The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1860-01-26
Madison Correspondence.
MADISON, Jan. Odd. 1860.

mADlSON, Jan. 23d, 1860.
MEssRs EDITORS .-For various reasons I !
have delayed writing from here as waa nv in.
tention on leaving your city until now. Even
now I have but little to communicate that will
be likely to interest your readers. Nearly two
weeks of the session gre already gone, and bot
little legislation of real Importance 10 the people
has been performed. There are, however, some
measures now pending which no doubt re Of ran,
Importance 30 the people. Among these, I NAV
mention appointments to the assessment Law
which, If adopted, will materially change the
basis OF assessment ard taxation and will in nv
opinion more nearly approximate to perfection
than any law ON thIs subject ever in operation in
the State. The bill has been pending in the Sen
ate since the COMMENCEMENT of the session and
acted upon IN committee of the whole from time
to time till it is supposed to be about perfected
What disposition may be mado of it in the A.
sembly it is, of course impossible to say. The
main feature in the proposed amendments Is to
tax all personal property, including all credits
which are based on real estate security-such as
tax certificates, mortgages and other liens Debts
or those such as notes and book accounts The
effect of such q changsin the law will be to reach
millions Of dollars of personal property which
escaped taxation last year. The aggregate valu.
alton OF real estate returned last year was about
$l55,OO0,oOO, while that of personal property
was about $I4,OOQOO0. Another measure in
which your readers will no doubt take a
deep interest and which has
already been introduced into the Senate. is TO
change our system of town and county govern.
ment to that ofthe County Commissioner system
There is some reason to fear that this measure
will be carried. You will remember that the
same proposition was carried through the Senate
last year, and was killed in The House. Since
then the advocates Of this system have been &C.
tive in their efforts to secure representative
that would support it, and can but fear it will
be forced through at this session. All the mora
Sparsely settled counties, and particularly the
large counties in the northwestern portisn of
the State, but no doubt, until they become more
detSely settled and their acres reduced by sub-
divisions, it would be much moro economical
ana ethcient to have the commissioner system
think am not mistaken in my opinion that all
the old settled counties in the State (if two or
three in the southwestern portion are excepted)
would be strenously opposed to any change
But as the constitution provides for uniform
system, we shall be obliged to meet the question
and decide it for the whole State, on the strength
of numbers for or against it. You probably have
noticed from the report of the Commissioners of
the State Hospital for the insane, that that Inst
tuition will not be in condition for the recsrtion
of patients until next spring. To the friends of
that unhappy class, as we'll as to the public gem
orally, the announcement must be great disap.
pointment. There is, in my Judgment, no ex,
cuse on the part of the managers of this institu-
ito for the condition of things rs they now are
and for the protraeted delay in putting it in con-
dition for patients. When the very liberal appro-
priatiOns of last session were made to this insti-
tuition, assurances were given that it would be
put III condition to accommodate at least one
hundred patients, and be in readiness early this.
winter. We are now told that no patients can be
received until spring, and that even then it will
only accommodate about sixty, and those only of
one sex. 1t seems that the State, in its noble
purpose to provide for this class of unfortunate
beings on scale indicative of enlarged and en-
ightened views of 6enevolence is destined to be
thwarted if not outrageously swinded. The his.
tory OF tt is institution from the commencement,
to the present time, shows disposition on the
part of those who have been connected with tito
5.t1a1,r
bic to the humane purposes for which it is de-
signed. But have already made this letter
longer than | intended, and will close by saying
that may at so me future tine write you again
Yours, Z.