The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-14
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

LAND GRANTS IN AID OF POPULAR EDUCATION
WHAT THE STATES HAVE RECEIVED.
From the annual report of Hon. Joseph S.
Wilson, the Commissioner of the General
Land Office, for the year ending June 30,
1869, we take the following
In regard to the endowment Of educational
institutions by the Government, very little
difficulty seems to have been experienced by
our fathers. They assumed, without ques-
ton, that a government, as the organ of
society, enjoys the right and is vested with
the power to meet this social necessity. No
member of the Continental Congress seems
to have raised the question in the discussions
upon the provision in the noble ordinance of
March 20, 1885, the nucleus of the present
public land system, by which section 16 of
every township was set apart for the endow-
ment of public schools This policy at once
met with enthusiastic approval from the pub
lie, and was tacitly incorporated into the
American system as one of it's fundamental
organic ideas. 1t has become part and par
eel OF every democratic movement in the
Old World and is repudiated only by parties
and interests allied with reactionary despot-
ISM, both political and ecclesiastical.
This reservation of q section, or one mile
square, of six hundred and forty acres, in
each township, for the support of public
schools, was specially provided for in the
organization of each new State and Territory
up to the time of the admission of Oregon, in
which instance the policy was inaugurated of
duplicating the quantity, section 36, as well
as section IL, being granted sin place, or,
where covered by prior adverse rights, in
demnifed elsewhere by selection from unsold
public land made by authority of the State in
terested This increased donation was re-
peated in the admission of each subsequent
State except West Virginia, which had no
public lands within her limits
For the endowment of educational institu-
tions Of higher grade, at least two town
ships, embracing seventy-two sections, have
been granted to each new State. Special
grants have also been made to private enter
prises. The fruits of this enlightened liber-
atty are seen in the elevated tone of even
our pioneer civilization.
BY act of July 2, 1862, our educational en-
dowment system was enlarged by the dona-
ton to each State of thirty thousand acres of
public land for each Senator and Represen-
tative to which it was entitled under the ap-
portionment of 1860, for the support of COL
leges, for the cultivation of agricultural aud
mechanical science and art. From the able
report of the Superintendent of Public
Schools of Missouri for 1868 is taken the fol-
lowing account of the actual disposal of seve-
raj of the State quotas under this grant, hav-
ing been compiled from correspondence with
the State auth horities:-
Massachusetts received 360,OOO acres,
which were sold for 1886, ,307. OF the in
come derivable from this fund, two-thirds are
devoted to an agricultural college located at
Amherst, and the other third to the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology.
North Carolina received scrip to the amount
of 270,000 acres, upon which, at the date of
the correspondence, nothing had been real
lied. The scrip had been sold but under
haf.a C4o hat fhn 49, h.
university to whom it was granted declined
to receive the proceeds. If the act under
which the sale was made should not be invali-
dated, the university will realize $135, 600 a
sum insufficient for the support OF an agricul-
tural institution.
New Jersey had sold her 10000 acres for
SllO,000 this, being insufficient to maintain
a separate institution, was added to the en-
dowment OF Rutgers College and Scientific
School.
Indiana had received $780, 900 for her
800, 600 acres, a sum inadequate to the esta-
blishment of a separate institution, which
will require additional endowment from the
State.
West Virginia had grant of $50, 900 acres,
for which she received $85,000 No institu-
tlon as yet established.
Kansas seems to have disposed of her
80, 200 acres on unusually advantageous terms
realizing $360,0O0, which, if judiciously
managed, will, it is thought, support col
lege.
Minnesota was still more fortunate, re-
celylng 5000, 900 for 120, 600 acres, consti-
tuting respectable endowment for a college.
Mlcnlgsn had sold but small proportion of
her 24O, 600 acres, holding it at $3.50 per
acre. II was proposed to reduce the price
so as to secure an early sale of the land, with
the expectation Of realizing some $500, 900.
The college that had received the endowment
had, at the date OF the correspondence, been
Connecticut had sold land scr;n ,a,,ra0ort
ing 1sO, 900 acres for $lsO, 900, which was in.
vested in State bonds at Der cent the
annual proceeds, $500, being snnuaIlv naii i
over to Yale College for the support Of The
Sheffield Scientific School
Kentucky realized $4,000 for her 3aO, ,OOC