FRIDAY, January 30, 1863, 10 o'clock A. M. House called to order. Speaker in the chair. Roll called. Quorum present. Absentees-Messrs. Bowman, Brown 22d district, Brown 54th district, Craft, Douthitt, Emery, Ford, Foster 30th district, Gwartney, Hollister, Johnson 1st district, Johnston 70th district, McCartney, Page, Russell and Stratton. Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Paulson. Journal of yesterday read and approved. Mr. Clark presented the petition of Henry Wilson and others, praying for a State road from Wathena to the Nebraska State road. Referred to the committee on roads. Mr. Cobb presented the remonstrance of William Hall and others of the 12th Kansas regiment, against the change of the county seat of Bourbon county. Referred to the committee on county seats and county lines. Mr. Jones, from the committee on corporations, made the following reports: MR. SPEAKER:-Your committee to whom was referred Bill No. 120, entitled "an act amendatory to an act entitled 'an act to incorporate the city of Iowa Point,' approved February 14th, 1857," have had the same under consideration and instruct me to report the same back to the House with the following amendments, viz.: Section 3. That section 1 of "an act entitled 'an act to incorporate the city of Iowa Point,' approved February 4th, 1857," be and the same are hereby repealed. And recommend its passage. J. H. JONES, Chairman pro tem. Also Bill No. 47, "an act to authorize Henry Green to erect a toll bridge across Cow creek, on the Santa Fe road, at or near Green's crossing, and fixing the rates of toll at the same," has been under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House without recommendation. J. H. JONES, Chairman pro tem. Mr. G. M. Lee, from the committee on accounts, reported in favor of the allowance of the account of L. C. Wilmarth, as messenger in procuring of certain election returns. The report was adopted. Mr. Medill, from the committee on agriculture, reported Bill No. 126, "an act relating to fences," and recommended its reference to the committee on judiciary. MR. SPEAKER:-Your committee on agriculture, to whom was referred Bill No. 119, "an act conferring upon tribunals transacting county business the power to provide for the regulating of the running at large of swine," have had the same under consideration and instruct me to report the same back to the House and recommend its passage. JAMES MEDILL. Mr. Emery, from the committee on judiciary, reported Bill No. 121, "an act concerning the liability of hotel keepers," and recommended its passage. Also Bill No. 105, "an act exempting certain property from sale on execution," and recommended that it be printed. Mr. Burgess, sergeant-at-arms, in answer to a resolution passed yesterday, relating to daily newspapers, reported that as far as members had left names with him their papers had been ordered. Mr. Eskridge, from the committee on county seats and county lines, reported Bill No. 26, "an act providing for the permanent location of the county seat of Bourbon county," and recommended its passage. Also Bill No. 140, "an act for the removal and permanent location of county seats," and recommended its passage. Mr. Campbell, from committee on public lands, made the following report: MR. SPEAKER:-Your committee on public lands, requested by resolution of this House to report the "provisions of the act of Congress granting lands to the several States for agricultural purposes," would respectfully report that, by act of Congress approved July 2d, 1862, there was donated to the several States an amount of land equal to thirty thousand acres for each Senator and Representative such State is entitled to by the apportionment under the census of 1860, out of any lands-not mineral-subject to private entry at $1.25 per acre or less, and if there is not a sufficient quan tity of land within the State entitled to the same, so subject to private entry, then the Secretary of the Interior is required to issue land scrip to make up the deficiency of the distributive share of such State, at $1.25 per acre; said scrip to be sold by the State entitled to the same, with a provision that no State shall locate such scrip in any other of the States or Territories of the United States; but that the assignees may locate the same on any unappropriated lands of the United States, subject to private entry at $1.25 per with a further proviso that not more than 1,000,000 of acres shall be located in any one State, and that no such location shall be made within one year from the date of this act. Said lands, after being surveyed, are to be appropriated to the several States, in sections or subdivisions of sections, not less than a quarter section. acre; All the expenses of management, superintendence and taxes from the time of selection to date of sale, and all expenses incurred for the management and disbursement of the proceeds of the sale of said lands and scrip, to be paid by the State; so that the entire proceeds of the lands shall be applied, without any dimunition, to the purposes of the grant hereinafter mentioned. The proceeds of the sales of the lands and scrip are to be invested in stocks of the United States or of the States, or of