The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-05-17
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
REVIEW OF THE SESSION.
No. IN.
AT HOME. MAY inru. 1910.

list Of acts Of a general nature; ii will be
found that they number twenty EIGHT. One
might we'll pauso here. and inquire wha,
particular benefit the State, or the people
aro TO derive from any one Of them, Or The
whole taken collectively. Before the
Courts shall have construed their legal el.
feet, an entire new revised code will be
presented 70 the Legislature for their &C.
ton, and We ARE TO be governed by new
state Of things, was there then any excuse
Tor this general legislation? Or, if there
was, is there any excuse for sitting forty
three Days to enact twenty. cgh, laws the
most Of which are ,riiliug in their very pro-
visions.
mentioned tho fact in one Of my former
numbers, that after Dodge and Jones were
elected to the U. States Scnatc--the frs,
week Of the scssion--,he democracy did
not pretend to disguise their intention 10
remain in session until the two distinguish
ed Senators should arrive ut Washington,
take their seats, and determine BY lot who
should have the long term, in order tina,
they might elect Senator before they nd.
journed TO I'LL the term of six years from
The 9TH Of March a. ID. 1919. This sr.
rnngcment they strictly adhered 10, and
Immediately on hearing that Dodge had
drawn the short term, they reelected him.
and adjourned a few days after. During
the interim between the two elections MI
was ''glorious inactivity" II was under.
stood that there was nothing TO do until
they heard from Washington, and indeed
nothing was done beyond tho passage Of
few local bills Tor roads, ferry charters, and
''quite sprinkiiag' OF extra allowances
out OF tho Treasury to political hacks, who
were ioungers-on, waiting tho news from
Washington. that they nigh, turn in and
''lobber lii" for Dodge. or Jones, ss the re.
suit might require, and who had no other
means Of paying their board and doreery
bills.
Having Informed your readers Of wha,
tho late General Assembly accomplished
IN the space of forty three days, / will now
take up The appropriation hill aud give you
= very correct idea Of the cost, aud the m.
ture Of the appropriations.
Before going into particulars contained
IN the bill, let me say that the time, the
manner. and means used to get this bill
through both branches was n Disgrace 10
any deliberative body Of men; kept back
until the very las, thing. on the las, dav of
the session an opportunity presented itself
TO smnggle in any thing that the actors
saw proper TO allow. In order that the
modns operandi may be fully understood, !
Will explain the usual proceedings on
claims presented for allowance, aud also
the new system adopted by the late Gener.
al Assembly. Mr.. A. has claim ayains.
the State that mus, be presented to the I.c-
o'slaturc and allowed by that body beforc
the Auditor is authorized to issue his war;
rant on the Treasurer for is payment; the
usual, and only proper course il fer some
member TO present it aud have il referred
10 the committee on claims; this committee
should examine and repor, the facts, toge,h.
er with resolution that j, be allowed, or
iisallo"ed. II frequently happens that the
Legislature refuse to concur in the repor,
'f the committee, at least members can
Judge nndersiandingly upon claims thus re-
ported upon and vote accordingly.
The committees on claims in the late
Assembly had way Of doing up these
'hings peculiar to themselves, particularly
where there were claims referred to them
hat they could not conscicniiously repor,
IN tavor OF. In such cases they kept the
claims back until the appropriation bill was
referred TO them, and then slipped them in,
trusting 10 the '.noise and confusion" Of the
closing scene to cover up their iniqui.y.
Acting upon this principle, the appropri-
''ion bill was introduced into the II. X. on
The last day ofthe session, and referred 10
The committee on claims; in their hands all
necessary amendments and additions were
made, as previously agreed upon, and re-
ported back to the House for concurrence,
adopted, passed to its third reading and re- |
ported 10 the Senate about 4 o'clock p. NJ.