The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-12-18

Wednesday last, will be found in our COL
umns this week. This Convention assembled
in pursuance Of a call, emcnatins from the
o:tisens of this county, at meeting held in
this city, on the 23d ult. As will be seen,
delegates were present from our own county
and also from four counties lying north Of
US; but, none Of the southern counties were
represented. The gentlemen who put forth
The call were all we'll known to be in favor
of State Aid to Railroads, and with one or
two exceptions, the delegates who attended,
were decidedly in favor of that measure.
The Convention was not, therefore, the ex-
preston Of the people Of the "Slore" gen.
orally, but spoke the sentiments rather, Of
thas portion of the people who are in favor
'cf the project. 1t may be, that they rep
scented the sentiments Of q majority of the
Fcople-they certainly claimed to do so
and We do not care to raise IN issue with
the highly respectable body Of gentlemen
who composed the Convention, on that
point.
For the information Of those not in ut
tendance, We will briefly sketch the pro-
cecdings of the Convention. Upon its
.s.cmblage, the usual officers and committees
were appointed.
The Committee on Resolutions, after n
brief absence, reported series Of resolu-
lions, referring to the general stagnation of
business, the crippled condition of Railroad
interests, &C., and recommending that aid
be extended to all Railroads now or hcrcaf
ter commenced, and also requesting the
Governor to call an Extra Session Of the
Legislature, to consider the subject. These
resolution were discussed during the after
uooD, with considerable spirit, by Messrs.
BLooxER, STREET, PESDLEroS, BALDWIN,
JAMES, TEST, AULr, GRAY, and other gentle
men. The tendency of the debate was de-
cidodly in favor of their adoption-the first
aamed speaker alone intimatins doubts as
to the wisdom Of the policy proposed, and
taking decided ground against an Extra
Session.
During the afternoon, our ncighbor Of
the Buyle, was called upon to address the
Convention, but not being a delegate, he
declined doing so; whereupon, quito
1'harc up" followed between that gentleman
md Col. TEST, of this city, during which our
humble name got mixed in, but suffered no
damage, we believe, although we hardly
could crime our fate, placed as We were,
Between the cross-Gring of two such valiant
Colonies! Finally, an adjournment to !
O'Clock was moved and carried.
Upon re-assembling, at that hour, Mr..
BLooNER offered series of resolutions,
Us substitute for::;;those offered by the
committee, which, nfter considerable dis
cussion wcrc adopted, with the exception
of the last, which was stricken out, and one
.of.,hc committees resolutions adopted in its
place. Tho. resolutions as adopted, it will
be seen, urge the speedy completion Of the
four lines Of Railroad already commenced
across the State; also of Il road up the
Missouri Valley; declare in favor Of Il ju-
dicious system Of State Aid to Railroads,
anil request the Governor to convene the
Legislature. The Convention was unanimous
upon all except the last, and upon that, very
nearly So only two votes (Messrs. BLOOM
.rR and ArLr) being cast in the negative.
We desire to notice only two points in the
discussion. The first was, that the very
moderate degree Of favor, with which the
project Of State Aid to Railroads has been
received throughout the State, is owing to a
combined movement on the part Of politi-
clans to defeat it; and the second, that the
editors had lcagucd together to defeat it =
Upon both these points, several gentlemen
became mod rately eloquent; which received
tho hardest blows, it would be difficult to
say--at any rate, the poor editors got an
awful pummel'ing. Our neighbor of the
Buylc, stood it all gloriously, never WINGED
n mite, as VIC could see-while we-wcll,
we arc alive and kicking, that is all.
We have no idea of defending either class
from tho remarks thus made. The polti-
clans can take care of themselves. Ii they
have, really, as charged, gone contrary to
the popular sentiment Of the State, they will
iud it out to their cost, some day. We
hardly think they have made n mistake in
this instance, but perhaps they have. Per-
haps they have combined to defeat tho will
Of the people. Perhaps tho people Of Iowa
are in favor of mourning an enormous State
debt to aid in the construction Of Railroads
but We have had our doubts upon the
subject, and have said so and that is the
extent of our offending. We desire, as
warmly as any ono possibly can, to hasten
the progress of our Railroads; but how this
shall be done, is question upon which men
may honestly differ. We have questioned
ahc expediency of the proposed plan, and
we have taken decided ground against an
Extra Session of the Legislature at this
time. Upon both these points we may be
mistaken; but while we conduct public
journal, We intend to speak our mind freely,
upon all questions of public Importance !;
and, when any Convention, no matter how
respectable, attempts to call us to account
for 50 doing, We must tell its members in
oil kindness, that they have walked up the
wrong passenger! AS to the notion that
the editors of the Statehave leagued together
to defeat this project, We regard it as too
absurd to merit serious refutation, though
We have referred to the matter somewhat
mt length in another column.
And now, word as to the future of this
question. We have not the least idea that
Governor Lowe Will call Special Session
of tho Legislature to consider it. The
popular manifestations are too strongly op-
posed to it, to induce him to do so. At
least, 50 we read the "signs Of the times"
The question will then 60 over to the regular
session. This is well. The State will be
saved the expense of On Extra Session,
and the people will have time calmly to con-
slider tho question. We shall have near ten