Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-01-12
STATE pEN1rENr1ARy.

institutions of the State. 1t is, as vet,
incomplete, and for years will need
regular appropriations for current ex.
penses not only, but large OUTLAWS for
additions and improvements. It now
has accommodations for l4S persons,
and IA additional cells in a short time
will be ready for occupancy.
A warden's house, clerks office, q
vault for the safe keeping of the rec
ords of the institution, and building
104 by 40 feet for the purpose of a con.
Wet kitchen, dining hall, chapel and
hospital are about completed.
The labor of the convicts has been
leased at the rate Of 40i cents day, per
man, the contract having been made
for 10 years from Jan. 1, 1865.
The Warden asks for appropriations
to complete the yard wall, to construct
a sewer from the south east corner OF
the yard to the river, to built resor-
voir for water on the hill, for greater
protection against fire, to put up fix
lures for the purpose of warming and
lighting the cells, which is now indif-
ferently done, to enlarge the yard by
moving the wall to the western limits
of the prison grounds, to convert the
west wing into cells, and for other inn
portant repairs and improvements,
amounting in all to $4s, 100 90.
The expediency of these appropria-
tons is respectfully referred to your in
telligent consideration. 1 earnestly
urge upon you the Importance of ade-
quate security against fire by the means
proposed in the Warden's Report, as no
Insurance can be effected; and of prop
erly warming and lighting the cells of
convicts, so that the inmates can he
rendered comfortable, and spend their
leisure hours in reading.
invite your attention to the War
den's Report, which will furnish you
with a detailed statement of the receipts
and disbursements of the Penitentiary,
and suggest the appointment Of q spe-
cial committee to visit the institution,
and report upon the propriety of the
appropriations and improvements rec
commended. / take great pleasure in
saying that the affairs of the prison
have been conducted with marked sue
cess in all the departments.
LAND GRANTS.
The elaborate and comprehensive re-
port of the Register of the State Land
Office, will present you the condition
of the various land grants, which have
been made by Congress at different
times for the benefit of the State. 1t
will be observed that many questions of
an exceedingly complicated character
have arisen from the conflicting claims
of the parties interested in these several
grants, the full and just determination
of some of which may require judicial
investigation. To settle these questions,
however, so far as they can be settled
by legislative action, will involve much
thorough and patient labor. A large
number Of our citizens who have set
tied upon public lands in good faith
under color of title, now find their
homes jeopardized on account of claims
insisted upon by corporations which
have become the beneficiaries of those
grants. These adverse claims, in most
cases harshly insisted upon, will, unless
some remedy is provided, ultimately
cause great Inconvenience and perhaps
ruin to large number of our enterpris-
ing and worthy settlers. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY the intention of Congress in all
these grants to preserve inviolatc the
rights of bona tide settlers, and allow
them fair opportunity to purchase at
the minimum price. And the attempts
now being made by these corporations
against the rights of the settlers, are, in
my judgment, a manifest departure
| from the spirit of the grants. l there
lore earnestly recommend such legisla-
ton OH your part, and resort to legal
tribunals, both of which l deem essen
tiai, as will speedily bring these con-
| flicting interests to full and final ad-
| justment.
The difficulties existing i'm the adjust
ment of the Swamp Land claims in the
Department at Washington are fully
explained in the Registers Report. 1
entertain the hope that these difficult
les will be fully removed within Il rea-
sonable 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 sold by the Government, the
purchase money shall be refunded to
the State, which goes to the benefit OF
the proper county. A large number OF
warrants for the indemnity money
have been issued by the United States
Treasury and forwarded to this office
Some OF these warrants, without COM
ing into my personal possession, have
been improperly and illegally applied
by parties through whose hands they
have passed, and the counties to which,
the warrants belong, have, up to this
time, failed to receive their money!
This matter is of so grave character,
that deem it incumbent on me to cal
the early attention of the General AS
sembly to it, and therefore ask for the
immediate appointment Of joint COM
mittee to investigate the facts.
JUDICIAL SALARIES.
Your attention is specially invited to
the subject of judicial salaries. Chapter
10, Acts of the Extra Session, Septem-
Der, 1862, reduced the salaries of District
Judges to 81 10000, and of the Supreme
Judges to 81 10000. When this Act
was adopted we were in the midst of the
rebellion, liable to extraordinary out
lays of money for an indefinite period,
and the reduction of salaries was then
regarded by the Legislature as an i'm
portant measure in the general policy
of retrenchment. The wisdom of such
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 judici-
AIRY depends to a great extent our sta
bility and strength as a nation. These
essential qualifications cannot well be
secured or continued by system of COM
pensation which is Inadequate to the
4 proper support Of judicial officers. The
best qualified for the bench must, under
the most favorable circumstance, make
great pecuniary sacrifices in becoming
judges. This reduction of salaries in its
application to the District Judges took
effect in January, 1863, with the COM
mencement of the present terms, but in
providing for the reduction Of the sala-
ries of the Supreme Judges "after the
several terms of Office Of the present in
cumbents expire, "it may well be doubt
ed whether the act takes effect until the
close of Justice loves term in January
1868, inasmuch as his is one of the ''sev-
eral terms" which will not expire until
that time. Otherwise the anomaly
would be presented Of paying some
judges less compensation than others OF
the same grade and for performing the
same service This the General Assem-
bly, clearly never intended, and it may
well be doubted whether they could
have done so under the Constitution
/ This view is sustained by two of the SUI
preme Judges and the Attorney Gen
eral, whose opinions will be found in
! tho Auditor'a rnpOrf IF fhorofnra -