Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-09

| s0c uAats IOS &tcbtcI PROJECTION against nIcs
to put up fixtures for the purpose Of warm
Ing aud lighting thu cells which II now
'no'fIercntiy done, to enlarge the yard by
moving the walt to the western limits "
the prison grounds, To convert the wei
wing into cells aud for other important
repairs and improvements, amounting In
ALI a. ti8, 10000
The cxpcdiency Of these appropriations
is respectfully referred IL your intelligent
consideration. earnestly u,ge upon you
TIC importance Of adequate security against
lire by the means proposed in the Wardens
Report. ~ MI insurance. can he fl ;cted
anu OF properly warming and lighting
the cells Of the cOnvicts, 80 that the IN
mates can bc rendered comfortable, and
spend their leisure hours in reading
| invite your attention " the Warden's
Report, which will furnish you with de-
tailed statement Of the receipts and dis
,ursemcnts Of the Pcni,entiary, and sus
gcst the appointment OF = special commit
Tee u visit the institution, and report upon
the propricty OF the appropriations and I'm
provemcnts recommended. l take great
pleasure in saying that the affairs OF the
prison have been conducted with marked
success in all the departments.
! LAND GRANTS.
The elaborate and comprehensive report
Of the Register OF the State Land Office,
| will present you the condition of the var
Gus land grants, which nave been made
by Congress ut different times for the
benefit Of the State. 1t will be observed
that many questions of an exceedingly com
plicatei character have arisen from the
conflicting claims OF the parties interested
In these several grants, the full and lst
determination OF some Of which may ~
quire judicial investigation 10 settle
these questions, however, so far as they can
lie settled by legislative action, will involve
much thorough and patient labor large
number of our citizens who have settled
upon public lands in good faith under color
OF title, now find their homes jeOpar,iized
on occount Of claims insisted upon by cor
porations which have become the benef
Charles Of those grants These adverse
, claims, in most cases harShly insisted upon,
will, unless some remedy Is provided, ulti-
natcy cause great inconvenience and per
haps ruin To a large number of our enter
prising and worthy settlers 1t was evi
IDENTIFY the intention of Congress in ali
these grants to preserve inviolatc the
rights of Lona tide settlers, and allow them
fair opportunity to purchase at the mini
mum price. And the attempts now being
made Ivy these corporations to appropriate
these lands against The rights Of the set
tiers, are, i'll my Judgment, manifest de
parture from the spirit OF the grants.
therefore earnestly recommend such lcgis
lation on your part, and resort to judicial
Tribunals, both OF which deem essential
rs will speedily bring these conflicting
interests to a full and final adjustment
The difficulties existing IN the adju st
mcnt of the Swamp Land claims in the Dc
partment ut Washington are fully explain
ed in the Registers report. | entertain
the hope that these difficulties will be fully
removed within u reasonable time, and that
the counties will not be long delayed in
procuring the allowance of their CLAIMS
The law provides that where Lands,
afterwards proven to be Swamp lands,
have been sod by the Government, the
purchase money shall bc refunded to the
state which goes to the benefit of the
proper county. A large number OF war
rants for the indemnity money have been
ISSUED by the United States Treasury, and
forwarded to this office. Some of these
warrants, without coming into my personal
possession, have been improperly and lille
yaily applied 10y parties through whose
hands they have passed, and the counties
to which the warrants belong, have, up to
til time, failed t, receive their money
This matter is OF so grave character,
that deem it incumbent on me to call the
early attention OF the General Assembly to
! it, and therefore ask for the immc,: lat e
appointment Of joint committee to invcs
tgatc the facts.
JUDICIAL SALARIES
Your attention is specially invited to the
subject of judicial salaries Chapter 10.
Acts Of the Extra Session September, 1862,
reduced the salaries Of District Judges t.
81 10000, AMI OF the Supreme Judges t.
81 10000. When this act was adopted We
, were in the midst uf the rebellion, liable
to extraordinary outlaws Of money for an
indefinite period, and the reduction of sal
aries was then regarded by the Legislature
as an important measure in the general pol
icy of rctrenchmcnt. Tie wisdom Of s,,cl,
4 measure, however, at any time, may be
seriously questioned, especially in regard
, to judicial officers; for it should not be
forgotten that upon the purity. ability and
independence Of the judiciary depends To
aEreat extent our stability and strength as
il nation. These essential qualifications
cannot well be secured or continued by n
system Of compensation which is made,
quatc to the proper support Of judicial of
ticcrs. Those best qualified for the bench
must, under the most favorable circum
stances make great pccuninry sacrifices in
becoming judges This reduction Of sala
rics in 'tsappication to the District Judges
took effect in January, 1863, W til the com
mcnccmcnt of the present terms but in
providing for the reduction Of the salaries
Of the Supreme Judges latter the several
terms of office Of The present incumbents
expire it may well be doubted whether
The act takes effect until the close of JUS
tce loves term which will not expire I'm
til that time. Otherwise the anomaly
would be presented of paving some Judges
less compensation than Others of the SAM,
grade. AMI for performing the same service
This the General Assembly clearly never
intended, and it may well be doubted
whether they could have Ionc so undo,
the Constitution. THIS view is sustained
by two of the supreme Judges and the At
torney General, whose opinions will he
found in the Auditors report IT. there.
fore, 1t bc correct that the salaries Of these
operation OF this law, the constitutions
provision against changing the cnmpcnsa
ton Of judges during the term for which
they are elected, will not bc contravcncd
by its repeal, which would leave the saln
rcs OF ali the Supreme Judges Mt $4,000
But whatever view you may entertain as tn
the time of taking effect of this law. /
trust you will perceive the cxpedicncy Of
ITS immediate repeal, as this cannot change
he salaries Of those now in office.
, In my 81 inion the public interests would
he clearly sul'scrvcd by paying our Dis
triet Judges $4,000 u year, and those of I'm,
aprellatc tribunal *2,50O. 4 law in,r,as
Ing the salaries ot District Judges would
take tfftct in January, 1861. ut which time
he terms Of the present incnmlmnts will
expire; hut those Of the Supreme Bench
cannot be increased, if this view of TIM,
Constitution is sustained, until after all q,
The present terms shall have expired
! recommend that You constitute the
rV9 I'm AtVsH