Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-07-24
POLICE REPORTS.


| sGSoRk SuSIic8 JOHNS.
| Thursday. July Esd
HARRISON RANSOM not having q proper
fear Of Justice Johns and the Police before
his eyes. nor becoming respect for the City
Council and the Ordinances enacted by
them, but being instigated thereunto by
some individual unknown, went and got
tight" The consequence was a short So
journ in the calaboose and a fine Of Is rs.
JonS WILLIAMS not content with the de-
gree Of heat induced by the sultry weather.
got himself into preparation by fighting.
A star who passed that way, faaring that
the great degree Of animal heat which John
was generating by his violent exertions,
might be detrimental to hisprecious health,
kindly took him to place where he might
have an opportunity to cool off The ex.
pense of restoring John to his nominal con-
dition amounted to Is IS.
JAMES McNALLY following the praise wor
thy example Of Harrison Ransom, went and
got drunk too. He was fined Is ~. but
was afterwards discharged on payment of
costs.
Patrick DOYLE keeps noisy, disorderly
house down on the levee Patrick has been
repeatedly warned by the police to reform
his own character and the character of his
house, Of which warnings he has taken no
notice. Yesterday while he was having
row in his house, the police entered and
took charge of HIM He was fined $40 and
| Is O5 costs
hard looking customer whose name we
did not learn, was arrested at the same time
in Patricks house for being concerned in
the row.
The court considered that inasmuch as
each of his eyes had cushion under it, as
his face was generally pounded into
jelly, and as the seat of his unspeaksbles
was torn out, he had been punished suffi-
GENTLY Accordingly he was let off.
Report Of the minority of the Committee
to which was referred the Memorial Of Iowa
College by the City Council Report was
read before the City Council at it's meeting
on Wednesday the 22d inst
The undersigned appointed to confer with |
the Committee Of the Trustees of Iowa Col |
lege, has attended to that duty, and begs |
leave to report:
That there are two questions involved in |
the subject which the undersigned Com |
mittee was appointed to consider. One is
question Of law, the other is question of |
policy. The first question is whether there |
Is legally forty feet street or road running
from 18th street Northward in the line Of |
Main street, and crossing the College
grounds. The undersigned finds that such |
road or street was laid out by Mr. lie
Claire in the year 1889, and dedicated to
public use, along with forty feet road from
the north end OF Perry street, and thirty
three feet road from the north end Of Har-
rison street The question is whether these
roads were all vacated in 1915 by the Coun-
ty Commissioners. ton Mr.. LIE Claires peti.
ton, or whether the road from the north
end OF Perry street clone was vacated.
Your Committee is satisfied that the Trus-
tees OF Iowa College have never regarded
themselves as Withholding any public right
of road across the grounds from the fact
that MIR. lie Claire has since the act of va
cation in 1915 sold the lands between Har
rison and Brady streets, and given warran-
tee deeds, including what is now the College
grounds. and what is now claimed the forty
feet street, to William RUSSELL and Mr. Rus
Sell in the same manner sold to the Trustees
OF the College without exception or reserve.
On the other hand the petitioners for the
extension OF Main street contend, that the
road III question has never been vacated. Ii
appears to the undersigned, that this ques-
ton, whether the public good requires a
road or street across the grounds, cannot be
reached until the question of fact is iudicialy
decided, whether there is such a road or
not. Your Committee do not understand
that they are called to decide, as a suit is
now pending in the District Court, in the
decision of which this question will be set
tied. 1t is the opinion of the undersigned
that the interest Of the property owners on
the street, both individuals and the College
Trustees demand that this question should
be speedily settled by the proper legal tri-
bunal, and recommend that the City A,tor-
ney be directed to take any steps necessary
to secure the decision of the Court, to whom
the matter is now referred.
On all questions Of this kind, the action
Of the City Council, in the opinion OF the un-
dersigned, should be governed by consider
ations of public policy The interests of
property owners-whether corporations or
individuals-are to be subordinate to the
public good. When those interests clash
with the public policy, they are to Yell
You can understand this principle to apply
to all corporations, those established for
charitable purposes, and not for pecuniary
oil s,,.E
interest of the public conflicts with the re.
servation of suitable grounds within the city
limits, for the purposes of Literary and
Scientific Institution however useful il NAV
be- it must seek other grounds Such a
case however should be a clear and undis.
putable one. Your Committee finds that
there is thrown around this question much
that is calculated to awaken and excite the
attention Of the Council, and would bespeak
for it q careful and candid consideration.
An Institution of science and learning is it
self public interest, and Of the highest or.
der. Its value and usefulness increase from
year to year, and from century to century.
II is not to be measured by what it is when
small and new, but what it must become
under the fostering hand Of public regard
and private benevolence Situated midway
in the great valley Of the Mississippi, who
shall say that at no distant day it shall not |
be one Of the most extensive Literary Insti. I
buttons Of which our country can boast. In
the examination of this question some points
present themselves which your Committee
would commend to the consideration of the
Council. Is not the interest of Main street
South Of 9Th devoted ss it is or will be to
business property In opposition to that on
said street running north. (so well calculat-
ed as it is to private residences,) together
with all other property lying adjacent to
the College grounds.
Do the dictates Of public policy demand
that all streets running northward through
out the city, should be opened without re-
gard to public squares or grounds, devoted
to acknowledged to public interest. And
lastly, cannot the interest of Main street and
the public interest be subserved by grading