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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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178 History University of Illinois CHAPTER VIII ILLINOIS ACCEPTS THE DONATION OF CONGRESS AND CONSIDERS ITS DISPOSITION 1862-1865 Illinois, having originated, developed, and brought to a successful issue the land grant proposition, had now the opportunity to accept the terms of the federal law and to enter on the task of creating her own university. By provision of the act congress was to give the states public lands or scrip for the same, in the proportion of thirty thousand acres for each senator or representative in congress. Illinois, with sixteen representatives in congress, was entitled to receive four hundred and eighty thousand acres in land or its equivalent in scrip. The proceeds of the sale of the land or scrip was to be invested in stocks of the United States, or of the states, or some other safe stocks yielding not less than five per cent to constitute a perpetual fund, the interest of which was to be used for the endowment, support, and maintenance of at least one college in each state, where the leading object should be the teaching of such branches of learning as related to agriculture and the mechanic arts. I t was further provided, that in order to claim the benefit of the act the legislatures of the states must accept the provisions of the congressional grant within two years and provide for the establishment of at least one college within five years. Though Illinois was not the first of the state legislatures to accept the congressional grant there was no unnecessary delay, for it took up the question immediately upon assembling in January, 1863. Governor Yates in his annual message January 5, 1863, reminded the legislature that it was necessary to accept the grant within the two years allowed, and on January 8, Mr. Mason of Knox county presented a bill in the senate for the acceptance of the grant. It was referred to the committee on education, which reported it back with a substitute on January 12. The substitute was adopted and the bill then passed the senate by a vote of 22 to 0.1 ^Senate Journal, 1863, p. G}#, 82-83.
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