Later, I introduced and carried through the
House a measure for distributing the proceeds of the public
land and sums received from patents and some other special
funds, among all the States in aid of the common schools.
This bill passed the House, but was lost in the Senate mainly
because Senator Morrill of Vermont, a most excellent and influential
statesman, insisted that the money should go to the agricultural
colleges, in which he took great interest, and not to common
schools. Later when I became a member of the Senate I succeeded
in getting a like measure twice through the Senate. But it
failed in the House. So the two Houses never agreed upon
it. But the movement and discussion aroused public attention
throughout the country and were of great value.
While I was on that Committee, I think during my second term,
there was referred to it a bill to rebuild William and Mary
College in Virginia. The principal building of that College
had been destroyed by fire. The Union and Rebel forces had
fought for possession of it. It had been held by the Union
soldiers and a court martial was sitting there when it was
attacked by the other side and the Union men driven out, and
the insurgents held the building for a few hours.
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