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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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Illinois Plan Before Congress 101 classes."15 It is true the legislature of Illinois had passed resolutions to the same effect in February, 1853, but they were not actually presented in congress until over a year later. It is true also that other states had asked congress for a grant of land to establish a university, or agricultural college within their own state or possibly a national university at Washington, D. C. and similar projects. These should not be confused with the movement of the Illinois men "for a grant of land from congress for the endowment of an agricultural and mechanical college in each of the states of the Union.'' In 1854 at least nine petitions praying for an industrial university in each of the states came to congress—all from Illinois. They were from the following: January 16, Agricultural society of Carroll county; January 18, Board of supervisors of Cook county; March 16, Board of supervisors of Bureau county; March 20, Kane county agricultural society; March 20, joint resolutions of the Illinois legislature; March 27, Lake county agricultural society; March 29, county court of Richland county; April 7, county court of Logan county.16 In 1856 two more petitions from Illinois were presented to congress in behalf of industrial universities in each of the states: one was presented on March 10 from the state educational convention and the other on March 19 from citizens of the state of Illinois. The introduction of the land grant bill on December 14,1857, was the great impetus for the sending in of petitions: from January 1 to the middle of May, 1858, they came almost daily from all over the United States in behalf of the proposed land grant. It is practically impossible to get a complete list of the petitions for the reason that some were passed immediately to the committee on public lands having the bill in charge without being presented directly in the house or senate; nevertheless at least fortyfive have been noted, among them being those of the state agricultural societies of New York, Michigan, and Kentucky.17 The House Journal, 33 congress, 1 session, 138. "House Journal, 33 congress, 1 session, 207, 240, 516, 527, 530, 562, 577, 609; 34 congress, 654, 692. In the Senate Journal, 33 congress, 1 session, 268; 34 congress, 1 and 2 session, 72, is noted an additional petition from the judge and associate justices of the Shelby county court, dated March 20. "For these petitions see appendix, p. 439. n
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