Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-02-25

BY au act Of a Democratic Leeisla-
turc, approved by = Republican Gov
ernos, in 1865, it was made the duty Of
the State to subscribe for two hundred
volumes Of the Supreme Court Reports,
as compensation for the labor incurred
by the Reporter. This WAS given to that
officer salary Of One Thousand Dol
lars a year-at the rate OF Five Dollars
per volume-with AN opportunity to IN
crease materially the receipts, by the
additional sales to the legal profession
throughout the State.
This was the Law under Democratls
administration while the Hon. George
Green was Reporter. When VIM. Penn
Clarke, the Disunion Representative Of
the Republican party, was appointed TO
that position, the law was so amended
AS to increase the number TO be taken BY
the State from two to four hundred vol
umes, thus doubling the salary Of the
officer, and under that lsw-sutject on
" to the easy tests instituted by kepub-
Iican officials-the late incumbent has
without difficulty amassed fortune.
Under Judge Green, and down to
1855, there were but four volumes OF
Reports published, which secured to him
for seven years. service, Hur thousand
Dollars. Since 1855, there has been
published, by the late incumbent, seven
volumes of Reports; and there are now
III press, and soon to be issued, two vol
umss in addition. For this labor, which
has barely extended over the term of
four years, Mr.. Clarke will receive the
sum Of Eighteen thousand Dollars.
Four Thousand Dollars for eight
years reports, when Democratic Legis-
laturc authorized, and a Democratic
Auditor audited the accounts; and
Eighteen Thousand Dollars for four
years. reports by an. Abolition Report
err, and under Republican administra-
ton.
Nor is this all. The act expressly
provides that there shall not be less than
$50 pages to each volume, which, the
spirit of the law contemplates, shall be
exclusive Of the index-and while, under
the Reportership Of Judge Green, there
were in each instance less than 80 pages
of the index, in the Reports Of VIM.
Penn Clarke, there are in but one of
the volumes less than fifty pages, and in
two over a hundred pages.
In this manner, aud by the insertion
of the arguments of counsel at great
length, tho gentleman who has just va
Gated the seat, to give place to Thomas
+. Wlthrow, has made fortune-while
the people were in vain devising ways
and means to pay the burdensome and
unnecessary taxes.
The Reporter Of the Supreme Court,
at q salary of One Thousand Dollars
per year, would be well paid. The Re-
ports can be furnished from the manu-
script for less than One Dollar per vol
ume and thus, instead OF expanding in
four years, Eighteen Thousand Dollars
for books which are of no value to the
State, but which now lie in the Secreta-
rvs vaults, moth eaten and moulding
the small amount of Fourteen Thousand
Dollars could be saved. And although
it would deprive that member OF the
Barnacle Family-Thomas F. Withrow,
Esq.-of fat berth at the expense OF
the taxpayers, ana necessarily defer the
day of his ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, it would be
an honest and provident course, which
should, in justice to the people, be pur-
sued. That no such new-fanglsd doc
,rine will be adopted while the present
incumbents retain their power, We are
equally assured State journal.