Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-04
THE FARMERS BILLS.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES VOTES IN Favor
OF THE BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE.
Tho Matter Of Experimental Stations to
Be Embraced In a Separate
Measure

Measure.
In the House OF Delegates yesterday
ut l o'clock the special order was re-
sumed, being bill to establish bureau
OF agriculture and in connection there
with an experimental station. the latter
TO receive the congressional appropria-
ton amounting to $4,000 per annum.
The question was on the motion to re-
consider the adoption OF Mr.. Buford's
amendment. That amendment so
( changed the bill to make it read Gnstead
OF the experimental station being located
at the University that the station be at
some suitable place to be determined by
the Board of Agriculture. MIR. Buford
insisted that so numerous were the ques-
! tions involved that it would be better to
leave them to the determination OF an
intelligent board than TO have them
hastily decided by the Legislature, the
time of which is necessarily limited.
NEW BILL.
Mr. Figgat offered a now bill which
in the first part is similar to the original,
and in the second section provides that
the Board OF Directors of the Virginia
Agricultural and Mechanical College at
Blacksburg, at which an agricultural
experiment station has already been
established, is authorized to establish in
connection with said station branch sta
tions in the four grand divisions of the
State, the location to be made upon the
recommendation of the State Board of
Agriculture.
The rules were suspended and the bill
placed upon the calendar.
Mr. Figgat, in speaking upon the sub
ject, claimed that the original bill had
more than one object, and that WAS his
reason for embodying one OF them in
distinct form.
lfR. FIGGAT's VIEWS.
In arguing the motion to strike ont the
section of the agricultural bill that ac-
cepted the provisions of the Hatch bill
and established an experimental station
at the University OF Virginia, Mr.. Figgat
said that there were three lnsuperable OBJ
jeotions TO this section. The first was
that it was unconstitutional, as the bill
proposed to establish a State board of
agriculture and, secondly, TO accept
the provisions of an act of Con
gress and, thirdly, to establish an ex-
pcrimental station at particular
place, when the Constitution of the State
said explicitly that no law shall embrace
more than one object, and that shall be
stated in the title He had TO objection
to make TO the first object of the bill
that is, to establish bureau OF agricul-
ture. Fe heartily favored such "A bill,
and hoped the real friends Of that object
would not endanger it by putting too
much in the bill. Let the bureau Of
agriculture be formed and its duties de
fined, but don't mix tup with the Hatch
bill and the establishment OF an expert
mental station under that act OF Con-
gress.
But the greater and more serious OBJ
/ lection to this section Of the proposed
/ bill is that what is known as the Hatch
bill itself provides whore the agricultu-
raj experiment stations shall be put. The
very title Of the bill is "an act to estab-
! lish experiment stations at the colleges
established in the different States under
the act Of February ,. 1862. - The last
named is the one under which land scrip
Was granted to the States by the United
States to found agricultural colleges.
and uuderit the Virginia Agricultural
/ and Mechanical College at Blacksburg
was founded and endowed with the scrip
50 donated by the Government.
The first section of the Hatch law
| plainly states that the object is to estab-
| lish AN agricultural experiment station
"undcr the direction of the colleges,
established under the land-scrip act. "
1t is true that a subsequent clause of
that law gives authority TO States having
both colleges and separate experiment
stations already established to say to
which the money snail be applied, but
no fair rendering of that section can
take the donation from the agricultural
college and establish q new station
while the clear declaration in the first
section must control the meaning Of
Congress in saying that these shall be
under the direction of the colleges 50
established.
One thing is certain. II yOu have The
donation to 20 TO Blacksburg there can
be no mistake about its being received
and utilized as Congress directed. At
tempt to divert it to the University or
any other point and you may lose the
whole thing. 1t may he if you attempt
to give anybody else but the Agricultu
ral College the authority to draw this
money the Comptroller Of the Currency
may refuse 10 pay to either-in TACT,
here is Il decision already given by the
Comptroller to that effect. The ques-
ton was asked him
2i. In virginia ana In Rhode Island there sro
colleges under act OF July 2 lsb2, aud a. yet no
separate experiment stations Can the legisla-
lures 10 those States mar establish by Law agri-
cultural experiment stations separaie from those
colleges ard a. distinct institutions, located at
the pleasure Of The legislatures. and assign 10
such stations the beachts Of the act Of March ,,
1857 funder section 8 of that act: Or. II such
legislatures desire "a hereafter establish such
stations must they De ia connection with sepa-
rate agricultural college or school 10 be also es-
tablished?
answer. Il Is a little difficult TO determine
what was the legislative intent. as expressed in
section s, In regard 20 tho question which you
prODOund. But / am Of opinion that where there
are no experimental stations connected with the
colleges Gs, for instance. as you have stated it.
In Virginia and Rhode Island, the legislatures
OF such States must connect the agricultural
pertinent statiOus with the colleges aiTsQdy
established, under the act Of July ?, 1852 that
there Is no authority in the act authorizing the
establishment OF agricultural experiment. sta
tons independent ot said colleges. You Will OBJ
serve tnat the act contemplates that where sta
tOns have bCcn already established discon-
uocted from the colleges the legislatures of
such states may make such provision In regard
thereto as they may ceem proper; but II does
not authorize. In my opinion, the establishment
OF stations except ia connection with the col
leges that we're at that time or might thereafter
be established under the act Of July ?, 1862.
Very respectfully,
NJ. j. DURHAM. Confpuoller
Now that is very clear that the Comp
troller won't pay if you pass this bill IN
its present form.
1t was not asked to substitute Blacks
burg for the University in this bill, be-
cause it is not right to have either in the
bill on account of the first objection
given. Let separate bill accept the
provisions Of the bill. and let the law Of
Congress decide where it is to go.
He had nothing to say against the
University except that it was now re-
ceiving enough from the State-S40, 600
annually. That is the school that rich
men can attend under this bounteous
provision of the State. Let it fulfil its