The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-09-16
SPECIAL MESSAGE
OF THE
GOVERNOR OF IOWA.
Gentleman of the Senate and
House of Representatives. =

vitality affecting the public welfare, which
in my judgment, require your immediate
action.
When you closed your last regula
session, the belief prevailed very gener
ally that the strength of the rebellion
against the General government hat
been broken, and your legislation upo'
some questions of great public inter es
was controlled by the belief. The lapse
Of time has shown that belief to be erro
neous, and change Of Legislation OF
those questions has therefore becom,
necessary.
The provision made for our sick anc
wounded soldiers, and for their return tt
their homes on furlough, will, under ex
isting circumstances, prove wholly mad
equate. The largely increased number
OF our soldiers that will be shortly III the
field, and the great length of time they
will be exposed TO the danger of disease;
and the casualties of battle, will render
absolutely necessary large increase
of the fund provide for their care and
comfort The extraordinary expenses oI
my office have also been and will proba-
bly, continue to be largely increased, in
consequence Of the new demands tha
have been and may be made upon the
State. | therefore recommend 10 your
favorable consideration such increase Of
the contingent fund for extraordinary
expenses of this Office, as will be suffi
cieul to enable me to do for the gallant
men who SO nobIy represent our State in
The army of the Union, when suffering
from wounds and disease, that which
every loyal heart SO anxiously desires
should be done, and also enable me TO
carry on successfully the many new and
arduous labors imposed upon this office,
in promptly responding to all the de
mauds made upon the State for the sup
port OF the Government.
The labors Of the Office Of the Adiutant
General have been largely increased, and
must continue to be very great as long
as the war last, and for some time after
its close. This State will soon have in
the field nearly or quite fifty thousand
men, and the interest and welfare of our
soldiers and their friends require that
the records of that Office should be fully
and carefully kept The Adjulant Gen
eral now discharges in addition to the
duties of his office, the duties of Quarter.
master General and Paymastel General
Il is, in my judgment, impossible for one
officer properly to superlntend the labor
OF these three Departments. The amount
OF labor and attention required, is more
than one person can give, and the neces.
sary work cannot be SO promptly done.
OF so well done. as il there was proper
division of labor. | recommend that |
should be authorized to appointan Assis
tant Adjulsnt General who shall act as
Paymaster General, a Quartermaster
General can be appointed under the ex.
isiing law, and the duties then imposed
upon the Adjutant General can be SO di
vided and arranged, as in my judg
greatly to benefit the pubic service.
In my Judgment the compensation OF
the Adjutant General is not adequate
either 10 the labor or the responsibility OF
his position, and recommend an add-
ton thereto either by allowing him a
contingent fund for his travelling expens
es, or by an increase of his salary.
Congress has provided by law an al
lolment system by which our soldiers
can set aside portion OF their monthly
pay, and have the same paid at
their homes 10 such persons as they
Il Il
The benefits of this system are obvious
aud great. Commissioners have been
appointed by the President under the
law, but the compensation of Commiss-
toner's must be paid by the State, and as
no appropriation has been made for that
purpose, our soldiers and their friends
have not as yet enjoyed he benefits oil
the system. One Of the Commissioners
is now engaged in procuring the allot-
ments OF the new regiments before they
leave the State, and earnestly recon
mend such appropriation as will secure
the advantages OF this system 10 all our
soldiers.
Since your adjournment Congress has
passed law donating public lands 10 the
several States aud Territories which NAV
provide Colleges for the benefit Of Agri.
culture aud the Mechanic Arts. Under
this law this State is entitled to a dona
ton OF two hundred and forty thousand
e40, 900 acres of land Ii is a most
munlticent donation. and for a most wor-
thy purpose. 1t is of great importance
that immediate action be bad by you
touching this grant. BY taking such nc
tion the State can secure the entire
amount Of the lands within her own lin
its, and consequently control their man
agemeat and disposition. Should action
IN this matter bo postponed until the next
regular session other States may select
their lands within the limits oflhis State,
aud manage and dispose of them in a
manner very undesirable to US. rec
ommend the subject TO your careful con,
sideralion.
The regiments We have sent and are
sending 10 the field contain q very large
portion of our population required by
law to perform labor on tie highways.
Only those between the age OF twenty.
one and forty-Gye are now required 10