Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-01-15

70 t0AS large Iumbers OF sheep are annually
killed by dogs. therefore recon mesd thst
tax be levied on oil dogs 10 the State. sod thst
the proeseds OF the taAbe applied 70 pay ing
TO o.nsrs Of sheep killed BY dogs. TIE vsla. Of
the sheep thus killed ! would 20 further
than this-l would exempt from tsxs,ion Tor
period Of five years all sheep not exceeding
fifty. owned by sny resident Of Tho State. and
would also exempt from taxation for the same
time oil capital invested In the state 10 tue
manufscturs Of WOODEN goods.
am we'll sstisfied that the cultivation OF
flax can be successfully and probably intro
duced in our State. Ii 10 valuable not only for
the seed, but for the lint which under = new
process, 10 converted into what 10 called Flax
Cotton. | an well assured that before the
con mencensst Of the Rebellion. . remunera-
tive price could be paid ic our state for the
tax straw, which has heretofore been On entire
loss to the farmer. the fibre separated from the
wood. I'D the TOW transported to Boston and
manufactured into Flax Cotton. which could
fairly compete Ia price and usefulness with the
cotton OF the Southern States. In order to
stimulate our people TO examine the question
carefully. and II possible, Introduce among W
. new and profitable branch Of Industry. / re-
commend that oil capital inv estsd 10 the manu-.
facture OF linseed oil or the conversion Of flax
straw into fax cotton. be exempted from taxa.
ton for five years
II our industry were more diversified, We
would suTer les. from fluctuations Of rice. Of
particular articles. and II az necessity requires
and opportunity offers. We become manufac-
turers As we'll ~ producsrs. Ne will increase
our wealth and independence.
The report Of the Secretary Of the Agricul.
tural College shows the action Of the Board OF
Trustee since your last Session. | would
nio Alu g.
the erection Of the necessary College and other
buildings. II the condition VI our finances
would allow. but cannot nov do 90. The
farm and buildings are in such . condition that
failure to make appropriations will not ne.
cessarily work any injury to them. The only
antavorabe result will be delay. and to that
we must submit until our national difficulties
arc removed. heartily approve Of the policy
adopted by the trustees Of re.erving the lands
donated by the State and by individuals. and
the bonds OF Story County to endow the insti
tuition. trusting to the liberslity Of the State
and OF individuals in more pro. porous times
for the erection Of the necessary buildings.
LAND GRANT.
The report Of the Register OF the State Land
Office shows the condition Of the various grants
| Of land made by the Cor gress Of the United
States to this State.
Various serious and embarrassing questions
have arisen from the conflicting interests and
claims Of some Of the Land Grant Railroad
Companies and tho Des Moines Navigation aud
| Railroad Company. There have been much
vaci lation and conflict of opinion and action
among the heads Of the Department Of the In.
terror in regard to the extent Of the Des MONIES
River Land Grant. That Grant has been held
by one Secretary to extend only to the forks
g 81, 81
another to extend to the eources OF the River
in Minnesota. and by another 70 extend
only to the North boundary Of our State
Cue o: moe OF the Secretaries certified to the
state ss part of tits Grant large bodies of land
| lying above the forks Of the River within the
iimits of the State. and the STATE eubse quentlv
cold and conveyed Llsny OF these lands 10 Ia.
disiduale. Atterward the state contracted
| with the Des Moines Navigation and R.ilroa d
Company to prosecute the work OF improving
the Des Mo.nos River, agreeing to convey to
said Company the title OF the State to portions
Of the lands SO certified to the Ststo Tor that
purpose, as rapidly as tie work progressed
| Under this arrangement the title Of the State
to many Of these lands was conveyed to ths
Des Molnes Navigation and Railroad Company
Subsequently, by settlement with the DE;
Moines Navigation and Railroad Company the
state conveyed to said Company the title o.
the State to the remainder Of the lands which
had been certified TO the State by the Secrs
tary Of the Interior, and ct the came time con
veyed to the keokuk. Fl. Dee Moinss. anG
Minnesota Railroad Company its title to all The
lands of aaid grant which had not been cer'i
fed to the State by the Secretary Of the Later
Tor, except fifty thousand acres reserved foI
certain purposes The Dss Mcines Navigation
and Railroad Company have conveyed to indi
vidusls large bodies OF the lands thus conveyed
to them. The lines Of three Of the Land Gran,
Railroads, (the Dubuque and SIOUX Oity, the
Cedar nap;ds sad Missouri, and the Mississippi
and Missouri,) cross the Dss Moines River
above lis forks, aud hence sriees q conflict be
tive, n these companies and the cornpanies snG
their grantees, and tho grantees Of the STATE
who hold portions Of those lands a. part Of thu
original Des Moines River Grant. These Rail
road Companies, claim tina. the Des Mo ne,
River Grant never really extended above tn.
forks Of the River at Des Moinss and thai
consequently all conveyances made by tn,
State Of lands above that point, a. Des Moinel
River Grant Lands are Invalid, and that By
virtue of the Railroad Land Grant they 40
qui.oi title 10 I'll such lands lying within
the limits of their respective grants
The State having only conveyed what title
it had to these lands may not be legally liable
to make good any ioss that may result to 9th
ers from sfsiure Of that title, but certainly !,
morally bound. 1t the least, to do Whist may b,
reasonably and fairly done to protect the right
aud int rests Of thoas threatened with suol
loss. When the State granted 10 the rail rost
companies the lands granted to the State BY
Congress for rail road purposes. 1t was not con
templated by the parties. certainly 1t was no
oonten plated by the State. that 1t was grant
Ing to these companies lsnds previously con
veyed by the State to others. and II since tn
making Of these grants the companies who ar
TO receive the benefit Of them have discovere,
that by strict legal construction they are enti
tied to more than Was contemplated. either b.
themselves OF By the State. and are disposs'
to enforce strictly these legal rights, to the Ia
Jury of innocent purchasers from the State
the State may, and ! think should, hold tn 30
companies in all things to . strict compliance
with tho terms Of the granite made to them. |
these companies are now in default, and asl
the indulgence and ciemsnoy Of the state.
seems to me the State may very properly. be
fore extending such indulgence and clemency
enquire and know what indulgence and clemen
cy these companies will extend to the unfortu
nate holdr!e Of these lsnds, and make for tn
one with the other such terms and condition
q may be equitable and just to ell.
In selecting the lands Tor the i've hundred
thousand acre grant, 60 called. BY some mistak'
the agents OF the State collected and the ON
GERS Of the General Government certified tt
State several thousand acres more than were
covered by the terms Of the grant This mistake
being discovered, application was made to nJ
immediate predecessor BY the Commissioner o.
the u. s. General Land Office 70 re.convey e
the United States this excess Of land. Upor
| - fo,-nI n at ~ of the Ian
had been already cold ard conveyed BY th,
| cA.A> =. AhaA iii nonld MT ha fe cnny eve ed