New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-22

the grant, or supplementary or amendator
thereof.
SEC. 8 Be it further enacted, etc, Ths
section six of said act be amended so as
read as follows: That in accordance with
provision of section five of an act of Cor
gress approved July 2. 1862, donating tn
land scrip, sum not exceeding ton per cen
tum of the amount received from the Unite,
States may beexpended by the board of con
troll for the purchase of q site for an expert
mental farm, and the sum of ten thousand
dollars is hereby appropriated out of tn
general fund in the State treasury from
moneys not otherwise appropriated, to b'
placed to the credit of ths board of cOntrO
to be used for the purchase of cite, or fol
the erection or repairs of necessary build
ings in one of tina country parishes, embrae
ing sufficient land for the successful con
Quoting of an agricultural and mechanical
college, ample enough in its arrangement
| to meet the wants of the State. For the
remainder necessary to such purchase and
erection the board of control may contract
debt secured by act of mortgage of al
the property purchased and buildings erect
| ed, enforceable in not less than three years
and bearing interest at q rate not exceeding
eight per cent per annum, but said mort
gage shall never exceed the amount stipu.
| lated in the contract for the purchase OF
lands and buildings, it being the intention
| of this act that the State shall continue its
| appropriations in favor of the institution
| until they reach in the aggregate the sum
| of fifty thousand dollars.
SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, etc, That
section eight of said act be amended so as
| to read as follows:
That to entitlo pupils to admission into
said college, they shall be residents in the
State, of the age of at least fourteen
years, and be found competent in the
branches of good English education to enter
upon the studies prescribed; provided, there
shall be no distinction of race or color in
the admission, management or discipline OF
the institution, and provided further, that
the board of control may make regulations
and restrictions as to the number of pupils
admitted whenever the same may be neces-
sary to secure to any and all the parishes
of the State a proportion of the pupils
privileged to attend the college.
SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, etc, That
section nine of said act is hereby repealed.
Sec. 6. Be it further enacted. ETC., That
this act shall 60 into effect FROM and after
its passage, and all laws or provisions of
law in conflict Herewith are hereby re-
pea!ed, so far as conflicting with this act.
With regard to the second subject of your
committees investigation, it has to report
that so far as the action of the State itself
has made it possible IAN agricultural and
mechanical college does exist in this State,
according to the intent and meaning of
the act of Congress
The history Of the institution we find to
have been as follows:
By an act OF Congress, approved July 2.
1862, large grants of public lands were
made to such States and territories as
might choose to provide colleges for the
benefit OF agriculture and the mechanic arts
A limit of time was named within which
the colleges must be established, otherwise
the grants would revert to the general gov
eminent. Stringent provisions were con.
tanned in the original act and in supple
grant should be applied to ths purchase of
grounds or the erection or repair of build
lngs. Each State in awaiting itself of the
act of Congress was required to assume
the duty of providing lands and buildings;
the national grant being reserved excIu
slyely for purposes of endowment. for the
payment of professors and for the neces-
sary expenses of the college. Each State
was also required 10 preserve intact the pro-
ceeds OF the land scrip donated, and to |
make good any deficiency that might occur |
rom any cause in the endowment fund
The war prevented any immediate steps |
being taken by the State of Louisiana to |
wall itself of this act. After the close of |
lostlllties, much valuable time was lost No |
measures were adopted to take advantage |
II the grant until 1869. when an act of the |
legislature was passed No. o. OF the acts
II that year, authorizing the appointment
Il commissioners to receive from the United |
states the land scrip donated bv Congress
or this purpose. On the first OF March,
S'3. these commissioners presented their
mai report to the Legislature, sho wing that
hey had received. on behalf of the State.
and scrip representing 209 $50 acres.
Which, as authorized by law, they had dis
osed OF at the rate of eighty seven cents
er acre. for the sum Of $lS2 $50 10. and had
avested the proceeds in the purchase of
ent bonds of the State Of the denomination
$1,000 each
In ls'i.a few months only before the
me named tor the grant to lapse the
legislature passed an act approved April
1874. 10 carry INTO effect the purposes
the donation by the United States of
uoic lands Tor the benefit of agricultural
nc mechanical arts. and to establish an
grlculturai and mechanical college in the |
tate OF Louisiana. and to legalize dona-
ons to sad institution This act created
board of control. consisting of the Gov
nor. Lieutenant Governor, Chief Justice.
Id State Superintendent. of Education,
k-offclo, and nine appointed members, to
HON the commissioners in charge of the
'oceeds OF the United States land scrip,
ere authorized and directed to turn over {
I'D proceeds which the board of control
ere further instructed to deposit with the !
reasurer OF the Safe. These instructions i
aca d. la:l.eu out. Three hundred and | s
'enty-seven one thousand dollar State
'nds, with matured and unpaid coupons t
tached. and Sl3l currency, were received S
ON the commissioners and handed 10 the c
ate Treasurer. o
Upon the adoption of the funding law. t
G question arose whether the bonds be. | S
1ging to the college being of the nature
a sacred trust. could properly be cub J
led to the provisions of that enactment. t
ninent legal authorities, among them the r
net Justice. sitting as a member of the I
ard, were of opinion that the State had
the right to include the bonds belong. s.
, to the college fund il. the same cate Il
~ with its ordinary creditors; bur. 81
any attempt to hold out against the Il
adlng. law would have prevented the b
adjustment OF an agricultural and | "
'chanical college within the specified p
le, and would have caused the whole
INT to lapse to the United States. the il
ard OF control thought it best TO accept II
funding law. trustir to subse uuent leg. y
alton, to make good the loss thus sus. OF
ned. The 1897 900 Of old six per cent a.
nds, were accordingly converted into es
5000 of new seven per cent consols, the
crest on which together with such small n
rs as ara irregularly received from time
time on account OF back interest coupons. 81
v form practically the only available =.
enue OF the college. st
our committee finds that the college has
cured and paid for, except as stated, the
owing real estate below the city and in In
parish OF St. Bernard, which in it's iudg
At is we'll adapted to the purpose for ca
ch it was purchased an-experimental
II.
he Chalmette monument grounds, the al
perry OF the STATE of Louisiana. were
er, an executive order, issued by his ex