Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-03-03
king the whole number that have passed
about one hundred and fifty.

kiHS Ho WHOLE hummer t0at nave p8SS6(
about one hundred and fifty.
The length Of the session has not reach
ed ninety days, during which time, prob
| ably, at least twice the amount Of i,npor.
tant and really useful busineas has beer
done, that was transacted during any one
Of the sessions Of the Territorial Legisla
ture, which, for duration, fell but it'll.
short Of that which has just closed.
When, therefore, it is considered, tina
one branch Of the Legislature has beer
under "Whig" or federal domination, ant
that the mvjority accidentally obtained BY
them in that body, have ruled over tn;
minority with despotic sway and an iro;
will. during their brief career; usur
ping powers which did not belong
to them, and grossly violating the plai1
letter Of the Constitution to do SO
,rampling upon their ,nest sacred rights
refusing frequently The ordinary courte.
sizes which are always OBSERVED in similar
bodies, il times even of .he highest party
excitement; and generally thwarting ant
o5structing, by their adion, the progres.
of business III its proper aud Legitimate
channel, when, we say, these things are
taken into consideration, we think thai
the wonder will be-nol why SO little ha,
been done during the session, but how
we have succeeded in accomplishing 81
; u."h.
We hs ne not the time now to go into g
detailed history Of all he transactions re.
| I
fe,erred 10, if it were deemed necessary
which perhaps it is not "a relate Oh
paper every occurrence that has ''aRet
place during The session, whereih the ma
jor.ty in the House Of Representatives
have asurped powers notbelonging to them
and done outrageous violence to the rights
Of the minority, would be to make up a
volume of no thrilling magnitude.
Those occurrences consisted in the dali
ly refusal to individual members of the
minority, as well as TO that minority in
mass. privileges which were granted con.
SANITY and without hesitation, to the ma.
jerity: such, for instance, as the decisions
Of the Speaker to be outof order, motions
made BY democratic members, which mo-
lions, or those Of precisely the same char
acter, when made by Whigs,'' were
ruled 10 be IN order !---glaring favoritism
in awarding the floorIto g Wings" over
democratic menbers--,he calling of the
ayes aud noes by the Clerk, and when it
uns orr, third or. q a..arser sis,usr, s,,iu,y
back to commence the call again, to ena-
bic Wing" members to change their
votes, after getting their cue," so as to
suit their fellows
Such, we say, were among the tricks, OF
daily occurrence, resorted to by the ma
jorts, and their chosen officers, to de-
| prive the minority in the House of their
i, just and lawful rights.
| But we charge tha, majority with having
been guilty Of still more outrageous act,
and one for which there is no shadow OF
excuse being nothing less than palpa-
ole violation of the plainest letter Of the
constitution OF the State, in pertinaciously
and obstinately refusing to the minority,
the privilege of recording upon the Jour
nal OF the House, their solemn protest
against the action Of the majority, when
they believed that action to be wrong, OPP
pressive and tyrranical!
The following is the clause in the Con-
stitution Of the State of Iowa, which guar
| antics to every member this sacred right:
sEpuy member of the General assembly
shall haze HE liberty to dissent from, or pro-
test against any act or resolution which he
may think Injurious to the public or any
individual, ind haze the reasons for his
dissent entered ON the Journals.
In the face of the language of the above
clause Of the Constitution language so
plain and direct, and imperative, as to adj
nj, of no rnom for escape from its positive
requirements the "Whig" members ever
ready with some fimsy pretext for their
action, refused not only once, but repeat
eddy, TO allow protests Of the minority 10
go upon the journal; conscious that, if
spread before the world, such protests
would exhibit their conduct in a light
which no defence, however mixed up with
sophistry and falsehood, would avail, to
save them from utter and overwhelming
condemnation by the people.
In the early part Of the session an event
occurred, which was brought to the notice
Of the House Of representatives., and
there seized upon with avidity by the I'M
scrnpulous federal majority, to be turned
if practicable if peryersion and misrep-
resen,ation could possibly make it such
to political account for the benefit Of that
party but which desperate and nnprinci-
pied effort, we are gratified 10 say, proved
miserable failure, and recoiied, before
they had finished the business, upon the
heads of its luekless authors.
We allude to the BRlBERY CASE OF
KING, a federal member from Keokuk
county, who asserted upon the floor Of the
House, in furnishing and Characteristic
speech, and with loud professions Of pat
riotism, and honesty, and all that, that an
effort had been made by one S. I. Mar
shall, to bride him to vote for member Of
the democratic party for United States
Senator.
No sooner was this charge made than it
was endorsed by several Of the federal
members in the house, who, without wsit
ing for an investigation, pronounced King
to be all that was pure and virtuous, and