Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-12-10

!. fssees1iAsl h O ! gsails I'll n lesA ab6s
thfee qoasse1 a nile q Fort De1 H6ideA N,
I on ths ease side Of tie river. Il comnsnds
4 reod pesspsct and see1ns - ~ veil adapsed 4
II ~ pofposef ee which Il Hrs been sslsesed
rs AxvfSioH ov SCHOOL LAWA.
II Ii compliance With the provisions Of the xc
4 Of July 14th. 1856. Hon. Horace Mann, Of Ohss
! Hon. Amos Dean, President Of the State Uni
-ersity, and r. E. Bissell, Esq. Of Dubuque vers
appointed Commissioners 70 revise the Schoo
laws Of the State. The Commissioners are en-
| gagged 10 the discharge Of their dnties, and will
be able to lay their report before you in very
few days.
Almost every person residing 10 any Of the
large towns in the State, acknowledges the i'm.
| peratise necessity for some law to protect the
purity Of the BALLOT box. That gross fraude are
perpetrated 1t every election, by voting and
double voting Of unqualified persons, IL not to
be denied. To remedy this great and constant
y increasing evil, the passage Of registry law
| is respectfully recommended Such laws have
been IN operation in several states from pc
Rod long anterior 70 the adoption Of the Fede-
raj Constitution, and have fully answered their
designs.
COUNTY INDEBTEDNESS.
The Constitution wisely provides that the State
Shall not in any manner create debt exceeding
one hundred thousand dollars. The trainers Of
that instrument did not imagine that there was
as great necessity to prohibit the counties from
creating large public debts, for the reason that
the history of the country did not then present
the case OF county becoming large stock
holder in private corporations.
Within the past few years, however, so great
has been the anxiety to procure the construc-
ton of works of internal improvements, that
lptts< 49,
ed the very doubtful policy Of creating large mu.
nicipal debts, for the purpose of becoming stock
holders in railroads, and other private corpora
tons The amount of municipal Indebtedness
already voted BY the different cities and counties
exceeds seven millions of dollars
Without stopping to enquire into the authori-
ty, under which the loans have heretofore been
voted, 1t seems to me that prudence and sound
policy, require, that some check be imposed upon
the future exercise of this power to create pub
lie Indebtedness. 1t is true that many invest
ments made by the counties and cities may re-
suit probably to the stockholders; but it is
equally true, that many will prove disastrous as
some have already done.
Municipal corporations are designed for local
and limited purposes, and it is perversion of
their organization when they are embarked in
internal improvement beyond their jurisdiction.
Nor is that an equitable principle, which allows
the people Of one portion of county to fasten
an Indebtedness upon q remote portion of the
county, for other than legitimate county purpos-
es. Equally unjust 70 allow the property Of one
man to be heavily burdened by taxation, impos-
ed by the vote Of another man, who is without
property, without household and who sustains
none OF the burdens Of government. There is
manifest propriety in allowing every man the ,
right of suffrage, under ordinary circumstances
10 thntn ,~,lo
lege to join in the selection of his own law-mak-
ers, and his own executioners, but there is not
the same propriety in allowing to every man the
privilege of creating an Indebtedness for others
10 pay.
1t occurs to me that too many checks and safe
guards cannot be thrown around this power, if
such power exists at all, of creating municipal
indebtedness for purposes of internal improve
nents. 1t is a dangerous power, and liable to !
he grossest abuse.
KANSAS.
During the past summer it was reported and |
generally believed that the President of the
United States only failed to nterpose his author
ty for the protection of the rights of the free
State people in Kansas for the reason that no of.
icial intelligence had reached him that any out
ages had been perpetrated in that unfortunate
erritory. Having such information myself, I
it to be my duty to notify the Presi-
lent of the crimes that had been committed
against the persons and property of former citi-
.ens of Iowa, and to demand for them that pro-
ection which the federal government was in part
established to secure
Accordingly on the 2sth day of August last
to him letter on this subject, copy
Of which herewith transmt.-Without desiring
% forestal the opinion or action of the General
Assembly in this regard, beg leave TO reiterate /
he opinion then expressed, that it is the right
md duty of the State to protect the rights of
Ter former citizens in Kansas, when the federal
government fails to perform that duty
l desire to cooperate with the General Assem-
bly, in the adoption of any measures that may
tend to uphold the sovereignty and promote the
prosperity and honor Of our noble state
JAMES w. GRIMES.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, Iowa CRY,
End, December, 1856.