, 1889-07-07

acres OF land, shall be granted to the state
for the purpose OF erecting public build
ings at the capital of said state for legis-
%lative, executive and judicial purposes.
Eighth; That the penitentiary at Lar.
annie City, o Gether witch any u~nexpended
appropriations of money therefor, shall be
granted to the state.
Ninth; That five per centum of the
proceeds of the sales of public lands
within said state, sold subsequent to the
admission OF the state into the Union,
shall be paid to the state to be used as a
permanent fund, the interest of which
only shall be used in support Of the com-
mon schools of the state.
1t is further provided hat all lands
granted under this act shall be faithfully
and sacredlY preserved 10 the uses for
which they are granted; that they shall
never be sold except at public sale. and
not then for less than ten dollars an acre;
that the receipts from the same shall con-
stitute permanent funds to be safely in
vested, the interest only OF which shall be
used for the purposes set forth. 1t is
further provided that until such sales are
made, these lands may be leased under
rules and regulations to be prescribed by
the state legislature, subject to the APP
proval OF the secretary of the interior.
MUNIFICENT PROVISIONS.
Such, in brief, are the pro-
visions of the act covering
the grants to the new state. They
are muniiicent in the extreme. Should
we fail of admission under this act, we
may readily assume that no future substi-
tute would contain more liberal provi-
slons Let US see, however, how future
taxation will be affected. The grant
of all school sections, and of seventy two
sections Tor university purposes, may be
as having no bearing upon this
discussion, Under the act of congress APP
proved August 3, 1888, the boards of
county commissioners of the various
counties now have the right of leasing all
school sections in the county, under such
rules and regulations as shall be prescribed
by the governor. auditor, and superlnten-
dent of public schools, and subject to the
approval of the secretary of the interior.
These officials, acting as such a board,
have prescribed the necessary rules and
regulations, the approval OF the secretary
of the interior has been given to the
same, and the several boards of county
commissioners have for some time past
been proceeding under the authority con-
ferred upon them.
BY the act of congress of February IS,
1881, lands to the full extent of seventy
two sections have been already granted to
the territory for university purposes.
These lands have been selected under the
and approval of the secretary of
the interior, and-are at present subject to
lease. 1t will therefore be seen that our
taxation will not be affected by admission
so far as these two particular grants are
concerned. There remains her to be
considered the following sources of in-
come. viz: D..
For an agricultural college. 90, 900 acres.
For a scientific school,. 100, 900
For state normal schools. loo, 900
For charitable, educational,
penal and reformatory in
stitutlons...... ........". 300, 900
Making a total of...........5OO, 900 acres.
SOME NOTIFICATIONS PROPOSED.
We have at present no agricultural COL
lege, no s~cientitic school, no state normal
schools; consequently the 100000 acres.
the aggregate granted for these purposes,
would not be Immediately available. Ad-
hitting, however, that the legislature may
prescribe a distinctly agricultural course
in the university of the territory, and
that some provision may be made for
scientific and state normal schools, and
without the employment of additional in
structors, without, in fact, any additional
expense, we still have remaining a total Of
$50, 900 acres from which an income NAV
be derived. What may we reasonably ex-
pect this incoue to be? Assuming that
the entire $50. 600 acres would be leased
Immediately after admission, for a period
of live years, at say, three cents per acre,
the state would receive SIT. 700 annually
from this scource, Unless some change
should be made in the wording of the
grant conveying the 81, 900 acres of land
for the purpose of erecting public build
ings at the capital for legislative, execu-
tive and Judicial purposes. it seems qucs.
tionable whether or not any revenue from
this source can be used at this time, I'M
less, perhaps, it should be in further en-.
larglng the present capital building. THIS
all admit to be unnecessary after it shall
have been completed with the funds al
ready provided for hat purpose. No In
come may be expected from the
penitentiary at Laramie City to
be conveyed to the state. And
here it may be suggested, as most
important for the delegate to congress. to
procure such modification OF the enabling
act. as will authorize the application of
all funds which may be derived from the
lease or sale of the 80. 900 acres donated
for the erection of a state capitol, to the
liquidation of a debt incurred in the cree
tion of the building already provided by
the territory. And also such modification
of the terms of the grant OF the. United
States penitentiary at Laramie, as will au-
thorize its sale, and the application of the
receipts to the payment of expenditures
on the territorial building, in process of
erection at Rawlins.
POSSIBLE PROCEEDS.
There remains then only the five per
centum of the proceeds from the sales of
public LANDS to be taken into consideration
in connection with the $l7, 7CO derived as
above. By taking the average of the
sales of public lands within the territory
for the past four years, Governor Warren
estimates this five per ccntum at $l7,O 900
annually. The interest on this amount