Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/163

Rh $2.50 per acre and the state provided that "no person owning more than 320 acres of land in this state, by any other right, shall be entitled to purchase under the provisions of this Act." The sale of the Agricultural College lands was conducted under these provisions, except that in 1887 the 320-aere limit was made to apply only to the amount that might be purchased from the state. The disbursement of the interest income of the fund accumulated from the sales of these lands began in 1879.

The Internal Improvement Grant. As the proceeds of this grant, and not merely the interest income from the funds accumulated, were at the disposal of the state, this grant seemed to appeal to the Oregon legislative assemblies. Instead of dilatory neglect, action too precipitant was taken in connection with it. The legislature of 1860 anticipated rights to specific lands under this grant before claims to any had been sanctioned through ratification by the national authorities of selections made by the state. An act was passed entitled "to provide for the possessory and pre-emptory rights of 500,000 acres of land donated to the state." The purpose of the enactment was to secure to any applicant, a citizen or one who had declared his intention, the right to pre-empt a tract of from 40 to 320 acres of unsurveyed land, not saline or mineral in character, with the view of having the state select such pre-empted claim as part of its 500,000-acre grant. In return for the state's intervention to secure the pre-emption it was to be paid annually an amount equal to ten per cent on a $1.25 per acre valuation as interest. When the United States survey of it was made the pre-emptor was to pay the state for the land as part of its selected 500,000 acres, However, the state authorities were soon apprised that the national government would not recognize the rights of such claimant under state law against claims to the same tracts that might be established under the national land laws. But aside from this little jolt the state had no trouble in getting possession of lands to fill this grant.