Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

Court of the Territory, for the purpose of having then entered on the record of the court. The deceased left a wife and one child.

The first Territorial Legislature provided by law that "no action commenced by a single woman, who intermarries during the pending thereof, shall abate on account of such marriage; secured religious toleration to all; vested the judiciary power in a Supreme Court, District Court, Probate Court, and Justices of the Peace; made real estate divisible by will, and intestate property to be divided equitably among heirs; made murder punishable by death, and provided proportionate penalties for other crimes; established a system of free schools, open to all classes of white children; provided for a system of roads and highways; enacted a law to prevent and punish gambling, and in fact enacted a pretty complete code of laws, many of which still remain in force.

Among the various institutions and associations incorporated were the following: The Wapello Seminary, in Louisa county; the Bloomington and Cedar River Canal Company; the Des Moines Mill Company, in Van Buren county; the Burlington Steam Mill Company; seminaries of learning in Fort Madison, West Point, Burlington, Augusta, Farmington, Bentonsport, Rockingham, Keosauqua, Dubuque, and Davenport; the Burlington and Iowa River Turnpike Company; the Burlington and Des Moines Transportation Company; the Keosauqua Lyceum, and the Iowa Mutual Fire Insurance Company at Burlington.,

STATE ORGANIZATION.

First Constitution-Proposed Boundaries-Changed by Congress-Rejection of Constitution by the People-Congress Repeals its former Provision as to Boundaries and Fixes the Present Limits-The Second Constitution-Its Adoption by the People-Election of State Offiers-First General Assembly-Seat of Government-Monroe City-Fort Des MoinesFinal Permanent Location-Removal-Third Constitutional Convention-New CapitolCase of Attempted Bribery in First General Assembly.

By the year 1844 the population of the Territory had reached 75,152, and the people began to desire a State organization. In October of that year a constitutional convention was held at Iowa City, which formed a constitution defining the boundaries of the State as follows:

"Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river, opposite the mouth of the Des Moines river; thence up the said river Des Moines in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point where it is intersected by the Old Indian Boundary Line, or line run by John C. Sullivan in the year 1816; thence westwardly along said line to the 'Old northwest corner of Missouri'; thence due west to the middle of the main channel of the Missouri river; thence up the middle of the main channel of the river last mentioned to the mouth of the Sioux or Calumet river; thence in a direct line to the middle of the main channel of the St. Peter's river, where the Watonwan river (according to Nicollet's map) enters the same; thence down the middle of the main channel of said river to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence down the middle of the main channel of said river to the place of beginning."

On the 3d of March, 1845, Congress passed an act providing for the admission of the State into the Union, but with boundaries different from those defined in the proposed constitution. By this act the State was to extend north to the parallel passing through Mankato, or Blue Earth river, in the

present State of Minnesota, and west to the meridian of 17 deg. 30 min. west from Washington. These boundaries would have deprived the State of the Missouri Slope and of one of the grand rivers by which it is now bounded, while in shape it would have been long and comparatively narrow. As a result, at an election held August 4, 1845, the people of the Territory rejected the constitution with the change of boundaries as proposed by Congress. The vote stood 7,235 for, and 7,656 against it, being a majority of 421 against the adoption. On the 4th of August, 1846, Congress passed an act repealing 30 much of the act of March, 3, 1845, as related to the boundaries of Iowa, and fixing the boundaries as now defined. On the 4th of May of that year a second constitutional convention had convened at Iowa City, and after a session of fifteen days formed the constitution which was sanctioned by the people at an election held August 3, 1846. The popular vote stood 9,492 for, and 9,036 against the constitution at this election, being a majority of 456 in favor A copy of this constitution was presented in Congress, and on the 28th of December, 1846, an act was passed and approved for the admission of the State of Iowa into the Union.

On the 26th of October, 1846, an election had been held for State officers, when the following were elected: Ansel Briggs, Governor; Elisha Cutler, Jr., Secretary of State; Joseph T. Fales, Auditor, and Morgan Reno, Treasurer. At this time there were twenty-seven organized counties with a population, according to the census, of 96,088.

The first General Assembly under the State organization, convened at Iowa City, November 30, 1846. Thomas Baker was elected President of the Senate, and Jesse B. Browne, Speaker of the House of Representatives. As the latter had been President of the first Territorial Council, so he was the first Speaker of the House when Iowa became a State.

