QUESTION OF "TWO UNIVERSITIES."

In the eleventh legislature, in 1866, efforts were made to establish two universities by an act amendatory of the university act of 1858, and by the adoption of a joint resolution as follows:

Whereas by a recent act of the eleventh legislature, twenty-five leagues of land were reserved for the establishment and endowment of another university, contradistinguished from the "University of the State of Texas;" and

Whereas the increasing population of the State, its vast extent, and the absence of the necessary facilities of travel render it important that the university be located: Therefore, be it

Resolved, That A. M. Perkins, of Jasper County; J. H. Starr, of Nacogdoches County; James Graham, of Lamar County; Mont Hall, of Harrison County; I. L. Camp, of Upshur County; D. W. Jones, of Titus County; W. B. Dashiell, of Kaufman County; W. K. Marshall, of Rusk County; J. K. Bumpass, of Collin County; Dr. Cooper, of Panola County; William Moore, of Bowie County; M. H. Bonner, of Cherokee County; J. M. Perry, of Anderson County, and J. C. Hardin, of Smith County, be and the same are hereby created a board of administrators of said university, to hold office four years, and soon as practicable select a suitable location for the university in a different section of the State from that of the "University of Texas," to be known as the "East Texas University." The sum of two thousand five hundred dollars is appropriated for the board's expenses to make the location. Approved, November 13, 1866.

No further action was taken in the line of this resolution, which was in accordance with the recent action of the same legislature in amending the act of 1858 by dividing the university appropriation of 50 leagues of land, originally intended by the Republic of Texas for the "establishment of two colleges or universities," and reserving half of the land, as the proposition was expressed, "for the benefit of a similar university which at some future time may be necessary to be established in a different part of the State." The immense area of Texas and inadequate transportation facilities were arguments generally presented in favor of providing for two universities. Such proposition, however, was defeated by future legislation and the final university. act of 1881.

THE UNIVERSITY IN EMBRYO.

Although the constitution of 1845 required the legislature to make suitable provision for the maintenance and support of public free schools, and the same provision was retained in the constitutions of 1861, 1866, and 1876, the university, for which the Congress of the Texas Republic had so early provided in 1839, was not mentioned in the first State constitution of 1845. This was perhaps on account of the university being then merely in embryo and its establishment not pressing upon the public mind, or possibly-and if so, properly enough— because it was considered, part and parcel, as a great free tuition school of the State's general free school system, not requiring special designation as such to bring it within the scope and benefits of the

general provisions for free school instruction. As evidence that it was regarded in this light, it is declared in the preamble to the act of February 11, 1858, establishing the university, that

from the earliest times it had been the cherished design of the people of the Republic and of the State of Texas that there shall be established in her limits an institution of learning for the instruction of the youths of the land in the higher branches of learning, and in the liberal arts and sciences, and to be so endowed, supported, and maintained as to place within the reach of our people, whether rich or poor, the opportunity of conferring upon the sons of the State a thorough education.

Thus it is made the duty of the university as a factor in the State's own provision for free education to complete the work begun in the public schools, so as to afford the advantages of higher education to the poor as well as the rich. As further evidence that the university was to be so regarded, the law requires the university regents to submit their reports to the State board of education, which is the general directing body of the State's entire system of free public instruction. (Sec. 21, university act of 1881.)

STATUS AS A PUBLIC, SCHOOL.

Much of the general history of the university has naturally been presented in the previous chapter in considering its origin and inseparable connection with what are usually known as the "free public schools," and more particularly in relation to its outreach in common with them as a State institution, or great public high school. It is the grand educational ensign and beacon light of the brightest enlightenment to the whole people. Though not so diffuse in its operations as the free schools, it concentrates the best methods of instruction, provides for finer equipments than ordinary educational institutions can afford, and radiates from the highest educational plane a strong conservative influence in every department of the public school system. Without it, indeed, the general structure would be as incomplete as a torso, for no system of public instruction is perfect that is not symmetrically rounded from the broad base of the common schools to the apex of university finish; and no matter what private enterprise and denominational institutions may offer in the line of advanced learning, it is the duty of the State to afford the best university facilities it can in competition with those of other States. As one sun diffuses more light than a thousand stars, so one grand university can diffuse more knowledge than a thousand schools of inferior grade; and as the planets revolve around the sun and borrow their light and luster from that luminary, so the schools should derive tone and culture from the university. "So," added Gen. D. H. Hill, in his address at the Texas University commencement, "has it been for the past eight hundred years with the great universities of England, during which long period

the planets have not more surely reflected the light of the sun t have the subordinate colleges, academies, and schools of Great Brita reflected the scholarship and intellectual character of Cambridge and Oxford."

