Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-02-11
legislative Summary.
SENATE.


ing power to the Governor, until the
election of Judge at the next gener-
al election.
The act appointing a commissioner
for each regiment for the purpose OF
taking soldiers votes, passed i'll 1862,
has been repealed. The number is
now left to the judgment of the Gov
crnor.
A bill increasing the salary of the
Attorney General has been defeated
by two votes.
The bill taxing dogs, and to encour-
age sheep raising has been indefinite
Iy postponed.
A bill has been introduced locating
the Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Des
Moines. 20
A bill has been introduced by Mr..
Foote, fixing the rate Of legal interest
at s per cent. instead of 10, and one
by Mr.. Cue, to build State Arsenal.
A bill has been introduced to cna-
bic the State to resume certain land
rights and privileges conditionally
granted to certain railroad companies.
HOUSE.
A bill has been passed authorizing
the Boards of Supervisors to pay a
bounty of from 80 cents to $40 on
wolf scalps also bill creating an
additional Judge ofthe Supreme Court,
and bill authorizing the State Treas
urer to sell the twenty-three thousand
dollars of specie now in the State
Treasury as.....
A bill has been introduced to pre-
vent certain stock from running at
large.
A series Of resolutions introduced
by Mr.. Mcneil, memoralising Con-
gress to grant to the support of SOL
diers. widows and orphans, all the
lands in this State owned by rebels
were adopted by party vote. -
On the Goth Of January, Mr.. Hill
dreth had leave to introduce bill
providing for an Agricultural Depart
ment in connection with the State
University, and endowing the same
with the lands donated to this State
for an Agricultural College.
After the reading of the bill Mr.. Hill
dreth spoke as follows:
Mr. SPEAKER There are certain
matters connected with the Grant for
the promotion of Agriculture and the
mechanic arts, which cannot be fairly
disputed.
| The Grant is not TO any particular
institution, nor is it for single insti-
tuition The purpose of the Grant is
defined in Section 4 Of the Act of Con-
grcss, found on page IL of the Report
of the Register of the State Land
Office, Nov. l6, 1868, and is there de-
clarcd to be for the endowment, sup
port and maintenance of at least one
College," &c. This language not on.
lily forbids the construction that only
one College was intended, but strong
ly implies the idea that Congress de
sired more than one. The true con
s;ruction is, that the matter is left to
the sound discretion of the General
Assembly acting for the best interests
of Agriculture, and the mechanic arts
Of the State.
In order to save the Grant to the
State, the State must provide, within
five years from the acceptance OF the
Grant, at least not less than one Col
lege, as described in Section of the
Act of Congress. 1t may be argued
that the five years commenced with
the date of the Act Of Congress-July
IL, lS62-but this | believe would be
a forced construction. A more rea-
sonable construction is, that the limi-
tation commences with the date of the
acceptance Of the Grant by the State
, September III, 1862.
No portion of the find arising from
the sale of the lands donated, nor OF
the interest thereon, can be used,
directly or indirectly, under any pre-
tense whatever, for the purchase, erec-
tion, preservation or repair of any
building or buildings" The c! ause in
Section 5, paragraph First of the Act
of Congress, permitting ten per cent.
to be used for purchasing sites or ex-
perimental farms does not affect this.
If we intend, as no doubt we all do,
to save the Grant by and through the
Agricultural College, there must be
an appropriation sufficient not only
for recitation rooms, lecture halls,
chapel, &c, but also buildings for the
boarding and lodging of students and
the residences of professors. There
is no village near the Agricultural
College Farm, in Story county, where
students and professors could board
no buildings which they could rent
and the founding Of a naked college
building, without the other buildings
necessary to make it useful, would be
neither compliance with the terms
of the Grant nor consistent with the
good faith or good name of the State.
The Third paragraph of Section 3
of the Act of Congress, refers to Sec
ton 4 of the same Act, and the Ian
guage there used contemplates not
merely the erection Of college build
ing to remain idle for the want of 9TH
er necessary buildings, but a Hring,
tactiag institution, accomplishing the
purposes contemplated by the Act.
Not only must the State erect these
buildings, but if by that time the in
terest on the proceeds Of the sales of
the lands, to that time sold, will not
support such an institution, the State
must supply the deficiency. To enti-
tie the State to tho benefit Of the
Grant, she must supply not only the
shell but the kernel Of the nat.
u Now, Mr.. Speaker, if the General
Assembly is prepared to make suffi-
cient appropriations to erect the nec-
lessary buildings. and to support and
maintain the Institution until the inter