Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-03-03

iowa as IN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES takin,
sides, in times that TRY mems souls,
against its own government and in favo
Of those Of its enemies be those enemie
whom they may, white men o. red-Brit
'sh or lndlans-Frer :.s,.,1lan, or Mexican:
Among the ..st of laws mentioned abov
:'ng been passed, which are Of gen
eral character, are several Of very erea
Importance to the interests Of the peonl
OF the State to-wit: tpse providing f.
new seat Of govern,n.t, and for a Stat
University; for the Improvement, Of tn,
navigation Of the Deslnpines river: for II,
division Of the State into Cong Is s,iona
and Judicial Districts; authorizing incor
porations, and loan Tor the payment o
the debts Of the State concerning til,
southern boundary Of the State and dis
posing of the public school fund, SC. SC.
In connexion with several of these there
is an unwr'tten history of the conduct o
the ''Whig" membe's OF the Legislature
which, if properly shown up, would bring
upon them in the eyes OF the people, moth
ing but discredit and disgrace. OF the
proceedings in cnnnexion with but one Of
them, however, do we design now te
speak the limits which we have prescrib.
ed to ourselves for this address, not per.
hitting us TO do more.
The subject to which we allude, is that
OF the bill providing for the Improvement
OF The navigation oithe Desmoines river.
That bill as at first passed through the
Senate, provided for the creation OF a board
OF public works, t. consis, of three per-
sons, who should b. elected by the people.
The federal majority in the house deter
mined that il should not pass in that shape
that the board, instead OF being elected
by IHf. PEOLLE, should be appointed
oy THE LEGISLATURE! and that unless
this was done,,he bill should be sacrificed.
The rae .,@' remain unimprored!
The consequence was that, through their
trIekery, perseverance and obs'..acy' the
bill first introduced did 60 by the board !;
and that erea, measure of the session was
regarded Cor time as lost beyond redemp-
ton. Subsequently, however, it was re-
vlved-a new bill was introduced into the
democratic Senate; and the federal mem
bers Of that, as well as the other house,
finding that they had overshot the mark,
and that the reeoil was about to PROSTATE
them to the earth, suddenly changed
front--gave the measure reluctant sup
port; and, fortunately for them-for if
used up most seaiu 'dfy %@2R!a HIS HIS
there is left OF them as a party -and for
the interests of the people, the bill be-
came law.
Thus, in due season, (the bill provides,
among other things, fer the election BY The
PEOPLE of three commissioners in August
next, this important work will be com
mehced and no doubt prosecuted with
vIgor to a successful completion.
One other subject OF general interest,
and highly import ant in its bearings, we
wish TO call you, attention to; and then
we will close this address, already extend
ed to such length that we fear it may
weary your patitnce in the reading. 1t
is that Of THE ELECTION OF U. 5. SENA-
TORS, AND JUGcEs OF THE SUPREME
CouRr OF THE STATE, all OF whom it is
provided the farmer by the Constitution
of the U. S. and the latter by that of Iowa
shall be chosen by the Legislature on
joint ballot.
We have already alluded, in the com
mencement of This communication TO the
peculiar state If parties in the Legls'a-
ture, to- wit: 10 the facts, that while we,
the democrats, were in majority IN the
Senate, the "Whgs" or iederalists were
similarly situated in the House OF Repre-
sentatives: and that in joint Convention,
the !'pussom" democrats from Lee conn
'y could give the ascendancy TO either par
~ with whom they choose TO act
The actual state Of The parties, in point
OF numbers, WIS as inlio.s: There were
in the two houses q democratic members;
n "Whls" members; and the ) pos
sum" dem carts rom Lee county
Thas the 3 "posSum-, by acting with the
democrats would have made 3 votes; or,
by acting with the Wings" they would
have had 3O-being just the number ne
cessary to make majority OF the who!et
We were, therefore, III the power Of these
"possu.ns;' and unable to act independents
ly o! them, without ri>king the election
OF one or possibly two at themselves or
at least Of their fellow 'possums;" or one
of them and Wing ortwo ''Whigs "
A joint convention of the two houses was
held, about three weeks after tie COM
mencement OF the session, to try an cleo
ton, and which resulted as follows: Jon
athan McCarty (''Possum") received 20
votes; Thomas s. Wilson (Democrat) rs
votes; and Mitchell owing" or federal
ists) vote. The ''pcxums' voted Tor
with every wing member, save
one, who cast his vote for Mitchell.
1.-The, too, had voted FIR McCarty, the
latter would have been elected; and thu.
we should have had the State represented
in the IT, S. Senate by one who would
have 5reugh, upon her people nothing bu,
disgrace and notification; a mere adven- !
turer, who is VIGOROUSLY destitute Of any
political principle trati@ker and trader
in politic., who has but recently come in.
TO the State; and Of whose history, prior to
his coming here, nothing is known that is
favorable, or calculated in the least to in
spire confidence in his integrity, or future !