Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-02-10
NO. 35.
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Senate.
"WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9th.
Senate met according to adjournment.

read and approved.
Papers from the House disposed of in concur
renee.
An act to amend chap. 81, sec. 81, relating to
railroads, was read once and laid on the table on
motion of Mr. WATTS.
On motion of Mr.. PEAKS, the rules were sus.
pended and the following were read twice and
passed TO be engrossed: resolve in favor of the
Female Orphans Asylum, Portland; resolve 10
favor Of the Bangor Children's Home.
MIR. STURGIs, from the Committee on Banks
and Banking, reported ought not to pass on bill
an act to incorporate the Berwick Savings bank.
Pending the acceptance of the report it was
tabled on motion of Mr.. BRAcKETr.
Mr. JORDAN from the Committee on Temper.
ance, reported ought not to pass on bill an act to
repeal an act emitted an act relating to the duties
Of sheritfs and county attorneys.
Mr. HINcKLEY from the Committee on Railroads
reported an act to amend chap. 10 Of the special
laws Of 1878. Read and asst gned. Also an act
granting further time to the Northern Aroostook
railroad company to make and file the location of
its line Of railroad. Read and assigned. Also AZ
act additional to and amendatory of ian act to en-.
able the city Of Bangor, aid the Bangor aud Pts.
cataquis railroad company in the extended con.
struction of its Railroad" approved Feb %, 1871.
Read and assigned. Also an act to extend the
time for the completion of the Bangor & Piscats-
quis railroad. Read and assigned.
MIR. HASKELL, from the Committee on Railroads,
reported leave to withdraw, on petition Of Henry
Bailey, together with twenty other similar
petitions for charter for bridge across Penobscot
river.
Mr.. Brown, from the Committee on Rail.
roads, reported legislation inexpedient on order
relating to the salary of railroad commissioners.
Also leave to withdraw on petition of Bangor 4
Calais Shore Line railroad company to extend time
for locating road.
Mr. STEVENS presented resolve In favor of the
Joint Standing Committee on Reform School.
Read and assigned. Provides for the payment
OF SZ9l0 for expenses incurred by committee in
visiting State Reform School,
Pending Its passage to be enacted, bill an act
relating to Normal Schools was tabled, on motion
Of Mr.. HASKELL.
subsequently it was taken up, and Mr.. Has.
KILL said that the bill proposed several marked
changes in the law, which he called upon the chair
man Of the Educational committee Mr.. Stevens)
to explain.
Mr. STEVENS remarked that there were paid out
of the State treasury for common school purposes
$500 600; raised by town tax 1855 600; making q
total of 81 ,o66,000 Tue average length of schools
was ll1 days per year; daily expenditure for COM
mon schools So, GAG. If this act becomes law the
common schools will be shortened less than g of
day per term, or less than ~ days per year.
Some counties have unexpended Of last years
moneys, more than enough to pay the expenses of
the two Normal schools If this act becomes q
law it will place our Normal Schools, on the same
basis as our common schools, and will be great
benefit.
Mr.. HASKELL expressed his satisfaction with the
Senator'S explanation. The bill then passed to bs
enacted.
Resolve in favor of the Maine State College Of
Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts (Appropriat-
ing 1923, ,55OD came up by special assignment.
The pending question was on the adoption Of
the amendment offered by Mr.. SwAsEY, to
strike out Ss23, $50, and insert $1,000.
Mr. LORD spoke as follows
The resolve now under consideration was anan.
imousy reported by the Committee on Agricul
ture, after the fullest examination, that we were
able to give the subject. 1t was our deliberate
judgment that every dollar asked by the Trustees
for the Institution was required to provide for it,
absolute needs, and necessary to put 1t in the
highest state of efficiency, and that every dollar
would be proftably and judicously expended un.
der the direction Of the board of trustees.
Unlike some of the gentlemen at this board.
have become convinced that this system of indus
trial universities in the United States, of which
our State college is one was the outgr0wth of the
necessities OF our people; that it supplies vacuum
in our educational system which had hitherto ex.
sted; that there was wanting in this country the
means or nstrumentality by which the industrial
classes or perhaps, more properly, those who pur-
pose to engage IN agricultural, mechanical, and
mercantile pursuits, could obtain broad and lib.
eral education, which should be to them as en-
nobling to the mind, and as effectual in its disci-
pline is the education offered BY the classical
institutions TO those who purpose to engage in the
learned professions. This institution brings 4
thorough education within the limits of possibility
TO every boy in the State, however poor he may
be. provided he is possessed of q fair degree Of
ambition,-to that class who, without this college.
would never dream Of obtaining more than com.
mon school education. Hence l believe that the
projectors Of this system Of National colleges were
among the benefactors of the human race and es.
pecally, Of the humber classes in life.
The bill donating certain amount of the public
lands to those States which should avail themselves
of its provisions, was introduced into the National
House of Representatives by Mr.. Morrill, Rep
resentatve from Vermont. 1t passed the House,
but was violently opposed by Southern fre-eaters
in the Senate, not because it was not fair and
equitable to all parts of the country, but because
II was a Northern measure, and even in so august
a body as the Senate of the United States thero
were individuals who would sometimes seem 10
act from pure spite, and the bill failed to pass
The bill was introduced into the next Congress,
passed both branches, and was vetoed by James
Buchanan.
In 1862 it was again introduced, passed both
branches, and received the official sanction of
Abraham Lincoln. Hence the origin of the in
dustrial colleges which have been established in
nearly, if not quite all, the States of the Union
This act is entitled an act for the benefit of ar.
riculture and the mechanic arts. 1t provides that
there should be granted to the several States an
amount OF public lands, apportioned to each State
in quantity equal to 80 900 acres for each Senator
and Representative in Congress to which the
States are respectively entitled under the appor.
tonment of 1860. Wherever there were public
AnuS III ctatc SUBJECT 10 safe at private entry at
one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, the
quantity to which . State was to be entitled was
to be selected from such lands within said State
Other States having no pubic lands within their
limits were to receive land scrip to the amount in
acres of their respective shares. The State of
Maine having no public lands within its limits, re-
ceivcd the whole amount in scrip, representing
two hundred and ten thousand acres.
The conditions upon which this land and scrip
was granted, IS set forth in the act, were that all
moneys derived from the sale of said land should
be invested in stocks of the United States or of
the States some other safe stocks, Welding not
less than per cent. on their par value, and that
the money so invested should constitute perpet-
usl fund, the capital of which should remain for
ever undimnshed, and the interest of which
should be inyiolably appropriated by each State
which should claim the benefits of the sct
to the endowment, support, and maintenance
of at least one college, where the leading object
shall DE, without excluding other scientific and
classical studies and including military tactics, te
teach such branches of learning az are related &c
agriculture and the mechanic arts
in order to promote the liberal and practical edu
cation Of the industrial classes in the several pur
suits and professions Of life.
The annual interest shall be regularly applie.
without diminution to the maintenance Of the co]
lege. No portion Of said fund, nor the interes
thereon shall he liad I.--