Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-02-03
DOINGs AT THE CAPITAL.
DEsNoINES, Jan. 81. 1850.

DOINGS AT THE CAPITAL.
DEsNoIEEs, Jan. ~, 1860.
EDITOR JoURNAL:-The past two or three
days have been days of considerable interest
in our Legislature; and, SO far as the Demo
cratic portion of that body is concerned, they
have certainly been days marked by great
deal Of demagogsm and Righteousness. 1t
seems to be the determination of that party,
because it happens, through the sound judg-
ment and good sense Of the majority of the
voters of the State, to be in the minority in
the Legislature, to clog in every possible way
the wheels Of legislation, and thus prolong the
session. While the Democratic members
are clamoring for retrenchment, as they term
it, in the pay Of the officers of the Legislature,
they are, by their factiousness and by resort
ing to all kinds Of parliamentary and unpar-
liamentary tricks, involving the State in far
greater useless expenditure of money than it
has been involved in by the pretended evils
that they occupy so much time in talking
about remedyns. BY such proceedings they
succeeded in keeping off the election Of State
Printer and Binder nearly two days after the
time fixed upon by the Republicans for hold
ing the Joint Convention for that purpose,
thus delaying the legitimate business of the
Legislature, and mourning great expense upon
the State. The election of these officers took
place on Wednesday afternoon, however,
notwithstanding the peculiar arersion enter
tained by the Democrats against going into
Joint Convention that would do such dread
full thing as elect Republican Printer and
Binder. told you, in my last letter, who
were the Republican nominees for these Offices.
They were, Of course, elected. Mr.. Hutchins,
of the State Journal, received the Democratic
vote for Printer, and VIM. Lee, Of Iowa City,
for Binder. A number of Democratic members
of the House refused to 60 into the Joint
Convention ut all, and many Of them who
seere in the Convention, suppose under
misunderstanding Of the name of their can.
didate for Printer, voted for Hutchinsunder-
protest. What jaw-b breaker of name As
was remarked by Mr.. BERGMAN, of the House,
in the Joint Convention, I congratulate the
Republicans that, unlike the Democratic party,
their party has not yet gone to protest.
The question of interest in the House, yes
terday, was really question of interest in
more than one sense-a bill to reduce the
interest upon delinquent taxes. tits thought
by many that this bill will pass and become
law, reducing the interest from the present
rate, 25 per cent, to 10 per cent, or, at least,
to Is per cent.
In the House, this morning, quite an
exciting debate was had on the majority and
minority reports of the Railroad Committee,
in relation to the lands heretofore granted to
the Iowa Central Air Line Railroad, and
which it is claimed have, by the failure of that
Company to comply with the requirements Of
the grant, reverted to the State. This is the
light in which the majority Of the Railroad
Committee look at the matter, and it was in
conformity to this view that they reported to
the House, this morning. The minority
| report, however, which was made at the same
time, takes the ground that these lands have
not reverted to the State, but are in the hands
of the Dubuque, Marion and Western Railroad
| Company, to which the Iowa Central Air Line
Company claims to have transferred them.
| 1t also claims that there is no evidence before
the Committee or the Legislature that the Air
Line Company has failed to comply with the
conditions of the grant, and that the Legisla
ture has no jurisdiction in the matter, but
that it must be left to the adjudication of the
Courts. Should the majority Of the members
of the Legislature entertain the same view as
does the majority of the Railroad Committee
in the House, these lands will in all probability
be transferred by the State to the Cedar Rapids
and Missouri River Company, whose road is
to run west from Cedar Rapids on the 42d
parallel There will, however, be a warm
contest between the different interests repre-
scented in this matter, and there will be no
little fighting in both branches Of the Legis
lature before it is settled
! The forenoon Of to day was almost entirely
occupied, in the Senate, in the discussion of a
resolution giving to each Senator four copies
of the Geological Survey, two copies Of the
Constitutional Debates, and one set of Su
preme Court Reports, which was passed In
half an hour after its passage, the vote by
which it was passed was reconsdered, and
the matter now stands just as it did at the
meeting of the Senate, this morning. The
resolution will probably pass yet.
Yours, &C., E. H. 7.
| DISTRESS AMONG THE Pooh AT ST.. LOUIS.