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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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244 History University of Illinois sonville, and Lincoln were already falling behind. For two days Mr. Griggs commanded thirty-five votes, and prevented the organization of the House. On the night after the second day he was visited in his parlor at the Leland by Senator Washburne, who asked what he would require in return for giving up the contest to Mr. Corwin. Mr. Griggs replied that he wanted the chairmanship of the Committee on Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and the privilege of naming a majority of its members—it being the body before which all bills for the location of the college would come. Mr. Corwin was called into his room, and the bargain struck. The next day Mr. Griggs, upon the floor of the House, withdrew his candidacy and asked his supporters to vote for Mr. Corwin. The bargain was carried out to the letter." 4 I t is quite probable that Mr. Griggs in the above quoted report gave the essence of a "fixed u p " bargain he had made with Mr. Corwin of La Salle. He is incorrect in many details as shown by the journal of the house. He says he was ahead thirtyfive votes for two days thus preventing the house from organizing, and that on the next day he publicly withdrew his candidacy in favor of Corwin. The house journal states that on the afternoon of the first day, January 7, Mr. Corwin was elected speaker, his only opponent being Mr. Casey of Pulaski county.5 There were a number of candidates for the speakership, the Chicago Tribune mentioned six names, but whatever contest was made and bargains struck was done outside, apparently, and before the afternoon of the first day of the session. On this same day, January 7, Governor Oglesby in a message to the twenty-fifth general assembly made mention of the location of the industrial university as one of the important tasks before the legislature. He expressed the belief that a generous rivalry for the location would insure sufficient funds for the purchase of necessary grounds and buildings. Should these anticipations fail, the state, he said, would not be released from its duty to provide funds for the purpose in some other way. Thus the preliminaries had been taken and the way opened for legislative action on the question of location of the industrial university, •Clark Kobinson Griggs and location of the university, manuscripts at University of Illinois. 'House Journal, 1867, 1 session, 8.
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