, 1862-01-29

--
Especial Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.1
DEsNoESE= Iowa. Jan. 2e, 1862.
The Legislature is fully organized and at
work. The Senate has been occupied for sew
cral days past with the disposition Of oues~
tions important in the establishment Of pre-
ccdents for the government Of future lcsIsla-
ton. The questions were these:
John Scott Of the 41st district aud CYRUS
BusEcy Of the Sd Senatorial district, were Sen
ators representing these districts, whose
terms Of Office had but half expired. Some
time prior to the meeting Of the present Lcgis~
iature, these Senators were commissioned as
officers in the army, receiving a lucrative COM
pensation for their services. Neither resigned
their places II tue Senate, nor appeared to oc-
enpy thcir seats. 4 resolution was introduced
declaring their seats vacant. Upon this reso-
luton arose heightened and interesting
| debate The present Constitution Of Iowa
provides that:
10 pcrson holding a lucrative Office under the
lnited States. this State or any other power
Snall 6e eligible to seat in the General Assembly
hei oiacsrs III thc militia to which there il al
{ached no annual salary or the office Of Justice Of
INC peace. or post master, whose compensation
does not exceed one hundred dollars Or anpun1.
E@1iI 4ISt 1E HttlutR iEEfIt2FG.
| The only point upon Which the question
! seemed to rest III the mind Of the Senate, as
TO the forfeiture Of the seats Of those Senators
t by their accepting commissions III tho army,
/ was this, that whether the compensation they
! received for their services in tic army was 4
| salary, within the meaning Of the Constitu-
ton: Colonels Of volunteers receive for their
services Il certain compensation per month,
| 50 long as they remain III service.
lsa 1lScd compensation per month for such
military service an animal salary within the
| meaning Of the Constitution The Senate
saidit was. and therefore by Il large vote, de-.
| cE1red thc seats Of Senators Scott and Busscy
| vacant. There are three other Senators who
hold commissions in the army, aud therefore
come within this decision Of the Senate.
Yet, there was still another question whiel,
equally IerrlcScd these wise So}ons Of the
Senate. The people Of the said 41st and Sd
Senatorial districts, believing that the said
Scott and Bussey bad forfeited their seats III
| the Senate by accepting commissions in the
army, elected their successors, at the general
election in October last, although ucither
Scott nor Bussey bad yet resigned. ]. L. Dana
aEd Jamcs Pollard presented their credentials
! and asked to be admitted to the seats declared
vacant. But the Senate intcrposed this oh]ec
ton, to-Hit: That the people acted without
authority in The election Of these men. Sec
| Hon ~ o1 Aftlcle j OF tile Constitution makes
it imperative, flat when vacancies occur il
citEtr house OF 1he General Assembly, tht
Governor shall Issue writs Of election tc
ill suel Ync;.neics. This WAS not done
otherwise the election was legal. The aues
ton was fully and ably argued, and auihorl
tics cited for and a9ainst the resolution to ad
nil tic applicants. Tie Senate cast tic yot,
and Lieut. GOV. Nccdh;,m gave the castin.
vote to reject them.
Iowa is to bc redistrictcd into five Conercs
sional districts, and already much mancnycr.
in. Is going On to make the districts suit Ill
| around.
Bills arc already before each House, author
iz,,g the payment Of taxes with the bills o
tl'c State Bank of Iowa and United States d..
ln:nd notes. The law is demanded by til
| ptnrlc, and doubtless will become such at Al
early day.
| It is estimated that the Legislature will, 4
this session, take away the land grant from til
Lyons and Cedar Rapids Railroad Company
transferred to them two years ago. Rcpresrr
tatives Of that Road are already here, doub,
}css looking after lis interest.
The n. & NJ railroad is making IFS way tc
ward tic Capital with steady and sure pac,
| II has now reached Brooklyn, 10 miles east c
here. am told by its managers that it is til
| infcntl0n Of the company to push it on t
GTinnctt-16 miles further wcst-as fast rs til
weather will permit. The grading is nlrcai
! mostly done to that place. Il is now the pis
nccr road through the State, and is doing
large business, particularly in the shipment
| stock,