Congress, to a vote of the people at the township elections in April, 1845.

The boundaries were as follows: 66 Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river opposite the mouth of the Desmoines river, thence up the said river Desmoines 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 North-west corner of Missouri;' thence due west to the middle of the main channel of the Missouri river; thence up in 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. Peters 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."

These boundaries were rejected by Congress, but by the act of March 3d, 1845, we were to be admitted into the union upon condition that we should accept in lieu of them the following:

Beginning at the mouth of the Desmoines river, at the middle of the Mississippi, thence by the middle of the channel of that river to a parallel of latitude passing through the mouth of the Mankato or Blue Earth river; thence west along the said parallel of latitude to a point where it is intersected by a meridian line, seventeen degrees and thirty minutes west of the meridian of Washington City; thence due south to the northern boundary line of the State of Missouri; thence eastwardly following that boundary to the point at which the same intersects the Desmoines river; thence by the middle of the channel of that river to the place of beginning."

This would have placed our northern boundary about thirty miles north of where it now is, and our western boundary near the west line of what is now Kossuth county. But in consequence of the conditions imposed by Congress as to

boundaries, the constitution was rejected by the vote of the people. A second convention was convened, and on the 18th day of May, 1846, another constitution, with our present boundaries, was adopted. It was subsequently ratified by a vote of the people, and under it we were admitted into the Union by an act of Congress, approved December 28th, 1846. This act confirmed the grants made by the supplemental act of March 3d, 1845, among which was one donating five sections of land for the completion or erection of public buildings at the seat of Government, as the General Assembly might determine.

The State constitution contained the following clause relative to the University:

"The General Assembly shall take measures for the protection, improvement, or other disposition, of such lands as have been or may hereafter be reserved or granted by the United States, or any person or persons, to this State, for the use of a University; and the funds accruing from the rents or sale of such lands, or from any other source, for the purpose aforesaid, shall be and remain a permanent fund, the interest of which shall be applied to the support of said University, with such branches as the public convenience, may hereafter demand, for the promotion of literature, the arts and sciences, as may be authorized by the terms of such grant. And it shall be the duty of the General Assembly, as soon as may be, to provide effectual means for the improvement and permanent security of the funds of said University."

The first General Assembly of the state convened at Iowa City, November 30th, 1846, a month prior to our admission into the Union, and remained in session till the latter part of February, 1847. About the middle of January, two bills were introduced in the House for the location of the University, the first by John T. Morton, of Henry, locating it at Mount Pleasant; and the second by William H. Lyons, of Jefferson county, locating it at Fairfield. They were referred to the school committee, and attracted no farther attention at the time. The committee on schools in the House consisted of Sylvester G. Matson, of Jones, Dudley Hardy, of Van Buren, Andrew Leech, of Davis, John W. Smith, of Ma haska, and George F. Green, of Jackson county. In the Senate, of Thomas H. Benton, Jr., of Dubuque, Milton D.

Browning, of Des Moines, John F. Sanford, of Van Buren, Jacob Huner, of Lee, and S. A. Bissell, of Cedar county.

A bill was introduced toward the close of the session for the relocation of the seat of government, involving to some extent the location of the University, which gave rise to a good deal of discussion and parliamentary maneuvering, sectional rather than political in character. It provided for three Commissioners, who were authorized to make a location as near the geographical center of the state as an eligible and healthy location could be obtained; to select the five sections of land, donated by Congress for the completion or erection of public buildings; to survey and plat into town lots not exceeding one section of the land selected; to sell lots at public sale, not exceeding two in each block; and were then required to suspend further operations, and report their proceedings to the Governor. It passed both Houses by a decisive vote, and only awaited the approval of the Executive to become a law, which it received a few days later.

The passage of this bill led to the immediate introduction of two others in the Senate for the location of the University, one by Thomas Hughes, of Johnson, locating it at Iowa City, and the other by Samuel Fullenwider, of DesMoines county, locating it at Yellow Springs, in the northern part of Des Moines county. They were both referred to the committee on schools. On the same day, the school committee of the House reported back and recommended the postponement of the two House bills, and the immediate establishment of a "parent University," under the direction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, for the education of teachers; and the division of the State at a future day into "collegiate districts," each of which, upon certain conditions, was to be allowed a proportion of the University fund. The report was subsequently concurred in by the House, but no farther action was taken on the subject.