EXISTING UNIVERSITY GRANTS.

The grants to the university, as diminished by the constitution of 1876, embrace the 50 leagues of land (221,400 acres) originally set apart by the Texas Republic, 1,000,000 acres substituted by the State constitution of 1876 for the "tenth sections" (railroad surveys) which the act of 1858 had granted, and 1,000,000 acres appropriated by the act of 1883, and the act of 1883 specifically expressed its appropriation for "the University of Texas and its branches, including the branch for the education of colored youth”—in all 2,221,400 acres. An act of 1897 gives 100,000 acres as a special endowment for "the colored branch university."

The Agricultural and Mechanical College, established at Bryan as a branch of the university, owes its foundation to an act of Congress of July 2, 1862, and amendatory acts, endowing agricultural colleges in the several States, by which the college received from the Federal Government 180,000 acres of land, which was sold and the proceeds converted into bonds amounting to $209,000 and held for the exclusive benefit of the college. The institution was made a branch of the university by the constitution of 1876 in order to make it a beneficiary of appropriations from university funds; and its support was further provided for by that constitution as an earnest of State cooperation in the purposes contemplated by the Federal endowment."

ORGANIZATION OF UNIVERSITY AND BRANCHES.

The first board of "administrators" of the university, as the law originally termed them, was appointed by Governor Pease in 1866. The first board of "regents," as they were subsequently designated, was appointed by Governor Roberts in 1881. The academic and law departments of the main university at Austin were organized in 1881 and opened to students in 1883. The medical branch at Galveston was not opened to students till 1891. The college branch at Bryan, which owes its foundation, as stated, mainly to the Federal land grant for endowing such institutions, was established by resolution of the legislature of 1866 and legislative action in 1871 accepting the Federal

a In addition to the $209,000 endowment already referred to, the college is a beneficiary in the sum of $15,000 a year under the act of Congress approved March 2, 1887, establishing agricultural experiment stations in the several States. Also, under the "additional endowment act" of August 30, 1890, it receives three-fourths of a fund which began with $15,000 for the first year, adding an additional $1,000 each year until it reached and now continues at $25,000 a year.

grant, but did not become a branch of the university till so constituted by the constitution of 1876. The colored branch, which by law is to be at Austin, has not been organized; but the Prairie View Normal School, established near Hempstead under an act of 1876 providing for the education of colored persons of both sexes, is liberally supported instead by the State, and is under the supervision of the directors of the Agricultural and Mechanical College. It enjoys a share of the "additional endowment" fund from the Federal Government---one-fourth of the amount apportioned to Texas, or $6,250 per

annum.

ADVERSE LAND MANAGEMENT.

Though early endowed with munificent grants, including several million acres of land independent of some half million dollars in money and bonds, the university's resources were so much diminished by the constitution of 1876, and diverted by subsequent legislation on account of preference for other institutions, as to retard its organization for many years; so that it did not get into operation for the admission of students until two years after the act of 1881, under which its practical organization was contemplated, and long after the passage of the university act of 1858. This delay was largely due to the State's method of managing the public lands, including those held by it for the university, by reserving them for settlement under what is known as the "actual settlers' act," which was simply intended to encourage settlement of the State without reference to any effect it might have upon the interests of education. In fact, it tended to retard the accumulation of school and university revenues on account of the rather gradual disposal of the lands, which, though offered for sale on the most favorable conditions, attracted settlers very slowly, as the lands were mainly adapted for large pastures, requiring but few occupants. The railroad companies, having been granted considerable quantities of land in sections alternating with school sections, for the purpose of encouraging railroad construction in Texas, and on condition of their surveying the lands for the State, took active steps to promote immigration so as to preferably dispose of their own lands. This, while naturally inducing sales of the school sections along with the railroad alternates, was no benefit to the interests of the university further than resulted indirectly from the slow development of the country; for the reason that "every tenth section" of the lands—which tenths, as originally granted to the university, would have aggregated several million acres-had all been diverted by the State constitution as early as 1876 to the free schools; and the million acres which were substituted for them, not being so accessible by railroad for actual settlement, had to be leased as best they could to the stockmen of the country. They were, in fact, largely depredated upon for "free grazing," great herds of cattle, horses, and sheep, whose owners until a few years