Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-18
Remarks Of Senator Atwood Of Waldo,

| Arts. At the present time, when oil minds are
| looking for economy in every department, It IS
necessary that you know the why for every dollar
| of appropriation asked for. | shall endeavor TO
| plainly and briefly state to you the relations OF
| this college TO the State. BY an act Of congress
| July 3D. 1862, grants of land to the several
States were made upon certain conditions, as pro-
| vided in said act OF congress. Stcton 4tn OF
| said act is as follows
"SFCr. T. And be it further enacted, That all
| moneys derived from the sale of the lands afore-
said BY the state TO which the lands are appor-
toned and from the sales of land scrip hereinbe-
fore provided for shall be invested in stocks OF the
United States, OF the states, or some other
safe stocks Welding not less than five per centun
upon the par value of said stocks; and that the
moneys so invested shall constitute q perpetual
fund, the capital of which shall remain forever
undiminished, (except so far as may be provided
in section fifth of this act,) and the interest of
which shall be ine0la6ly appropriated by each
state which may claim the benefit of this act, to
the endowment, support and maintenance OF at
least one college, where the leading object shall
be- without excluding other scientific and CLASH
cal studies, and including military tactics to
teach such branches of learning as are related 10
agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner
as the legislatures of the states may respectively
prescribe, in order to promote the liberal anu
practical education of the industrial classes IN the
several pursuits and professions in ite.
First If any portion of the fund invested, as
provided by the foregoing section, or any portion
Of the interest thereon, shall by any action or
oo1tia0ency, be diminished or lost, it shall be re-
placed 5g The stae to which it belongs, so that the
capital of the fund shall remain torerer undimin-
isfed; and the annual interest shall be regularly
applied without dimiaution to the purposes rnen-
toned in the fourth section Of this act
Second. No portion Of said fund or the inter
est thereon shall be applied, directly or indirectly
under any pretenee whatever, to the purchase,
erection preservation or repair Of any building or
buildings
"Thrd. Any state which nav take aud claim
the benefit of the provisions of this act shall PRO-
vide within five years, at least not less than one
college, as described in the fourth section Of this
act or the grant to such state shall ceae and
said state shall be bound TO pay the United States
the amount received of anv lands previously sold
Seventh. No state shall be entitled to the ben
efits of this act unless it shall express its accept
ance there of by its legislature within two years
from the date of its approval by the President"
You viii see that it was optional with the State
to accept or reject this donation. This acceptance
WAS formally made by resolve of the legislature
approved March 18th, 1868. Information of the
acceptance was communicated to the department
| at Washington; thereupon the scrip FOR 2l0,000
acres of land was issued to the Executive of the
State. By resolve relating to the establishment
of a college of agriculture, approved March 20,
1861 commissioners were appointed for that pur-
pose. The commissioners speak OF the enter
prise in the following manner:
argument is not required to prove, what with
us has become truism, that the diffusion OF edu-
cation among the people is productive OF lncalcu-
liable benefit; but education implies something
more than instruction in reading, writing and
arithmetic the Latin, Greek ard French Ian
guages; it embraces every requirement necessary
to enable man to discharge every duty deyolv-
ing on him as a member Of the great human fam
lily, every duty incident to his profession OF call
ing in life. - ,.o ,.,.n.y ~,
LESSONS, as they styled, or merchants, farmers
or mechanics; but We all have a common interest
that each and every one should be thoroughly ed
ucated in his calling, be il what it may; for the
extent of his education in such calling is, IN q
great degree, the measure of his usefulness in
society.
that the lawyer should be something more than a
pettfogger the physician than quack, the mer-
chant than huckster the farmer than q mere
clodhoppcr, the mechanic than botcher. The
means and appliances for the education of the
lauYer, the physician, the merchant have already
been Brought TO bear their several departments
in business life; not so aeith The farmer and the
mechanic. An opportunity is now presented Of
supplying that well recognized deficiency; the
opportunity should not be negleced.
We should not dispose of this topic with these
brief remarks, had il not been most thoroughly
discussed by the very able Secretary of the Board
of Agriculture, in his Report for 1862, PIP. l46-
1853, to which we beg leave 10 call your attention
as, also, TO his Report fol- 1868, PIP. 26S-21l,
and his repor: for 1852 PIP. 249-26i.
W. q. CROSBY,
JOS. EATON,
SAML F. PERLEY,
Dec. 10, 1864. Commissioners.
The organic act Of the legislature of 1865, plain
" and explicitly prohibits the trustees from any
action that will in any aoay be antagonstic to the
provisions of the act of Congress
"Sec. 5. The trustees in their corporate capac-
ity may take and hold, in addition to the income
which they shall receive, through the State, from
the endowment made by Congress- such other real
and personal property as may be granted or de-
vised to them for the purpose of promoting the
objects of this act. But they shall not be entitled
to receive any benefactions made to them upon
conditions inconsistent with the act of Congress
aforesaid, or for purposes different from what is
therein prescribed"
"Sec Q. In addition to the instruction which is
to be given by classes books lectures and ap
paratus in such branches of learning as Ielat-
ed to agriculture and the mechanic arts, the trus
tees shall provide, fully may be, for practical
experiments and demonstrations OF scientific prln-
ciples and rules
"Sec. H. Such other studies are to be taught,
iriMn the Limitations Of the act Of Congress, as
the facilities Of the college and the periods Of in
structon will permit"
"Sec Is. No charge shall be made for tuition
to any student who is an inhabant of this State
and the trustees and all persons employed by them
shall constantly endeavor, by the adoption OF
judicOus and effective arrangements IN all the Ia
Dor departments of the college, to reduce the cost
of subsistence to the students"
The Secretary of the Board of Agriculture,
Hon. S. l.. Goodale, says Tin his report of 1869
"And if, as demanded by the organic act, the trus
tees shall require all students to engage in actual
labor upon the land and in the workshops, etc,
plainly showing that it was understood what
would be required of the State.
by resolve of the legislature, March 10, 1870, il
is 'provided, that before either of said sums is
paid out of the treasury, there shall be vested in
the State, perfect title to the premises heretofore
conveyed by the town Of Orono, for the purposes
Of said college, the only condition of said convey
ance being that it, at any time the said land shall
cease to be used for the purposes of said college,
then the State shall pay TO said town of Orono the
sum of money heretofore expended by that town
in the purchase Of said premises, viz, eleven
| thousand dollars"
| You will notice that the State covenanted and
agreed with those towns OF Orone and Oldtown to
maintain this institution upon receiving title OF
| the real estate now occupied as the college farm
| Hon. Abner Coburn, president of the college, in
| his report of 1859 says This is an institution
| which is destined to be intimately connected with
all the industries Of our State, and which in &C.
| ceptiag Tie grant Of the national government, she