The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-29

the question will be effectually disposed ,s
ample time being afforded, meanwhile, to 5i.5
cuss Its merits"
The Buchanan and Douglas State Dan,
cratic Conventions met at Springfield, Him,
on the 2lst instant, and organized separatsia
In the former, tWenty-eight counties were re-
resented, and resolutions strongly endor.iI,
the Administration passed. In the latter. ninstTs
seven counties were represented, and resol1
tons endorsing the course of the Illinois AL
cation in Congress were adopted witbon,
dissenting voice. w. B. Fonday was pomi,a
ted for State Treasurer, and ex.Gova,ro.
French for Superintendent of Public Inst"
ton. The Buchanan Convention postno,oI
making any nominations until the 9Th of Inn
when another Convention will be held.
A case was decided in the Supreme Com, .,
Appeals, of Virginia, at its last January te,ro
involving q very important principle, and o1a
likely to lead to some practical results in I.'
Commonwealth. We alIude to the cas- =
Bailey ct ais. agt POindezter's Ez.e,ao,,.
Hotole ct ais. sgt. Same. The case turDs5
upon the construction of certain clsuses in H.
will of John L. Poindexter, the main cls1so
bearing on the subject reading as follows.
I" The negroes loaned my wife, at her desh
/ wish to have their choice of being emanr
pated or sold publicly. If they prefer BEN.
emancipated, it is my wish they be hired an,
until sufficient sum be raised to defrav tho,
expenses to land where they can eniov free.
dom; and if there should not be enough ns,
ishable property loaned my wife to pay off he
legacies to Ann Lewis Howle and GeorgiarTs
Bryan, they are to be hired until a SUFFICE,
sum is raised to pay the deficiency. If tbsy
prefer being sold and remaining here in slav.
~, 1t is my wish they be sold publicly, and The
money arising to be equally divided betwasr
my sister, Eliza Marshall, the children or heir.
of my brother, Carter B. Poindexter. nv rarI
ews William G. Howle and Daniel P. Howl
and my niece Nancy Bailey" v~f
The appellants carried their point, the court
deciding that the provisions of a will giving "a
slaves the option, at the death of life tepar,
OF being emancipated or sold, are void tba
slaves having no legal capacity to make sueb
selection-that slaves have no civil or soci,l
rights, no legal capacity to make, discharge, 0,
assent to contracts.
The bill donating lands to the several Sts,s.
which establish colleges for the benefit of agr
culture and the mechanic arts, passed the Hopss
yesterday, by vote of los to 100. This nm
was introduced on the 18th of December. and
was reported upon adversely by the Commute
on Public lands few days since. lis obisc.
however, was so popular, as to get it through
the House by a majority of FIVE members, votip,
irrespective of parties or sections.
Section lst grants to the several STATE,
$4,000 acres of land, for the purpose of pr.
noting and encouraging agricultural COLLEGES
and schools for the mechanic arts There no
be apportioned to each State quantity eopsl
to twenty thousand acres for each Senator and
Representative in Congress to which the State,
are now respectively entitled.
Section I'd provides that these lands. after
being surveyed, shall be apportioned in sections
or subdivisions OF sections, not less than ole
quarter of section and whenever there arr
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 Sec,a.
tary OF the Interior is also directed to Issue 10
those States in which there are no public land,
of the value of one dollar and twenty. five cent,
per acre, land scrip to the amount of their 6i.
tributive shares.
The States, however, to which this scrip i,
issued, cannot locate il within the limits of sny
other State or Territory; but their assignee.
may locate 1t upon any of the unappropris,e3
lands of the United States subject TO priys.
entry.
Section Sd makes it condition that the e.
penses OF selling the lands thus distributed
shall be paid by the States themselves.
Section 4th directs that all moneys derived
from the sale of the lands donated shall he IN
vested in stocks of the United States. or Of II.
States, or some other safe investment. Tb
money so invested is to constitute a perpe,u,
fund, and the interest to be inviolably app,e
priated by each State which may take anl
claim the benefit of the act, to the endowmer-
support, and maintenance of at least one ed.
lege where the leading object shall be, witbcr
excluding other scientific or classical studles
to teach such branches of learning as are rels
ted to agriculture and the mechanic aria IN
order to promote the liberal and practical ed
ucation Of the industrial classes in the seyers
pursuits and professions in life.
The 9th and last section sets forth the COZ.
ditlons on which the grants of land and land
scrip shall be made to the States |. If any Of
the fund provided for in the fourth section be
lost, it is to be Immediately replaced BY the
State. z. No portion of the fund is to be 81
pied to the purchase, erection, preservation, o.
repair of any building or buildings. 8. States
claiming the benefit of this act shall have
college built within FIVE years, or the grant 70
such State will be null and void. 4. An annual
report of the operations of each college must
be cent to all the similar colleges, 10 the
Smithsonian Institution, and to the Agricultural
Bureau.
The Administration, having recast its LfsI
policy, has apparently determined unon the fol