OCR Text |
Show 298 HISTORY OF PUBLIC LAND LAW DEVELOPMENT seminary in the organic act for Arkansas Territory, and required that the state should adopt an ordinance, with the usual disclaimer. The entire 5 percent of the net proceeds from land sales was to be allowed the state for roads and canals. The state did not get the requested two section grant in each county for academies, the 800 sections for internal improvements, the Hot Springs and surrounding area, or the lands unsold for 5 years, nor did Congress make any commitment to complete or repair roads it had earlier financed.37 Florida and Iowa Almost before Arkansas was admitted into the Union the people of Florida Territory had begun to discuss applying for statehood and the debate was becoming heated. Complicating the question were the territorial banking policy and sectional divisions within Florida which led to proposals to divide it into two territories. A convention was called for 1838, a draft of a constitution was prepared and there was some talk of resorting to the Michigan expedient of organizing a state, electing officers and Senators and a Representative to Congress and asking for admission afterwards. Between 1838 and 1845 Congress paid little heed to the sharp infighting in the territory, partly because the practice of pairing slave and free state admissions was well established and it was known that Florida could not gain admission, certainly as long as it lacked the requisite population, until another free state was ready for admission.38 Iowa Territory, whose population was mounting rapidly in contrast to the slow growth of Florida, showed little interest in admission at first. It twice voted against statehood, but in 1844 reversed itself, held a convention and drafted a constitution with boundaries that included a part of present 37 Acts of June 15, 23, 1836, 5 Stat. 50, 58. 38 Dorothy Dodd, Florida Becomes a State (Tallahassee, 1945), pp. 29 ff. has been indispensable. Population Growth of Iowa and Florida Iowa 1830 0 1840 43,112 1850 192,214 Florida 34,730 54,477 87,445 Minnesota. With a free territory and a slave territory prepared and asking for admission and each having drafted "republican" constitutions, Congress was prepared to act. In three measures adopted on March 3, 1845, the admission of the two states was authorized. The usual limitations were placed on the states concerning the Federal lands; the northern boundary of Iowa was changed and the constitution of that state was required to be resubmitted to the people with the change incorporated in it; the lands for education and other purposes were specified. Florida was given eight sections of land (5,120 acres) for public buildings, section 16 for public schools, four townships (92,160 acres) for seminaries, including two previously promised, and 5 percent of the net proceeds from land sales for "purposes of education." No salt springs were given. Iowa received section 16 for schools, 46,080 acres (previously granted) for a university, 3,200 acres for public buildings and up to 12 salt springs with six sections adjoining each, on condition that they were never leased for more than 10 years without the consent of Congress. The 5 percent grant of net proceeds from land sales was to be expended by Iowa on roads and canals. Congress required that Iowa adopt an "ordinance, irrevocable" including the usual safeguarding provisions to prevent jurisdictional conflicts over Federal ownership and management of its lands though none had been required of Florida. These safeguarding provisions required that military bounty lands should be exempt from taxes for 3 years if held by the original patentee though there were no military bounty lands in the state.39 39 Acts of March 3, 1845, 5 Stat. 742, 788, 789. |