of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 20-22
THE TERRITORY BECOMES THE STATE OF IOWA. The territory of Iowa was growing rapidly in its population and soon began to look for greater things. Her ambition was to take on the dignity and importance of statehood. To the furtherance of this laudable ambition the territorial legislature passed an act, which was approved February 12, 1844, providing for the submission to the people of the question of the formation of a state constitution and providing for the election of delegates to a convention to be convened for that purpose. The people voted on this at their township elections the following April. The measure was carried by a large majority and the members elected assembled in convention at Iowa City, October 7, 1844. On the 1st day of November following, the convention completed its work and adopted the first state constitution. By reason of the boundary lines of the proposed state being unsatisfactorily prescribed by congress, the constitution was rejected at an election held August 4, 1845, by a vote of 7,656 to 7,235. May 4, 1846, a second convention met at Iowa City and on the 18th of the same month another constitution, prescribing the boundaries as they now are, was adopted. This was accepted by the people August 3d, by a vote of 9,492 to 9,036. The new constitution was approved by congress and Iowa was admitted as a sovereign state in the Union, December 28, 1846, and the people of the territory, anticipating favorable action by congress, held an election for state officers, October 26, 1846, which resulted in the choice of Ansel Briggs for governor; Elisha Cutler, Jr., secretary; James T. Fales, auditor; Morgan Reno, treasurer; and members of both branches of the legislature.
The act of congress which admitted Iowa into the Union as a state gave her the sixteenth section of every township of land in the state, or its equivalent, for the support of schools; also seventy-two sections of land for the purposes of a university; five sections of land for the completion of her public buildings; the salt springs within her limits, not exceeding twelve in number, with sections of land adjoining each; also in consideration that her public lands should be exempt from taxation by the state. The state was given five per cent of the net proceeds of the sale of public lands within the state.
The constitutional convention of 1846 was made up largely of democrats and the instrument contains some of the peculiar tenets of the party that day. All banks of issue were prohibited within the state. The state was prohibited from becoming a stockholder in any corporation for pecuniary profit and the general assembly could only provide for private corporations by general statutes. The constitution also limited the state's indebtedness to $100,000. It required the general assembly to provide for schools throughout the state for at least three months during the year. Six months' previous residence of any white male citizen of the United States constituted him an elector.
At the time of the organization of the state Iowa had a population of 116,651, as appears by the census of 1847. There were twenty-seven organized counties and the settlements were being rapidly pushed toward the Missouri river.
The western boundary of the state, as now determined, left Iowa City too far toward the eastern and southern boundary of the state. This was conceded. Congress had appropriated five sections of land for the erection of public buildings and toward the close of the first session of the general assembly a bill was introduced providing for the relocation of the seat of government, involving to some extent, the location of the state university, which had already been discussed. This bill gave rise to much discussion, and parliamentary maneuvering almost purely sectional in its character. February 25, 1847, an act was passed to locate and establish a state university, and the unfinished public buildings at Iowa City, together with the ten acres of land on which they were situated, were granted for the use of the university, reserving their use, however, for the general assembly and state officers until other provisions were made by law.
Four sections and two half sections of land were selected in Jasper county by the commissioners for the new capital. Here a town was platted and called Monroe City. The commissioners placed town lots on sale in the new location but reported to the assembly small sales at a cost exceeding the receipts. The town of Monroe was condemned and failed of becoming the capital. An act was passed repealing the law for the location at Monroe and those who had bought lots there were refunded their money.
By reason of jealousies and bickerings the first general assembly failed to elect United States senators but the second did better and sent to the upper house of congress Augustus Caesar Dodge and George Jones. The first representatives were S. Clinton Hasings, of Muscatine, and Sheppard Leffler, of Des Moines county.
The question of the permanent seat of government was not settled, and in 1851 bills were introduced for its removal to Fort Des Moines. The latter locality seemed to have the support of the majority but was finally lost in the house on the question of ordering it to a third reading. At the next session, in 1853, a bill was again introduced in the senate for the removal of the capital and the effort was more successful. On January 15, 1855, a bill relocating the capital of the state of Iowa within two miles of the Raccoon fork of the Des Moines river, and for the appointment of commissioners, was approved by Governor Grimes. The site was selected in 1856, in accordance with the provisions of this act, the land being donated to the state by citizens and property holders of Des Moines. An association of citizens erected a temporary building for the capitol and leased it to the state at a nominal rent.
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