crawford Monroe Calhoun. Webster CLAY.
/ and Clayton In 1885, township Of land in Florida
granted 10 Dr.. Heury Pcrrnc to promo,e the cul-
tvaton OF tropical plants In lSt there was donated
IN each Of the new States five hundred thousand
acres Of land The present law on our Statutes
Large, is, that when duties are brought down below
twenty per cent? the proceeds of the public lands are
be distributed to the States Congress donated the
State Of Tennessee. August 6, 1916 Of unproductive
lands lyingin that State one million three hundred
thousand acres the condition that the State shall en-
dow and establish college. at an expense Of not less
than forty thousand dollars over 6ny million acres Of
swamp lands have been given to different States Pres
idcnt Taylor, in his message Of 1919 saws:
"No direct aid has been given by the General Govern
mcut the Improvement Of agriculture cxccpt hv the
expenditure Of small sums for the collection and nuiica
on OF Agricultural statistics and ~ s,n,c h c,,i,l
auaysscs which have bccn thus far Maid for ont Of the
patcnt fund This MIDI i'm INV oninion is wholly made
quatc."
\ President Fillmore in his mcssarc of 1850 saws.
"Agculture NAV Justly be REGARDED as the great inter
Of our people. -Four dfths Of our active population
ID of flo nd The
pausion Of our settlements over now ertov ia ailv adj
ding TO the number engaged in that vocation Justice
and sound pory therefore alie roirc thot tho Gov.
crnmcnt should use all tho means authorizod bv tho
Constitution 10 prouiotc tho Interests and welfare n m AZ
nporiant class Of or fellouciti,cns And vct II Il a
singular fact that whilst The manufacturing and com
merral interests have rnra,ed fbo ,cntinn f on5rcs
dnrino ierec noron ~ e,r session snd any, s,a,,tcs
abound in provisions for their proeeon and enconragc
nent little has vet been done directly for Tho advance.
ncu of arrcurc II h limo tha, iis re,,r,ch an our
legislation should he removed and sincerely home tha,
the present Congress will not close their labors without
adopting efficient means To SUNNY The Omissions o those
who have preceded"
The consutonality of measure does not depend nm
on the amount hut ,ipon the nrincipe involved Tho
citations made show that there Is rreat preponderance
almost uuutcrruptcd from the foundation of he Cavern
uent of exeeuti,e legislative and ;ndia autbor,y IA
nrove tbat tho mower n Cn,,rfss r., ,,ss ~ tlc blie
lands al lis discretion is plnn as,lnte nnd unlimited
The dervatve ttle 10 n,oetv of Tho lands in,nosc
condition upon the disposal Of thai norton So derived
condition itself persuasiyev urging our present object
which is "for the use and common benefit on ali the
States"
While agriculture hns been neglected field Of Ieisa-
ton il does not now call for tho exercise Of novel CON
stitional powcr Congress has lono Asserted Inc rih,
10 dispose OF the public lands 10 establish school fnds
and universities and no one now questions the snndno4
Of such policv This measure h lint an extension M
the same urncinle over ,,ider 6rd-uider in i,s nli
cations 6n not wider IN its amount FOR he number Of
acres now proposed 6r ali the states is searcev larger
thnn have been donated 10 individual States II is gcne-
raj and not local in its reach II we have tho power to