Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-02-12

sCAsTINE,s@ IOWA, 1
:. - -
/ our CApTAL CORRESPONDENCE.
/ rg LEGISLATIVE Halls, DEs -Mo.sEs, a
| ,~7s45...s 7 February 8, 1864. Cd
I The, Legislature has now been in session
four weeks, aud is in smooth working order.
About two hundred bills have been already
introduced, including both houses but very
fw have yet become laws. By far the most
| important measures arc yet to be consid, red,
| snd seme of the gravest character are not yet
INTRODUCED There W II be strong attempt
made 10 change the present sssteln ofcounty
government To The old comifissiohcr system;
but it Will not succeed g. 4'.''.'' -'' -
'Anattehpt will probably be made to change
the present Township District to the Inde-
pendent District system Of schools; but this
win not prevail. Cootinual change Of law is
bad policy and this Legislature viii not ma
| teri,lly> change either the County or School
system. ,sco s5sfi .FnI g2.17ris-& -& sTt-
A bill will bs introduced in day or two,
BY the, COMMITTEES on the subject, providing
for tho support Of the widows, wives and
children Of our soldiers, BY State tar. No
new cffices will be created, but the tax viii
BE- levied and collected as the State tax is now
collected, and the money disbursed to those
for whoss benefit it is intended, by the pres
sht county officers. This provision for the
families Of our soldiers is debt which the
State of iowa owes to the brave men who
hove gone forth to sacrifice not only home
aud all its comforts, but even to peril and offer
up their lives in defense Of our country, and
to secure to ps.s who remain at home, the
privileges which we enjoy. The support Of
soldiers families by State tar Is the only
fair and equitable mode that can be adopted
By this means Copperhead Boards Of Super.
visors cannot prevent their counties from
contributing their share, and sympathizets
with treason will be compelled to give oftheir
substance someth ng toward sustaining our
country's defenders The patriotic counties
viii be in some measure lightensd' Of their
present burden in this regard. 4, ,- or.l a..
Thinking men say that tbs is the most i'm
portant sessi'n Of the Legislature in the bis.
tory Of our State up to the present time; nnd
tho laws enacted and the measures adopted
will have T. great influence upon our people,
our policy and our well being "a common
wealth. for many years to come. It is to
be hoped, therefore, that wise counsels will
prevail and that our lawmakers will act with
al eye siuglst to the suppression of this wicked
rsbellioa, and thu good of the State. Indeed,
l believe this is their intention. ,
The bill repeating an old pro-slsvery law,
and the bill providing fer the payment Of
taxes IN U. 8. Treasury aud National Bank
notes, and the bill for the sale cf $23, 900
specie nov in the T eisury, have become laws
F,iends of the State University at Iowa
City are here. asking that e'Qasy thousand
acres of the Agricultural College Land giant
he given to the University, conditioned thai
,hxt instisut will establish IN agricultural
professership. The friends Of the Agricultu-
raj College oppose sucha dsusrsion Of it.
endowment, and some feeling is being mani.
tested on the subject. Last SatcrJas, Prof
Spences, Of the University, and Pres dent
Susl Foster, Of the Agricultural College, had a
bearing, each in behalf Of his Ga ins.itu ion,
bef re the committees Of both Houses. There
was no conclusion arri ived at by the meeting,
pr rather conference. The Agricultural C.l
.ge men app ar determined TO resist the i'm
portunities and oiftrs Of the University On the
land question,
The State S .nitary Commission has asked
for an appropriation Of eighty thousand dol
iws-thirteen thousand OF which is to be for
.aIaries I officers and agents ard fifty thou
sand to be Us d in tue d dscretion of the Gov
ernor, ~ contingent, ,fusd. The Legislature
is " i hngto give to the support of the soldiers
md their 'milies but this "Commission"
will not get all i. asks in its own way.
The railroad question is about to c,me be-
fore the Legislature in an important shape.
A bill is now under consideration, resum,ng
the immense land-grsnts which were condi
tionally given to the several railroad compa
mes. said companies having failed to comp y
with the conditions Of the grants The State
has full righ: to resume those lands, and
the propriety and expediency Of doing so at
this present time can hardly be questioned
The subject Of taxing r.i roads, or the
property Of railroad companies, as other
property in the State is taxed, must also be
attended to. Our taxes will be heavy to
meet the demands Of our soldiers and Of our
Government in this eventful crisis. and there
is no good reason why the property Of raj
road corporations should BE- exempted from
bearing fair shars Of the common turdens
of our people. -. .f-. .s..,.4.7.
The State Convention will be held here on
the 22d inst , and the Editorial Convention
on the 2ad. You will probably pay our city
a visit at that time. -.
+ P. .S.-A resolution passed the House on
Saturday, endorsing Mr.. Lincoln, and declar.
ing for his re-e3ection. vaaI ucz .ee .
The bill recently introduced as . sub
stitute ioto the State Senate to extend the
elective franchise, contains, besides prov's-
ion giving all unnsturalized citizens who have
served in the army and been hororably dis
charged. aIsect;on which allows negrors who
have g. rved their time in the army, to vote.
The following is The section: @i1a
SEC. 8. That all male citizens born in