The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-01-26
REPORT.

Instruction, to the Fourth General Assembly
of the State Of Ioaoa.
REPORT.
OrrlcE OF SUPERINTENDENT PUBLIC }
lssrRUcTIoN,
Iowa CRY, Iowa, Dec. 6, 1852
Gentlemen Of the Senate, and House Of Rep
rescntattres:
AS required by law, beg leave to lay before
you my third biennial Report
In obedience IL joint resolution of the Gen |
eral Assembly, passed February 5 1851, COM
pill. and arranged the University and School
laws then in force, and they we're assigned their
appropriate place in the Code In Octsber
following, | had five thousand copies of the
laws thus arranged printed, and have subsequent
" distributed a su.lic ent number of copies to
meet the present demand, which, IT IS proper to
add, has been greatly increased by the subdvi-
sion of districts and the organization OF new
Counties.
The first subject Of importance contemplated
in this report, to which your attention is respect
fully directed, Is the condition Of the
STATE UNIVERSITY.
The agent has completed the selection OF the
University Lands, and the selections have been
approved by the Secretary of the Interior By
Lile teTIiS vi Tue grant Stdlc 10 W
46,OSO acres but owing to the fact that each
selection was to embrace not less than one
ton and that many of the sections selected
were fractional, we lost AZ "a in the final
| adjustment OF the matter with the government
| SO that the actual number Of acres received by
the State, is 46,03l "a, to wit
| In the Dubuque district, lU,352,2f acres
:. Iowa City, 22,733,o9 :"
! {. Fairfield, &C l2,ooo,20 g
/ Total 46,o3l,24
By a resolution of the Board of Trustees,
was instructed in the fall of 1851, to offer at
public sale all the lands then approved, with the
condition that no sale should be made for less
than five dollars per acre Such Of the lands as
were not disposed of at public sale, were to be
sold subsequently at private sale, al the mini
mum valuation IN accordance with the fore
going instructions, offered at public sale, at
the Capitol, on the first day Of November, 1851
80 $40 acres in forty acre tracts, being the total
of the selections in the Iowa City and Fairfield
Land Districts. There were only two bidders
present, who purchased between them 462, "a
acres, and on the first day of December follow
ing, the same individuals purchased at private
sale the remainder of the section, making in all
645,14 acres, for which they paid $3257 80, one
fourth in cash. and the balance on credit OF
ten years. The maximum price per acre OF
the Sc sales was 1875, and the minimum 5000.
The cash payments were deposited with the
Treasurer of State, who subsequently loaned the
amount on real estate security. The above sec.
ton was located in Scott county, near Daven-
port. The interest due and paid on the first
day of January, 1852, was $42,72, which
amount, with small additional sum, has been
expended by the Board, for books, stationery
ard printing. A forty acre tract has since been
, sold in Davis county, at the minimum price pei
acre The total number of acres, therefore
sold up to the present date, is 655 IA, and the
aggregate amount Of the fund now invested, Is
S3457 so The interest due on the first day o
January, 1853, is $327,ll On the 28th o
February, 1859, the Board raised the minimum
price OF the lands to ten dollars per acre, ant
, appointed MIR. Arson Hart agent to dispose o
them.
The Board have considered the organization
of the Literary Department of the University
; inexpedeut, from the fact that as yet they
1 have had no funds at their disposal for that pur
pose.
From the Branch at Dubuque, | have neve
received any communication, and am informed
that the trustees have taken no steps for an or
oanizaton. The trustees of the Branch a
Fairfield, have made considerable progress witt
, their college edifice Owing to the almost tota
destruction of the building by hurricane som
q wear and half since, they have been very niue
r embarrassed in their operations. The building
, has been re corst ructed, and is now nearly com
pleted second time The Board have express
ed wish TO have a definite part of the fund Sc
apart for their benefit, and their connection wit
4 the parent Institution terminated. They pro
: pose to take the two sections of land located i
Jefferson county as their proportion OF the fund
and upon condition that they shall have the ex
elusive control of it, they will release the paren
n institution from all further responsibility. Ihl
proposition is equitable and Just, and it's accer
lance is therefore recommended. in case thl
is done, however, il is desirable that some gen
d era and similar plan should be devised at tn
sarne time, by which to terminate the connecuo
existing between the parent institution, and IN
branch at Dubuque and Normal Schools. Th
UNDERSIGNED can but regard the concentration
the University fund, as matter of vital impol
n lance. The folly Of attempting to establish S
many institutions under the patronage OF tn
= State, at so early period OF our history, an
with such limited means, it is believed is no.
obvious to all, and even the friends OF tn
measure are at length satisfied, hat their expet
o t1tions cannot be realized. Communications ar
almost daily addressed to the Superintendent !
reference to the progress of the State Dnlversl'
and it is with deep regret that he is conlpele
to return the uniform answer--that our Unive
]. the branches and schools an equitable portion
the fun /, or an equivalent from some othe
source, and then, by uniting our efforts, we ma
hope to endow an insitution that will refiet
, honor upon the State, and iii which we Will a
have and feel common interest
o The report of J. F. Sanford, Nj D., Dean
n the Faculty, given below, exhibits the condlt'o
of the medical department BY an act of tn
last session Of the General Assembly, the SUI
3 of $5000, was appropriated from the proceed
of the sales of the saline lands, for the benet
of this department. In June following, CAV
y my assent to the prospective expenditure OF IN
If appropriation in the following manner:
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC }
INSTRUCTION.
Iowa Cry, Iowa, June 6, 1851. }
Whereas, by an act of the General Assembi
l. of Iowa, entitled, Gan act to dispose of the sa
= line lands belonging to the state, and apropr
$ ate the proc eeds thereof" approved Februar
:. 5, 1851, the sum of fee thousand daHars ma
e been appropriated and placed at the disposal {
y Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, to be pal
over as lie may tom time to time deem advls
able.
e Therefore, |, Thomas Fl. Benton, Jr. Supel
IA intendent of Public Instruction, do hereby al
= sent to the application OF said appropriation
= and bind myself, and my successors IN Office
'e to pay the same over to the order OF the Med
n cal Faculty of the College Of Physicians an
Surgeons above referred TO, so soon as the mt
ncy is realized as contemplated, by the afor'
said act, for the following objects, to wit:
TO meet the debts already incurred
% in the erection Of the present col
:, ege building and the improve
u ments made. $IUO
lie To complete and building $500
For building and furnishing an addi-
ton in front of the present office
ot for cabinet, museum and library
d rooms for public and private col
lections. 2,OOu
:, For purchasing appliances, illustra-
d tons and chemical and philosophy