Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-02-20
.. Corr spnpdence Of the Journal.
I%A LEG1SE A1hE.


Io0A LEGx6E 1RE. E
I The foilswing letter Of our correspond
ent shonld hpve reached us awcek ago, but
was understandable de- aimed IA the nsil.-
Although some Of the items Of news which
it contains have already been given TO our
readers, we give the letter entire for the sake
Of the additional information which it gives
concerning these matter.
DRsxoINEs, Feb. 6, 1858.
EDrToR Journal The Revising and Cod
flying Commissioners entered upon their
work on Monday last After revising the
work before them, they concluded that to
prevent conflict with the Legislature, they
would first prepare and report code of civ
il and criminal procedure, in compliance
with Section IA, Art. S, of the Constitution,
which requires the GO General Assembly to
provide for general system of practice in
all the Courts Of the State," the General
Assembly not having entered upon that
branch Of legislation. The Commissioners
found it difficult to determine upon a. prac-
tice act until the Legislature had decided
whether they would establish another Court
I" inferior to the Supreme Court" as au-
thorzcd in Sec. /, Art. S, of the Constitu-
ton. To determine that question, the Com
missioners sent Communication to the two
Houses, requesting them to settle the ques-
ton whether they would create an addition
al Court.
In the House, the proposition to create a
Court of Common Pleas was adopted. In
the creation of this new Court, it is propos-
ed to change our present system of county
organization. The adjudication and settle
ment of all probate business is to come
within the jurisdiction of this Court-the
Office Of County Judge to be abolished the
fiscal affairs and roads to be managed by a
board of county commissioners, similar to
our old system, only the clerk of the board
Of commissioners to be the County Auditor.
When the action of the House upon this
subject, came up before the Senate, there
were so many changes made, that the prop
osition must fall in its present shape. One
change made in the Senate was to organize
Special Courts in populous counties and
districts by submitting the question to a
vote of the people-a proposition which has
just been decided unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court. So the question of the new
Court is still undetermined.
A very spicy debate sprang up in the
House during the discussion of the new
court system. A prominent member of the
legal profession Inadvertently and piayfully
asked tiller of the soil who had been taking
part in the discussion. what he knew about
the subject ?-that he was no lawyer. When
your representative, Mr.. Lundy, true to the
rights and interests Of his own class retort-
ed with the following resolution:
&c Resolved, That all the farmers who oc
cupy seats upon this floor by virtue of their
election be and they are hereby declared en-
titled to vote upon all questions, properly
stated by the presiding officer Provided,
however, that they abstain from and relin-
quish all right to participate in any deba e,
or in any otnner manner intrude upon the
rights Of the legal gentlemen Of this House,
which resolution effectually turned the ta'
bles upon the gentleman who made the at
tack and was finally withdrawn after it had
accomplished all that the mover desired
by its introduction.
The loan bill has become law. 1t pro-
vides for the negotiation by the State Treas
urer, of 100000 State bonds at par; the
bonds to run ten years and bear interest at
seven per cent. per annum, payable semi
annually. The Treasurer, Hon. M. L. Nor
ris, will start East to negotiate the bonds
about the 10th inst. The object of this loan
is to redeem the $l55 900 outstanding war;
rants, bearing 8 per cent. interest, and to
meet the deficiency in the Treasury conse-
euent upon the great falling off in the col
lection of the revenue for the past year.
Judge Clagett, of the first Judicial Dis
trict, Of whom it was said by distinguished
wit, in the presence of the Judge" that he
(Clagett) could OUT effrie Jeffies himselfr,,
has been charged with the grossest tyranny
and abuse upon the bench in the discharge
Of the functions Of his Office as Judge, which
charges have been set out at length in arti-
cles of impeachment presented to the House
signed by large and respectable portion of
the bar in his district. The committee ap.
pointed to investigate the charges. a major
ity of whom were selected from the Judges
own political party, have reported that the
charges are not sufficiently sustained to jus.
tify or warrant an impeachment, which re-
port was adopted by bare majority. The
Judge returns home rejoicing, flushed with
victory-with power to pour vengeance up
on the heads of the offending members of
his bar and he will be most likely to do it,
without mercy.
The bank bills Zone for each 81 stem-the
State and Free) have been reported and or
dered to be printed, and will probably be
decided upon during the coming week.
Prof. Hall, our State Geologist, is now
in this city. His first report will be pub
lished and ready for distribution in about
two months. 1t will be one of the most in
teresting works to the Iowa reader that has
been published by authority of the State
1t will be printed on superior paper, Royal
octave form, and will contain from 600 to
800 pages, beautifully illustrated by nume-
rous plates of the finest character. The
work will reflect great credit upon its au-
thor. u ~.
Arrangement will be made to fit up one of
the large rooms in the State University (old