Instead of making each man survey his own land, and allowing him to survey it when, how, and where he pleased, with the certainty of producing endless litigation and trouble, Congress provided for a corps of government surveyors, who were to go about this work systematically.

It provided further for a known base line, and then for division of the country into ranges of townships six miles square, and for the subdivision of these townships into lots ("sections") of one square mile--six hundred and forty acres--each.

The ranges, townships, and sections were duly numbered.

The basis for the whole system of public education in the Northwest was laid by providing that in every township lot No.

16 should be reserved for the maintenance of public schools therein.