The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-30
Ought the state to purchase the
building 1t now uses rs u State
House.

| The persons who formed the Capitol
Building Association, and who, in con.
sideration of the removal, agreed to aud
did erect temporary State House, in
which the General Assembly and Supreme
Court still meet, and the State officers have
their Offices, are all bankrupt-comp
swamped by that tremendous speculation,
the removal. To put up this building
these persons borrowed $4,000 Of the
School Fund, through Eads, which thew
still owe with seven or eight years added
interest. the State has no security and
must lose the whole amount, for none OF
these person can ever. rise under such a
load. The members of the Association
wish to turn this building over to the State
and thus cancel their paper. If the facts
are as stated, if it is true that by the opera
ing and gives nothing but the paper OF
men hopelessly bankrupt, then the State
may be the gamer.
The following is a statement Of the case,
by Col. Williamson, one of the Associ-
alton. We print il, not because we ever
had any interest in the speculation or sym
pathy with the persons who ruined them
selves in the operation, but because we are
willing all parties should be heard:
On the 26th day of June, 1856, J. A. Will
hanson, J. X. Brooks, J. NJ. and II. II.
Griffiths, }. d. Cayerson, w. A. Scott.
and Alexander Shaw, borrowed Of James
D. Eads. Superintendent of Public In
siructiOn, for the State Of Iowa. $40 OOl.
each individual giving his note for the
sum borrowed by each respectively. paya-
BILE five years after date.
The parties above named were members
Of an Incorporated Company, known as
the Capitol Building Association, and used
the money borrowed of the School Fund.
for the erection Of the Capitol Building.
This building was erected in pursuance
of the law relocating the Capitol, passed
January, 1855, and has been occupied as the
State Capitol since the fall Of fS57.
The Capitol Building Association was
formed and commenced the erection of the
building in April, 1856, and within less than
month after the Capitol was located. and
had the building completed in Jan. 1857.
II the State had acted in good faith with
the parties who erected the building. The
Governor would have issued his prOcla-
nation removing the Capitol to Des Nfoines
as soon as the building was ready, as was
contemplated in the law, SO that the par
might
have been able to sell their real estate and
receive part Of the benefits which the
Legislature enacted in the law relocating
the Capitol, supposed would be an eaniya,
lent for the use OF the building as long as
the State might want it for Capitol.
Instead OF the Capital being removed as
| contemplated by the law, it was held 81
Iowa City until after the adoption Of the
Constitution in 1857. There is the most
abundant evidence that the Capital was not
removed 70 Des Moiaes under the law OF
| 1855, and that it never would have hnar - =,
removed had it not been part of the State
Constitution, adopted in 1857. 80.
The representatives Of the State in its
Legislature, have, at each regular and ex.
IRA session I OF the General Assembly since
repeal the law relocating the CAPITAL or to
remove the Capital to some other point.
| thus destroying all confidence in the loca,
: ton, and thereby depriying the men who