Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-02-10
DOINGS AT THE CAPITAL.
DRsxoINHs, Jan. 80, 1850.

DOINGS AT THE CAPITAL.
+ - I.. DRsxoINss, Jan. 80, 1850.
| EDITOR JOURNAL The indications, to-day,
are that the week that has just begun will be
. very interesting one in the business OF our
Legislature. The question of sbolishing the
office of County Juds 80, the Railroad question,
and several other questions Of general impor'
lance, will this week be discussed. By the
way, the whole forenoon Of to-day was occu.
pied, in the Senate, in the debate Of the first
mentioned question, which came up BY the
introduction of resolution, by DR.. Davis, of
Clinton, to instruct the Committee on Town
ship and County Organization to report bill
for the abolition of the office of County Judge.
Only fourteen Senators voted for this resolu-
ton on its final passage. This is not consid-
cred, however, ~ being test vote on the
question of abol,shing the Office, As the reso-
luton did not propose any system to take its
place. Enough has been said in the Senate
to satisfy me that = majority Of the Senators
will not favor the entire abolition of the office
but will be in favor modifying and restricting
the powers of the County Judge, and of giving
him little ifany more th.a probate jurisdiction
In the House, nothing has been done in the
matter to test the feeling of its members
More time will be occupied in disposing OF
this question than any other that will be acted
upon during the present session. A perfect
avalanche of petitions have been presented to
the two houses, asking for some change in our
present system of township and county
organization. A change will be made.
A bill for an act to repeal section 27O5,
chapter las, of the Code, in relation to prose
cution for adultery, which now prevents
husband or wife from commencing prosecu-
ton for adultery, has been discussed at length
in the House. You will remember that this
matter has been brought before the Legislature
at every session for several years past. and no
change has been made, nor do think any
will be made this session. The bill was, after
considerable discussion, laid upon the table.
A bill passed the House, this afternoon,
recommending that article five Of the Consti-
tuition be so amended that the Legislature
have power to increase or decrease the number
of Judicial Districts as much as they see tit,
and whenever they see fit. Of course. the
Constitution cannot be SO amended until voted
upon at the October election in 1862.
A meeting is to be held, tonight, in the
Hall of the House of Representatives, at which
the President of the Cedar Rapids and Mis-
souri, River Railroad Company, and of the
Dubuque, Marion and Western Railroad
Company, will discuss the merits Of the claims
of each of them to the grant Of lands heretofore
made to the Iowa Central. E. Il. I.
HOUSE or REPRRsENrATIvEs,t
Desmoines, Feb. 2.
FRIEND JouRNAL:-Upon stepping into this
august assembly, this morning, of course the
first object which my eye rested upon was tina
intolera6le bore, from Marion county, who
sleeps sometimes with the name of Bennett.
am thankful beyond all description that my
name is not like his-for. if it were, I would
make an immediate application for radical
change of the same. If ever there was an
object deserving the supreme contempt OF
every decent man, this miserable apology for
uhite man and Representative IS most
assuredly the one. Like those comical images,
enclosed in box upon springs, bobbi"g their
brainless heads at every raising Of the bed,
this Benefits head 6obs only to Claggets
time. 1t is now 70 o'clock, and he is now
upon the floor for the eleventh time since 9
o'clock. In the House, John Browns ashes
were disinterred by some Democratic graos-
robher, who introduced series of extremely
pathetic and patriotic resolutions, the ptth Of
which was somewhat impaired in strength
and beauty by an amendment from the humor-
Gus and yet sedate Williamson, from Louisa,
to the effect that the committee to whom the
resolutions were to be referred should consider
the intent and meaning of the same to be for
buncombe for the negro business. The
amendme was adopted, and the main ques.
ton made the special order for next Tuesday.
Immediately upon the heels of this, "nigger"
was found by the immortal Bennett. Noble'
of Fayette, from the Committee on Constitu-
tional amendments, reported back bill pro
hibiting negroes, mulattoes and Indians from
testifying in courts of justice, recommending
its indefinite postponement. Of course, this
was enough to set the Buck-Africans in
motion. Clagget boasted Of being descend
snt, IN an air-line, from among the best.
blooded F. F. VS., many Of whom fit. f'ui
and bled in establishing this government.
His speech embraced many things we'll known
and few Of the unknown. He was highly
indignant at the charges Of Rosenkranz, who
had said that this law was Southern insti
ut,on, for the express purpose of suppressing
and smothering some of the most Infamous
crimes known to our laws, which might be
perpetratcd with perfect impunity in the
presence of negroes, and the culprit 60
unwhipt, by reason of this most Infamous
prohibition. Yes,. ye create Clagget was
indignlnt! Let it be put upon record. But
the truth is that old Tom gets indignant so
frequently that nobody notices him, except as
in the manner in which it was noticed, this
morning, by the Speaker. Clagget was about
darting off to attack the Governors inaugural,
when the Speaker called him to order Nothing
daunted, Thomas continnered, as Mrs. Bedott
says, when the gavel came down with force,
accompanied with a stern ''Take your seat,
Sir" indicating the ascendancy Of Kentucky
blood in the Speakers Chair. The manner
in which Thomas took his seat reminded me
very much Of my old school-day scenes, when
a turbulent spirit was wont to be queled At
the presentation Of a raw hide, and the stern
voice of the master. Thomas cooled suddenly.