The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-09-05
CITY COUNCIL.

resent, Aldermen Shields, Gin the chair>
Norman. Gum, and Hurdle.
ne committee TO whom was referred the
communication from T. Mason, ESQ, (chair.
man of the Cd Ward School Committee f. 80.
iect school sites,) asking for the appropriation
q the Public Square forSthe purpose of erect
ing thereon public School House, &c., made
the following report, which was read, and, on
motion Of ALI. Gum, unanimously adopted.
REPORT.
Your Committee, to whom WIS referred the
communication signed Timothy Mason, chair
man Of the committee to select School Sites
or. in the words of the communication, that
the committee selected for the Cd Ward be re-
qeested to wait on the City authorities, 10 as
certain whether the Public Square could be OBJ.
tanned for the purpose Of erecting thereon u
Public School, &c.
Your committee would respectfully state,
that they have maturely examined SAID COM
munication, and would ut all times, and under
all circumstances, be pleased to unite with our
fello " citizens in the praiseWorthy and laudabe
advancement the cause Of Education
Your committee, notwithstanding the deep
interest they feel for the advancement Of tho
cause of Education, and their great desire that
its blessings and advantages might, and should
be, realized and enjoyed by all, are of opinion
tkat to grant the request, or in other words, to
donate the Public Square for the use of pub
lie school, particularly as asked for, for the
use of the I'd Whrd,) would be violation of
both law and justice.
1st. Your committee are not in possession Of
ths act of Congress, authorizing the laying off
and disposng ofthe lots in the City of Dubuque,
but are opinion that that law declares, and
clearly contemplates, that certain streets, al
|leys, and squares sha II remain public thorough
| fares. which the government did not sell or
convey, but reserved them expressly for The
use Of the public in general.
We are firmly and decidedly ofopinion, that
if the City authorities have the right to divert
the use Of the Public Square from that for
| which it was originally designed, would be u
right which your committee could not sanction
under ordinary circumstances.
Where is there city, which has the pros
poets that the City of Dubuque has, that has
not manifested core ola public pride than our
City? They are no where to be found, or at
least they have not come under the observa-
ton Of the unders gned. We are not greatly
astonshed at the request of the committee on
School Sites, for making this request, from tho
fact that it is plain to the view of all, that the
| use for which they ask it, would do honor to
| that beautiful square; particularly, when it is
| equally plain to every citizen, that it has at
least fora considerable portion Of the rime since
its Enclosure, been public pasture, to herd
stock upon.
1AS"'h' Jul CoIllutiIlCc NUulu SlGtc, LuuL
it is plain, (at least to their vlew) that if your
hon orable body have the right to appropriate
tho public square to the use Of schools, the
next boord Of Mayor and Aldermen would havo
an equal right to appropriate said square TO the
use of Churches, Hotels, or in fact any other
use they might think proper. Therefore, your
committee are Of opinion, that right and jus.
tice to the citizens Of Dubuque, at large, war
rant them in arriving at these conclusions. For
| instance. this rcQneSt made (AS unGer-
stand it) for the use of the ed Ward-which of
| itself is sufficient cause for the opposition set
forth. But this is net all. Is it not fact, that
the LIST and 3rd Wards would make (and right.
| fully too) the same request, from the "a ct that
each aud every citizen in the City-no differ
ence whether in the LIST, I'd, or Sd Ward-has
| the same interest in and TO the public square:
consequently. we deem it unjust that any por-
ton ofour citizens should be thus favored to
the exclusion OF others.
Your committee might enumerate many 9TH
/ or reasons for not granting the request Of tho
committee of the Cd Ward. but deem those al
ready mentioned as snffici a.
Your committeo would ls.ato to your ho-
4 norabie Body that stheysa in favor of improv-
ing md identifying the Public Square in
manner that will not only add to the improve.
ment Of our City. but to the comfort Of our c-
items; SO that It may be used for the purposes
4 for which II was intended.
X our committee would therefore most re-
i spec fully ask the adoption Of this report.
], G. SHIELDS,
THOMAS HARDIE,
u Committee.
- Petltion Vas received from Lincoln Clark,
A Esq asking for the payment Of certain City
a orders INNS possession, or the interest thereon
y he recorder was. ordered to pay one year :
Il interest on said orders I $500
The Marshal was ordered 10 notifyT Davis,
i Esq: or his agent, that theCity had no further
use for the building rented OF him for a cholera
lhcs2ita!.
"a bill OF costs was allowed Squire wager, J.
\ RI, for case in which the city was non suited.
4 On motion, adjourned: