Resolved, That the bill known as the Morrill Bill, which passed the Senate by a large majority, with the amendment thereto which passed the House of Representatives by a large majority, shows the liberal spirit of Congress in behalf of scientific, practical education, and an increasing interest in that kind of education which pertains to the application of science to the practical arts of life.

Resolved, That a committee from this body be appointed to memorialize Congress on this subject, and otherwise promote it in any manner as they may think best.

Mr. Marlin, of Indiana, opposed the adoption of the report, because he did not want the public lands squandered in that direction. He thought the Congress would probably adopt the recommendation of the report, but he did not think the people would approve their action. It is just as much of a steal to give the lands to the agricultural colleges as it is to give them to railroad monopolies or rings. These agricultural colleges were raising up a class of kidgloved farmers, who looked with scorn upon the hardy tillers of the soil, and refused to acknowledge them on the street wherever they met.

Dr. Daniel Reid, of Missouri, one of the committee, ably defended the resolutions and the report, giving the history of legislation in connection with the subject under consideration. He further gave the opinions of eminent scholars and scientific men upon the importance of action in the direction indicated by the resolutions. We must have the application of science to the industrial arts to fully arrive at the extent of our capabilities.

PRO AND CON.

At this point a minority of the Committee delivered a report adverse to the adoption of the resolution.

Colonel Anthony, of Kansas, said the action of Congress

upon this matter was not in answer to any demand from the people. The men who represented the colleges at Washington last winter were not farmers, and were never connected with or interested in their caucuses. At the last meeting of the Congress an attempt had been made to commit the meeting to the same resolutions at the last hour of the session. Discussion was staved off on this report last year, and the Congress refused to pass the resolutions, thanks to the noble efforts of Dr. J. A. Warder, of Ohio. Will the gentlemen who preceded me tell me where are the fruits of this tree, which has cost the people ten million dollars' worth of public lands. Are they in the State of Missouri? Are they in the State of Ohio, where Senator Patterson was chosen President of an Agricultural College? The gentleman wanted the Congress to consider this question seriously. The Agricultural Colleges in this country have not been a success. The professors in them all, with one exception, have dinned in our ears that classical education is the intent of the act upon this subject. Mr. Davis, in his seat in Congress, charged Mr. Morrill with fraud in this matter, and that under the name of Agricultural Colleges, another attempt is being made to rob us of our lands. These gentlemen claim that it is a generous paternal movement on the part of the government to educate poor agriculturists' sons. It was to so educate all sons that they may become agriculturists. The intention was that these colleges should be to agriculture what the theological seminary is to the pulpit; what the medical college is to the medical profession, and what the blacksmith shop is to the apprentice. Have we any such Agricultural Colleges?

Dr. Reid rejoined that he was utterly amazed at the statements he had heard made. Does the gentleman know that these colleges are the growth of years? Does he ex

pect perfection at once? It is utterly impossible. Eminent mechanics and agriculturists of the country say we must have another class of education for the people of the country. We have never received a quarter of the ten millions of acres of lands as charged by the gentleman who has just taken his seat. Some of the colleges contemplated have not even been commenced. In our State we have a successful institute in operation with by far the larger class of students in agriculture who throw aside classical and scientific education. In the matter of grape culture alone we have done more already than the whole cost of the institution. The first year two of our young men went from the college immediately into positions of superintendents of grape yards. The demand for scientific agricultural education is not of this country alone, but of the whole world. Let not the Congress stamp with disapproval such education. It is not intended to take one acre of the public domain from actual settlers, nor will it be done. Dr. Reid hoped the Congress would remember that the subject of Agricultural Colleges was yet in its infancy, and great results could not be immediately expected.

On of motion of A. C. Stevenson, of Indiana, the further consideration of this subject was indefinitely postponed.

THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS, ETC.

The Committee on Nominations reported for President, General W. H. Jackson of Tennessee; for Secretary, Charles W. Greene, of Tennessee; for Treasurer, Solomon Meredith, of Indiana. At the request of General Meredith, Mr. Poole, of Indiana, was placed in nomination for Treasurer, instead of himself.

On motion, the President was directed to cast the vote of

THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS, ETC.

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the Congress for the nominees reported by the Committee, which prevailed, and they were declared elected.

The list of States was then called, and the several delegations nominated their Vice-Presidents, and they were confirmed by the Congress as follows: Alabama, C. C. Langdon, Mobile; California, Col. C. C. Younger, San Jose; Colorado, W. M. Byers, Denver; Georgia, O. H. Jones, Atlanta; Illinois, A: M. Garland, Springfield; Indiana, General Solomon Meredith, Cambridge City; Kansas, J. K. Hudson, Wyandotte; Kentucky, Dr. R. J. Spurr, Lexington; Minnesota, Hon. William S. King, Minneapolis; Missouri, Hon. Norman J. Colman, St. Louis; Mississippi, Dr. M. W. Phillips, Oxford; Nebraska, Governor Robert Furnas, Lincoln; Ohio, J. M. Millikin, Hamilton; Pennsylvania, Hon. A. Boyd Hamilton, Harrisburg; South Carolina, Winborn Lawton, Charleston; Tennessee, C. W. Charlton, Knoxville; Vermont, O. S. Bliss, Georgia; Virginia, Colonel H. E. Peyton, Waterford; West Virginia, H. S. Walker, Charleston; Wisconsin, Eli Stilson, Oshkosh.

In the debate upon the selection of the place for the next Congress, Atlanta, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Columbus, Ohio, were put in nomination. After a short discussion, from which it was evident that nearly all of the members from the North-west were favorable to Atlanta, it was so elected, and the second Wednesday in May, 1874, was adopted as the time of meeting.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE NORTH-WESTERN FARMERS' CONVENTION AT CHICAGO.

THE CALL, ATTENDANCE, AND ORGANIZATION.

On October 22d and 23d, 1873, a Convention composed of about three hundred delegates from Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, New York, Indiana, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Canada, was held in McCormick's Hall, Chicago, assembled at the call of the Illinois State Farmers' Association. Mr. James M. Allen, of Illinois, was elected to preside, and Mr. S. M. Smith and Mr. S. T. K. Prime were chosen Secretaries. All speeches were limited, by resolution, to ten minutes.

Mr. Flagg, President of the Illinois State Farmers' Association, read a communication from the Senate Transportation Committee, then about to hold a sitting at St. Louis, expressing their desire to confer with any delegates whom the Chicago Convention might appoint.

Mr. Norton, of Nebraska, offered a resolution, which was adopted, providing for the appointment of a committee of three citizens of Illinois, to report to the Convention the effect upon producers and shippers, of the legislation on railroads. in Illinois, and whether they advise similar legislation in all