Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-03-18
REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT.

! NO los, 10 f1toNiut toi 'it0 iShiioN"h VI
the county seat Of Iowa county, from Mineral
Point TO Dodgeville,
Have had the same under consideration and
submit tie following report
The sad bin was introduced aud referred TO
your committee on the 18Th day Of February OF
the present session. since which time your COM
nittee have with some degree of patience avail
ted the action of the friends oftEe bill, but up
TO the time of making this report, your commit
tee have received 70 evidence that any portion
of the people Of Iowa county are DESTROYS Of
! baving the always exciting question of county
seat agitated at the present time and your
committee believe that to pass this bill with
out having good evidence before Us that such
action was demanded by at least respectable
minority of the inhabitants Of the county would
be simple gratuity en- the Part Of the legisla-
ture
/ Upon the merits OF lie question involved in
said bin, your committee are not of the opinion
! that it would be for The welfare of The people
/ Of lie Whole county Of Iowa, or Of the majority
+ 70 remove the county scat from Mineral Point
TO DodgeyiHe at the present time.
The majority Of your committee arr well ac-
+ quainted with al sections aud portions of the
county os Iowa. and willie they readily admit
I Tie fact that in ordinary cases a county seat
should he a near as practicable othe gecgraph-
zeal centre of the county; yet these may be, and
oiten are. instances where 1t is equally or more
convenient and desirable TO the whole people OF
a county. as a community, that the seat Of JUS
tice should be located at a point quite remote
from The geographical ce1tre Such an instance
in the opinion OF your committee, is presented
/ By tie county Of Iowa as at present exhibited
and settled This is chiefly owing TO the Tecul-
lar relative positions Of tie mining and farming
settlements and towns in SAID county, and the
greater density Of the inhabitants Of the former
over the latter.
The county seat Of Iowa county, rs at present
bounded and organized, was located at Mineral
Point by a vote Of tie people after spirited
contest in 1871, since which time the inhabi-
tants ofthe county have, with great unaninity,
acquieseed III Its permanent location there
At that point the county has all the necessary
buildings fer county purposes.
Tie county Of Iowa has been peculiarly and
unfortunately situated. Once embracing near
IS oue-fourth of the territory now composing
our state-in the ereetionofthe public buildings
and other sources Of expenditure incident 10 a
large though srarsely settled country, she nj
m early day became deeply involved in debt.
but small portion Of which has been paid or
assumed by either of the fiourishing and vigor-
Gus counties which have from time to time been
organized from the borders of" old Iowa :"
hence she has been for years struggling along
crippled IN her resources, her paper scarcely
worth 30 Per cent. per dollar, and her taxes
most grevious to he borne. But now. thanks to
the Iiourishirs times. abundant crops. and tall
taxes Of the last two or three years, but more
particularly to the prudent manner in Which the
affairs Of said county have been managed since
the adoption Of the town system Of government
therein, her " Oldest inhabilGnt" now for the
first time, sees his county out Of debt and her
paper rs good as cash at one hundred cents to
the dollar. Under the above circumstances
your committee do not believe that q majority
OF the citizens of said county are DESTROYS Of
moving their county seat eight miles to the Will
age Of Dodgevilie and their enacting over the
struggle Of embarrassment and Indebtedness
necessarily incident 10 the erection Of new coun-
ty buildings, etc, from which She has bat just
now emerged.
Your committee are Of tie opinion that qrcs-
ttNl4S MiltC give Use TO excitement, OF
personal and sectional character, and which
are frequently followed by such expensive
and voxafious litigation, county seat ques-
tions often are, should not be submitted TO =
vote Of the people at The polls, except in cases
of urgent public necessity. or at the demand Of
at least a large minority Of those Interested
We are Of the opinion shat no such necessity or
demand exists in the present instance.
The chairman OF your committee, who intro
duced Tie bill under consideration, did so n
the request Of some three or four Of the citizens
Of Dodgeviile wlo demanded It's introduction,
as matter Of right, your chairman hopes in
good faith. If however tLeir main object. OF
that ofothcrs operating through them was 10
get the opiHtcn thisSabject Of a Legislative
committee in general, or Of the chairman of
YOU reommittee in particular. we trust that they
VIII not consider themselves disappointed
Believing tl.t no good object would be oh
tanned by the passage 81. said bill. your commit
zee recommend That Il be Indefinitely posi-
roaed.
AGkSA COBB, Chairman.
CHARLES DUNN,