The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-01-12
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


eral Assembly passed Act entitled, Gan act for
the Public Instruction OF the State OF Iowa" This
Aet the exception OF those portions Of 1t which
provided for levylng taxes and approprating mo-
ney, subsequently declared unconstitutional BY
the Supreme Court. The Board Of Education at it'd
first session, held in December, 1883, were much
psrpsxed In determining the extent Of their iurs-
| dictien, fearing tho one hand that they might
eacroaOh upon the powers Of the General Assembly
and on the ether, that they might tail to perform
70 the full extent the duties required OF them
der the constitution.
| After much reflection and deliberation, they re-
enacted the law above referred to with some slight
alter ations. LII took effect the frat day Of March
| last, and under Ii school system has operated
| as successfully ~ VIC could reasonably expect in
| view Of a change from system with which they
were familiar, TO one ma teriay different In Its
| sential features. Objections have been made to
some OF it's provisions, but in the main it appears
| TO have given satisfaction.
The Board at their recent session, held in Dscem-
Der Of last year, made variety OF amendments
which they bell eve will remove all valid nbjec-
tions.
Under the provisions of the constitution, all laws
pass by the Board of Education are subject to al
teration, amendment or repeal by the General As
semb!y. The Law as amended will be laid before
you for your consideration; and 1t 10 earnestly hoped
that you will only make such additions to 1t ~
you may deem essentially necessary To give 1t vi
tally without materially changing its provisions.
Repeated and radical changes in our school laws,
.
with temporary onvsnience, and frequently with
serious and hence 1t Ii particularly DESTROYS
to avoid them unless they are indispensable to the
prosperity vi our schools.
Popular education Is one Of the most important
interests Of the State. much greater number Of
the people are personally identified with its failure
than with any other subject Of legisla-
ton. Ia certainly necessary, therefore, that the
utmost precaution should be observed in anything
you may deem it your duty to do for the promoti
Of this great object and in this sentiment am
fully persuaded that / have your hearty concur
renee. Ii is all-important that the snnOnl laws
shoulibe considered and acted upon definitely and
finally at an early day Of the session, order that
they may be published and distributed IN time for
the school district elections in the spring. Their
circulation in pamphlet form should not be restrict
ed to school officers, but they should be sent broad
cast among the people, in order that they may be-
come familiar with their provisions. At least ev-
cry head of family should be supplied with n
copy. We have over one hundred thousand voters
who are interested in school district meetings,
aud to enable them to become familiar with their
duties and obligations, the school laws should be
circulated extensively among them.
Tho subj ect OF discontinuing the Board of Educa-
tion has been discussed by some of public jour
malls. While much regret the unfortunate posi-
tion ia which We placed by the educational pro-
visions Of our constitution, should seriously CUES
tion the expediency OF such measure at present
The Board have endeavored faithfully to perform
the responsible duties imposed upon them, but at
constitutional restrictions, and hence their egisa
ton has not been such 1t would have been IL they
had been clothed with full and exclusive authority
to all laws for the government and support Of
our common schools.
But it should be remembered also that they pos
sess under the constitution the see power to orr
mate all laws exclusively educational In their
character.
The constitution provides that the General AS
sembly shall have power to abolish or reorganixe
q i,aR 3nfE 4 time oft
1868, md another session OF the General Asse
bly, will trans pre before that time, any legislation
the subect at present would certainly BE- unwise
and premature, and would probably render our
than before.
FIVE PER CENT FUND.
Our admission into the Federal Union transpred
in tho fall Of l646. At this time there very
few outstanding military land warrants. part
OF the compact Of admission was, that in consider
alton he government lands should not be taxed by
the State should receive per cent upon the net
sales of the lands within her chartered limits
Upon ne cash sales and have been receiving
this fund but upon III entries made with military
land arrants, the Per cent Ia denied upon the
ground that such entries mere bountics, and
sales. In February. IS47, three or four months
after admission into the Union, Congress passed
an act Offering one quarter section OF land to every
prvsta, musician, and non commissioned officer who
would enter and serve given period in the Mexican
war. This war closed about the time that our best
| lands were being brought into market; vast num-
bers If these warrants issued and were located
in this State, absorbing large proportion of our
best lands. As they formed part Of the contract
OF enlistment, they could not have been withheld
by the government without act Of bad faith; not
SO, however, If they were in fact only boun ties
But they were issued in discharge of consideration
that had been given IN the form OF military ices
and thsr subsequent redemption Ia land, eonstitu-
ted sale in the Of the law ~ we'll as the COM
pact. Such 10 the opinion Of the best urists In the
country. have appealed in vain TO the Secretary
| of the Interior for the payment Of the per cent
upon these warrants, that now spproximates TO
niiilioa Of dollars, On going to Washington to in
stitute suit in the court Of ella inns, WAS direct
Ell To d by joint resolution adopted II your last
General ASS pmbly, WAS strongly dssuaded from
doing 80, for the that it would be useless
| expenditure of money that the decisions Of that
court settled nothing-that they we're only equiva
lent TO report made by q committee Of either
house of Congress, az were as frequently over
ruled-thst the relief after all, must through
Congress. Eminently unjust as ia the pa yment
Of this fund for the assigned, Iowa is no,
the on y party complaining. Other Western States
| stand IN tnesame categtry, but not 30 largely i'm
piicated They propose 10 abide their time till af
| ter The next federal census and apportionm snt
| which viii give tho Wet some Is or 20 additions
representatives. My opinion Is that we had better
do the same thing.
/ The pay ment u this fund is not . more favo,
which We are asking Of tho General Government
but a sussisting legal right which could be en-
forced in court Of justice. was there tribuns
of this kind clothed with the requisite jurisdiction
/ SCHOOL FUND AND LANDS.
| The agents employed to investigate the affair
of the different School Fund Com sioncrs i'm til,
State, found many irregularities and abuses in thu
official discharge Of their duties, and in the ceun
tea OF Alamakee, Chickasaw, Clarke, Decatur
Fayette, Jones, Madison, Mitchell, story and Wa
Epeiio, they discovered defalcatiors to an amour
eacseding $4,000. Their reports, however, il
some instances, were not entirely clear and salts
factory, and probably may have done some some o.
| the oa.cers injustice. The law makes IL The dut,
of the County Judges In all such to bring th,
matter TO the notice OF the District Attorney To-
the purpose Of instituting legal proceedings.
am VI tho opinion that the interest Of the stat
school Fund would be better snbserved by authori
xing the Auditor Of State or the Secretary Of III
Beard # Education Col. Benton,) to re-investi
gate the accounts Of the School Fund Commission
err IN tho counties mentioned, with d view OF %
certainng with greater certainty the real facts n
each case, this being done, TO clothe such of6ce