The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-31
The State College Land Scrip,

| WHICH, parGlsaDS nave circulated The past few
| years, charging that the state officials who
disposed of the land scrip of the Agricultural
College were either guilty of fraud or unpar-
donabe neglect in that transaction, brief
history of the matter from beginning 10 end
will be pertinent and interesting.
The XXXVIIth Congress passed an act
granting to such states as would establish a
school to be known as ''college of agricul-
ture and mechanic arts" quantity of land,
the proceeds Of which, should constitute a
fund, the annual interest of which should be
devoted to the salaries of the teachers of
such school and to no other purpose. Our
Legislature in 1864 accepted the offer of
Congress, and thereby entered into con-
Ietract to carry out all the conditions of the
| act. 1t also chartered an institution with a
board Of trustees, provided for commission
to locate the school and perfect general
plan, and authorized the Governor to sell the
Gland scrip" 1t should be stated in this
connection that the year preceding this
legislative action, both Bowdoin and Water
vile Colleges appeared before the Legislature,
the late Prof. Smyth for the former and Mr..
| Blaine for the latter, offered to take the land
donation and come under obligation to main
tain such department In connection with
their institutions as was contemplated by the
act of Congress. Mr.. Blaine, Gov. Coburn
and Gov Cony all advised that the scrip be
turned over to one of the existing colleges as
it was at Cornell College in New York, and
thereby obviate the necessity of forced sale
of the scrip instead of having the land locat-
ed and retained until such time, as it would
bring better price.
The Legislature did not adopt this policy,
but decided on an Independent institution,
and, as before stated, directed the sale of the
land scrip TO the highest bidder Gov. Cony,
in his address to the Legislature of 1866,
asked that the responsibility of disposing of
the scrip might not ''be devolved solely upon
the Executive, but that others to be desig-
mated by the Legislature should be associated
with him in the discharge of the delicate
duty" The Legislature left the matter un-
changed, and as it was high time that action
| should be taken in order that the state might
avail itself of the grant, December 21, 1865,
the sale of the lands in accordance with the
policy indicated by the Legislature of 1864
was advertised. The Legislature of
1866 met few days later and in his
address to that body, Gov. Cony
said that the college had not at that time
been located, but that ''the lands granted for
the endowment thereof, have, under the ad-
vice of the Executive Council, concurred in
| by the board of trustees, been advertised for
] SALE" November %, 1865, the trustees of the
I college addressed note to Gov. Cony, stat
ing that ''it seems desirable to sell the land
scrip at an early Gay at the best rates it may
command" This request il. signed by the
Efentire hoard. incinding such names as Rev.
| q. A. Everett, now Harvard professor, S.
L. Goodale. s. f. Perley, Robert Morton and
Dennis Moore.
=! The Legislature being thus advised of what
Gov. Cony proposed to do, took no steps to
| iaterfere. Indeed, public sentiment fully en-
dorsed that course. 1t was the policy of the
| Legislature. The following official report of
| the chairman of comnittee of the whole
council to which the sale Of the college scrip
was referred, embraces a succinct and au-
thentic history Of all the transactions of the
| sale:
'.sTATE OF MAINE,
IN COUNCIL, Dec, 80. 1885,
The Committee Of the achole Council TO arhick ,,as
referred che subject Matter hereof, report:
That by chapter 352 of the Laws of 1866 Sec g. the
| Governor and Council were authorized to make
sale of the Land Scrip assigned to the State of Maine
for the endowment of the College of Agriculture and
the Mechanic Arts-that early after the adjournment
of the Legislature the Governor and Council inform
ally communicated to tie trustees Of said college
desire that they should associate some persons mem
bers of said board to advise in relation to such SALE
For some reason this was not complied with until
/ December, 1865, when a communication was re-
ceived signed by majority of the trustees, advising
the sale Scrip sat early day at the best rate
which it may commando which communication is
herewith submitted Immediately upon the receipt
of said communication the council passed an order,
approved by the Governor directing the Secretary of
State to advertise for proposals for the be re-
ceved up to the first day of March then next ensu-
ing, in the state paper published at Augusta in the
Boston Daily Advertiser, in the New York Journal
| of Commerce and the New York Daily and Weekly
Tribune, in the Chicago Tribune and the st. Louis
Democrat, which was accordingly done. The follow
l ing is copy of the advertisement:
STATE OF MAINE, Executive Department.,
Augusta Dec 81, 1865. !
| SALE OF UNITED STATES LAND SCRIP.
Proposals will be received till the first day of March
by His Excellency Samuel Cony Governor Of the State
OF Maine, for the purchase of the land scrip issued
to said state for the endowment of college for the
benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts, in
quantities not less than five thousand acres. TERMS
cash, payable in lawful money at the office of Treas
urer Of State of Maine at Augusta or at the Suffolk
National Bank, Boston, in twenty days after notice
issued OF acceptance Of offer. Tae scrip to be dev
cred at Augusta Right to reject proposals reserved
All offers will be directed to the address of the
Secretary of State Augusta, Maine and endorsed on
the outside Proposals for Agricultural College Scrip.
EPHRAIM FLINT, Sec'y of State.
On the first day of March, 1866, the Governor and
Council proceeded to examine the bids made, which
in the aggregate for 1850 acres, will appear
by the schedule accompanying this report. The bid g
varied in amount from ten cents to sixty cents per
acre. The bids in several instances, as will be per-