The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-29
FOR GEORGIES UNIVERSITY.
A BILL WHICH WILL GIVE 1T $780,
900 ACRES OF LAND.

IL was Introduced in the senate by
Senator WaIfhaH of 9Iississippi at
the Request of the National Assoc
citation of state UniversIties-It
Provides for The Carrying Out of
the Land Grant Act of I7s7 on a
Basis Of the Census of 1870.
Steps are being taken to secure for the
University of Georgia at Athens a grant
of land from the United States govern
ment under the congressional legislation
of 1857. This legislation, however, applies
to every state in the union, and a cooper
alive effort is being made through the Ma
tional Association of state universities to
secure these grants for the institutions of
learning in each state represented.
Maj. p w. Meldrim. an ex-officio trus-
tee of the University of Georgia. has re-
ceived the following letter from Chancel-
Tor VIM. E. Boggs, explaining what can
be done for the university by the passage
of Senator walthalrs bill providing for
carrying out the purposes of the act of
1857:
University of Georgia. Office of the Chan
cellor, Athens, Ca, Jan. 16 1S96.-My Dear
Sir: The enclosed clipping will bring to
your notice a bill introduced at the in
stance of the National Association of
State Universities" through Senator Wal
thall of Mississippi. The friends of the
measure are confident that it will pass,
and to that end earnestly bespeak the CO.
operation of every trustee.
The legislation sought. as you will OBJ
serve, is parallel with, but not at all de-
pendent on, the Morrill, act of 1862, which
founded agricultural and mechanical col
leges.
Should it pass it will secure for US 800. 900
acres of land. for so far as l can learn,
Georgia has not received an acre under
the provision of 1871 Our wants are very
urgent and the state is slow in coming to
our help. The registration has risen above
that of any former year, showing at pres
ent zl6 on the roll. with new applicants
The National Association of State Uni
versities begs that you will write person
ally to our senators and representa- tives,
to the chairman of the land committees in
both houses, and that you will induce the
press to advocate the measure.
Senator Walthal expects to introduce
the bill within the next ten days. and it
will be simultaneously introduced into the
House of Representatives. What is done,
must, therefore, be done quickly.
In the behalf of the association, yours,
VIM. e. Boggs,
Chancellor.
The clipping referred to gives a copy of
Senator WalthalPs bill, and a summary of
the action taken with regard to 1t at a
meeting of the national association of
state universities. The bill recites the
that the grants provided for have not
been made upon an equitable basis, as
well as the provisions of the Morrill, act
of 1862, which recognized only agricultural
and mechanical colleges. With these
statements as a preamble, the bill goes
on to provide for a distribution to each
state 10000 acres for each senator and
representative in congress, to which the
states are entitled under the census of
1890.
Some fifteen or twenty states have re-
q n 81
titled to under the act of 1881 and this
Will be deducted, according to the bill,
from the amounts to which they are re-
spectively entitled. The third section of
the act authorizes and directs the Sec
rotary of the interior to issue land scrip
TO the respective states for the amounts
TO which they are entitled, the scrip, or the
proceeds thereof to be applied to the sup
port of the universities, as specified. The
fourth section provides that the money de-
rived from the sale of such land scrip shall
be deposited in the treasures of the re-
spectiVe states, which shall issue certifi-
Gates of indebtedness, bearing interest
perpetually at a rate of not less than 5
per cent per annum, the capital of which
shall remain forever undiminished and
the interest of which shall be inviolably
appropriated to the support and mainte-
nance of the state university therein or
such institutions of learning as have pre-
viously received grants of land.
This bill is now before both the Senate
and House and urgent efforts are being
made on all sides to have it passed as
early as possible. 1t will mean a great
deal to the University of Georgia, which
does iict receive dollar for its support
from the state. Alabama has already
received 1900 acres under the legislation
of 1877, which has immensely Increased
in value and which is still being held
for further appreciation. Mississippi has
also received about 40 900 acres, and other
states have received a portion of the
amount to which they are entitled. Geor-
gia's senators and representatives will no
doubt lend their hearty cooperation to
the work of passing the bill.