Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-05-08
The Land Donation Bill.

We find in our exchanges the following re-
port of a bill, donating lands to the several
States, which establishes Colleges for the
benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic arts.
1t was introduced in the House of Represen-
tatives on the 10th of December last, and was
reported upon adversely by the Committee
on Public Lands. 1t passed, however, a few
days since by a vote of l05. TO 100, members
voting irres ective of parti or sections:
| Section first grants TO the several States
G, $40. 900 acres of land, for the pLrpose of
promoting and encouraging agricultural col
leges and schools for the mechanic arts.
| There is to be appOrtoned to each State a
| quantity equal to twenty thousand acres for
each Senator and Representative in Congress
| to which the States are now respectively
entitled.
| Second section provides that these lands,
"after being surveyed, shall be apportiOned i'll
| sections, or subdivisions of sections, not less
than one quarter of a section; and whenever
there are public lands in State worth one
dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, the
quantity TO which said State shall be entitled
shall be selected from such lands " By this
section the Secretary of the Interior is also
directed to issue to those States in which
there are no public land of the value of one
dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, land
scrip to the amount of their distributive
shares.
The States, however, to which TINS scrip Is
issued, cannot locate it within the limits OF
any other State or Territory; but their as
signees may locate it upon any of the I'M
appropriated lands of the United States sub
ject toprivate entry.
Section third makes it a condition that the
expenses of selling the lands thus distributed
shall be paid by the States themselves.
Section fourth directs that all money deri-
we'd from the sale of the lands donated shall
be invested in stock of the United States, or
of the State, or some other safe investment.
The money so invested is to constitute a
perpetual fund, and the interest to be inviOla-
blv appropriated by each State which may
take and claim the benefit of the act, to the
endowment, support and maintenance of
at least one college where the leading object
shall be- without excluding other scientific or
classical studies, to teach such branches of
learning as are related to agriculture and the
mechanics arts, in order TO promote the
liberal and practical education Of the indus
trial classes in the several pursuit and profess
sions in life.
The fifth and last section sets forth the con-
ditions ON which the grants of land and scrip
shall be made to the States. first: If any of
the fund provided for in tn fourth section be
lost. it is to be Immediately replaced by the
State. Second. No portion of the fund is to
be applied to the purchase, erection or repair,
of any buildings. Third States claiming
the benefit of this act shall have a college
built within five years, or the grant to such
State will be null and void. Fourth. An
annual report of the operations of each col
lege must be sent to all the similar colleges,
to the Smithsonian Institute, and to the
Agricultural Bureau.-4henphis 4Ppeca.