Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-01-13
IoTe City Correspon dence.
SENATE CHAMBER. Iowa CRY, !
January @, 1853.

4
! Mr.. EDlToR:--Slnce my last, the bu-
siness of legislation has been dragging
its slow length along 10 manner tina,
! could no, be entirely satisfactory TO one
who might desire TO see the thing done
up promptly, aud with despatch. Dur.
ing that part of the session, now past
we have been very much annoyed with
long speeches-many of them on abort
subjects, and not few, from small intel
iectual calibres. Some of the members
of the general Assembly, have a very
extraordinary capacity of dila,ing their
thoughts. and spreading them out SO
thin, that il requires the greatest intel
lec,ual acumen to gather them. Indeed
an outsider would be ap, TO think tina,
the same idea, which in the hand OF an
old-fashioned. laconic speaker would be
crowded into single sentence, would,
by some Of our modern Cicero's, be
very gracefully spread out into three
hour-speech. With view 10 check up
this very interesting operation. the Sen.
ate adopted . resolution two days ago.
that no member speak more than twenty
minutes at one time; and We may safely
hope. that more working and less talking
will be done up hereafter. The Bill for
the removal of the Capitol, from Iowa
City to Fort Des Moines has been un.
der consideration for The last week or
more in The Senate. and indications were
favorable to the passage of the b,ll.--va.
rious efforts were made from day To lay,
to amend, by substituting Oskalonsa,
Pela, Tools Point, &C.. and to insert
thousand and one other amendments, al,
OF which were voted down.
Yesterday afternoon the Bill was or
dered to be engrossed, and read third
time to-day by vote of Ii to Is aud
il was then believed the bill would pass
by that majority. This morning, how
ever, j, was discovered, that change
had come over the subject Of the dreams
of certain Senators, and the bin was lost
on its passage by vote Of Ii fpf il to
lS agains. it. This result will. per-
haps. be deprecated by the citizens Of
Of the "Des MONIES Republic" but the
journals of the Senate will enable them
TO know that their representatives stood
by the measure with unhesitating con.
siancy to the iasi.
In the House bill has been reported
by Mr.. Sells of Musca.ine, providing
for submitting the question Of an amend
mens OF the Constitution to the people.
Yesterday and to-day they have had an
interesting debate on that subject. The
bill provides, not only for the vote to be
taken, but also provides for the appor.
tionment of the delegates, their number,
and the time Of the meeting Of the con-
vention. The number is TO be equal to
the number of the members of The House
Of Representatives, and the districts to
be the same.
The only opposition it meets in the
House, or nearly so. is upon the pre,ence
that it is not Constitutional Tor this Leg
islature to enact any other law, than 10
merely order an election: while on the
other hand il is ayerred that any ground
other than that assumed in the bill would
reduce that provision of the Constitution,
not only to nullity bu. to an absurdity.
This afternoon the bill was amended by
striking OUT all bu. the simple provision
for permitting the people. at the August
election in 1854. TO vote for, or ag inns, a
Convention and the bull thus amended
passed to third reading tomorrow by
large majority. say Al to IL, and i, will
perhaps pass the House tomorrow by
abou, the same majority. There Is no
doubt. but tina. it will pass The Senate by
a considerable majority.
Yours. truly,
AGRICOLA.