The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-09
IN. The LEGISLATURE.
The Dispute About the Agricultural
College Money.
Mr.. DAVIS MINORITY REPORT.
Shall Brown University Make the Kingston
Agriculture station "a Branch?-Other
Matters Before the General Assembly.

Senator Gardner. for the committee on
special legislation, reported back, with
recommendation that it pass, an act pro-
viding that moderators and district clerks
of towns which are divided into districts
shall be elected In the annual town meet
ing, with the exception of the town OF
Burrillville. when the act shall take effect
on the day of the State election. On mo-
tion of Senator Bartlett of Burrllville the
act was laid on the table till tomorrow
morning in order that there might be
better understanding of it.
A message from the House of Represen-
tatives announced the concurrence of the
House in allowing Bertha Elida Kenny to
Also from the House, an act i'm amend
ment of the charter of the Providence
Telephone Co., referred to the committee
on corporations Also an act authorizing
the New England Button Manufacturing
Co., referred to the'committee on corpora
tions.
Also an act amending the charter of the
Narragansett Brewing Co., referred TO the
committee on corporations
Also an act prohibiting the taking of
trout from August IS TO March l3, refer
red to the committee on fisheries.
cooperating the Snake River Company
referred to the committee on corporations.
Also an act Incorporating the Pekin
Literary Association referred TO the COM
mittee on education.
Senator Bartlett presented the report of
Brown University in regard to the agri-
cultural funds Of 1866 and 1890 There
were majority and minority report,
both Of which were read. On motion of
Senator Pond 1900 copies Of the reports
were ordered printed.
The majority report says on July 2, 1862,
the President of the United States APP
proved an act of Congress, granting to
each State 10000 acres Of the public lands
for each Senator and Representative the
moneys derived from the sale of the lands
to be "a perpetual fund, the capital of
which shall remain forever undimin-
ished," and the interest of which shall be
appropriated TO the maintenance of at
least one college, where the leading OBJ
ject shall be TO teach such branches of
learning as are related to agriculture and
the mechanic arts.
On Jan. is, 1863. the General Assembly
Of Rhode Island accepted this donation,
and ON Jan. "a IL authorized the governor
''to transfer, assign and set over TO the
corporation of Brown University" the
land scrip representing the land donated
by Congress.
The stipulatiens were incorporated In
the resolution adopted by the General
Assembly, and were I'm substance, that
the corporation of Brown University was
to provide a college or department to
carry out the requirements of the law,
and to assume all the responsibilities and
duties imposed upon the State by the
national act, and To be entitled to all the
privileges and immunities conferred
thereby. In accordance with these several
resolutions the corporation of Brown
University came into possession of land
scrip representing 10000 acres of land,
the ultimate sale Of which brought fund
or $4,000
In 1890 the National Congress passed an
act Ito apply portion of the proceeds of
dowment and support of the colleges for
tho benefit of agriculture and the
mechanic arts established under the pro-
visions of an act of Congress approved
July 2. 1862" This act was approved
Aug 80, 1890. BY its provisions every
State having established a college or col
leges under the act of 1862 was to receive
from the national government, for the
more complete endowment and mainte-
nance of such college or colleges, an an
nual appropriation of $4,000 the first
year, and an amount increasing by 81, 600
each year thereafter, until the sum be-
comes $4,000, which should thencefor-
ward be the annual appropriation.
Previous to the passage OF this act of
Congress of 1890. the State of Rhode
Island had established at Kingston
State Agricultural School. and had pro-
vided that any sum which should be re-
ceived by the State by virtue of said act
of Congress for the promotion of agricul-
ture, should be appropriated to the use of
said Agricultural School When, there
fore, this annual appropriation provided
for in the act OF Congress, approved Au-
.l.l.l
rival claimants for il, Brown University
and the State Agricultural School.
During the conferences and hearings
with the committee of Brown and with
the representatives of the Agricultural
School, IL became evident that the matter
primarily IN, question was the fund aris,,
ing from the Act of Congress approved
Aug. 30, 1890. This made it incumbent
upon the commission TO consider the
origin of the fund of 1890, and the rela-
tion, il any, which it held to the fund of
1869.
The Supreme Court of this State, in
answer TO a question ~ssked by the Gov
ernor under date OF Sept. %, 1890 has in
terprcted the national act TO mean that
the fund OF 1890 must 90 To the college
possessing the fund of 1862; and we have
also been informed by the Commissioners
of Education at Washington, through
whose department the law is executed,
tudt SuCn 10 tut IuiiHE VI MS
III the fund Of 1890 adheres To the fund
Of 1862 the next question wos whether or
not the General Assembly, by its own act,
could ALLEVIATE the fund of 1862 from the
institution now In possession of il.
IL has been shown at the hearings, and
by the petitions from all parts of the
State now before the Commission that
many people feel that from the national
fund arising from the act of July ., 1859,
as at present executed, the agricultural
and mechanical classes are not receiving
the advantages which are rightly theirs
These people, too, have expressed them
selves as desirous that Brown University
shall relinguish its claim TO the national
bounty, in order that the State school
may receive its benefits. IL would seem
that there are two possible ways by which
the result these petitioners desire might
be obtained.
One Is for the General Assembly to form
ally request Brown University to return
to the state funds derived from the sale
OF the land scrip donated by the act Of
Congress approved July 2, 1853, the State
rembursing that institution for all ex-
perses which have been incurred i'm the
execution of the trust aud arranging for
State beneficiaries now connected with
q L.. 81. nlafs fhafr .f