The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-05-15

We have before us Mr.. Morrill's bill for
the support and maintenance Of Colleges
for Agricultural and the Mechanic Arts, to
which we alluded few days since. The bill
embraces wider range Of instruction than
We had supposed. While devoted mainly to
agricultural and mechanical education, SCI
entifc and classical studies 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 ag-
riculture and the useful arts rs the "leadng
objcct,'' for itself. The main features Of
the act are as follows:
A donation of public lands to the amount
of 1000 acres for each of its Senators and
Representatives in Congress is made to each
State, provided such State contains within
its limits the amount of lands to which it
would be entitled. In default of lands re-
maing unsold within their limits, such States
shall receive in lieu thereof land scrip or
warrants to the amount of their distributive
shares in acres; said scrip to be sold by the
States, and the proceeds to be applied to the
following uses and purposes l. All mon
eys arising from the sale of such lands or
scrip shall be invested in stocks of the Uni
ted States, or of the States, or other safe
securities yielding not less than Eve per cent
per annum.
2. The original fund thus arising shall
remain forever undiminished, and the inter-
est accruing from the investment of the
same shall be appropriated to the endow-
ment, support and maintenance of at least
one college where the leading object shall
be agriculture and the mechanic arts, in
such manner as the Legislature of the States
respectively shall prescribe, Gin order to
promote the liberal and practical education
Of the industrial classes in the several pur-
suits and professions of life." 8. No por-
ton of this fund, either principal or interest,
shall be appropriated for the purchase,
erection or repair Of any building or build
ings. The States which avail themselves of
the fund must provide for all expenses ex-
cept endowment 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
States the amount received. The titles Of
purchasers of lands granted through this
act, shall in all cases be good. 4. If any
portion of the fund thus provided shall be
lost or diminished by any State, such State
Quail IcploCc IL WbcIt IL uSAohSss De Acu
per cent. of the amount received BY any
State may be expended in the purchase Of
sites for buildings or in experimental farms,
in the discretion of the Legislature. 6. An
annual report shall be made from each COL
lege concerning its progress, recording the
details Of its experiments and ether useful
matter-a copy of which shall be forwarded
to each Of the other colleges, to the Smith
sonian Institution, and to the Agricultural
Bureau of the Patent Office.
These are the provisions of the bill in
brief: We deem them eminently wise and
(udicious, and trust the bill may become .
law: The only serious objection to it lies
IN the creation of fund to be entrusted to
parties and politicians, but even this is in
great measure obviated by the stringent
provisions concerning investment. 1t need
not be apprehended that the Institutions
growing out of this measure will compete
injurionsly with those already in existence,
carried on by private enterprise, OF endowed
by private charity. Though the Peoples
Colleges may provide for scientific, classical
and literary instruction, this will be only
incidental to the more practical Improvement
which they will seek to place within the
reach Of every boy and girl in America. The
bill has passed the House, and bcen referred
to the Committee on Public Lands, in the
Senate.-Chieogo Tribune.