THE DISPOSITION OF OUR PUBLIC LANDS 261 



they have been admitted, have received large gifts of three kinds. 

 To most of them have been granted from one to six townships of 

 saline lands, an aggregate of half a million acres. For all ad- 

 mitted to the Union previous to 1850, have been reserved one 

 thirty-sixth of the public domain within their limits, for school 

 purposes. The fortunate states which have come in since 1850 

 receive an eighteenth ; and a like amount is reserved in each of 

 the territories, except the Indian Territory and Alaska. The 

 total thus set aside is about sixty-eighc million acres. For each 

 of the new states and territories has also been reserved a tract 

 of from two to four townships for a university, a total of more 

 than a million. In 1862 Congress granted to each state in the 

 Union lands proportioned to its representation in Congress, for 

 an agricultural college. Nearly ten million acres were thus appro- 

 priated. It is at least doubtful whether a system of endowed 

 public schools is desirable. Many of the states have squandered, 

 lost, or misused the lands acquired for educational purposes. 

 In others the people decline to tax themselves for school pur- 

 poses, and rely wholly on the fund. But it is even worse with 

 other forms of grants to states. In 1841, a time of reckless dis- 

 position of the lands, a grant of five hundred thousand acres was 

 made to seventeen of the states, for internal improvements. The 

 largest single gift made to the states at one time was included in 

 the swamp land grants of 1849 and subsequent years. All the 

 " swamp and overflowed lands " within the limits of any state 

 were granted to that state. It was expected that the sale of a part 

 would pay the expense of reclaiming the whole. It does not ap- 

 pear that any great improvements have been made by the states ; 

 and the United States is now spending large sums in building 

 levees, to protect regions presented to the states in 1850. 



Throughout the history of the country there has prevailed 

 the double error that a gift of land cost the government nothing 

 and was of very great value to the recipient. Upon the land 

 that is of any worth the United States has spent money for sur- 

 veys and administration ; and the states and other grantees have 

 found it hard to turn the gifts into money. A great part of the 

 educational grants have realized not more than a dollar an acre. 



