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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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192 History University of Illinois mend a location, took no action on these propositions believing the question should be left to a locating board, empowered to receive proposals and to make awards. After spending some time in consideration of the bill to be presented to the legislature, the committee adjourned to meet again in January. 2 7 During the weeks from December 6, 1864, to January 2, 1865, Turner, Eeynolds, and a few of their friends consulted and labored together in the preparation of a bill to be introduced into the coming legislature. Reynolds consulted with McConnel, General Fuller, and Newton Bateman in Springfield and Turner frequently with Judge Dummer and Judge Berdan and other old friends of the cause in Jacksonville. 28 They planned to have Judge Fuller father the bill but as he was chosen speaker of the house another man was asked to do it. They struggled to word the bill so that people should know at the outset what kind of an institution the industrialists} desired, but at the same time they did not wish to enter too far into detail and possibly restrict the growth of the university. They considered at first the proposition of having names of trustees and commissioners in the bill, but later gave that up agreeing that it would be wiser to leave their appointment to the governor. Mr Eeynolds in a letter to Turner gave a list of the difficulties in connection with the above subject, and said in conclusion: " T o make a clear, intelligible organic act, expressing neither too much nor too little, meeting all objections and giving prominence to all excellence is no easy task but I hope it may be accomplished. " 2 9 As finally formulated, the charter in a general way provided that an undivided fund be appropriated to the use of a single institution, the location of which should be determined by a commission. The twenty-fourth general assembly opened on January 2, 1865, and Governor Yates in a message to that body recommended that a commission be appointed for the location of the university. He mentioned the fact that the farmers had a committee that would present their views and a draft of a bill and ^Ibid., December 17, 1864. "Turner to Reynolds, December 22, 1864, Turner manuscripts. w Reynolds to Turner, December 22, 1864, Turner manuscripts, Springfield.
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