Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-12-27
IOWA LEGISLATURES.
Correspondence of the Telegraph.
Iowa Cry, Dec. Is, 1850.

has been principally taken up with prep
aration for business, rather than with
doing any thing very important. The
House OF Representatives has occupied
much of its time, thus far, in the discus
sion of constitutional questions. These,
however, seem now to be pretty much
settled, at which have no doubt you
will feel much gratifed.
/ The great business of the session will
be the action upon the report of the
committee OF revision. The Senate felt
disposed to adopt that report wiihou.
much alteration. A part of it was read
in that body, and afterwards, they resov-
ed to regard the whole as having been
read first and second time, and then
under special rule, the whole was trans
ferred TO the House of Representatives.
In the House, however, the report,
with the exception of few of the first
chapters. was ordered TO be printed
This will occupy much time, and it is
the intention of some of the members TO
aIjourn ove- to the first OF January, in
order to give the printers The necessary
time. hardly think the adjournment
will take place.
AS far as am informed of the nature
Of the report of the committee Of revis-
ion, it contemplates some very consider
able charges in the present condition of
things. The Board of Public Works.
and The Office of School Fund Commits
soner are abolished, and in their stead a
single Commissioner of Public Works
and Land Office for the sale of all the
lands of the State are substituted; some
of the duties heretofore performed By
the School Fund Commissioners being
transferred to the County Treasurer,
| and 10 the Superintendent of Public In
struclion. This change will be saving
in the way of compensation to officers
of more than ten thousand dollars per
annum, which somebody had to pay
heretofore.
In county officers great change has
been made looking TO the same result
The Board of Commissioners and the
Judge of Probate are fused into one of
Gee. The Clerk of the District Court
is ex-oflicio clerk of the county court
the other county officers roman the same
as at present. The Judge of The coun-
ty court, the Clerk of the district and
county court, the Treasurer, Collector
and Recorder and the Prosecuting Atior-
ney receive each salarv for their sole
compensation. This salary is so gradu-
ated as to be different in different coun.
ties, according TO their population. The
three first of the officers above named
receive an equal amount, which in your
county, will be about seven hundred and
fifty dollars each. The salary of the
Prosecuting Attorney is forty per cent on
The amount of the salary OF the County
Judge. The whole amount of the sala-
ries paid TO those four officers would then
/ be about $4,000, which is believed TO be
between $1,000 and $500 less than they
now receive. Measures are intended to
be adopted for providing the ways and
means of paying these salaries without
taxing The people directly for these pur-
poses and besides, it is contemplated as
| am informed to transact all probate
business free of expense to the parties
interested. The compensation paid to
the clerks of the district and county
courts. the Recorder, Prosecuting Atior-
ney, Fund Commissioner, County Com
missioners, is believed to be hard upon
$4,000 annually, so that it is easily seen
in what manner the probate business can
be transacted gratuitously and get people
of the equity relieved from an additions
al ANIMAL burden of more than $1,000.
| noticed an article in the Gazette not
long since deprecating change and decla-
ring that the present system of transact
| ing court business worked well. If this
is the case in your county il furnishes an
exception TO the remaining portion of
| the State. There is here but one uni
versal complaint againstthe present sys-
tenn. The commissioners meet but once
in three months, and cannot therefore be
supposed 10 be posted up in all matters
connected with the county business.
The clerk must be constantly consulted
and he generally succeeds in controlling
the commissioners, while he is himself
not responsible for their acts.
The greatest objection to the system
here is that it coniers multiplicity of
powers on the judge of the county court.
But if it concentrates power in single
hand it in the same proportion fixes res
possibility. You must elect good man
for your judge. You then pay him
respectable salary and expect him to de-
vote himself assiduously 10 the discharge
of his duties-you give him power sufli-
cient TO enable him to perform his duties,
and then you fix on him responsibility
for all improper acts that may be done by
him. believe this is the only way to
secure cheap and efficient administra-
tion Of the law, and the Legislature will
give it trial.
H6iOcy.