People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-11-19
The liveliest ques-
is TIE ton now before the
General Assembly is
the 'tLand Script

0CAC1 OIL kaSSOLAOAy 40
O"'SEH the Gland Script
EMr.r. roIr Fund" which the
University Crank
lin College, properly speaking) has
been using for the past twenty-five
years. We give below a synopsis of
the acts of Congress creating and dis
bursting the same. The caption Of the
first act which was approved July
2nd 1862, is as follows:
IAN act donating the public lands to
the several states and territories which
may provide colleges for the benefit OF
agriculture and the mechanic arts.
Sec. 1. Appropriated 900 acres of
public land for-each Senator and Rep
resentative in Congress under the cen
sus of 1860.
"Sec. II. Provides for the sale of such
lands at Sl25 per acre, or is uing land
script at the same price, the proceeds
thereof to be applied to the uses and
puTPOSG6 RESbC'1OS0 LII OL1C 1C1 1AN 4SA
no other purpo~e whatever.
"Sec. I'LL Protects the fund from
discrimination by requiring the state to
bear certain expenses.
"Sec. Nv. Allows the fund to be in
vested in United States or State bonds
bearing not less than 8 per cent inter
est. and shall constitute perpetual
fund for the support and maintenance
of at least one college where the lead
ing object shall be to teach such
branches of learning as are relate to
agriculture and the mechanic arts-it
does not exclude other scientific and
classical studies.
"Sec. v. Provides that the state is
to keep the fund in tact, apply the in
terest to the purposes mentioned, al
lowing only 10 per cent, to be expended
for purcha of lands; to provide not
less than one college within five years !;
no state while in rebellion or insurrec
ton to receive the fund; governors to
make report to Congress of sale Of
lands, amount received and what was
done with it.
Georgia's quota under this act was
27O, 600 acres, this land was sold by
Milton Smith, governor. under legisla-
tive act of Dec 10, 1866, for $243, 600
30 cents per acre. The first payment
of $50, 400 was invested in per cent
State bonds which was turned over to
the University trustees In 1872 800
202.7O was paid into the treasury and is
still there but Z per cent interest is
paid to the trustees. In 1878 the last
payment. $9s, 1872 was made-this pay
ment we bslieve was invested in per
cent State bonds and turned over to the
trustees of the university. The actual
amount, therefore which was invested
in State bonds was $780, II instead
of $a43. 900 for which the land was sold.
The difference of Sc 2O5, SO was lost
through discounting the purchase
notes-a good-sized grab for somebody.
In 1877 Congress m ede another ap
preparation of about SIS 900 per aunum
to be applied to the maintenance of
the state college of Agriculture and
Mechanics. The trustees of the Univer-
sity laid hands upon that sum and con-
tinued to claim it until the legislature,
through commission or committee,
took it from them aud established an
experimental agricultural station" at
Griffin.
In 1890 Congress made an additional
appropriation of $4,000 annually to
the colleges of Agriculture and Me-
chanics," said appropriation to be in
creased at the rate of 81, cooper annum
for 10 years when it she uld remain at
SIS 900 per aunum to be equitably d.
vided between the, white and colored
races ) Two thirds of this fund is paid
to the Trustees of the University and
one-third to the colored school at Sa-
vannah.
The above statements include all the
facts, so far as we know regarding the
Land Script" and other funds appro
priated by Congress to Georgia for the
maintenance of college devoted to the
interests of Agriculture and Mechanics,
and what has been done with said
script and funds.
The duty devolves upon the legisla-
ture to decide whether the intention t
Congress has been honestly construed
and the University honestly entitled to
receive these several funds.
Is the Agricultural and Mechanical
College," which was created and then
hitched on to Franklin College, any
thing more than college in name-on
annex, the chief function of which, Is
to annually divert those sacred funds
from Agricultural and Mechanical pur-
poses to Professional usesp MAC
Conte mptibIe.
There are some mighty mean men in
this wor their principle is that when
a man or woman is down. it is the first
duty of christian and patriot to kick
them.
We have been striving to raise fund
to purchase home for Mrs Mary E.