The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-03
THE UNIVERSITY.
Report OF the Board of Regents to
the Legislature.
A Comprehensive Document Con
tanning Suggestions Worthy of
Serious Attention By Law
Makers.

The report of the board of regents of
| the University is just oct, and 1t Is an i'm
1 portant paper.
1 In treating of the financial condition of
/ the institution it speaks as follows as to
how an available fund may be provided
and the yearly income increased:
1t has been shown from statements from
the comptroller and treasurer that there
| is no available fund for buildings, and the
entire income from all sources is only
! $44,9l9.39. 1t has also been shown by an
enumeration of the pressing needs of the
1 University and its branches, and from the
incomes of other institutions, that this in
come is utterly insufficient to run first
class university. 1t has in addition been
shown that besides larger income with
which to pay current ex penses, the Univer-
bity at present needs an available fund
with which to erect additional buildings
and equip those already provided for.
The question il, how can this available
fund and increased income be secured
In this section an attempt will be made to
show how both these results can be at
tanned.
(A) An available fund-To those ia
miliar with the fact that the state is in
debted to the University III an amount
sufficient to supply all its present needs,
it suggests itself that the most natural
and equitable way in which an immediate
available fund could be secured would be
for the state to pay this Indebtedness. AS
has been shown, there is really due from
the state, (1) an equivalent for the uaviga-
ton lands given to the University by the
act of '5S, and which nave never been
withdrawn; (2) an equivalent for the land
in conflict in Grayson, located for the
University, but sold for the state; (3) an
equivalent for the land in conflict IN Nc
Lehman county, suit for which is now
pending in the federal court. In addi-
ton to the above there are gounds for
the opinion, (4D that the act appropriat
! ing money out of the University fund to
pay clerks in the land office and treasury
was unconstitutional, and that the money
80 paid ($7,950) should be refunded to
the University with interest. Moreover,
the state is indebted to the University in
large amount, as shown in the SCORE
spOndence concerning the claims of the
University of Texas upon the State of
Texas" submitted by your exoelency to
the Twentieth Legislature, convened in
special session, April 16, 1888. In this
| "Correspondence" it was shown by state
ments from the com ptroller that the state
was indebted to the University as follows:
l. Amount paid Prairie View normal
school ON university fund .. 8 H. 495 73
2. Amount borrowed from university
fund January 80, 1851. ............ 07s6 ~
3. Amount borrowed from university
fund January O. 1869. .............. 1880 40
4. Amount of l0per cent warrants re.
ceiyed from university land, but
never paid =. ,..,"....",....... 1890 80
3. Amount transferred By comptroller
May 80, 1868, to general reyenue...,.. 10000 90
q. Amount Of university fund turned
over TO confederate states depository
February 2S ls65...........,....... 74,SOi 4s
Total principal -. .,...,,,. ...,... 1852 $50 81
Interest, as calculated In "Correspond-
enCei etC....'..... .'.''''',.... Sio,3ol 70
Total principal and interest -. =. Sl31, 1sS 81
OF this amount it was calculated that
the interest, together with the amount
misappropriated to the Prairie View Nor
NAL school, would be available. This
amount ($302, 633.5S) would have enabled
the regents to finish and equip the main
building at Austin, aud to finish and equip
the building for the medical school at
Galveston,
These claims, with vouchers from the
comptroller as to their correctness, we're
communicated to your excellency, and by
you laid before the legislature in special
message. The Legislature, however, did
not pay them. In lieu thereof it was en-
acted that "a loan of $125,000 be placed
to the credit of the available fund of the
University of Texas out of the indt unity
fund now in the state treasury, to be re
paid to the state out of the revenues of
the University on or before January l,
1910, without interest; of which
the sum of $4,000 is hereby appropri-
ated and set apart to be used in the
construction of buildings for the medical
branch of the University of Texas at the
city of Galveston: Provided, That said
city of Galveston shall donate to the Uni
versity of Texas block No. 66S, in said
city, to be used for the medical branch of
said institution: And provided further,
That the executors of the estate of John
Sealy, deceased, shall agree to construct
on said block, at cost of not less than
$4,000, a medical hospital, which,
when completed, is to be donated to the
medical branch of the University of
Texas, and to be under the control of the
board of regents of said university: Pro-
vided further, That this loan shall be in
full payment and satisfaction of all claims
of the University of Texas against the
state of Texas for moneys drawn from
the university fund by said state" (Gen
eral Appropriation Act, approved May II,
1881
1t will be noticed that it is distinctly
admitted that moneys were drawn from
the University fued by the state, and, as
the correctness of the statements in re-
gard to the amounts of the respective
claims has never been questioned, the
supposition is reasonable that these
amounts were found, upon examination,
to be az given by the regents to your ex
cellency. 1t remains that the legislature
has paid a debt of $431, 1855 by loan
of S125OOO. Moreover, the provision that
''the loan shall be in full payment and
satisfaction of all claims" will, perhaps,
be construed so as to cut off the
University from asking an equivalent
for the navigation lands, for
the lands in conflict in Grayson and Nc
Lehman counties, and for the money
drawn from the University fund to pay
clerks in the departments. This being the
case, the regents are shut off from all