Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-09
DOlNGS AT THE CAPITAL.
SENATE CHAMBER, Desmoines,
February 9th. 1860. {

SENATE CHAMBER, Dssmoines,l
40. gr : February 9th, 1860.
EDITOR JOURNAL The Senate, with ne
streak Of economy Of time, spent an hour an
half on resolutions and amendments Il
night sessions, including sidewalks, India
ponies, and India Rubber boots to get up Il
hill to the Capital with. 1t would be bett'
to remove the Capital to some place where tt
people will construct one sidewalk complet
with street crossings, which has not bee
done here till now, although the Capital hs
been located here some three or four year
A motion to alter the Constitution, so as
relocate the Capital, would doubtless max
the people here "msnd their ways" Th
resolutions for night sessions were tinall
tabled.
Your nsighbors of the Davenport Gaset1
have been very inefficient in obtaining CORES
pondence from the Capital, during the session
thus far. Whether it is the parsimony of III
editors, or the neglected. their agent here,
such they have, casNst say. The Lieut.
Governor, Messrs. Senator Thompson ant
Representatives Gurley and Cue should hav
some organ Of their doings, other than nov
and then scrap from exchanges. tits to b
hoped that the editors of the Gazette will tax
the hint, which has been given often enough
in private, unless they wish to fall out o
notice hereafter as daily paper on the river
your paper, the Burlington Ha,okeye and thu
Dubuque Times having entirely taken tn
precedence, this session. 1t is very poo
economy in daily paper wishing genera
circulation to be without competent ane
regular correspondent here during the session
Although this may seem to be travelling ou
of the record, will add, it is only giving VEN
to the complaints which l have heard
expressed by the parties interested here.
Mr.. Thompson, of Davenport, is now
speaking on an amendment to the Act TO,
exempting members of fire companies from
military and road duties or taxes, reducing
the time from ten to five years. And, at his
instance, while am writing, it has passed,
Mr.. Rankin stated that he had been repeatedly
written to on the subject of this bill, which
will doubtless pass the other House.
A bill, exempting two hundred sheep
Gnstead Of fifty, as now,) from taxation,
introduced by Mr.. Davis, of Polk, was voted
down. The homestead exemption bill, to the
amount of five hundred dollars worth OF
is likely to follow, in the same
way, to the "tomb of the capulets."
Awarm discussion arose, this morning, on
a resolution by Mr.. Wilson, of Jefferson, for
the reasons of Gov. Kirkwood's denial OF Gov.
Letcher's requisition. The opposition took
their usual fillibustering course, amending it,
and resisting its passage. Anything from
Gov. Kirkwood is peculiarly obnoxious to
them. They are grabbing at all possible
garbage to make political capital for defeated
party. Every squirm Of the Democracy will
only sink them deeper in the mire of their
pro-slavery position. Messrs. Bailey, Neal,
Johnston, Wilson, of Dubuque, and Aims
worth, advocated amendments for all sorts #
relating to Coppock, which
finally prevailed with the resolution. They
will doubtless get great deal more informa-
ton than they bargained for, Or rather they
have given Gov. Kirkwood an opportunity to
go over much more ground than the Repub-
lican side of the Senate could well call for,
such as who informed Coppock, whether the
reouisition was known or not before it was
denied, etc. Now, believe your city had
the reputation of harboring the notable bearer
Of the requisition some days before he came
here, and suppose the birds of the air would
inform Coppock from that short distance.
The Senate re-considered the resolution to
cheap plank walk up the Capital
hill, and passed it. So the Capital will not
be set on wheels, this session, to get out of
the mud
The House spent all day in the consideration
of the bill on county organization (the Super
visor billy in Committee of the Whole. They
are perfecting the bill, which will pass that
branch of the Legislature. -..
The House bill, providing for the next
meeting Of the State Board of Education in
1866, passed the Senate on Saturday, with
only seven or eight votes against it. This
may be deemed decisive with regard to that
to the Legislature. HAwK-EYE.
-.. 80 DEsMo1NEs, Feb. 20, 1860.
EDITOR JeuRNAL:-The House, day before
yesterday, amended the concurrent resolution
of the Senate, so as to make the day on which
the Legislature should adjourn sine die the
9th of March, instead of the Goth. And to
this the Senate will doubtless agree. z
Senator Wilson, of Jefferson, introduced a
very important bill, the other day, defining
the duties of railroad companies, which will
be likely to elicit much discussion here, and,
it may be, considerable comment abroad. II
provides that every rallroad company Snail
have its principal Office of business within the
State, where the stock books shall be kept
open to public inspection. 1t requires a
majority of the directors to be residents Of the
State, as also the President, Vice President
and Secretary. The power Of mortgagine
roads rests with majority of the stockholders
A full statement of the affairs and condition
of every company must be filed in the Office
Of the State Auditor every January. Every
company now having roads in operation must
fence, the sane within six months; and
hereafter, the fencing must keep pace witt
the building Of the road. Companies which
do not fence, and provide proper crossings fol
roads, are liable to certain fines and penalties
desisned to prevent violation of the prOyis