Tidbit from Early Michigan Legislative Session

Interesting to read the accounts of the Michigan's earliest legislative sessions. The first accounts begin in 1835, and for two whole years the only thing the legislators do is nominate candidates to various offices: notary publics and county "auctioneers" are among these. Haven't figured out why auctioneers were a pressing need to fill, but I hope to in time. Anyways, the FIRST action by the Michigan legislature that is NOT a nomination and vote on someone for a legalistic state office is a proposal for a lecture to be delivered in the legislative chamber by the young state's very first, newly-minted geologist. Check it out:

Why did they want a lecture? My idea is that, faced with this largely unexplored vast new state, legislators simply wanted a better handle on "what the heck are we dealing with, here? Are there gold mines? Rare spices? Giraffes?"