Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1846-06-17
How ityyorks ID uiss,ss,pp,.
Laws of Congress.

Laws Of Congress.
Hon. Robt. Smith, ofIllinois, has intro.
duced a billto provide for the publication
| Of the laws Of the United States, in the
several states and territories. The bill
provides thatthe Secretary Of State shall,
as soon as may be, after receiving any or
der, resolution or law passed by Congress,
except such as are Of private nature,
cause the same 10 be published in num-
Der OF public newspapers, not exceeding
two III the district Of Columbia and four in
each Of the several states and territories;
and also, that be shall cause all treaties
entered into by the U. States, except In
dian treaties, to be published in like man
ner.
The provisions of this bill are in accor.
dance with the spirit and genius of our
| republican institutions. By the act of,he
last federal Congress, approved August
26,h, 1912, the people Of the United States
have been for nearly four years kept in
almost entire ignorance Of their laws; and
they are beginning loudly TO demand its
repeal. Prior to the accidental accession
Of the federalisls to power, tie laws were
promulgated as proposed by Mr.. Smiths
| bill. and laid before the people in from two
10 four ofthe public journals in each Of the
states and territories. The federal party
soon found that it was wholly incompatible
with their interests to acquaint the people
With the laws enacted for their govern
ment. and to give them an opportunity of
passing judgment upon the acts Of their
servants. The oEly course BY which they
could hcP. to retain their III gotten pow
err, was 10 keep the people at large in
| Ignorance Of their acts. Accordingly, at
the same session al which the black tariff
law and the bankrupt law were enacted,
they repealed the act requiring tie laws
to be promulgated throughout the United
States, combining their publication to the
district Of Columbia. BY this policy they
succeeded in screening themselves, for a
season, from tie popular Indignation,
which, nevertheless, was not slow in burst
ing forth, hurting them from power, and
stamping them with eternal infamy.
It is really surprising that this infamous
set should have been permitted TO disgrace
our statute book SO long as it has. The
first act Of our democratic Congress should
have been to Blot it from existence. Will
they longer hesitate2 We trust not
Could we believe that, amid the struggle
for the mastery in the business Of Presi.
dent making, which is going on between
certain prominent statesmen, any of the
great measures of reform which are ex.
pected at the hands Of this Congress would
be overlooked, We would say 10 those
~hose minds appear to be wholly engross-
ed with marches and counter marches up
on the political chess board--beware how
you trifle wi'hihe American people. They
demand at your hands the reform ofthose
abuses which you were elected TO carry
out, prominent among which stands the
one above mentioned; and they will not be
put off with slight excuse. They are
jealous people, and are beginning to in
qnire how i, is, that with decided demo
cratic majority in each branch ofCongress.
al the end Of five months, the black tariff
act Of 1912 is still in existenee--why
thereis as yet no constitutional node pro-
vided for the collection. safe keeping and
disbursement Of the public revenue-and
finally, why the federal act of 1912, for
keeping the people IN ignorance Of the acts
VI their servants and ofthe laws provided
for their government still remsinsin force.
These enquiries, unless tire causes which
prompt them shall be removed, will ere
long have to be answered We hope that
the necessity Of answering them will be
obviated, BY prompt action Of Congress.
NEw PosTorrIcE.--A new postofice
has been recently established al lafayette,
"a new town, laid out on Otter Creek, in
Linn county, Iowa, by Mr.. a Timmonds.
II. f. MfLLER, Esq, has received the APP