Those who favored the location of the University at Iowa City desired to see the question first tested in the House, and if defeated there, to urge the Senate bill introduced by Mr. Hughes, with such modifications as might insure its passage.

With this view, Smyley H. Bonham presented in the House a petition, signed by over two hundred citizens of the state, asking the location of the University at Iowa City, which on his motion was referred to a select committee, with instructions to report a bill in compliance with the prayer of the petition. The committee consisted of Smyley H. Bonham, of Johnson, John T. Morton, of Henry, and Elijah Sells, of Muscatine county.

On the next day Mr. Bonham introduced the bill, in substance the same as that introduced in the Senate by Mr. Hughes. It was referred to the committee on schools, and reported back on the afternoon of the same day with sundry amendments, which were concurred in by the House, and the bill ordered printed. On Monday following - February 22d -the bill was taken from the table, duly considered, and passed without further amendment, by a vote of 22 in the affirmative, to 11 in the negative. This decided majority settled the question as to the sentiment of the House, and insured its concurrence in any necessary amendments.

On the same day it was reported to the Senate, and referred to the committee on schools. On the following day the committee reported it back with one amendment, and recommended its passage, and the indefinite postponement of the two bills then pending in the Senate. The amendment was a brief, but important one, adding the words "by the Board of Trustees of said University" in the seventh section, thus giving the Board the control of the University lands and fund. Had the section been adopted without this amendment, the sale of the lands and the investment of the fund would have devolved upon the county officers intrusted with the management of the common school fund and lands, in the various counties.

The report was concurred in, and the Senate proceeded to the consideration of the bill. The contest now became animated and exciting. Mr. Fullenwider, backed by a strong petition from his district, advocated the claims of his county with much warmth and vigor. The friends of the bill supported it mainly on the ground that it was the best disposi

tion that could be made of the public buildings and grounds, and that, aside from this consideration, no valid objection could be urged against the location. Various amendments were offered, some for the purpose of defeating, and others with the view of perfecting the bill. Among them was one creating five branches, and giving them one fifth part of the revenue arising from the University fund. This was rejected by a vote of 8 in the affirmative, to 11 in the negative. Several judicious amendments were adopted, when the rule was suspended and the bill passed without further opposition.

It was immediately reported back to the House, where a proposition for four branches, giving them one-fourth part of the revenue of the fund, was submitted. It was discussed at some length, and finally laid on the table. The amendments of the Senate were then concurred in, and the law received the approval of the Executive on the following day the last of the session. It was as follows:

AN ACT TO LOCATE AND ESTABLISH A STATE UNIVERSITY. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, That there shall be established at Iowa City, the present seat of government of the State of Iowa, an institution to be called the "State University of Iowa," with such branches as, in the opinion of the General Assembly, the public convenience may hereafter require. SEC. 2. The public buildings at Iowa City, together with the ten acres of land on which the same are situated, be, and the same are. hereby granted for the use of said University; Provided, That the sessions of the General Assembly, and the offices of the officers of State, shall be held in the present capitol until otherwise provided for by law.

SEC. 3. The two townships of land, granted by act of Congress of July 20th, 1840, for the support of a University, be, and the same are, hereby donated to the said State University, to be and constitute a permanent fund, the interest of which shall be applied exclusively to the support of said University, and such branches as the General Assembly shall establish.

SEC. 4. That for the control of said University, and for the better management of the same, there shall be appointed by the General Assembly of the State, fifteen trustees, five of whom shall be chosen biennially, who may make such by-laws, rules, and regulations, under the general laws of this State authorizing incorporations for educational purposes, as may be necessary to organize and regulate said University. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be president of the board of trustees, and shall have power to call special meetings of the trustees whenever in his opinion it is necessary.