Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1849-03-06
For tho Exnress.

the 18th inst. a communication purport-
ing TO be an 'sAddress Of the Wig mem
bers q the General Assembly to the citi-
zens Of Iowa." | am scarcely at liberty 10
be surprised at any thing in this extraor-
binary age Of the world, but really
was aiken a little abacls when my eye.
first rested upon that nove Ell production -
| am not generally disposed to trouble
myselfabout things "smaH in Themselves"
as the address styles the matter set forth
in in it TO be, but being personally fan,il-
lar with some Of the Imaginary develop
ments Of this official document l cannot
refrain from giving it passing notice.
| And in the first place | would remark
that the aDriter for cannot suffer myself
TO believe that as genteel men as | know
some of the Wing members Of the Cen
eral Assembly to be, would in their rep
resen.ative capacity, father sucha proge-
ny, eyinces total ignorance Of the actual
doings Of the body of which he claims to
be a member The address is unques-
tlonably the offspring Of mind we'll
stored with imagery and by no means
destitute of inlpudente and c6rontery and
fear the author has suffered materially
in both labor and delivery, as every idea
appears 10 have been exhausted by pro-
cess Of evaporation, the result Of which
is dark and po7tentous cloud If mist and
fog in the shape of an "Address to the
citizens Of Iowa, behind which the wire
pulling gentry are wont to hide them
selves from the public gaze"
The first accusation made is that the
democratic members desired to protract
the session in order that they mi gh, fill
the vacancy which would be occasioned
by the expiration of the term Of one Of
our U. S. Senators on the 4th Of March.
| shall not decide whether this accusation
is true or false, but suppose for argument
sake the former is admitted, then ask
who is the economist, the man who vo-
ted agangt an early ad journment this
winter, to avoid an extra session next
winter, Or the man who voted for the ad
journment thereby rendering called ses
sion ne;t ,cinter for the Election of U. S.
Senator'S unavoidable this is a plain ques-
ton, and but one conclusion can be arri-
we'd at in answering it by the candid Of
all parties, and hesitate not to say that
the ostensible object Of the leading wings
in all their maneuverng relative an ear
ly adjournment was, mol to saue the mon-
ey Of the dear people as they profess, 5nt
to render it necessary for the Governor
TO convene the General Assembly next win
ter that they might increase their stock
fpolitical capital, made by the extra
session of last year. II then the action Of
the Democratic members defeated their
unholy purpose, they deserve and will
receive the gratitude of their constitu-
ents, for in doing so they averted an ad >
ditional State debt Of from ten to t1celre
thousand dollars. Ofthe election and re-
election Of Gen. Dodg e it is unnecessary
to say any thing, the people are satisfied
with both and no better evidence on this
point is needed than the declaration ofthe
address itselG-that the wings in the
General Assembly were in an almost
hopeless minority.
Next in the catalogue ssthat same old
coon,' the election Of Superintendent Of
Public Instruction in 1347, is resuscitated
and brought on to the carpet. The wri-
ter is particular to note that the ''sum Of
two hundred and fifty dollars to attor-
neys' was paid by the state for prose-
cutting suits commenced with said elec-
ton, but forgets to mention that he Qhe
senator from CEDAR made amotion to add
serenty:fve dollars to the aforesaid bill,
as compensation 10 the Wing Prosecu-
ting Attorney Of Johnson county who
nominally (,cithout erforming any Of the
labor appeared for the slate!!! So much
then for the ''two hundred and fifty dol
lars paid without cause" which in the
language Of the senator, upon whose mo-
ton and vole it was paid, is so "morally,
equitably and legally wrong" In addi-
ton to all this, extra compensation was
allowed the "agent to select the Saline
Lands" but no one seems to remember
that upon the motion OF a 1uhig senator
the agent for selecting the University
Lands was also allowed extra compensa-
ton. "Akin to this" continues this very
philanthropic gentlemen, els the allow
ance of interest to Mr.. Benton on his
salary for some five or six monlhs."-
Now what are the facts iu reference to
this S'small'' affair." Mr.. Benton's salary
was not included i'll the Appropriation
Bill last year as it should have been, and
consequently he was compelled to per-
form the duties Of his office till the close
Of the late session without receiving any
portion Of his compensation, while the
rest of the State officers, Tor services rem
dered at the same time, and all other per
sons holding claims against the State re-
ceived their pay with interest. 1t was
deemed then but an act Of justice to him,
as he had been deprived Of the use ofthe
: principal give or six MONTHS" to allow
him the same interest paid to others, and
| question very much whether a single
wing voted against it. The act is based
upon that time honored principle of the
democracy-equal Ia VS. and equal rights,
but as equality in Legislation constitutes
no part of the wing code, their sneers in
the present case is easily accounted for
But as | design to keep the account post