Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - History of the University (Powell) [PAGE 134]

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108

History University of Illinois

Two days later a new motion to lay the bill on the table was defeated and an attempt to refer it back to the committee on public lands suffered a similar fate. These efforts to sidetrack the measure having failed the only hope of the opposition was now to defeat the measure on the floor of the house. In the debate upon the bill that followed Cobb took the lead in the attack. He claimed that it had not been the policy of the government, save for one or two exceptions, to grant lands for such purposes, and that the bill proposed the inauguration of a new system, the result of which could not be foreseen. He attempted to show that the federal government had only limited powers and that it was denied the authority to act in relation to the domestic affairs of the several states; that if the general government possessed the power to make grants within the states for local purposes, without a consideration, its action in that respect would have no limitation but such as policy or necessity might impose; and in support of these arguments Mr. Cobb read entire the report of the majority of the committee of which he was chairman. He pointed out that congressional representation was no just basis upon which to distribute public lands for agricultural colleges, or for any other purpose; that under this bill New York with twenty-nine million, four hundred and forty thousand acres of land would receive seven hundred thousand acres and that Iowa with thirty two million, five hundred forty-eight thousand nine hundred sixty acres of land would receive only eighty thousand acres; and that the Morrill amendment by which the territories had been excluded from the benefits of this bill, was unjust. In conclusion Mr. Cobb admitted that he had erred in voting for an earlier bill to grant lands for the purpose of establishing insane asylums. In spite of his forcible presentation of the arguments of the opposition the land grant bill passed the house by a vote of one hundred five to one hundred. In the senate the measure met with a stormy reception. Here on April 23,1858, it was referred to the committee on public lands with Senator Stuart of Michigan, its warm friend, as chairman. As this committee could not agree among themselves it reported the bill back to the senate without recommendation. Mr.