FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 79 



ing, lands were bringing such a low price that the legislature 

 would not appropriate any of them, but instead borrowed 

 $25,000 for the purpose. 



Large grants of land were given for the common schools, and 

 to academies and colleges. This policy was approved by the 

 governors, the legislators and the people generally. In looking 

 over the legislation since 1820 it will be found that the idea of 

 giving all possible aid to the cause of education and a general 

 diffusion of knowledge was one which was deep seated. It may 

 be that some of those who favored large grants to academies 

 and other educational institutions were influenced by motives 

 not entirely deprived of self-interest, but the plan of the very 

 large majority of the people was that the children of the State 

 should have the advantage of securing an education given, and 

 a minimum of cost. 



Liberality was displayed towards those who had served the 

 country in time of war, and in 1834 the legislature passed an act 

 granting 200 acres of land to every non-commissioned officer 

 and soldier who had served for not less than three years in the 

 Revolutionary War, and who were at that time residents of the 

 State. The widows of soldiers, who would come under the 

 provisions of this act, were also entitled to the same amount of 

 land. The lands to carry out the provisions of this act were 

 selected from Indian Township at the mouth of the ]\Iatta- 

 wamkeag river, on the east side of the Penobscot river, in the 

 county of Penobscot, and also included Township No. 7, second 

 range of townships north of Bingham's Purchase, in the county 

 of Washington. Those who were entitled to benefits under this 

 legislation quickly availed themselves of the favor. 



The rapid sale of the lands and the large grants made for one 

 purpose and another opened the eyes of the people to the fact 

 that the large amount of lands which were owned by the State 

 were fast disappearing, and so on the 12th of January, 1835, 

 the House of Representatives called upon Land Agent John 

 Hodgdon for an abstract of the transactions of the land depart- 

 ment from the separation of Maine to the first of January, 1835. 

 This report embraced the sales of land, the price of each particu- 

 lar tract, and the average price per acre, for each year, the yearly 

 expenses of the department of every description, the amount 



