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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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Illinois Considers Disposition of Donation 181 whose highest interests it was specially designed to promote. This call was signed by twelve well-known leaders in the state from ten different counties headed by the enthusiastic John Kennicott.7 When the assembly reconvened on June 2, the effect of the work of the college men was readily recognized, and it caused no little discomfort and uneasiness among those who were opposed to a division of the funds. An effort was made by friends of the bill then pending in the assembly to push it through but John Reynolds, the corresponding secretary of the agricultural society, frustrated their scheme. He foresaw the danger and from the committee in charge of the bill in the house he secured a promise to defer its report until after the meeting of the convention. The sixth industrial convention met in Springfield June 9,1863, with James N. Brown, of Sangamon county as president and W. W. Corbett of Cook county and Thomas Quick of Washington county as secretaries. The call for the meeting and the act of congress donating lands for the establishment of colleges were read: resolutions in honor of Dr. John A. Kennicott and expressing the sorrow of the convention at his death were also read, after which G. I. Bergen, of Knox county introduced the following resolution: "Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that the interests of agriculture can best be promoted by locating two Agricultural Colleges within the State.'I This was afterward amended, on motion of Dr. English of Madison county, by the addition of the words " i n accordance with the bill now pending before the Senate." 8 Thus the college men threw down the gage of battle and the fight was on. All afternoon and evening a vigorous discussion took place in which some ten or more men of both parties engaged, including Bergen of Knox, Turner of Morgan, Roots of Perry, English and Edwards of Madison, Burroughs of Cook, Thomas of Jackson, Quick of Washington, and Lawrence of Boone. This was not the first time that a group of small college This was probably the last public act of the "Old Doctor*\ for he died before the convention met. "Prairie Farmer, June 20, 1863, gives a full account of the proceedings of the convention. I n l M
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