Texas Almanac, 1859 Page: 24

'4 TEXAS ALMANAC.
GONZALES AND BELL COUNTIES.- (128.)
Are authorized to levy a special tax, not to exceed $3000 each year, to enable
them to build court-houses.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. (116.)
The University of Texas is to be hereafter located; and the present act appro-
priates $100,000 for suitable buildings; and fifty leagues of land, heretofore set
apart for two State universities, are given to this, together with every tenth section
of the lands reserved to the State from the donations to railroadrt and to the Gal-
veston Bay and Brazos Navigation Company. A Board of Administrators, con-
sisting of ten, namely, the Governor and Chief Justice of the State, and eight men,
to be appointed by the Governor with the approval of the Senate, are to direct and
control the affairs of the institution, holding their office for four years without com-
pensation. All the higher branches are to be taught; but nothing of a sectarian
character. Degrees are to be conferred by the Administrators, who are also re-
quired to report to the Legislature at every session. The instruction is to be free.
The State Treasurer is to be the Treasurer of the University. As soon as this in-
stitution shall be located by some future law, the Administrators are required to
have suitable buildings erected, under the direction of a competent architect.
PRE-EMPTION SETTLERS. (118.)
This act extends to preemption settlers or their assigns the time to return
their field-notes to the Land Office for patent, to January -t, 1859, on certain con-
( itions The same time is also given to settlers in the Pacific Railroad Reserve,
under the act of August 6th, 1856, requiring the payment to the State of fifty cents
per acre, provided, however, they shall have complied fully with the law.
ASYLUM FOR THE BLIND. (119.)
Twelve thousand five hundred dollars are appropriated for this Institution. The
Trustees are required to select a suitable site oa the lots belonging to the State, in
Austin, if possible; if not, then to select it elsewhere; but in this case, they can not
purchase the ground and erect the buildings without the previous ratification of the
Legislature. But should they select the site on the Government lots, then they
may proceed to erect suitable buildings under the direction of the Governor, the
Comptroller, and the Secretary of State.
SALE OF TEE PUBLIC DOMAIN. (127.)
This important law requires the Commissioner of the General Land Office to
issue land-scrip or certificates for not less than 160 acres, which may be sold at one
dollar per acre, to be located on any public lands not held in reservation by any pre-
vious law. The alternate sections reserved from donations to railroads, etc, and all
islands, heretofore reserved, may be sold at $1.25 per acre; but certificates to be
located on the reserved alternate sections of the Memphis, El Paso. and Pacific
Railroad Charter, can not be sold for less than 82 per acre. The Commissioner
of the General Land Office gives the applicant an order on the Treasurer, who
gives him a receipt for the money; and by virtue of this receipt, the Commissioner
gives the corresponding land certificates, at $1, $1.25, or $2 per acre,:as the
case may be; and for 160, 320, 640, or 1280-acre tracts, according to the wishes
of the applicant and the money paid, as shown by the receipt. The fourth section
of the Act authorizing the sale and settlement of the Mississippi and Pacific Rail-
road Reserve, is repealed ; but certificates heretofore issued under that Act, may
be located there. A preference is given to the heads of families to purchase 60
acres on which they have settled and improved, and 160 acres more adjoiinr for
every three slaves; but this preference is not allowed to those who have settled on
the reserved lands or islands. The proceeds of these sales are to constitute a part
of the Common School Fund.