The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-04-19

provision WOuIu Oy lhlS Iho H"No
amounted to 100000 acres, situated |
largely in the most thickly settled parts
of the state, and worth, perhaps, on an
average So per acre.
1t can easily be seen that the land given
subsequently, in lieu of this appropriation,
is in no sense an equivalent. Had these
tenth section of railroad lands remained
"a appro priated the University to-day
would be, so far as material resources are
concerned, perhaps the most completely
equipped pubic institution on the con
tinent. As it is, the trainers OF the act
of 1858 are entitled to al the credit that
their far seeing wisdom and generous
liberality under different circumstances
would have secured them.
| By the constitution of 1876, the tenth
| sections of the lands granted to railroads
| by the State were Withdrawn from the
| University, and in lieu thereof enc million
acres Of the unappropriated pubic do
main we're ord red to be set apart and ap
propriated for the endowment, mainte-
nance and support of the University. By
act approved April 10, 1888, another mil
! lion acres of land were set apart, o1t Of
that portion of IN, public lard set aside
for the payment of the pablo debt, to
constitute a part of the permanent ea-
dowment fond of the University of Texas.
The following gives the quantity of land
that has been sold and patented, the guam
tity that has been sold and not patented,
and the quantity that remains unsold, its
pres mt condition, ETC.:
First-The original fifty leagues of land
grated to the University by the congress
of Texas were located in Callahan, Collin,
Cooke, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Lamar,
McLennan and Shaokelford counties.
According to the statement of Land Com
missioner Walsh, there have been sold and
patented of this land, 1929 acres; sold
and unpatented, 4,416 acres; in conflict,
21,762 acres. The proceeds of the land
sold and patented have been invested
from time to time in state bonds, ana
now form the principal part of the perma
nent fund. The proceeds of the lands
sold and unpRterSed exist i'll the land
notes bearing interest at the rate of and
10 per cent. 1t is understood that num-
Der of the purchasers of these unpatented
lands are in arreafs of payment of both
intert st enl princip pal, and the purchases
should be declared forfeited. The lands
reported in conflict by Commissioner
Wash are located in Grayson aud Mo
Lehman counties; SO225 acres in the
former, and 1910 acres III the latter. By
act approved March 80, 1881, provisions
wGs made for defending the title of the
state to the University lands lying in Nc
Lehman county. No such provision has
been made for defending the title to the
lards in conflict in Grayson county.
Second-"Navigation Lands" The tenth
sections of the lind granted to the Gal
ve,tOn and Brazos Navigation company
amount, as per statement of land COM
missioner, to nine and our-tenths sec
tions, and are situated mainly in the east
ern part of the state. These lands are
bringing no revenue to the University,
and the regents have reason to believe
that they are occupied by parties who
hold no title, or who hold ii conflict with
the prior claim of the University.
Third-The first million acres were
granted, as stated above, by the constitu-
ton of 1876. The lands we're located in
Tom Green, Crockett and Pecos counties.
Out of the entire million acres, as per
statement of secretary of land
board, only seven and half
sections have been sold since 1888,
and of these three sections have been
forfeited. According to the same state
ment, 1,040 acres have been leased, net
ting the University SO 524 SO. The bal
ance of this land, 1860 acres, so far as
any revenue is concerned, is absolutely
unproductive. The regents are informed
that nearly all of this land is good graz
ing land, and that large herds of cattle
are kept upon it to the detriment of the
pasture and without benefit to the Uni
versity or to the state.
Fourth-Of the second million acres
granted by the act of the legislature, ap-
proved April 10, 1888, there have been no
lands either sold or leased. All of this
land is therefore in the same condition
as the bulk of the land in the first
million acres. That is to say it
is not bringing any income to the
University, and at the came time Is used
by any and everybody, without license
and without title. After the survey of
this million acres, and its location in Tom
Green, Andrews and Martin counties, it
was discovered that large part of it was
and is almost, If not entirely, a desert.
Upon bringing this fact to the knowl-
edge of the land commissioner, he made
an exchange of this land for other lands
selected in Ell Paso county, as stated
in the following extract from his
report to his excellency the governor of
the state: university lands amounting
TO 100000 acres We're surveyed under
authority of the act of April 10, 1888,
upon what was then supposed to be the
best of the vacant land reserved by former
acts. subsequently, in the adjustment of
the Texas and Pacific eighty mile reserve
and correction of surveys, good pasture !
lands we're discovered in Ell Paso county, |
superior in every respect to much of the |
first selection. On learning these facts l
consulted with the regents, and through |
them arranged for the survey of sufficient
OF this land to replace what was found of the |
original survey TO be sandy and in conflict. |
This work has now been completed, and |
maps and field notes of the blocks re- |
turned and filed in this Office. 1t might |
be well for the Legislature to confirm this
exchange and restore the rejected portion |
of the first survey to the reserve. All the
land of both surveys is included in the |
reserve not subject to location, and there
fore the suggested legislation would only |
be a selection"
This land of the second survey Is all in |
FL Paso county, and lies in two bodies.
One body contains 4SS,539 acres, and lies
in the northwestern part of the county.
The other BODY of land lies from twenty