The capitol building at Iowa City being at this time still in an unfinished condition, an appropriation of $5,500 was made to complete it. The boundary being so much extended west of the limits of the Territory when the capital was located at Iowa City, the question of removal and permanent location at some point further west began to be agitated, and the first General Assembly appointed commissioners to locate the seat of government, and to select five sections of land which had been granted by Congress for the erection of public buildings. The commissioners in discharge of their duties selected the land in Jasper county, lying between the present towns of Prairie City and Monroe. The commissioners also surveyed and platted a town, to which they gave the name of Monroe City. Four hundred and fif teen lots were sold, the cash payments yielding $1,797.43, being one-fourth of the price for which they sold. When the commissioners made their report to the next General Assembly, it was observed that their claim for services and expenses exceeded the cash received by $409.14. The report was referred to a committee without instructions, but the location was never sanctioned by the General Assembly. The money paid by purchasers was mostly refunded. Meantime the question of re-location continued to be agitated at each session. In 1851 bills were introduced in the House for removal to Pella and Fort Des Moines, but both of them failed to pass. At the next session a bill was introduced in the Senate for removal to Fort Des Moines, which was also defeated on a final vote. In January, 1855, the et fort proved successful, and on the 15th of that month the Governor approved the bill re-locating the seat of government within two miles of the Raccoon Fork of the Des Moines, and providing for the appointment of com

missioners for that purpose. Under this act the commissioners made selection of the present site. A temporary building was erected by an associa tion of citizens of Des Moines, or Fort Des Moines, as it was then called. On the 19th of October, 1857, Governor Grimes, having been advised that the building was completed and ready for occupancy, issued a proclamation declaring the city of Des Moines the capital of Iowa. The officers with the archives of the State removed during the fall and winter, and on the 11th day of January, 1858, the Seventh General Assembly convened at Des Moines.

Meantime a third constitutional convention had been called to frame a new State constitution. It convened at Iowa City, January, 19, 1857, and adjourned March 5th of the same year. Francis Springer, of Louisa county, was chosen President. The constitution as adopted by this convention was approved by the people at an election held August 3d of the same year, the vote being 40,311 for, and 38, 681 against it. It took effect by proclamation of the Governor, September 3, 1857. In this constitution the location of the seat of government at Des Moines was made a part of the fundamental law. In 1868 an amendment was made to this constitution, striking the word "white" from the clause defining the qualification of electors. The whole vote cast by the people on this amendinent was 186,503, with a majority in favor of striking out, of 24,265.

The first capitol building erected in Des Moines being inadequate for the growing wants of the State, being too small and not sufficiently safe, an act was passed and approved April 13, 1870, providing for the erection of a new one. The following were constituted a Board of Commissioners to have charge of the erection: Grenville M. Dodge, of Pottawattamie county; James F. Wilson, of Jefferson county; James Dawson, of Washington county; Simon G. Stein, of Muscatine county; James O. Crosby, of Clayton county; Charles Dudley, of Wapello county; John N. Dewey, of Polk county, and William L. Joy, of Woodbury county. The Governor was also constituted a member of the Board, and President ex-officio. A. R. Fulton was elected Secretary of the Board. It was provided in the act that the plan to be selected should not be for a building exceeding in cost $1,500000, and the sum of $150,000 was appropriated to commence the work. In the fall of 1870 excavation for the foundation was commenced, and on the 23d of November of the next year, the ceremony of laying the corner stone took place. Gen. N. B. Baker was chief marshal of the day, and Governor Samuel Merrill delivered an appropriate address. The Board of commissioners experienced many difficulties in finding stone, especially within the limits of the State, that had been sufficiently tested for a building of such magnitude. The law required them to give preference to material obtained in the State, price and quality being eqnal, and they desired to comply with the spirit of the law. As a result, however, some material was placed in the foundation, which being exposed, during the next winter, was affected by the weather,' and the next season it was neccessary to remove a portion of the foundation, involving a large additional expense.

The Fourteenth General Assembly convened in January, 1872, and in March a joint committee was authorized to examine and report upon the character of the material used. They reported that unfit material had been placed in the foundation, and recommended its removal. An act was passed at this session appropriating $100,000 for the work in 1872, and

$125,000 to be used annually thereafter for the prosecution of the work, but the whole cost not to exceed the limit of $1,380,000. The Board were required, however, to direct all their action with a view to the completion of the building for $1,500,000. The same act placed the work in charge of a Board of commissioners consisting of five members, including the Governor, who was also to be President, ex-officio. The following were constituted the members of the new Board: John G. Foote, of Des Moines county; Maturin L. Fisher, of Clayton county; Robert S. Finkbine, and Peter A. Dey, of Johnson county, and the Governor, as above stated. Ed. Wright was appointed Secretary by the Board. This Board proceeded with the work in accordance with the general plan adopted by the former Board, and when completed Iowa will have one of the finest and most substantial capitol buildings in the Union.

