St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-06-06
St. Charles City, Iowa, June 6, 1861.
The General Assembly.

The General Assembly.
Among the moro important business
transacted by the General Assembly
at their recent session was the follow
ing:
An act was passed authorizing o
loan of money to be procured on State
bonds, not to exceed 100000, to be
issued from time to time, as may be
necessary.
A general militia law was enacted,
providing for the enrolment of all
able bodied men from IS to As years
old, to be divided into the volunteer
militia and the rcservc militia. The
volunteer militia are to consist Of
those who voluntarily organize them
selves into companies, furnishing their
own uniforms, &c, but their arms are
to be furnished by the State. They
will be required to drill not less than
five days nor more than twenty, at
the option of the officers. These vol
untcer companies arc to be called on
first for the defence of the State or
Nation. Thus it will be seer that
trainings and musters will hereafter
be the fashion in Iowa.
A law was passed authorizing the
Governor, in his discretion, to call out
at once two regiments of infantry ;
and a third regiment, to consist of q
battalion of not less than three com
panics of artillery, and a squadron of
not less than five companies of caval-
ny !; also an additional regiment to be
taken from the Southern counties for
the protection of the border. The
power to call out these regiments is
given to the Governor, provided he
deems it necessary.
An act was passed authorizing the
Governor to purchase 5000 stand of
arms of the most approved patterns,
together with various munitions of
war-clothing, tents, camp e~quipage,
&c.
Amendments were made to the rev
enue law rendering it more efficient,
and facilitating the collection of taxes.
The limitation of the amount of taxa
ton for State purposes (mccting inter.
est OH the State Bonds) is extended
to two and a half mills on the valua.
ton of taxable property, instead Of
being conicd to two mills, as hereto,
fore. The allowances for publishing
delinquent taxes are reduced from
thirty cents to ten cents per d~escrip
ton.
; A law was passed authorizing tn,
, Boards Of Supervisors in counties
S and the Common Councils in cities, I
S make appropriations for the assistanc
7 of families Of INDECENT volunteer sol
' diers ; also legalizing the acts Q
: these bodies 50 far As they have use,
or may use county and city funds 70
tho equipment Of volunteers and tn
: support Of their families.
: A law was passed providing that
when a volunteer is q party to a sui
at law, the case shall be continued 0
motion of either plaintiff or defcndan
!; An act was passed giving the Cou'
ty Board of Supervisors power to CO
: troll the swamp land fund, instead
p the County Judge, as was claimed Fl
% him in some cases.
'. An appropriation of 5000, 900, or
n much thereof as may be neccssar,
lie was made for dcfraying expenses a
|e ready incurred and to be incurred
e feeding, clothing and fitting out Il
10 three regiments called for by the &c
cral Government-the money to
s. paid out of the " war and defen
y fund.-" provided for by the Loan Ri
=, u An appropriation of $4,000 was all
err made from the same fund to meet al
ID extraordinary expenses of the Exec
Or tive department of the State-secr
II service money.
Volunteers are to be paid by Il
70 State, from the time of their enrol
~ ment till they arc mustered into Il
service of the United States, the san
" wages as is paid by the General Go
ernment.
ar A law defining treason and provi
re ing for it's punishment was passed
&c also, a law providing for the payne
= Of fees Of State and county officers.
to The foregoing are among the mo
lie important acts Of the General Assei
y, bly, at their late special session. Tn,
were in session just two weeks, al
the result shows that a large amou
he of labor was performed, and that
IS. the main they were faithful to I
best interests Of the State.
ID
I'd Some of the Democratic papers a
II bowling over the appropriations
70 70 the General Assembly and, in ord
to swell up the figures of the Sta