Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-03-13
For the Grant County Herald.
The legislature.

latnre Of Wisconsin. A long string of
Bulls had been passed appropriating the
the peoples money, and our far-seeing
Legislators well know that the people
would expect them to publish their do
lngs, SO that their lords and masters cod
judge whether they were faithful stew
ards or not. The published account
read thus: Bills passed. Bill granting
sum of money therein named to A. 3.
Bill granting certain sum Of money
therein named to G. D. Bill granting a
sum of money therein named to E. F.,
and so on to the end of the chapter.
read the account with establishment it
was something new to me; I had not
been accustomed to see such loose re-
ports of legislative proceedings in other
States; and | set myself to work to find
out some reason for keeping back from
the people the two most important facts,
viz: the amount paid, and what it was
1 paid for, or what was received for it,
These were the only two facts that were
practically worth to the people the pa
per on which they were printed, and it
was clear to me that there was an effort
made to suppress these facts and keep
the people in the dark: for had they paid
A. B. $500 for enclosing the State
House with fence, or G.. d. $1,000 for
bridging Fox river, or E. f. $500 for
furniture for State House, it would have
been more natural, and quite as easy to
have said SO; but they may have had
something for their guide which they
mistook for reason-be that as it may, it
reminded me of the negro who backed
his masters team off the bluff and smash
ed up oxen, wagon and load into one
confused heap; he then slowly approach
ed his master and told him that zone OBJ
has oGen be hurt bad, berry bad, him dead"
"One of my oxen dead what do you
mean, explain yourself" ".fe de t,sd-
der or, hinadead too" "What, both oxen
dead why you are crazy, what do you
mean ?" can yer wagon be all mash
to pieces, and thought wouldn't tell
it all at once, ferde we could mt bore it. )"
So I suppose our Legislators thought
that if the people should be told all at
once, the amount Of money paid, and
what it was paid for, they would not be
able to ''bore it." But that was the old
Legislature and we will let it pass for
the sooner it is forgotten the better.
have before me the Madison Argus
Daily, } in which l find another string
Of appropriations, and it gives me plea
sure 10 state that the sums appropriated
are put down so that the people can ac-
tually see them with their own eyes
This is decided improvement, and it.
will tend TO test the philosophy OF the
negro. Ii it shall be found chat the peo-
pie can bear this, perhapseihe next Lee
legislature will take another Sep and tell
the people what is receiusd for the mo-
ney appropriated in fact they have al
ready done it in one of the appropria-
tons before me (the last of the string
they not only tell the amount appropria-
ted, but actually tell what it was for
Cur Legislators have, it seems, more
faith in the power of people to bear bad
news, than the negro had, or they are
not SO tender of their constituents, as he
was of his master. But what do you
think this appropriation of $40 is for P
Do you give it up? Well it is for ice +!
Ice spells ice. AS we are not inform
ed what the other appropriations that
stand connected with this were made for,
we can only guess; there are three of
them averaging about $50. Well then
we will guess one is for coach hire one
for oysters, and one for wine and bran
dy. | am not certain that have CUES
sed right, but think l must be pretty
near the truth In the last one. calcu-
late thus: | suppose $40 will pay for
cutting and hauling 50 tons Of ice, (which
: will give about half ton to member !;
and | will leave it to any cold water
: dealer to say whether any member can
safely consume half ton Of ice between
the l4th of February and the time that
he ought to be going home to see his
mother. No sir, it can't be done. Now
we all know that the power to purchase
an article for public use implies power
) to make it fit for use; and as we have
Issen that the ice is not fit for use in ITS
pure state, what more natural than that
an appropriation of $50 should be made
for brandy to take the cold off the ice.
Why only think of it,--thermometer
down to 29o. Why sir, it could not be
more fatal 10 the members of the Legs
lature if Guy Faux were already under
; the capitol with his powder and match
es, than it would be for them to try to
consume that ice without something to
, take the cold off. I hope they wont try
! to do it; it would look too much like SUI
eide.
/ Mr.. Editor, this is pretty consider
able of fast country some smart
children in it. If the mother takes
snuff, the child will do the same. 1t
Congress squander the peoples money
to the tune of 300 per head each ses-
sion over and above their So per day,
State Legislators will try to see how
near they can act like Congressman
IIf the nation wants to take Cuba but
don't quite know Row TO do it, Captain
Walker says, sswell, if they can take
Cuba, l should think /, with my 40 men,
lcotld take Lower California.
\ If the shareholders want all of our
free territory to plant slavery upon,
they get D. to head party to try to
) steal it; but don't think the little fell