CHAPTER XXI
THE act providing for the relocation of the Capital of the State was repealed at the session of the Legislature of 1848, the plat of Monroe City was vacated and the State Treasurer was directed to refund with six per cent, interest, all money paid for lots in that short-lived Capital city. The commissioners, who had purchased a large number of lots in the city, were excluded from the benefits of the refunding section of the act. The Legislature instructed our Senators and Representatives in Congress to use their influence to secure a grant of lands or money, for the improvement of the navigation of the Maquoketa, Skunk, Wapsipinicon and Iowa rivers. A joint resolution was passed extending thanks of the people of Iowa to Captain Benjamin S. Roberts for his gallant conduct in the Mexican War and a finely wrought sword was ordered presented to him by the Governor. Congress was urged to grant a liberal pension to Isaac W. Griffith, a soldier from Iowa, who lost his right arm in the Mexican War at the Battle of Cherubusco.
The report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1848 shows the number of children of school age to be 41,446, of which but 7,077 were in the public schools. The number of teachers employed was one hundred and twenty-four, of which one hundred and one were men, and twenty-three women. The average salary of the men was sixteen dollars per month, of the women but nine dollars. There were six hundred and seventy-three organized school districts. The State Library at this time contained 1,660 volumes, one-third of which were law books. The expense of maintaining the Library for the year past was $109.31.
