The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-01-27
legislative summary.

legislative summary.
In the Senate upon Wednesday bills were
introduced to increase the compensation Of
County Supervisors; to require owners Of
threshing machines to guard against acct
dents; for the suppression of billiard tables
to amend section 763 Of the Revision, and to
define the time when taxes shall cease to be
a lien on real property. This act provides
that taxes shall cease to be lien on real
property after five years from the month OF
November of the year in which the tax was
levied, and was referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means. A bill for an act toamend
sec. IA, chapter 173, of the A ITS of the Ninth
General Assembly. This bill provides that
when land has been sold for taxes, and the
same has not been redeemed within three
wears from such sale as now provided by law,
and any person claiming to be entitled to the
redemption of such land, under any existing
law, he shall make application to the District
Court, &c, by petition and notice to the per-
son holding the tax title, or holding under
him, and the proceedings shall be conducted
in the same manner as in any other action for
the recovery of real property. The object OF
the bill is to prevent fraud in redeeming land
under the plea that it was the property of mi
nors at the time sold.
Resolutions were introduced for the pur-
chase of eight hundred copies of "lowa
Colonels and Regiments Capt Stuart s
book-by the State 10 furnish members of
the Assembly with the Adjutant General 5
Report; to investigate the contingent fund
expenditures since the beginning of the war.
There were various reports of committees
in regard to resolutions and bills heretofore
noticed.
In the House, the Senate bill authorizing
SheriHs TO administer oaths in certain cases,
was passed.
The billIto punish attempts to commit Of
lenses prohibited by law was taken up. 1t
provides that when person attempts to com
nit such ofense aud takes any steps towards
committing the same he shall be sentenced al
the discretion of the Court-the penalty, how
ever. not to exceed half of that attached 10
the crime itself
Mr.. Wilson, in the absence of the mover,
Mr.. Barker, stated that a case recently oc-
Cured in Dubuque in which burglar was
caught in the act of entering building for the
purpose Of committing burglary, but was ar.
rested by the police before he had gone far
enough torender himself liable to punishment
under the present law. The bill was de
signed to cover such cases as this.
| Mr. Dashiel said in the opinion of the Ju
dietary Committee, this bill was rendered
necessary by the decision of the Supreme
Court. they decided that there is no suci
/ thing as a common law ofense. \ Grim,
can only be punished by special statute.
Mr.. Barker SAID we had attempted to legis
late on all crimes, hence it was decided tina
no crime could be punished which did no
come under a special enactment. Nearly al
attempts 20 commit crime are punished b. th,
| present law, but this covers point that wa
unproyided for. \ similar enactment is fount
on the statute books Of most of our Western
State.
Rule suspended, and bill passed.
| The bin 10 protect the separate earnings o
married women who have idle, incorporate
or improvdent husbands, or whose husbands
by reason OF imprisonment, absence, or bod
lily or mental indispositien, fail to provide FOL
them, was next considered.
Mr.. Wilson oil Dubuque. said that the bill
was rendered necessary by recent decision
of the Supreme Court that the earnings .of
married woman were the property of her hus
band de read a recommendation of thu
Judges favoring guarded legislation on thi
subject. TO the end that the earnings of wo
men who have idle. intemperate and improvi
dent husbands. may be protected from then
or their creditors. He abhorred that principle
of the common law which gave man the full
control of the person and property of his wife
Iowa is behind many Of her sister States il
legislation on this subject, and it stood us il
hand TO look after the interests of this class O
women. Their condition appeals 10 our sym
pathies and to our ideas OF justice. The earn
ings of women thus circumstanced should b.
considered sacred
The bill was read third time and passed.
The bill to amend the law so that Supervi
sors may levy tax of six mills on the dolla
for ordinary county expenses, instead of fou
mills as now provided, was taken up. Tn
Committee on Ways and Means report il
favor of its indefinite postponement.
+ 1t was postponed until the 18th of February
The bill to authorize Boards of Supervisor
to levy three mills for bridge tax instead G
Zone MILL was then considered. The Com
mittee reported in favor of two mills iastea
of three.
After considerable debate this was referre
to the Committee on County and lewnshi
Organization.