Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-01-22


or experimental farms,) shall be invested in
stocks of the United States, or of the States.
or some other safe Stocks" land
the interest shall be involiably appropriated,
by each State which may take and claim the
benefit of this act, to the endowment, sup
port and maintenance Of, at least, one college,
where the leading object shall be, without ex-
Guiding other scientific and classical studies,
and including military tactics, to te,ch such
branches of learning as are related to agri-
culture, the mechanic arts, &C." %
The grant, thus made to the State, is a
magnificent one, being about five times as
large as that made for the support of the
State University, and will. if properly hus-
banded and cared for, make rich endow-
ment But, to secure the grant, sufficient
funds must be provided, outside the grant,
to erect the necessary buildings: and then
funds must be provided to meet the current
yearly expenses, until quantity of the lands
can be sold, the interest Of the proceeds Of
which, invested as required by the law making
tho grant, will support the institution.
If these funds can not be furnished or pro-
vision made in some other way to comply
with the terms of the grant, the State will
lose the great benefits she may otherwise de.
rive from this magnificent donation. l
recommend the subject to your careful con.
sideration.
TIE SUPREME COURT.
l very earnestly recommend to you the
passage of q law providing for the early ap
pointment Of and subsequent election OF an
additional Judge of the Supreme Court; and
also, that you make an appropriation Of the
sum Of five thousand dollars to be expended,
under the direction Of the Court, for the pur.
chase Of law books for the State Library.
The first Of these measures l deem neces.
sary to enable the court to do its work prompt.
ly, and the second, to enable it to do it well
This tribunal is one Of the most important
branches of our State Government. Upon
its action more, perhaps, than upon that OF
any other branch of the Government must
our people depend for security of life, liberty
and property. Questions are continually
brought before it, from all parts of the State,
affecting the most important interest of the
parties to those questions; and the rules and
principles established in deciding them, be.
come rules and principles controlling the in
terest of every resident Of the State. 1t is,
therefore, of the first importance that the
Court shall have tipe to examine all ques-
tons fully and carefully before deciding, and
that it should have the means of making that
examination intelligently. The court now
consists of only three members, and the
amount of business before it is such, that
either great delay must ensue in disposing o.
it, or it must be transacted in such haste as
to preclude proper examination and delibera
ton. The addition of another Judge viii
largely increase its working capacity. and viii
afford more tune for careful and intelligent
action.
The absolute necessity for a good Law
library, to court of last resort, must be ap
parent to all. 1t is unreasonable to expec
learned and correct decisions from court de
prived of good library, as it is to expec
good and well finished work from mechanic
without tools. The reports of other States
contain the we'll considered opinions of thei
most learned Judges; the elementary work
contain the principles upon which our who'll
legal system is based, and to require ou
Judges to decide cases involving questions
affecting the most vital rights and interests o
our people, without the opportunity to con
suit these fountains of law, is unreasonable
in itself, and tends to render doubtful ant
uncertain the principles controlling and pro
tecting these rights and interests.
TIE STATE UNIVERSITY.
This institution is now in fourishing con
dition. The number of students in attend
ance, at the present time, is over three hun
dred and fifty, and they come from all part
of the State. The Faculty are devoted to tn
interests of the institution, and it is rapid
becoming, what it was intended to be, al
honor to the State and powerful aid in pro
noting her highest interests.
renew my former recommendation, tha
provision be made, by law, for Military Pro
fessorship in the University. Such profess
orship will not only popularize the institu
ton, but will impart to our young men
kind of knowledge, the want of which ha
cost us many men and much treasure, sine
the commencement of the rebellion; and tn
necessity for which, in the future, the histor
of other nations teaches, may come upon u
at any time. '9
The Board Of Education, at their last ses
sion, directed the Trustees of the Universit
to establish Military Professorshp as 500
as the General Assembly should make tn
necessary appropriations. l have placed tw
hundred stand of arms, with accoutrement.
in the hands Of the Faculty, and I earnestl
commend the matter to your favorable con
sideration. a1 a.'t IL .# aA
I The present number of students in attent
ance upon the University is greater than tn
capacity of the University buildings to a,
commodate; and, with the prospective ii
crease in numbers, these buildings will 500
be entirely inadequate to the wants of tn
institution, and candidates for admission mul
be turned away for lack of room to recei1
them.
The former Hall of the House Of Repr
sentstives, now used as Chapel, is insult
cient for the present numbers, and many al
thus excluded from Chapel services.
larger Hall is imperatively needed for Chape
Commencement and all other exercises requi
ing the assembling of the whole number
students. .s.a ~ sri.s,s-.-
I There are no suitable rooms for the Chen
ical Labratory. This, to our agricultur
State, is, perhaps, the most important depar
ment of our University. Chemistry is
coming daily more liberal contributor
agricultural knowledge and success; and Il
|, advancement of chemical science in our Stat
through the State University, should be e
pecially encouraged.
Our University will not be complete un
J it shall have an Astronomical Observato
connected with it. This has already becon
,ta prominent feature of the University
Michigan, and the demands Of our mo
Western location will soon require it Of 7
A building may be erected to answer all the
purposes at much less cost than to provi
for them separately.
Our State now stands with the foremost
her sister States in her intelligent and here
devotion to the political institutions Of o
country She needs but to use her adva
n tages to take an equally high position
.s3@lG Talise Z so TO al-sf.sl. l8oIi