The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-01-22

Hesstu tuc misery 0uu uSSTo0asiou uhu hhoW
the hopelcssness of the cure of these poor unfol
tunates when confined in the cells of ou
county jaiis, and has also witnessed their con
paritive happiness and comfort and knows tn
prospect Of their restoration in the Asylum
will insist that this most terrible disease sha
no longer be treated as crime and that IN
State shall do it's duty by providing and carin
forthese, the most helpless and most unfortunat
of her people. An abundance and un
failing supply Of water is absolutely es.
sential to the successful operation of an insli
tuition Of this kind. reliance for such sup
ply upon cisterns and common wells would b
uncertain and unsafe, and as these was the onl
resources heretofore provided, the Trustees an
Commissioners, in order to remove the diffcu
ty, have undertaken the digging of an an Arte
sian well. The details of the work for this pul
pose thus far will be found in the reports, and
recommend that a sufficient appropriation b
made to complete IL or to show its impractica
bility also recommend that the law requiring
the several.counties of the State to pay for th'
support of their own pauper insane be SO chang
ed as to require such payment to be made in ad
vance. In this way only will such payment b.
prompt and reliable and the State be relieve,
practically from the burden of supporting tn
institution. ! cannot perceive the necessity TO
the two boards of Trustees and Commissioners
Either the Boards can easily perform in ad
dition to its present duties the duties Of tn
other board, and by the consolidation possible
conflicts Of authority would be avoided, a.
well as considerable expense.
The law in regard to the reclamation of fugi
tiyes from justice is indefinite as to the amour
of fees to be paid to agents of this State, VIII,
bring back such fugitiYes, and as to whether |
is the duty of the Census Board to pay, such ex
al Il s,J II ba <hs.,,
certainty on these point should be removed.
= grsgsits1g AGRICULTURE. zry ~
Agriculture is, aud for many years must con
tinue, to be the leading interest in our State
and any fair and legitimate aid that can b
given thereunto will tend to promote the publ,
good. With this object the State has for som
years paid considerable sums yearly to aid tht
Agricultural Societies of the State and coun
ties. Whether the benefits that have resnltet
from this expenditure will justify its oontinu
ance during our present difficulties and embar
rassments, you must decide. This great inter
est Of our State may in my Judgment be aidet
by legislation in new direction Hitherto oul
great staples for export have been wheat, corn
cattle and hogs. The prices paid for the trans
portation of these articles to New York form
large portion of their value at that point. In
deed, wheat and corn will not bear Transports
tion to that market during the season when the
navigation Of the lakes is closed. Experience
has, think, conclus;vcly shown that our State
is admirably adapted to sheep grasing, and the
value of wool in proportion to its weight and
bulk, is much greater, and the price ef il:
transportation to New York in proportion tc
its value, mnch less than that of our present
staples.
A great drawback upon the growing Of
wool is that large numbers of sheep are
killed by dogs. | therefore recommend
that tax be levied on all dogs in the
State, and that the proceeds of the tax bt
applied to paying to owners of sheep killed
by dogs, the value of the sheep thus
killed. would go further than this
would exempt from taxation for a period
of five years all sheep not exceeeing fifty
owned by any resident Of the State, and
would also exempt from taxation for the
same time all capital invested in the State
in the manufacture of woolen goods.
am we'll satisfied that the cultivation
of fax can be successfully and proftably
introduced in our State. 1t is valuable
not only for the seed, but for the lint which
under new process, is converted into
what is called Flax Cotton lam well as,
sured that before the commencement Of
the rebellion, remuneratiye price could
be paid in our State for the fax straw
which has heretofore been an entire loss
to the farmer, the fibre separated from the
wood, and the tow transported to Boston.
and manufactured into Flax Cotton, which
could fairly compete in price and useful
ness with the cotton Of the Southern
States. In order to stimulate our people
to examine the question carefully, and il
possible, introduce among US new and
profitable branch Of industry. l recoms
mend that all capital invested in the man.
ufacture Of linseed oil or the conversion
Of fax straw into fax cotton, be exempted
from taxation for FIVE years.
IF our industry were more diversified
we would suffer less from fluctuations o.
prices Of particular articles, and if as ne.
cessity requires and opportunity offers, We
become manufacturers as well az producers
We will increase our wealth and indepen.
dence. 80 go.s ia
The report of the Secretary Of the Ag
ricultural College shows the action of the
Board Of Trustees since your last Session
I would gladly recommend liberal appro
priations for the erection of the necessary
College and other buildings, if the condi
ton Of our finances would allow, but ]
cannot now do so. The farm and building.
are in such condition that failure to make
appropriations will not necessarily work
any injury to them. The only unfavorable
result will be delay, aud to that we mus,
submit until our national difficulties are
removed. ! heartily approve Of the poll
cy adopted by the trustees Of reservins
the lands donated By the State apd by in,
dividuals, and the bonds Of Story county
to endow the institution, trusting to the
liberality of the State and of individuals
in more prosperous times for the erection
Of the necessary buildings.
LAND GRANT. '
The Report of the Register of the
State Land Office shows the condition o.
the various grants of land made by tht
Congress of the United States to this
State. aaA
Very serious and embarrassing ques'
tions have arisen from the conflicting in
terests aud claims of some OF the Land
Grant Rail Road Companies and the De,
Moines Navigation and Railroad Company
There have been much vacillation anG
conflict of opinion and action among thu