Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-07-28

exercise Of the right Of suffrage.
There is q strongly-marked tendency
toward granting general amnesty,
which is gaining ground SO rapidly
that no one can doubt that it will
prevail next session. The willingness
among members who oppose land
grants to pass the Southern Pacific
Railroad bill, and thus give the South
commercial as well aspolitical recon-
is one Of the noticeable In
dications of the sentiment in favor of
q full determination with the States
lately in rebellion.
ARMY REDUCTION.
BY the provisions Of the new Army
bill the Army is to be reduced from
81 900 to 80, 900 men, and over 400 SUI
pernumerary officers are to no longer
figure on the pay-rolls. Many re-
forms in army organization have
been made, and theaggregate saving
to the Treasury that will be effected
by the bill may be estimated at four
millions.
NAVY LEGISLATION.
Anew pay schedule has been adopt
ed for the Navy, and the abuse of the
33s per cent. allowance has been
stopped, but beyond this there is
nothing creditable to- note in this
direction. Nothing has been done
toward reducing the great number Of
idle, useless officers that have no du-
ty but to loaf about Washington and
other cities.
PREVENTION OF ELECTION FRAUDS.
The thorough investigation and
exposure by the Sub Committee Of
Elections of the frauds in naturaliza.
ton, registry, and voting in New
York city, and Of the violence and
intimidation practiced in the South,
has led tothe adoption of legislation
to cure these evils. This legislation
consists in the bill to prevent frauds
IN naturalization, and two sections Of
what is known as the Force bill,
which taken together will be effect
ual in preventing to a great extent
the growing abuses connected with
elections.
CODITICATION OF PATENT LAWS.
A valuable work in the interest OF
the inventors Of the country has been
accomplished in the thorough revis-
ion and codification of the Patent
Laws, by which the great body Of
patent legislation has been condensed
and reduced to systematic form.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The half-dozen law bureaus, here
tofore connected with the different
Departments, have been welded to-
gether into Department of Justice,
at the head of which is the Attorney
General, by which greater efficiency
and economy in the management of
the law business of the Government
will be secured.
NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The Northern Pacific Railroad bill
must be counted among the great
national measures of the session. BY
its passage the speedy building of the
road is insured, and within q few
years vast region Of fertile country,
unsurpassed for grain growing and
stock raising, will be opened for
settlements region larger in extent
than Great Britain and France COM
bined-which will eventually sustain
millions of people.
MEASURES WHICH HAVE FAILED.
A large number of important meas
ures have failed for want of time. and
go over to the next session, including
o few that should have been passed,
and many mischievous and doubtful
schemes that passed the Senate, but
were not reached in the House. To
the latter class belong II land grant
bills which the adjournment left on
the Speakers table. All schemes for
initiating the currency failed. The
recognition of Cuba was killed in the
House, and the San Domingo annex
alton scheme in the Senate. The
proposed legislation for the revival
Of AM erican commerce fell through
by reason Of the narrowness Of the
scheme, which was not up to the
breadth of the occasion. The Census
bill, on which the House spent much
labor, failed on account Of personal
quarrels in the Senate, but many of
the leading ideas developed in the
debates, passed over into the admin
istration Of the old law, greatly to
TIE advantage Of the census being
taken under it. The Postal Telegraph
hill oOpa over affor a Martial cnnsid.