Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-02-21
CAPITAL CORRESPONDENCE.

DRsMoINEs, Feb 10, 1867. }
FRIEND MAuIN Il plead guilty to bat
performance of my promise to write you my
} impressions of legislative fe /; but my apology
is that my time has been filled by bushes.
and making acquaintance with the members
presume your own members have kept yor
posted in the actual transactions. My frs
1impression-or reflection that a great
amount of time is consumed, for a while al
the beginning Of tho session, to little &C.
account For time before the real business
was prepared, and before the Sena te q vast
number of resolutions were offered for all
sorts Of purposes. Some were expressions
of the opinion of the Legislature on some SUBJ
ject. 1t seems as if every member, having
nothing to do, was. hunting up defects and
faults in the revision of 1850, for for three
weeks three was perpetual stream ofresolu-
tons, requiring some committee to inquire
into the expediency of amending such Sec
ton, or for something of the sort; and the
poor Judiciary Committee, which your men,
Der is chairman Of, had them pouring in up
on them. 1t was curious and interesting to
see the variety. Many, too, went 10 other
committees, and many were of nature to
call out debate; and will venture the asser-
ton that half tho time for three weeks was
spent in talking on these things-sometimes
on resolutions of no consequence and some
times in speeches in which there was not q
thought of any consequence, on either
any side. Twas surprised and amused to
observe how much time and how many words
were spent to no purpose. Your member
hardly ever takes part in these talks.
don't think he has offered resolution yet
but he is busy. The business of the Judiciary
Committee, and that of the Desmoines lands,
and all the connected interests, keep him &C
cupied. As I am not on either of them, DO
not know the particulars.
have not taken much part in these de-
bates, myself The truth is, these subjects
don't require any discussion, and it seems to
me they mi hit pass without word; and yet
a half dozen CT dozen will rise, ono after
another, and make short speech, where
thought there wa. not anything to be said.
and in fact, it might as we'll not have been
said, for nothing is said of any value. OF
course, some subjects are exceptions, such as
the bill for taking U. S. demand notes and
notes of our banks. \ number opposed these
last and some members spoke well on the sub
ject. The best of these were Foote, of Des-
moines, against, and Bowen, Of johnson, for.
The Legislature has. in fact, only just be-
gun to reach the real and important matters.
They have been maturing in the hands of the
and some bills have been printed
md are lying on the table ready to be taken
up. Some of these will probably lead to dis
cussion.
Before closing this hasty note l must say
\ word Of Mr.. Davis, our Secretary, who is
rom your county. did not at first believe
hat he could make so good Secretary, and
t was with some difficulty that your member
persuaded me to vote for him. But now |
I'm glad did. He is the best clerk or Sec
'etary have known, taking all in all lie
8 quick. which is the first quality. He has
IN admirable voice, which | will call the sec
md requisite His voice is clear, smooth,
distinct, has body or volume, so that no mem
,er's voice is better, and barely one or two
o compare with it. Tnirl, he has the bust
less Of order, and fourth, is courteous and
pleasant to ALL He is as near model for
hat Office as can conceive one.
will try to write you again.
Yours truly, G.