The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-02-27
FROM TOPEKA.
Correspondence of TIE News.
TOPEKA, KAN, Feb. ED, 1864

DDIroR News +: have thought it prop
er TO give you list of the measures intro
duced by your member, Mr.. Eskridge,
which have passed both branches of the
Legislature, and which are of interest to
Lyon county, and to Southern Kansas.
They are as follows:
lst. An act to amend the charter of the
S. K. P. R. R. Co., mentioned In my last
letter.
Cd. A memorial to Congress asking for
grant of lands in alternate sections to aid
in the construction of the above named road.
Sd. A memorial to Congress asking that
the general Railroad act of March Sd, 1868,
be amended so as to extend the Neosho
Valley road to connection with the Pacific
road at or near Fort Riley, and asking for
grant of lands to aid in the construction
! ! o. IS the same.
4th. An act to organize the Normal
School.
9Th. A concurrent resolution asking the
Postmaster General to increase the service
on mail route from Topeka to Emporia, to
daily mail.
The author of the measures being on the
anti-fraud side of the election conspiracy,
it is fortunate that they were passed before
the Senatorial swindle came off.
Mr.. Eskridge has bill in the House, yet
to be acted upon, making an appropriation
for the Normal School, but it stands no
chance of being passed, as the immortal { y
48 of the House, and 16 of the Senate
are resolved that no local measure shall be
adopted unless it be asked for by one of
their own number.
A serio-comic episode in the course of
legislative depravity transpired the other
night. The Senatorial members have been
holding secret caucuses ever since the be-
ginning of the session. John Fitzgerald,
of Topeka, prompted by patriotic motives,
and perhaps by newspaper reporter, and
believing that the peoples servants had no
moral right to spend so much time in secret
session, determined to bring some of their
designs to the light of day, and secreting
himself in the attic of the hall, with the nee
essary writing materials, proceeded to report
ioI The grape vine telegraph, the operations
of each caucus. The proceedings of these
secret meetings, having been faithfully re
ported and printed, watch was set one
afternoon, about the entire building Just at
dark the inquisitive Fitz was deserted on
the roof through W hich he suddenly disap-
peared, like a prudent Woodcuck, on the
approach of danger. What must have
been his establishment, not long after he had
poised himself all prepared for the nights
work, to see the humorously indignant
gentleman from Morris and the grave
and thoughtful Sergeant alarms, Burgess,
coming unceremoniously through the roof
into his reportorial sanctum like thousand
of bricks caves dropping is considered
mean way of seeking knowledge, bat Fitz
says that his inquisitorial labors were pros
ecuted pro bono pu6lico, and he emphati-
cally denies that he had been hired to do it..
The general appropriation bill has finally
been reported to the House by the Commit
tee Of Ways and Means. No person not
belonging to the fraud party, was allowed
70 see it during its course of preparation,
and now it will be rushed through without
much further consideration, as she majority
members understand it to fraction, and
have doubtless agreed, in private caucus, to
every item it contains. The most palpable
and bare faced partiality is exhibited by this
bill. Neither the Secretary of State nor
the Treasurer is allowed any appropriation
for clerk hire, while the Auditor is allowed
$1,000, ostensibly for that, but really for
electiOneering purposes. If there is any
department in the State that does not need
any clerk it is the Auditors Office. The
labor of the Secretary's Office must be 6fty
fold that of the Auditor, and these econom-
ical 48 and Is are going to give the Audi
tor $1,000, and the Secretary nothing.
But this is only specimen of the fragrant
Inconsistencies Of this bill. Pretty fine
thing it is to belong to the fraud party 1t
is part of their plan to crush every one
who has the manly independence to denounce
them, and to do anything and everything
which will help one of their own number.
If the sovereign PEOPLE OF KANSAS do
not emphatically denounce tie course of
these men, and consign them to political
obscurity, they do not possess the liberty
loving characteristics hitherto reputed to
them. But they aUiH do IT, From every
part Of the State there comes a storm of in