Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1855-01-10
9 O'Clock P. NJ.

~ House called to order. ne House resolved
atssf into a committee Of the whole for the pur
pose, Of considering the bill for The suppress
sionsof Intempcrance. Mr. Benson ir the chair.
Mr. Holmes Of Jones moved the adoption OF
the bill.
s#aMr Dewe of Fremont stated the que stion
before the House az previously discussed was
TO Stfike out all after the enacting clause.
Acalliofths house being demanded several
members were found to be absent. and..on mo-
%s ss d # M. T.ifS further cal Of the House
Mr. Wilter was Of the opinion that the mo.
ton before he House was good one, for If
there could be folnd members enough in the
commttee to adopt the motion the same
strength would be brought to bear to defeat
the bill when it shonld come before the House,
He was opposed to many amendments to this
bill, as well as were nearly all the friends OF
the bill, and they much preferred to see the
bill POSTPONED Tor two more years, rather than
to see SO many amendments adopted as to rem
der the endorsement Of the yrovisisns Of the
bill difficult and onerous. The bill is similar
to the prohibitory law OF Ohio, Michigan,
Maine aud other States; and he was unable to
perceive why members should pronounce it
unusually stringent. He should demand the
yeas and nays upon this bill, when the ques-
ton should be put that the people Of the State
might know who were the opponents to the
bill.
Me- Tracy remarked tla, he was perfectly
wiling and deemed it his duty to have his
vote p aced upon tho journal that his cons;i.
tuents might know how no voted
~ lie knew that the report has gone out
that the Desmoine delegation we're ennnsad to
the bill but he would inform the committee
that while they opposed the bill they were as
sincerely opposed to drunkenness. but he
could not trample upon the constitution Of
the State, for that was TIL. guide and the light
hat governed him. ip his acts of legislation.
Eas opposed to the pIfu6
hhconsrItntional inS
Ft0visohs. p00P7e have the RICH, to en- p
Joy the use OF their own property, IL IL did not
conflict with the happiness and welfare Of 9th :
efs:fthus should a person erect public nui
sauce in a neighborhood wliereit endangered
the health and happiness of his neighbors.
though its establishment might be Of profit
aud worth to the owner: the Legislature Of
State would be warrar'ed in passing laws TO
abolish that nuisance, thus destroying private
property. il
He could perceive nothing wrong in the
grain Of tho fields and no Legislative body dare
10 deny it, and when tina, grain was converted
-tvnther property he could not understand
Why, even then. il should be destroyed, for if
its destruction was wrong IN the first instance
it lcgi,,mately followed that it mus, be wrong
in the seconJ; and the same power Of restraint
indt Won HIeNcub iIottl endCtING a
law to destroy the grain growing in the field,
must necessari ly prevent them from passing
laws to destroy that same article when con-
verted ipto other property.
Enlargement that intoxicating liquors was
posobpas,y and consequently from that fact,
legislators demand the right to destroy the
same. would apply wI'h the same force to eve.T
ry description OF poison found in the medical
4 dispensary. ta st.rss %aA e5
Hewoula refer members to the present Ii
quor law and ask them, what better won Id they
desire TO be enacted. Members and friends Of
the present bill, were willing to admit that its
enforcement always resulted beneficially to the
Interests Of tht State. and il he people would
only select capable and efficient officers to put
in force the law, they would havs no desire to
see enacted such q law as the one before the
committee
i 4 1t has been remarked, that even when the
Law was enforced the FIX Governor would in
9 teifere and remit fines and sentences, and
hence to enforce it, at times, was only to put
counties to expense d. trouble. There had been
some instances when persons had received
such information through a prejudiced and un-
infiueutial press: but in nearly every instance
of such reports being made, an investigation
void result in proving it false. Que case in
particular. had been mentioned, and that was
The case that occurred in this county.
20 poor and worth ess citizen had been con.
victed Of Sc ling Intoxicating liquors, and hav.
ing been fined and unable to pay that fine, was
imprisoned. While :carcerated in PRISON, be
was taken sick. and the attending physician
certified that he must be removed or else he
could not live. Hia wife and children, too.
were helpless and in want, and petitions were
sent to the Governor imploriug him to exercise
his right and pardon the prisoner. Had he
refused to do SO, it would hare show him to
possess heart devoid of the milk of human
4. - 4
responsible position which the people had de
z legated to him.
lie Gid not resist the appeals of the petitions
sent him neither did he turn deaf ear to the
appeals Of suffering and helpless prisoner
Ikea man that he is. he ordered the prison
door to be opened and the erring man to q
out TO his family and sin no more
Instead of Gov. Hempstead's doing a wrong
or an injury. he caused by that single act.1 .
desc ate home to be made cheerful; and a,
unerring wife and innocent children to ono,
-mo,e look upon the bright side OF the world
II being the author Of such deed shall brin;
upon the head Of an honorable man charges O
retarding The progress the enforcement of III
/ present law, then Mr. Chairman lie, them b
i reported and have no fear for he injuriou
effects of such assertions. He would say tina
when the consultation Of Iowa was SO amende
and he believed the enforcement Of a bill sim
: lar to this was possible, he would be wllliD
Y were he a legislator to vote for IL, but the bi
in it's present shape he believed uuconstit,
,ional in its provisions, burdensome in ITS n
aurements. and dangerous in its execution
snd Cor these reasons he could not vote for II
bill. He was no friend of the traffic in intux
- eating liquors. and he considered himself
-~e temperance man. but as much 40 he detestt
Drunkenness and admired morality, his judi
ment would never permit him to record b
ret, fer 1 billhe considered unconstitutional
"a. Mr. Pri,chard remarked that ior many yea
WtEt5