The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-03-24
From " Index"

From :" Index"
| Des Moines, March IA, 1870,
EDS. COURIER Both Houses of the
Legislature had slim attendance o.day.
Several bills oflocal and minor Importance
were passed.. The Senate had up the
Cuban resolutions. heretofore passed by
the House, and considerable dicussion
arose upon them. There was no differ.
encs Of opinion as to the propriety Of our
Government expressing It's warm sympa-
thy for the struggling Cubans, but the
4th resolution, which by implication GEN.
sures the action of the Government in not
having recognized the beligerancy of the
Cubans up to this time, met With Oppose
tion. However the ad captandum in.
viewed In the resolutions prevailed, and
they passed the Senate without amepd.
ment.
The subject of the taxation OF railways
was taken up in the Senate abont an hour
before adjournment, and Senator McNutt
OF Muscatine read an deliberately prepared
argument upon the question. He was
followed by Senator vermillion Of Appa-
moose County. McNutt favored the taxa
ton Of Railways as other property, en-
bodied in what is called the Hopkirk bill.
vermillion favored the report OF the Com
mitee Of Ways and Means, which report
embodies bill taxing railways upon
their gross earnings. The subject is
made the special order for tomorrow at
10 o'clock a. m.
| The State House bill is considered by
| friends and foes as dead. Still have O
kind ola notion thai the fuglemen who
are it's especial guardians about Des
Moines, yet haye hope for its resuseita-
ton, and are laboring by means and
ways known only to a few, to carry the
measure on ffual vote. If such shall
finally be the case, it will find it's solution
In the often repeated and well recognized
fact, that human nature is frail, and
MANN on is some mems God.
Tonight the ould folk Of Des Moines
give an entertainment In Moore's Hall,
which, rs near ~ can now Learn, is in
fact intended to cariacture the Legislature
especially that part of 1t, that labored to
defeat the State House Bill. I intend to
give the entertainment a careful hearin q
and will report at a future day. Mean.
while let the people Of Iowa look sharr
to see who of the opponents of tho STATE
House shall succumb to the blandish.
mems OF Des Moines, and change his vote
on the Capitol Bill. If such there shall
be, the marx of Cain will be branded upor
his forehead. INDEX.
l Dies MONIES, March 18th, 1870.
! ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
EDS. COURIER
| You will notice by tn,
proceedings Of the Senate on yester
day that move is ON foot to abolish
the Medical Department Of the Stat,
University. There seems to DO de
terminationOn the part Of the dem
ocratic representatives of Johnso,
county, aided by the Professors o
this medical department to retain i
in spite of the Legislature. So mucl
feeling has arisen in the medical pro
, fession of the State that it is though
) by large majority of the Genera
Assembly that it will be a constan
source of annoyance and only tend t,
J distract and injure tie success of tn
. University; and this is the opinion O
: many of the professors of the Institu
| ton itself as well as some Of the Trus
f tees. l trust this much vexed ques
tion will be thoroughly quieted BY
, the ',olishment OF the department
The 'enate to-day had up the ques
: tioi, # tariffing the rates of freigh
upon railroads. 1t was discussed b,
. Senator'S Wright, Of Lucas Co., Bulii
: of Winnesheik Co., Patterson, Q
Floyd Co., McNutt, of Muscatine Co
Larrabee, of Fayette Co., and Camp
3 bell, of Jasper Co., and was finalf
postponed, and made the special OF
!. der for the 25th inst, without arr
wing at vote upon tho main ques
!. ton. A vote was, however, take
G upon the substitute offered by Sens
. ator Wright, which provided as it
main feature for the appointment Z
: five commissioners to investigate an
7 report to the next General Assembl
0 their opinion with facts and figure
upon the question ofregulating thes
! tariffs. The substitute was vote
f down by a decided majority.
:. The House had under discussio
to-day, and which occupied the Who'll
day, the taxation OF railroads as cor
templated by what is called the Hor
kirk bill, which provides for the Of
sessmcnt of railroads as other pror
erty, viz: taxing them upon such
valuation per mile &c. A direct vot
!, was taken upon the question, and tn
bill was killed by quite a decisiv
majority. My opinion is that thi
, Legislature will not pass any tart
bill, but will very materially increas
the taxation upon railroads upon tn
Same basis substantially as they ar
now taxed. A spirited contest
now on the tapis in reference to abou
10000 acres of land which was man,
,, years ago granted by the Unite,
States to build a branch railway Q
, the Dubuque & Sioux City read from
the mouth of tho Tete Des Mort
river up the Mississippi river t,
Dubuque. This branch road whicl
is only about eleven miles long ha
never been built. and consequent,
the lands have been forfeited Iy th'
company undertaking it.
1t is now sought forsby no less tina,