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Show GRANTS TO STATES ON ADMISSION TO UNION 313 Summary of Grants to Idaho and Wyoming in Admission Acts Idaho Wyoming School lands________________________Sections 16, 36 Sections 16, 36 Public Buildings_____________________32,000 acres 32,000 acres + 75,000 State University_____________________46,080 + 50,000 46,080 Agricultural college__________________90,000 90,000 School of science_____________________100,000 Normal schools____________.....____100,000 Insane asylum______________________50,000 30,000 Penitentiary_________________........ 50,000 30,000 Penal or educational institutions_______________________ 30,000 Fish hatchery______________________________________ 5,000 Deaf, dumb & blind asylum__________________________ 30,000 Poor farm_________________________......._________ 10,000 Hospital for miners________________________.....____ 30,000 Other institutions ___________________150.000 260,000 Finally, in 1889, members of both Houses, tiring of the long-sustained squabbles over admission and recognizing that the rapidly growing population of the territories should be given statehood, agreed upon a measure to provide for the admission of four-North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Montana-which in 1890 contained together 1,039,739 people. At the same time Congress paid no attention to Utah's claim to representation for its 210,779 people and New Mexico's claim for its 160,282 people. New Mexico, interestingly, had been supported for admission in 1874 when the Republicans thought it would be in their camp but in 1889 when the territory seemed to show a stronger affinity for the Democratic Party, the Republicans , discovered that New Mexicans were Spanish-speaking, knew little or no English, had few schools and were not ready to participate in American government. Over the anguished opposition of leading Democrats, New Mexico was denied admission, and only the four territories were authorized to hold conventions to frame constitutions and form state governments.87 A History of Montana, 1805-1900 (Portland, Oreg., 1957), 524 ff.; Elwyn B. Robinson, History of North Dakota (Lincoln, Nebr., 1966), 197 ff. 87 Cong. Record, 50th Cong., "2d sess., Jan. 15, 16, Feb. 20, 1889, pp. 802, 862, 2103. An omnibus enabling act required each of the four states to provide for "perfect toleration of religious sentiment," to honor all debts and obligations of the territorial governments which preceded them, to create a system of public schools open to all children and free from sectarian control, and to adopt the usual disclaimer provision concerning the public lands. In return each state was to have the usual sections-16 and 36-in each township for schools, 32,000 acres for public buildings, 46,080 for a university, 90,000 for an agricultural college (120,000 to South Dakota which had a larger population), and 5 percent of the net proceeds from public land sales for schools. The enabling act specifically repealed the section of the Act of September 4, 1841, so far as it might have applied, granting 500,000 acres to each state for internal improvements, and equally clearly stated that the Swamp Land Act of September 28, 1850, did not apply to the four states. In lieu of internal improvement, swamp and saline lands88 Congress granted a half million additional acres to each of the four states for public buildings, normal schools, schools of mines, reform schools, the state university, and for miscellaneous purposes. In contrast to the 88 Until the admission of Kansas in 1861 every state had been given the swamplands by acts of Congress of 1849, 1850, and 1860. |
