The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-02-20
FROM DES MONIES.
The Twelfth General As
sembly.

The Twelfth General As
| sembly.
RESUME OF WORK DONE.
The Passage Of an Important Rail-
road Bill Great Debate Mr.,
Caldwell The Recess.
Special Correspondence of the Ottum-
wa Courier.
| DEs MeINEs, Feb. L.
Ifapologies were not usually the
I stupidest things in The world / should
apologize for my delay in writing to
the COURIER. The fact is it has hap.
pened that on my writing days for
| you, ] have been unavoidably out Of
town. Trusting it may not SO hap
Epen again, / off with my coat and go
at you thusly
The General Assembly being about
to take a recess it may be well to
take retroactive aspect of it, and
see how it has been getting along
/ should say in the first place, and
| generally, it has been doing irst-rate
-as we'll in all respects as any OF its
iilustrious predecessors, ;fnot better
The Committees work faithfully and
well, the two houses work faithfully
and well. As "workists, /" these leg
islators of the Twelfth General As
sembly may be set down as men who
fill the bill to q t. y. ty. A good deal
Of first-rate debating talent has also
been developed. Mr.. Rowell, of Un-.
ion county, Mr.. McCoun, Of Taylor,
Mr.. Murray, ofMadison, Capt Stone,
OF Mills, all young lawyers of south
western Iowa, have made some short
speeches showing that they are
amongst that happy class called
rising men," Prof Parker, of Powe-
shiek, Mr. Atkins, of Winneshiek,
and men, of some of whom mention
may be made further along, amongst
the more elderly of the new members
have shown tip-top powers ofdebate.
suspect, however, that Mr.. Trues-
dell, of Clinton, is abont tho best
sfAaixer in the House. l Judge not
20 much by what he has said there
for he has spoken but two or three
times and then very briehy-as by a
sermon l heard him preach the other
night atone of the Methodist churches
Of this godly city. But we shall see
what we shall see. Itis certain that
the exhibition Of so much working
and speaking talentin the month the
Assembly has been in session, is
very gratifying and important fact.
In resume OF work done by the
legislature thus far, ono could not
truthfully say that many results in
practical legislation have been bro't
about. The Enrolling Clerk has not
yet had much to do. But very few
bills, and those of . local nature, ex-
cept one, have gone through all the
stages oflegislation and became acts.
Yet great deal of work has been
done. Bills to the number of three
hundred have been introduced
Quite number have been acted upon
in the House in which they origina-
ted; some have been very properly
and very badly killed. The commit
tees have had frequent meetings..and
done good deal of work. In the
first place great deal of work has
to be done by legislative body be-
foreit is ready for general work, and
after that great deal has to be done
before downright results can be ex-
pected. But when we consider the
number Of bills reported, referred, |
acted upon by commietees, and the |
advanced state of the business
of the Assembly generally, it may be
safely said that ii has got as far |
along in one month as such bodies |
usually get along in two. In the
progress thus made many measures !
Of much practical Importance have
been set a-going, in each House, SO
that when the proper time comes for |
results we shall have them, and, per-
haps, too abundantly. There are
few evils greater than that of over
Legislation. That Government is
best which governs least. | trust
the good sense of the members Of
this Legislature will avoid that evil |
as they would poison.
One Of the most important meas
ures which it has been supposed the
Legislature would entertain has al
ready passed both bouses. l refer to |
the bill for the speedy completion of |
the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacif.
ic Railroad from this place to the
Missouri. On account of certain en-.
tanglements between two sets of |
stockholders in New York the spees
dy passage of the bill was BY many |
regarded as important. 1t was &C.
cordingly perssed with great vigor by |
its friends in the Assembly and =
strong lobby. The provision Of the
bill in which the public Of Iowa will |
take the greatest interest is that
which declares that the State does |
not cede or waive it's right to regu.
late tariffs Of freight and passage
The passage Of this as part Of the
bill was resisted by the lobby, but it
was carried in such Way as to show
that similar provision will be in
serted in every bill Of the sort which !
shall I,a paaaad