The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-04-07
Our Madison correspondence.
MADISON April I'd, 1864.

Mr.. EDITOR THE closing hours of the
Session draw near. Bills are struck off with
increased rapidity, and, the voices of clerks
and the presiding officers have the hasty,
monotonous tones of Auctioneers.
The Members desks are piled high with
books and documents and, the white pine
boxes around ominously presage the pack
ing up" and the close of the legislative Ia
bors. The whole is in ample disorder, and,
reminds one much of Boarding School the
day before vacation. Even the pathos of
Members about to separate, recalls expert
ences and the eternal attachments of boy
hood.
1t is quite contrast with some of the
scenes we have had of late. Our evening SEES
sions have been quite brilliant. The ladies
of Madison have honored the halls with fire.
quent presence, and the Senate Chamber es-
pecially near the sofas has presented many
graceful scenes. 1t has been quite interesting
to watch the acts Of gallantry of our brave
the Democrats have won the palm in this
regard. The Flooding, work-a day, Union
men go on with the discussions, scarcely OBJ
serving the fair around, save when some
Ipre-eminently stylish, or beautiful one, ar
rests their notice. or, some gaily bedizened
bride in her outre attire from the pineries.
Ensconced among the desks, with eye rang
ing over these gay circles Senators, Presi
dents Platform and Galleries there is fter
q fine look out on groups, and figures pic
turesque in the extreme. 1t is a pleasant
change to the weary calls of the Clerk anc
''Mr President" and 1.-The Senator'S from the
1st to the 33rd. Notwithstanding Legis.
Iation moves on briskly There were a few
, days when it seemed to ''clog." The Mis-
sissippi Bridge Bill was hard to get through
The opposition struggled every way to pre-
vent it. Calls of the House, the previou;
Question: and all the expedients of parliamen
i tary machinery, We're interposed, but it was
unavailing, and right or wrong, this is now
the law. The ''Warehouse Bill" as it is
termed, has been the occasion Of long discus
sion, and much outside pressure. Milwau.
l kee Elevator men and Milwaukee Millers, ar
rayed on different sides, filled the Halls
This has passed, The Wood bill, and the bill
imposing additional taxes upon upon railroads
as we'll as the Pro rata bill, have failed.
One Of the most important measures OF the
later hours Of legislation has been the Regis
= try Law, which has been enacted The Nor
NAL School bill has persisted on its passage
The haste which attends the close Of the ses
sion, cannot fail to defeat some meritorioui
bills, and, to inhict upon the community
many improper ones
The appropriations of the Swamp Lands
g are prominent features of these last days
VI [ have alluded to the white pine boxes
They give us some light upon legislation
and, as the people do not often get glimpse
inside, let Inc open one. They contain thos
articles which by statute, or Resolution
e have been appointed to the use of the mem
bers.
1st Stationery. The members upon tax
: ing their seats are provided with $40 worth
and are entitled to draw five dollars more
1 There can be no good objection to this
Many use all of this in legitimate bushes
of the Session. What is over, perhaps not
improperly is put in the pine chest, and car
ried home.
End Stamps. In mailing newspapers tc
t constituents, about twenty to twenty-five
dollars worth is usually needed. The erro
: lies in attempting to send so many paper
and documents. 1t does not appear tha
: people need or desire them. Twenty dollars
D worth of Envelopes are allowed The hall
would be sufficient. This year forty dollars
in stamps has been allowed to each mem
Der.
r 3rd Documents and Books Many docu
/ ments are very properly printed for distribu
ton. Many more are are not needed at all
The Revised Statutes, and, the Session Law
since, are yearly assigned each member
! These it is understood are to be taken hom
as their private property. 1t would seen
! much wiser to have them re
turned to the superintendent of public prop
erty, and retained for future use of the mem
e bers of the same district. These constitut
a the perquisites the ''pickins and stealins'' o
, our Representa- YES They are taken By
3 many with reluctance, and, only acquiescet
in as an established usage. If they are no
: well paid it seems miserable policy to elk
t out the fee in this indirect manner. Wha
can the people do about it? Might not Bi
ennial legislation, and fixed salary, instea
of the per diem, help the matter?
When we consider that the expense of tn
e legislation of the present session, has beel
about $50, 900, and that half of this has beef
! expended for employees and the perqui
sites, the subject seems worthy Of atten
ton. But | shall have little space for tn
convention if follow this vein. The dele
gates met on the 30th as appointed our hon
ored fellow citizen, G. G. SHoLEs, Esq, il
the chair. Ex-Governor Solomon was APP
, pointed the permanent President The chic
2 feature of the afternoon was the compelling
him to define his position-which seemed t.
be done to the satisfaction of the majority
The evening was enlivened by some discuss
ion upon the Resolutions, which you have
doubtless read. In the course of this, Gen
Paine and j. B. Smith had quite lively al
tercation upon the merits, pro and con, o
Gen. Halleck, Mr.. Comstock, of Rock
joined in with very effective speech. Mr.
Bingham hit hard at Billy Seward Mr.
Northrop, with elegant words, recalled the
memory of Mr.. Douglas. 1t was observable
that however much men differed upon some
, public measures or men, there was but one
opinion of Mr.. Lincoln. We accept this a!
an earnest of the peoples verdict next No
vember. But | must close. ! long for the
sound of the gavel which shall adjourn us
sine die Yours &c,
OCCASIONAL.
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