Having presented a brief review of the legislation in regard to seat of government, which, as we have seen, was inaugurated by the first General Assembly, we return to that session. The contest between the two political parties for ascendency was at that time a very earnest one, and especially in view of the election of U. S. Senators. The two political parties in the legislature were nearly equally divided. The friends of the several candidates were present at the opening of the session to take part in the lobby branch, in behalf of their respective favorites. Keokuk county was represented in the House by Nelson King, a Whig, although his county at that time was regarded as Democratic. Gen. A. C. Dodge, of Burlington, was the prominent Democratic candidate for Senator, and the name of J. C. Hall, also of Burlington, was likewise favorably mentioned. On the afternoon of December 9th, Mr. King, of Keokuk county, by consent of the House, rose in his place and made a statement to the following effect: That since he had presented his credentials, and taken his seat as a member, he had been approached by several different persons relative to the casting of his vote for United States Senators; that several distinct propositions for the payment of money and other reward had been offered him, if he would vote for certain candidates, or either of them, as might be determined upon, which determination was to be made known to him previous to casting his vote for United States Senator; and that the said parties offering thus to reward himn for his vote, had promised to secure him from all blame or suspicion, by procuring written instructions from his constituents, urging him so to vote. He further stated that one Marshall had the day previously given him a five dollar note on the State Bank of Ohio, and told him to call on him at any future time, and he would give him one hundred dollars, or any amount he wanted. He said that Marshall had also surrendered to him two receipts for indebtedness one for legal service while he (King) had resided in Lee county, and the other in discharge of a claim of two dollars and fifty cents, held against him by one William Stotts. Mr. King having concluded his statement, Mr. Stewart Goodrell, then a member of the House from Washington county, moved the appointment of a committee of five to investigate the charges made by Mr. King. The committee was subsequently increased to seven, as follows: W. J. Cochran, of Lee connty; Stewart Goodrell, of Washington county; Alfred Hebard, of Des Moines county; Andrew Leech, of Davis county; Samuel Whitmore of Jefferson county; John L. Morton, of Henry county, and Robert Smyth, of Linn county. The committee commenced their investigations on the same day that Mr. King made his statement. Marshall was arrested, and various witnesses were com

manded to appear before the committee to give evidence in the case, and the investigation which was commenced on the 9th of December, 1846, appears not to have ended until the 19th of January, 1847. Not until the 4th of February was any report made to the House, and then it did not show that the committee had arrived at any conclusions. The report and testimony were ordered to be laid on the table, subject to the further order of the House. The report was never called up. On the same day that Mr. King made his original statement to the House of the attempted bribery, a resolution tendering him a vote of thanks, was laid on the table. Near the close of the session (Feb. 24) this resolution was called up, and a substitute offered for it by Mr. Smyth, of Linn, censuring both King and Marshall. The original resolution and the substitute were both laid on the table, and that was the end of the bribery case, which excited a great deal of interest among the politicians and people of the State at that early day in her political history. It should be stated that Mr. Marshall was not a member of either branch of the General Assembly. The developments on investigation were generally understood at the time to be quite as damaging to the party making the charge as to any other person. The legislature adjourned without electing United States Senators at that session. The next General Assembly elected George W. Jones, of Dubuque, and Augustus C. Dodge, of Burlington. A. Clinton Hastings, and Shepherd Leffler, represented the State in the 29th Congress, 1846 to 1847, being the first Representatives in Congress from Iowa.

EDUCATIONAL.

Public Schools-How Supported-State University-Its Presidents-Faculty—University Fund-Agricultural College-State Normal School-Other State Educational Institutions --Public and Private Colleges and Schools.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

We have seen that the first territorial legislature made provision for general education by organizing a system of common schools. The famous ordinance of 1787 required that "schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged," and this has been the policy of the government in the admission of every new State since that time, as evinced by the liberal grants of the public lands for educational purposes.

The public schools are supported by funds arising from several different sources. In the first place, the sixteenth section of every congressional township was set apart by the government for school purposes-being one thirtysixth part of all the land in the State. Congress also made to the State an additional donation of 500,000 acres, and an appropriation of five per cent on all the sales of public lands in the State. The State also gives the proceeds of the sales of all lands which escheat to it. The money derived from these sources constitutes the permanent school fund, and, including the proceeds of the land still unsold, will amount to over four millions of dollars. The interest on this fund is apportioned by the State Auditor semiannually to the several counties of the State, in proportion to the number of persons between the ages of five and twenty-one years. The counties also levy an annual tax for school purposes, which is apportioned to the several district townships in the same way. A district tax is also generally levied for the same purpose. The money arising from these several sources consti

« PředchozíPokračovat »