The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-07-07
IN ADMIRABLE SATIRE .

The House had an excited session thi
morning upon the resolution Of M
Henpecket, deductings days pay fron.
member for each absence on the tax
ing Of a vote. Mr.. H. said he did nj.
wish to make invidious or unpleasant
remarks but it had become notorious
that the married female members of Tn;
House were in the daily habit Of ab
senting themselves for hours togethcr
when the most important business was
pending. He thought it crying wron. !:
against the constitution of the delin
quents and against the State of Massa
chusetts.
Several female members rose togeth
er in an excited manner, and held up
their pencils in menacing attitude. but
Mrs. Wideswarth Of Nantucket, obtain.
ed the floor. She had seen Before spec
linens Of meanness from the other side
ofthe House, and should not therefore
say she was astonished by the attack os
Mr.. Henpecket on the reserved right !
of the maternal members. She vel.
understood the motive of this move
ment. The gentleman wished to COM
pei the maternal members to resign their
seats and thus remove theif restfiiiiingE
influence from this body. leaving tbs
single female members unprotected an.
exposed to the evil influences Of tho
other side of the House. Begging the
pardon of the Chair if she seemed tc'
stoop to personalities, she begged 1eave
to say that she could not doubt for a
moment that if Mr.. Henpecket was also
a member of this House, the gentleman
her husband, would never haTe offered
a resolution striking SO fatal blow at
the comfort of the maternal members:
{ Great sensation on the male side of the
House.)
Miss Frostbit did not wish to put hes
nose into what seemed sort of family
quarrel among the unhappy married
members Of this House, but she did
think the frequent outrunnine of the
Materials. for purposes perfectly nat:
urai and creditable to their feelings;
was an interruption of the business OF
the House, and must be particularly un:
pleasant in the way of association OH
ideas to the married male MEMBERS.
(Cries Of shame from some of the IA.
theirs and mothers.) She would havs
both sides Of this House to know that
she not to be put down by senseless
cries. But it was not her object to wi
den the breach between the oppos;no
sides of the House. On the contrary
she had risen to suggest compromises
which she believed would acromplisli
every proper object had in view by Mr.:
Henpecket and at tie same time enable.
the maternal members to fulfill all their
duties without defrauding ths state of
their services on this floor. Indeed. the
idea had been suggested to her several
weeks since by the Governors husband
"a very excellent and trustworthy gen.
tleman as many ladies who had entrust-
ed their band-boxes and other valuables
to his care. would cheerful1y testify
who had remarked to her that the Office
OF Secretary ofState was ve1y comfor-
table room, and might easily be made
convenient for a nursery for the Young
children OF the maternal members, and
thus prevent the necessity of their 90.
ing considerable distance to boarding.
houses during the sessions, to satisfy
the importunate calls of their tender off
spring. She Miss Frostbit) had no
experience in the matter--and sle could
say with all simplicity and sincerity;
that she was not unreeonciled to this fate
but she had heard and had reason to
believe that long separation of the moth
er and the nul selling were not consistent
with the health and comfort of either.
The wind-(Here the speaker was in
terrupted by the laughing of ill.bred
boys in the galleries, who were summa-
rily elected by the Sergeant at Arms
The wind. as she had just been about to
Observe
Here the speakers hammer fell. and
Miss Frostbit was told that her time
was up. The reporter is informed by
the fair speaker that what she meant to
say when thus unfortunately cut off the
second time, was The wind should be-
tempered to the shorn lambs'-and d
very pretty and appropriate figure it
would have been for a peroration.
Mr.. Henpecket rose merely to say
that he deprecated any unpleasantness:
and regretted that this question had Ia.
ken personal turn. He approved the
suggestion Of Miss Frostbit. He tho't
the nsscent Legislators of the State
could be very well taken care of in the
Secretary's Office. and he was permitted
to say. on behalf of the gentlemanly
men of leisure who occupied that room
as clerks, that it would give them much
pleasure to devote their abundant leisure
to the service of the little ones, willis
their anxious mothers were serving the
State in higher capacity up stairs.
Mrs. Multiple rose to speak, but was
greatly agitated. and the reporter could
catch but a suggestive word or two;
such as 'unfeeling wretch oh! Hen:
ry! where is the doctor?' when the
honorable member sunk heavily to the
floor. Several hard screams were heard
from the seat occupied by the unmar-
ried lady members, and general confus-
sion ensued for some moments. Mrs.
NJ. was taken up by several gentlemen
and ladies, and carried carefully into an
ante.room. Fortunately. Miss DR.. Har.
riot, member of the Senate from Suffolk !,
was at hand, and when the House had
again resumed its usual order, it was
whispered about that both were as we'll
as could be expected
Miss Touchmenot hoped that no quss.
ton would be taken in the present ex.
cited and nervous state of this body.-
She was sure the female side of this
House would be quite incapable of de-
liberate action till after a cup of tea