some other safe stocks, yielding not less than five per centum upon the par value of the same, to constitute a perpetual fund, the capital of which shall remain forever undiminished, except as hereafter mentioned. The interest to be inviolably appropriated by the State accepting the same to the support of at least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the several States may prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life. The fifth section of the act reads as follows, which your committee deem it proper to give entire in this report, viz.: That the grant of land and land scrip hereby authorized, shall be made on the following conditions to which, as well as to the provisions herein before contained, the previous assent of the several States shall be signified by legislative acts. First. If any portion of the fund invested, as provided by the foregoing section, or any portion of the interest thereon shall, by any action or contingency, be diminished or lost, it shall be replaced by the State to which it belongs, so that the capital of the fund shall remain forever undiminished; and the annual interest shall be regularly applied without diminution to the purposes mentioned in the 4th section of this act, (i. e. as above expressed,) except that a sum not exceeding ten per centum upon the amount received by any State under the provisions of this act, may be expended for the purchase of lands for sites or experimental forms, whenever authorized by the respective legislatures of said States. Second. No portion of said fund or the interest thereon shall be applied, directly or indirectly, under any pretence whatever, to the purchase, erection, preservation or repair of any building or build ings. Third. Any State, which may take and claim of the provisions of this act, shall provide, within five years at least, not less than one college, as described in the 4th section of this act, or the grant to such State shall cease; and said State shall be bound to pay the United States the amount received of any lands previously sold, and that the title to purchasers under the State shall be valid. Fourth. An annual report shall be made, regarding the progress of each college, recording any improvements or experiments made, with their costs and results, and such other matters, including State industrial and economical statistics, as may be supposed useful; one copy of which shall be transmitted by mail, free by each, to all the other colleges which may be endowed under the provisions of this act, and also one copy to the Secretary of the Interior. Fifth. When lands shall be selected from those which have been. raised to double the minimum price, in consequence of railroad grants, they shall be computed to the States at the maximum price, and the number of acres proportionately diminished. Sixth. No State, while in a state of insurrection or rebellion against the Government of the United States, shall be entitled to the benefits of this act. Seventh. No State shall be entitled to the benefits of this act, unless it shall express its acceptance thereof by its legislature, within two years from the date of its approval by the President. The land officers shall receive the same fees for locating land scrip under the provisions of this act, as for locating land warrants; but their maximum compensation shall not be increased. The Governor shall report annually to Congress all sales made of such land scrip, until the whole be disposed of, the amount received, and for what purpose expended. J. H. CAMPBELL, Chairman. B. E. FULLINGTON, J. HAWKINS, H. V. BEESON. The following message from the Senate was read: MR. SPEAKER:-I am directed to notify the House that the Senate has passed Concurrent Resolution No. 6, in relation to donating certain works to the mercantile library associtation of Leavenworth county, and desire your concurrence therein. JOHN FRANCIS, Secretary. The resolution was then taken up and concurred in. Mr. Russell offered the following resolution, which was adopted: Resolved, That the Secretary of State be requested to furnish the State printer with a copy of the opinion of Attorney General Stinson, concerning the liability of the State for the debt of the Territory; and that 150 copies of the said opinion be ordered printed for the use of the House and Senate. Mr. Irwin offered the following preamble and resolution : WHEREAS, There is a difference of opinion with the members of this House upon which side of the question the opinion of the Attorney General, dated January 22d, 1863, was given; therefore, Resolved, That the Attorney General be requested to inform this House, specifically and without argument, whether the State of Kansas is or is not liable for the debts contracted by the Territory of Kansas. The resolution, offered on a previous day, requesting the Auditor to report the amount of Territorial warrants outstanding and unredeemed, &c., was taken up. Mr. Grover moved to lay on the table. Lost. The resolution was then adopted. Mr. Brown, of Leavenworth, offered the following resolution : Resolved, That the use of this House be granted to the ladies of the Methodist Church on next Friday evening, for the purpose of holding a festival. |