Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-17
OUR MADISON LETTER.
MAn1sos. March IL, 1870.

for fear he Viii not snnp stitAS ~ WV
you bis weeklyletter, viii iry to'telf'you
something of the "doins" about the
Capitol. The legislative mill is grinding
rapidly. members are getting impatient
at any delay in the machinery, and are
very anxious to return to their several
homes. A joint, resolution has been
adopted fixing the time for the final adj
iournment on Thursday, the 18th inst
AS there has been nearly, or quite 1850
bills introduced and less than 400 have
reached the Governor or even the enrol
Ing clerks, the difficulties in the way OF
adjournment on the day fixed by said
resolution is apparent. i,l,
The all absorbing topic for the past
week has been the question of removing
the capital. The bill providing for such
removal was made the special order for
Tuesday evening in the Assembly. A
substitute was adopted for the original
bill, which contained proposition from
the city of Milwaukee, to convey in fee
simple to the state, the new court house
in process of erection in that city, with
the ground on which it stands, and SUBJ
hitting the question of removal to the
people at the next general election. AT
ter a protracted and animated discussion
the bill was indefinitely postponed by n
vote of Sc to so. On this occasion our
Madison friends were out in force aud
tkey manifested their JOY over the result
Of this vote by hearty applause. pres
ume they returned to their several hous
es rejoicing over the fact that they could
still sit under and enjoy the drippings
from the state capitol" This little scare
will be likely TO have good effect by
causing Madison to see that it is for her
interest to build the r. R. to Portage for
the better accommodation of the North
western part Of the state. Assembly
bill No. 200 providing for uniform or
pro rata tariff on railroads in this state,
and over which there has been a sharp
fight, was indefinitely postponed by a
vote Of 4S 10 "a A similar bill has
been reported by the joint select com
mittee on railroads in the Senate. What
may be ito fate I can only conjecture,
but am of the opinion that the bill will
not pass. " "ooe z" = #'.'' ~.
A bin to legalizs the assessment roll Of
the city of Prescott has passed the As
sembly and has been ordered to a third
reading in the Senate. 'n fs7 IL.
In The Senate. on Tuesday, Senator
Ives made, as.f consider, the most ef-
feesiye speech Of the session, The Sen
ate had under consideration No. 247
ga bill 10 change the name rof Andrew
Andersen" of the county of st. Croix,
=
and the question being upon the indef-
mite postponement of the bill rs, recon-
mended bv the committee oRsalocal leg
islation, Senator Ives said: "Mr.a Presi
dent, we read in scripture that the
Ethiopian can not change his skin, but
do not see why q Norwegian may, not
he allowed to change bis name,a tho
bill was ordered to a third reading by a
unanimous vote. When you consider the
facts th.t bills of this nature have been,
almost invariably postponed indefinitely,
an d that such was the recommendation
of the committee in this case, the effect
of the speech may be readily seen. -" ~
The bill providing for an additional
Hospital for the Insane has passed both
branches of the legislature. The bill
provides that the Governor shall appoint
six commissioners, one from each Con
gressional district, whose duty it shall be
to locate said Institution, the site of
which shall not contain less than 100
acres, and appropriate 1925, 900 therefor
of which sum $4,000, may be expen
ded the present year. 7' si. .i'. 'i' ''e"
Yesterday the Senate concurred in the
passage of assembly bill No. 1 providing
for return to the township system of
county government, by vote of 1s to
Is, Senator Ives voting aye. | can not
help thinking that by his vote on this
question the senator is mis- representing
the people Of his district. To the Assem-
bly, all the members from that senatorial
district voted against the bill. 'a0 III
This town system is unwieldy, expen-
sive and not fair system of representa-
ton and is most unjust to the thinly pop
ulated counties, as it makes territory the
basis of representation instead Of the PEG
pie. There is a class of people in the
world who can not, or will not be salts
fed to let swell enough" alone, and
some Of them get into the Legislature;
hence the production of this BILL. Il pre-
dict that tho people of this state will be
asking for change back to the commits
sioner system in less than three years
from date. ! iqeun 1sts aslie olais i ~
In the senate this morning, they got
up an "omnbus" and loaded it with
about Fifty bills. and run it through un