The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-03-21
The Capital and Legislature.
Des Moines, March II, 1862

est to some of your readers. Probably
the city fathers of Des Moines and the
"Capitol Association" would be disposed
to place their interdict, as strong a. that
upon Writers "incendiary" song, on all
comments, at this season of the year, upon
this city of magnificent distances, as di-
versi6ed as Venice, the Queen efthe Ad-
riatic," and as amphibious as various.
There is an advantage in East Des Moines
not overlooked, at least by the boys, and
secured without one half the expense OF
the New York Central Park lake,-that
of skating upon the smooth ice covering
| these tranquil waters, by the lambert
| light Of the moon, which is beautifully re-
| fected from the broad mirror.
The experience in former years in wad-
ing through unfathomable mud, is not since
generally known at the present time, as
the enterprising citizens have laid plank
walk from the Capitol to Court Avenue
Bridge. - which, in connection with a
regular hack, renders the Capitol accessi-
BILE during the session of the Legislature.
This body is progressing as rapidly as
so large one can be expected to move,
consistent with the important measures
before it, and their full discussion by all
parties interested There is pretty fair
lobby representation, which seems to be
composed principally of persons interested
in the various land grants made to the
State, which are rs attractive and create
as indiscriminate scrambling as the af
ter-dinner bones which are scraped to the
dogs. The great question now is, if the
State shall resume the grants from the two
northern lines, unless they viii relinquish
their claims to the Des Moines river lands,
of which certain conveyances have been
Illegally made by the State. under the i'm
preston that the grant originally extend
ed to the Minnesota line These same
lands, of course, are claimed by the rail-
roads; but having forfeited their right to
any of the railroad grants for non -compli-
ance with the, law which turned them over
to the roads, they arc in sorry plight to
enforce their claims. 1t is, Of course, IN
safe TO premise what win be the issue Of
this important question.
In the House of Representatives have
listened to but one debste-that had upon
q prohibitory liquor law, for which bill
was introduced by Mr.. Young, of Lynn.
This vcxed question here, as elsewhere
has its friends and opponents and the
particular phase of the case as presented
to our State, which already has prohibi
tory law, is q choice between one more
stringent, and which can be executed, OF
to degenerate back to license law The
lower House is already, by commitlal
decidedly in favor of prohibition (whilt
the Senate is understood to be the same)
and will not implicate the State in tn.
crimes and wrongs, the debaachery ant
degradation, the poverty and suffering
which liquor-selling produces by licensing
the hydra headed monster. As one Mem
Der forcibly remarked, it would be deriv
ing q revenue too much like the thirt,
pieces of silver which Judas received fo
betraying his Master.
Among the important measures which
have come up in the Senate during m,
stay, is bill introduced this morning, b,
DR.. Trumbull, Of Dubuque County, re
curing all the common school funds of th
State, as fast as they fall due on land, +
be collected and paid into the State Treas
ury, to be used and held by the State
which shall annually pay the interes
there. for the support of schools. Til
. principles of the bill were endorsed b
Senators Bowen, Mcpherson and othe
leading Members of the Senate, as bein
the true policy Of the State to save TIN
large fund. upon which depends all th
. vital interests of our educational syste,
from dissipation and almost total loss. =
The bill was ordered to be printed, An
|, viii probably become law.
D Both Houses are holding night sessions
and willihave lively times to perfect an
dispose of the bills on hand by the tin
the farmers will need to 60 home, q
though tits maliciously said, the farme
in the Legislature are in no great has
while the snow lasts, and the profession
Members, never. There is an evide
4 l.