2 



Federal Legislation for the Establishment of Agri- 

 cultural and Industrial Colleges. 



The first legislation of any consequence in the United States 

 with regard to Agricultural Education was the Act passed in 

 1862 for the endowment of agricultural colleges, entitled the 

 first Morrill Act. 



It was therein provided that a portion of the public lands 

 in the hands of the Federal Government should be granted 

 to the several States of the Union to the extent of 30,000 acres 

 for each Senator and Representative sent by any particular 

 State to Congress, according to the apportionment based 

 on the census of i860.* A condition was made that no 

 mineral lands were to be selected or purchased under this 

 Act. . 



The clauses providing for the acquisition and sale of these 

 lands are interesting but do not concern us here. 



Section 4 of the Act declares that its aim is to constitute 

 a perpetual fund for the endowment of at least one college 

 (in each State) " where the leading object shall be, without 

 excluding other scientific and classical studies, and includ- 

 ing military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as 

 'are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts in such 

 manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively 

 prescribe." 



Paragraph 2 of Section 5 lays down that no part of this fund 

 or interest thereon is to be used for the purchase, erection or 

 repair of buildings, which are to be put up and maintained at 

 the expense of the States. An annual report regarding the 

 progress of each college is to be made to the Secretary of 

 the Interior. 



The first Act of 1862, mentioned above, limited the time 

 within which any State could take advantage of the privileges 

 granted under it to five years, and at the same time provided 

 that no State while in a condition of rebellion against the 

 Government of the United States could benefit by it. 



Owing no doubt to the War of the Secession a number of the 

 Southern States were prevented from taking advantage of it, 



* The total number of acres of land granted by the United States Government 

 under this Act was 10,233,169, of which 844.164 were still unsold in 1905. 



