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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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I 164 History University of Illinois on January 31,1831, the difficulty was settled by act of congress repealing that part of the law that made these reports necessary. In 1835 the state legislature ordered that the interest up to January 1, 1834, should be added to the principal and that beginning with 1835 the six per cent interest on the two funds should be distributed among the counties for the common school purposes.18 This fund increased until September 28, 1863, when the last of the public lands of Illinois were sold. At that time the university fund amounted to $118,790.89 to which $37,822.43 interest was added, making in all $156,613.32 which yields an annual interest of $9,396.80. By law of February 18,1857, authorizing the establishment of a normal university the interest on the college and seminary funds was appropriated to the support of the university. Actually, however, there were two portions still missing. The onefourth of one per cent given to the institution for the deaf and dumb at Jacksonville was not added until 1873. The four and one-half sections given to Irvington were a total loss, for the principal of these funds remains today as it was in 1863. Final disposition of the interest of the two funds was made in 1877 by giving one half to the normal school at Normal and the other half to the normal school at Carbondale. From 1833 to 1863 various unsuccessful attempts were made in Illinois to establish a state university or an agricultural college* Jf Sometimes the plan involved aid from the state to support the institution and again the proposed institution took only the name of "state university,'' or "Illinois state university/ ' or "Illinois agricultural college" without asking for funds from the state, perhaps, but with the hope, more or less concealed, of being adopted sometime by the state. The mismanagement and misappropriation of educational funds by the legislature during this period were so frequent as to become a habit. Unfortunately the people back of many of the educational ventures of the time were no better. Too often they revealed themselves not only as narrow and selfish but even as dishonest and dishonorable. And yet it should not be forgotten that it was the same period that produced the splendid u Latvs of 18SS, p. 22; Illinois School Report, 1881-1882, CXXXIV.
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