New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-27

> A bill Is now pending in the House of Re
personalities, making Baton Rouge tn
domicile OF the State University; but ever
should it not become a law. that institution
is practically fixture il Baton Rouge
: under full organization AS an. in
stitution of learning Of very high
, grade. with very extensive and valu
able libraries, apparatus, cabinets anC
/! museums. So that, considering the cen
! trality Of Baton Rouge, its easy aecessi
oility TO all parts Of Louisiana, its climate
| and soil, and adapted to the growth of al
I the principal agricultural products, and by
no means uncomfortable facilities afforded
for illustration in practical mechanics by
I the fine machinery of the Peniteutiary and
workshops in Baton Rouge, it does seem the
| part of wisdom to establish the Agricultural
and Mechanical College in that city per
manently: and let it be connected with the
I State University, or, in other words, let il
now in this day OF Louisiana's poverty use
! the valuable and costly scientific material
! and professorshps of that institution as long
I as the university may remain in Baton
Rouge. which in all probability will be
| many year to come-most likely forever.
In this way the Agricultural and Mechan.
zeal College can go into operation very
I readily by July !, next, as the law Of Con-
gress requires. But if. as the majority of
your committee recommend, the Agricul.
tural and Mechanical College is located in
| or near Monroe, or elsewhere. where there
are not already suitable buildings. am
unable to see how this college can be in
successful! operation within the time July
u required by law. Not 60 locate it at
| Baton Rouge is. in our opinion, simply to
I forfeit the grant, TO lose the college. But is
it not wisdom for US in Louisiana to be
I guided somewhat by the experience Of Eu.
| rope and Of the great North Of our country
in this matter of the proper location of an
agricultural and mechanical college! Their
experience is that technical schools do bet
ter in Immediate connection with enlarged
I literary and scientific training, as afforded
by the old colleges and universities. Such
! was the opinion of Liebig. the learned agri-
J cultural chemist, and Of tho English com.
] mission appointed 20 consider the subject in
| 1868. and such is the practice to-day in
twenty-five States of the Union which have
I established their agricultural and mechan
| ical colleges by ENGRAVING them on to their
old literary and scientific colleges Of uni
yersities.
The object of the agricultural and me.
chanical college il not merely to make the
farmer and the mechanic, but az the same
time to make the man. or better. in the
language Of the law of Congress, to give
liberal and practical education to the indus.
trial classes. And tho few of these indus.
trial colleges that have separate existence
distinct from any old college organization,
how little they differ from the course OF
study of our State University. the catalogue
of the best OF them, the Illinois Industrial
University. readily shows. They agree in
much more than they differ. 1t is safe to
say that the State University at Baton
Rouge carries out to day three quarters of
the programme of the best agricultural and
mechanical college in this country. Why.
then, duplicate SO much expense in having
two sets OF professors of mathematical and
physical chemistry, engineering, theoretical
mech anics, languages, ETC., one at Baton
Rouge, another somewhere within four
miles Of Monroe! But that is not all. The
State University has costly equipments,
that should be the chief pride of Louisiana. |
Shall we also lay out another 500 900 for |
new libraries, apparatus. cabinets, ETC.,
near Monroe, or near anywhere else
1t is said, as an objection to uniting the |
Agricultural and Mechanical College to
the State University, that the latter is |
heavily in debt We reply that the State |
has imposed impossible obligations on the |
institution-the maintenance and tuition of ]
q large number of benefciaries, at much |
less than cost, for two years, 1871 and 1872, |
paying only half of what she obligated her. !
self to pay, and for one-fourth Of last year |
paying not a dollar of their expenses. |
What other institution in all America could |
have had the vitality to stand up under
such burdens! Is not the endurance Of the |
University, as thus exhibited, the best of |
arguments why the Agricultural and Me- |
chanical College should be added to and
engrafted on it! And would it not be to
the eternal shame of Louisiana not to come |
to the relief of an institution for which she |
has in fact done so little, but which has |
educated SO many of her youth2
Hundreds Of young men in this city, and |
all over Louisiana and Texas, are anxiously
make of the Agricultural and Mechanical !
College. They have lately large number I
of the alumni in this city-respecttully asked
that the Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege be given to their alma mater; and petit /
lions to the same effect have come in from
a large number of the best citizens of New
Orleans, and from several of the country |
parishes, with petitions from some twenty !
parishes, now in my possession and yet to
be presented.
claim, then, that it is the wish Of the
people of Louisiana that the Agricultural
and Mechanical College be united to the
State University, and that the joint school
be located in Baton Rouge. But make
bran new school of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College, and put it at Monroe or
in New Orleans, or elsewhere, and fifteen
years may not see it with such handsome
scientific outfit, the work Of donation as we'll
as purchase, and with sHch host of alumni
and devoted friends as the State University |
has to-day.
Every consideration of reason and feeling
and gratitude seems to point to the union Of
the Agricultural and Mechanical College
with the State University. and making a
strong joint school that must in time do
infinite good to LOuisiana-to all her citi.
zens of every class and color, rather than
establish one more puny little college at
Monroe or elsewhere, and have our State
remain under the reproach Of having no
institution of learning worthy the name Of
college Or university.
j. HENRI BCRCH.
Lies over.
Mr.. Burch called up the special order of
he day. it being House bill No. l4., all act
% divide the State of Louisiana into six
congressional districts.
On motion of Mr.. Burch tho bill was
AIKEN under consideration section by sec.
ion.
The first section was read.
On motion Of Mr.. Burch the first section |
vas ordered to be reread, district" item
~ item, with a view to the adoption Of
zach item separately. !,
The first item was read and adopted. i
The second item was read.
Mr.. Barber moved to strike out the word |
three" in line eighteen.
Mr.. Detiege moved to table the motion to
'trike out.
On call Of the yeas and nays the Senate
'oted to table the motion to strike out by
he following vote:
feas-Alexander, Belden, Blunt, Bovee.
Brewster. Butler, Chadbourn, Detiege,
ireene, Harper. Z. T. HerWig. fngraham. | a,