IOWA. 



407 



:ml :i proper basis for further legislation 

 on tlu- .-iil'jtM-t nt'immi^riitu,!!." 



Tlio Innird of Immigration was appointed 



soon after the passage of the act, un<l iuiiiK-- 



(liaK'ly urbanized for the work. At its first 



ng, which was held on the Oth of April, 



-i resolved that the Governor bo requested 



to niti-r into oorrospondenco and negotiations 



with the different railroad companies and 



other parties owning or controlling large 



- of land in the State of Iowa, requesting 



ilii-ir cooperation and assistance in inducing 



immigration to said State. 



The negotiation resulted in an agreement on 

 the part of the principal railroad companies to 

 iK't'r.iy the expenses of agents sent abroad to 

 encourage immigration, and to pay for the dis- 

 tribution of pamphlets and of other printed 

 matter furnished to their agents by the Board. 

 Pamphlets and circulars were subsequently 

 prepared, setting forth the advantages of Iowa 

 as a place in which to make a permanent 

 settlement, and the proper means were adopted 

 for scattering these among the people of the 

 Eastern States and the Eastern Hemisphere. 

 An Immigrant Aid Society was also formed in 

 the western part of the State to look after the 

 interests of that particular section. 



The Legislature met on the second Monday 

 in January, and continued its sessions until 

 about the middle of April. One hundred and 

 i'irhty acts were passed and twenty-seven 

 joint resolutions adopted. Among the more 

 importants acts was one making careful and 

 thorough provision for the management of the 

 two Insane Asylums of the State, which are 

 located, the one at Mount Pleasant, and the 

 other at Independence ; one providing for the 

 government of the State University at Iowa 

 City; one authorizing the several counties to 

 establish and maintain high-schools ; and one 

 creating a commission to revise the statutes of 

 the State. Provision was also made for the 

 establishment of an Industrial Home for the 

 Blind, and for the erection of a new capitol 

 building. The following appropriations were 

 made for the benefit of the State institutions, 

 making in the aggregate $586,500 : 



Hospital for Insane at Independence $165.000 



Capitol 150,000 



Agricultural College 68,500 



Blind Asylum 44.000 



Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Council Bluffs 85,000 



Hospital for Insane at Mount Pleasant 84,000 



Orphans' Homes 25,000 



State University 25,000 



Penitentiary 25,000 



Reform School 15,000 



Resolutions were adopted on several matters 

 of interest. One of these ratified the fifteenth 

 amendment to the national Constitution, an- 

 other favored a system of postal telegraphs, 

 and a third recommended the removal of the 

 national capital to the Mississippi Valley. 

 The question of granting the right of suffrage 

 to women was brought before the Legislature 

 by a large number of petitions on the subject, 

 and an amendment to the constitution, mak- 



ing the concession asked for, was proposed, 

 but after some discussion it was laid on the 

 table. The question of the propriety of pro- 

 hibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors was 

 also discussed. A prohibitory law already ex- 

 isted in the State, and the question of its modi- 

 fication was considered. The result was the 

 passage of an act allowing the several counties 

 to determine whether the sale of ale, wine, 

 and beer, should bo prohibited or not within 

 their own limits, by submitting the question 

 to a vote of the people. An act was passed, 

 providing for a submission to the people, at the 

 election of 1870, of the question of holding a 

 convention for the revision of the constitution, 

 the result to be reported to the General As- 

 sembly at its next session. 



Eailroad legislation also demanded a large 

 share of attention. A bill was proposed " to 

 prescribe rules and regulations for railroads, 

 and to establish uniform and reasonable rates 

 of tariff for the transportation of certain freights 

 thereon." This led to an extended debate, in- 

 volving the expediency of interference of tho 

 government in the management or control of 

 railroads, the dangerous power and influence 

 which these corporations are attaining, and 

 other kindred questions. The bill was finally 

 defeated in the Senate, where it originated, by 

 a vote of 20 in its favor to 21 against it. An 

 act for the taxation of railroad property also 

 occasioned much debate, and was finally passed. 

 The following are its principal provisions : 



That each railroad company, owning or operating a 

 railroad in this State, shall annually, on or before tho 

 fifteenth day of February of each year, make out and 

 file with the State Treasurer a sworn statement, 

 setting forth : first, the amount of gross receipts of 

 their railroad for the year ending the thirty-first day 

 of December preceding; second, the number of miles 

 of main track of their railroad in each county on the 

 thirty-first day of December preceding ; which state- 

 ment shall be sworn to by the president and secretary 

 of such company, and by the general superintendent 

 of their railroad, or any two of them. 



SECTION 2. The State Treasurer shall levy on said 

 gross receipts a tax as follows, viz. : On the first $8,000 

 or part thereof per mile, one per centum, and on re- 

 ceipts of over $8,000, and under $6,000 per mile, two 

 per centum ; and on the excess of receipts over $6,000 

 per mile, three per centum, which taxes the said rail- 

 road companies shall pay on or before the first day 

 of March, after which time said taxes if not paid shall 

 become delinquent, and the same penalties and in- 

 terest shall attach as on other taxes. 



SEO. 8. After the said taxes become delinquent, 

 the State Treasurer shall proceed to collect tho same 

 in the same manner and with the same rights and 

 powers as a sheriff' under execution, except that no 

 process shall bo necessary, to authorize the Treasurer 

 to seize and sell property for the collection of said 

 taxes. 



SEO. 4. One fifth of tho taxes levied and collected 

 as aforesaid shall remain in the State Treasury to 

 be used in the same manner as the several revenues 

 of the State, and the other four-fifths of said taxes 

 shall be apportioned by the State Treasurer to the 



tively run, in proportion to the number of miles of 

 main track of rond in each county, and shall be paid 

 over by him to the treasurer of "the county entitled 

 thereto. 

 SEC. 5. If any railroad company shall fail to fur- 



