Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-02-22


ly necessary to be done. We can then
trace the length of the session to nothing
of this kind, and hence we are compelled
to look to something else. Perhaps to two
causes can it be traced. First to the strong
desire Of the majority to receive from the
State their per diem and to make show
of their names upon the journals. But the
strongest cause Of lis continuance, was the
desire to hear from Washington, and to
elect another Senator in the place of the
one who might draw the short term. Gen.
Dodge drew the short term and was re-
elected Oh Wednesday last. How dear do
you suppose you have paid for the exqnis-
ite pleasure of re-electing this man? We
venture to say not less than from eight TO
ten thousand dollars, 10 say nothing of the
extra and useless printing and other Bills
created thereby. Now this may seem ra-
Their dear for the whistle, but upon exam
ination of all the items we venture 10 pre-
dict it will be more than this, rather than
less. We frequently charged upon the
majority that this was the cause OF their
remaining here; but il was not until few
days since, when another proposition was
made to adjourn on the 10Th inst. that the
reason was avowed that no time for adj
journment should be fixed upon until this
news was received from Washington
Citizens Of Iowa, are you willing to sus-
tain such expenditure OF the public money,
at time when you are involved in debt
OF almost one hundred thousand dollars,
and for such purpose? Where was the
necessity Of expendingg his amount of mo-
Ecy Tor the purpose OF again giving office
to one already grown wealthy from official
spoil? BY what right divine do some
men lay claim to public favor, that you
must be taxed to the tune of ten thousand
dollars, TO crafty their wishes3 The an
swer we leave to you. The remedy is in
your hands. So long as your public SER
wants think more Of benetiting some party
iavorite, and filling their own pockets with
your money, than they do Of your interests
and the best good Of the State, so long will
such things continue. Such things have
not been uncommon in our State, even dur
ing our short life. We have had many
instances of the wants and interests of the
people being sacrificed to assist in the ele-
walton of some party hack TO office, and
even their aciH defeated by the most con-
temptible and disgraceiul political NANCY
ering. We say the remedy for all such
extravagances and outrageous political CHI
canery is in your !'aass. Apply il, and
the evil is removed.
In connection with this same matter of
extravagant expenditure OF the public
money, we will here refer TO some appro-
priations made by this same Majority
You all recol!ect the nefarious attempt to
defeat your will in The election of Su-
perintenden, of Public Instruction, in the
Spring OF 1S47, and the success that at
tended such effort. The injury resulting
to the great cause Of education in our
State has been felt by all. To assist in
this outrage on your rights, aside from
what may have been paid to County Pro-
secutors, your Representatives paid this
winter the nice little sum Of two hundred
and fifty dollars to Attorneys-Attorneys
hired TO remove from office the man you
had elected by triumphant majority
1t may be said that this is not much TO
the people Of the whole State; but it is
two hundred and fifty dollars paid with
out cause-paid for nothing, and being
SO, is morally, equitably and legally
wrong. 1t is bnt an illustration of that
reckless spirit Of extravaganza that has
pervaded the legislation Of the present
session. And this sum is independent
Of Court and other expenses, that we
suppose you are yet to be called upon to
pay. Your wishes, we are confident,
were always against the proceeding and
it strikes us, that you will be slow to sane
ton this throwing away OF your money
TO purposes worse than useless. In keep
ing with this, was the giving Of some two
hundred dollars TO the Agent to select the
Saline Lands, and this, too, when this
same agent Ga party iavorite,) was paid
last winter the nice little sum of six hun
dred and forty live dollars, for this same
service, (See Appropriation Act of last
winter.) This extra allowance was
made too, before the Agent had yet fully
discharged his whole duty, and when
through, we suppose another bill of a few
hundred dollars must be allowed. Akin
to this, is the allowance of interest to Mr.
Benton on his salary for some five or six
months, AMI that, too, when he receives
the enormous salary of twelve hundred
dollars per annum, with contingent fund
of some two or three hundred dollars
Ofthe same character is the employment
OF three Clerks to each House, and two or
three extra ones for the last few days, pay
ing them all the comfortable sum OF four
dollars per day, and the employment of
one more assistant fireman, at the sum OF
some two dollars per day. 1t is true, that
in the Senate, we favored the election of a
third clerk, and this only for the reason
that an Assistant Clerk had been elected
there, who was VIGOROUSLY incompetent to
discharge the duties. We might mention
other instances of proaigacy and reckless
expenditure. Some of those mentioned
may be small in themselves, but altogether
they help to make sum not very small!
that you have to pay.
Again, we charge that The majority have
been engaged in the very prn,seuorthy OBJ
ject OF creating and attempting to create
new offices to eat out your substance
First, they have created the office OF State
Printer with ,,r;o,x q = Oh fnr HE Sory;oaS