The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1867-01-31
For the Dtily Clarion.
No. a.
Ty,e Means OF Orgnhfzfmg q
school Of Schemes.

T.,e Means Of Oremhixfmg q
school Of Schemes.
To the Members Of the Legislature Of Missis-
sippi in Session. January, 1867.
GENTLEMEN: am now brought to the
point where Imay present to your consider
alton the main object of this communica-
tion, and that is respectfully to suggest to
you that by an act of Congress in 1862 do
nation of public lands was made to all the
States and Territories for Scientific purposes
which, if properly managed, would place
within the power of Mississippi to found just
such an Institution as have attempted to
describe in the foregoing pages of this COM
munication. The history of the Act referred
to is as follows: On the I'd of July, 1862, an
Act was approved donating to the several
they might provide Colleges for the benefit
of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts The
amount that was granted to each State was
80. 900 acres for each Senator and Represen-
tative in Congress, to which they were en-
titled. This number of acres is to be se-
lected from the public Lands within the
limits of the State if there are such lands in
the State, otherwise land scrip is to be issued
by the Secretary of the Interior for the
amount elsewhere. Without going into mi
mite detail of the various conditions of this
act it will be sufficient for my purposeto state
TT at the moneys arising from the sale of this
land are required to be safely invested SO as
TO WELD an interest, the capital to remain
forever undiminished, the interest to be ap-
propriated to the endowment, support and
maintenance of, at least, one College, where
the leading object shall be, without exclu-
ding other Scientific and Classical studies,
and including military tactics, to teach such
branches of learning as are related to Agrl'
A., Arts in oh MOI m.
ner as the Legislatures of the several States
NAV respectively prescribe, in order
to promote the liberal and practical
Education of the industrial classes
in the several pursuits and practices
i'm Life. Another condition is that
"no part of the fund, either principal, or in
terest shall beapplied directly, or indirectly,
under any practice whatever, TO the pur,
chase, erection, preservation or repair OF
any building or buildings" All that seems
necessary to obtain the donation is that the
Legislature should make application for 1T
and agree to carry out the provisions OF the
Act. By the terms of the Act it was declar-
ed at first that application must be made by
the Legislature within two years after its
approval in July, 1862, but by subsequent
Act approved April Ia, 1864, the time was
extended two years longer, and then third
Act was passed and approved July 70, 1860,
y -
that the whole Is now placed within our
reach. To be sure resolution is reported
to have passed the lower House of the Con-
gress of the United States withholding these
lands from Mississippi, and other States late
" in rebellion until they shall have been re-
stored to their position as States in the
Union. But this need not prevent the Leg
islature from dealing with this subject in
advance as it is to be supposed that we shall
come into possession of these lands at some
future time. Should the State of Mississip-
pi obtain this donation it will give us accord.
ing to our present Representation some 30,
600 acres of land for this object. Some OF
the States have accepted the donation. Con
neeticut received 10000 acres as her share
South Carolina at recent session of the
Legislature accepted her share and it is sta
| ted to be worth $4,000 and by some ever
S2OO,OOO Virginia is said to have agreed tt
accept her share, This being the case there
is no reason why Mississippi should not ap
Div for her share. Now if she should Obtain
| it and the funds arising from it should
amount to $4,000 or 100000 this would
constitute very respectable beginning
wherewith to found an Institution of TIT
kind we advocate.