The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-04-19

REvIEW OF TIlE SESSION.
No. vi.


REvIEW OF THE SESSION.
No. VI.
AT HOME, ArRIL 9IH, l849.
Dear S0nders:-Among the numerous
subjects claiming the attention Of the Gen.
eral Assembly the past winter, none per-
haps was Of more immediate interest to the
citizens Of Iowa than the "BilI for an &C,
authorizing the people Of this State to vote
for, or against the calling Of convention
to amend the Constitution" This bill pro-
vided for an expression Of the people Of the
State at the April election next upon this
subject; IL the proposition should be voted
down, il cost nothing; Il in favor Of an
amendment, q convention Of delegates were
to be elected the first Monday in August,
1850, consisting Of ,hirty -swo members, re.
strc,ed to session Of ten days, At 81 per
day; the amendments were to be submitted
to the people for their adoption, or rcjcc-
ton. AZ the constitution itself provides
the only manner by which j. can be amend.
ed, it will be seen that 40 matters now
stand no convention can be called to amend
the Constitution until 1852, from the fac,
that delegates to such convention mus,
be elected at the same time members Of
the General Assembly are elected. A
proposition TO submit this matter to yer.
dict Of the people ought not to have been
opposed by any representative Of tho popu-
lar will, much less BY the democrats who
profess SO much love and confidence for
the sovereign people; ye, the people Of this
State arc indebted to the unterrified democ.
racy Of the Iowa Legislature for tho defeat
Of this bill, and the democracy Of Iowa in
turn, can claim the glory Of having "s!ay ed
the animal"
A very serious question presents itself
about this measure for some one to answer,
why did our democratic assembly kill this
bill; what objection had they to submit. this
matter to the electors Of the State; would
like to hear from the locofoco press Of the
State. who ought to be tho apoIogist Of
their loco assembly. Can they uphold their
brethren in saying that the people were
not to be trusted with the alteration Of their
Organic Law or will they iizzle on, like
Senator Espy and say that there was dan
ger Of the people running mad, and i,
would not do to trust them!
The time hes arrived when the people Of
our infant State have Weakened Up to the
necessity Of creating artificial thorough
fares for the transportation Of our surplus
products, and he who supposes iha, he can
resist the tide Of public opinion in the west.
that 10 now rushing like .orren, over our
boundless prairies, knows not VIVA. restern
public opinion is; ! know enough abou,
western character, and perseverance to
know that when once they determine up
on accomplishing nm object they will sur
mount any, and all obstacles, necessary to
consummosc their purpose, and when few
interested political demngogues suppose
that they can keep the people Of Iowa
chnined down like bull at the stake, DENY.
ing us the right TO shape our laws with the
wants Of our progress, they forget that
''somo things can be done as we'll as 9th.
ers.
] hold certain propositions to DO selcevi.
dent; FIRST, the people Of Iowa arc deter
mined to build Railroads; secondly, i'll
there arc any impedimenls 10 the WY they
have determined to remove them; thirdly,
the obstacles will DO removed peaceably il
they can, and forcibIy if,hey must. flour
delegation in Congress really ,Oish to OBJ
tain tho donation OF land asked for By Iowa
to build Rail Roads, they certainly cnn do
it, the lands asked for will probably build
one.third Of the Roads for which they arc
donated, the other two-tbirds Of an amount
sufficient to complete the work 10 to be rails
ed from some quarter, else our donation Of
lands will do us no good. Hero then with.
out looking for any other difficulty, tive
are stuck" for tho reason that no man who
has capital to invest in stock, would ever
trust the first dime 10 joint stock compa-
ny under our general incorporation law;
and ] venture the prediction, that il %.
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