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FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS, 1893-1895. 1657 
sity. Existing institutions which are free from controlling obligations of a sectarian 
or partisan nature and have endowments sufficient to support a faculty may, with 
the approval of the regents, and on terms prescribed by them, become faculties or 
departments of the university, still retaining or adopting such titles as they may 
prefer. 
Src. 9. That the facilities afforded by the university shall be open to all who are 
competent to use them, on conditions prescribed by the executive committee, with 
the advice of the faculties and officers directly concerned; but degrees shall be con- 
ferred upon such persons only as have previously received the degree of bachelor of 
arts, or some equivalent degree, from some institution recognized for this purpose 
by the university authorities. 
Src. 10. That in order to extend the privileges of the university and to improve 
the collegiate and other grades of public instruction in the country, it is provided 
that each State and Territory of the United States, in the ratio of population, shall 
be entitled to free scholarships of such number, not less than one for each Repre- 
sentative and Delegate in Congress and two for each Senator, as the board of regents 
shall determine. The executive committee of the board of regents may, for suffi- 
cient reasons, withhold the award of any scholarship or cancel its privileges or those 
of any student in the university. 
Src. 11. That for the advancement of science and learning by means of researches 
and investigations, there shall be established fellowships in the university of such 
character and number as the interests to be represented and the resources at com- 
mand shall warrant, which fellowships shall yield a partial or a full support, as the 
regents shall determine. They may be provided for out of the university income, 
or may be endowed by gift or otherwise, and the persons, organizations, corporate 
bodies, or States endowing them may, subject to the approval of the board of 
regents, designate their titles and the researches or investigations they shall be 
used to encourage. 
Sec. 12. That in the admission and appointment of persons to places in the uni- 
versity, character and competency shall be the sole test of qualifications. 
Src. 13. That as a means of partially providing building sites for the several 
departments of the university, the following tract of land, selected and appropriated 
by President Washington for the site of the national university proposed by him and in 
part actually endowed by provisions of his last will and testament, to wit, that tract in 
the city of Washington long known as ‘‘ University Square,’’ and now occupied by 
the National Observatory, is hereby granted and set apart for the use and benefit 
of the university of the United States when no longer required for observatory 
purposes. 
Sec. 14. That for the practical establishment, support, and maintenance of the uni- 
versity, there is hereby appropriated and set apart one-half the net proceeds of the 
sales of the public lands, as the same shall accrue from year to year. Of this amount 
one-half shall be held by the Treasurer of the United States for use in securing and 
improving grounds for the seat of the university, for providing the necessary build- 
ings and equipments, and for conducting the institution after its opening; but the 
remaining one-half shall be allowed to accumulate in the Treasury as a permanent 
fund, yielding interest at the rate of 5 per centum per annum, as a further revenue, 
until such fund, together with the endowments from other sources, shall be sufficient 
for the support of the university, after which all the net proceeds of the sales of 
public land so used for university purposes shall be passed to the general fund, or 
otherwise used, as Congress shall determine. All moneys held by the Treasurer 
of the United States under the provisions of this act shall be subject to requisitions 
drawn, as may be necessary, by the president and secretary of the Board of Regents 
under its order, but with this limitation, namely, that, after the first five years sub- 
sequent to the organization of the board, not more than 10 per centum of the afore- 
