Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-03-17
MADISON CORRESPONDENCE
MADISON, March 4, 1857.


! ordinance under the Capitol windows, pro-
claims the death and last agonies of IN inglori-
Gus administration. The funeral Of what re-
mains Of Frank Pierce is being duly celebrated
/ here, by strains of lovely music, and the most
unharmonious gathering of political mourners
! ever assembled in conclave. As your readers
all know, the Border Ruffians met to day for
the purpose Of putting in nomination candi-
date for Chief Justice in place Of Judge Viii
ton Most of the members OF this Convention
consisted the famous Legislative caucus which
/ has been assisting James Buchanan IN making
/ removals and appointments in the various .. S.
/ Offices of this State. Pure democracy, fifty
embodied in the person Of ". NJ Strong presi-
ded over the motley assemblage VIM. j. Hull
( and August Krcur Of Madison claimed 10 rep
( resent jackson and St. CroiX Counties. Fred.
Horn objected to this Barstow system ofrepre-
sentation. as it had played the ID once in
his County" and he thought the only way IN
which the party could regain the ascendancy
was by keeping UP the appearance of fitness
in their Conventions. The spurious delegates
were then rejected, but all Of them subsequent
lv admitted 10 represent some district not SO far
/
dorsingt the Star Chamber recommendations and
particularly that of Sbalpstein; but although
three tourths of the Convention We're the same
members of the Legislature who represented
the appointing power in secret conclaye, the
resolution was most Inconsistency laid on the
table.
A resolution introduced by Hull, endorsing
the Cincinnati Platform and the future admin
istration of President Buchanan, was unani-
mouslv adopted. OF course the Candidate for
Chief Justice viii consider himself instructed
10 govern ms judicial decisions, in case of his
election, by the slaye-driving principles OF this
doughiace platform Could more cfTectual
method be devised for pluuging the ermine Of
our Judges into The slough Of political cor
rution That any tool could Lc found willing
to bind himself to such ingioTious use, is matter
of surprise, and that our townsman, Judge Goth
rem, should 50 far forget his dignity and indie
pendence rs to accept q nomination under such
instructions, thus virtually yielding up his in
diyidual manhood certainly reflects no credit
upon that free and cnlightcn region of the State
in which he has the honor To reside. The rc5-
pie viii undoubtedly feel under the sad ncccs-
y =.
If Wisconsin ever occupied proud position
it is now. She has thrown The shield Of State
. Sovereignty over all her citizens, and manifes-
ted her determination TO submit 10 no encroach-
ments upon the rights guaranteed 20 the hum
blest individual by the Constitution Of the coun-
try. She has said through her Judiciary that
the writ Of HaJcas corpus. shall not be denied by
the tyranicical dictum of a pro-slayery, over
bearing United States official. And I mistake
the feeling Of the people. if they do not sustain
the Supreme Court Of this State most cmphati-
cally the first Tuesday of April next.
THURSDAY, March 5
A Bill went through to-day reducing the
minimum price Of the swamp and oyerfowed
/ lands to one dollar and a quarter per acre
This Is more than many Of the lands are worth,
but It IS asserted by tie State Officers shat COM
petition VIII bring many of the more valuable
/ Of those lands up 10 fifteen and twenty dollars
/ per acre. OF this fund twenty-five per cent.
/ goes to the several Counties in which the lands
/ are situated, the remainder into the School
] Fund.
/ 4 Bal "ppropriating $4,000 for the purpose
/ Of building Hospital for The Insane, has pass
/ ed both Houses. This amount is 10 be drawn
the coming year and IS supposed to be sufficient
/ to finish one wing, The plan Of the whole beng
| based upon an aggregate cost of 100000, some
thing less than the S450,0OO Proudft contract.
/ Nearly the whole Of to-day has been devoted
I 70 the discussion and perfection of q new As
sessment law, by which the burden Of taxation
viii be more equally distributed. il pro
vides that every person shall make out list of
his property and its actual value a,1ader oath. and
/ proposes new system of State eoualization-
/ There are some good features incorporated in
| this bill; but that any law upon this complex
subject Will meet the appreciation of all can
| hardly be expected. Nothing could be worse
| than the manner IN which the present system
| Is conducted,-and almost any change would
! be hailed . 4 vast improvement. 1t is doubt
full, however, whether time VIII Justify the pas
sage of this bill in any satisfactory shape, as
| there arc but two more working DAYS.
FRIDAY, March G.
The Two Houses are running large erist Of
bills through the mill this morning, under the
rule prohibiting debate on Friday mornings.
Mr.. Lowell offered resolution lnstructing our
Senators and Representatives in Congress 10
insist on protection for Citizens Of Wisconsin in
travelling on all public highways and uaviea-
bic rivers also to oppose the admission Of any
new States unless they shall have provisions in
their Constitutions prohibiting SlGrery and
Poiaga'ay. All the Republicans voted in favor
OF the resolution, and all the Democrats present
against it, excepting N. N. Strong, NJ J. Thorn
as, Conklin and Mason, all Of whom refused to
pote on he question. After endorsing the Gin
cinnati platform in Convention day or two
since their sober second thought tells them that
the people wiz mark the 1lcn who dare to
darken the records by placing their names in
the opposition on so plain and righteous an IN
| structiou.