The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-04-11
CAPITOL ooRRnsPoNDnnos.
DEs Mo1NEs. April 8. 1s7:

CAPITOL o0RRESP0NDHNCH.
DEs MONIES, April 3, 1872.
EprToRs Courier :--On the journa
being read in the Honsr this morning
Mr.. Goodspeed asked leave to call III
II. F. $50, which was granted. This il
a bill for an act to amend article Z
chapter %, of the Hevision of 1860, il
relation to hogs and sheep running a
large.
1t repeals the law submitting tbs
question to the people to vote upon
but makes the law general, and pro
vides that owners of hogs and sheer
running at large, shall be responsible
for any damage that may arise from
the same.
The LIST of October, lS72,.is the time
set when this law shall take effect.
The rules were suspended and tho
bill passed.
III. II. ~ next came mp, in relation tG
prohibiting actions being brought
against municipal corporations ques.
tioning the legality of their organiza-
ton after having acted as such orfivt
consecutive years.
Mr.. Hall offered substitute for the
bill, to which Mr.. Duncombe offered
an amendment, and against this amend
ment Mr.. Hall spoke at some length.
Mr.. Duncombe spoke in favor of the
amendment, and said that for the last
five or six years, each Legislature had
been called upon to legalize the acts Of
such corporations, and he thought il
would be good policy to pass general
law covering such cases, and prevent
this special legislation year after year,
The Speaker here announced that the
hour had arrived for the consideration
OF special order; this being the Capitol
appropriation bill.
Mr.. Kasson moved that the special
order be taken up. The motion pre-
vailed.
Mr.. Kasson offered an amendment to
the bill by inserting as commissioners
the names of Messrs. Einkbine, Foote
Dye and Fisher, being the gentlemen
nominated as such officers at the Gnu
cuses held yesterday afternoon. The
amendment was adopted.
Mr.. Ainsworth offered an amend
ment in the shape of an additional sec.
ton, as follows: sIt shall be the duty
Of the commissioners appointed by this
act to procure and adopt plans and
specifications Of capitol building
which, when completed, shall not ex-
ceed In c0st more than $750,O00, and
that in its construction, the material
rxnxrv -, ka..l .En1fs ~ ~ -. -. =.
practicable"
Mr.. Renther made q few remarks in
favor Of the amendment, and KassOn
against. The amendment was moi
adopted.
Mr.. Duncombc offered an amend
ment by limiting the cost TO 81 ,25O, 600.
Mr.. Ainsworth amended the amend
ment by increasing the amount to one
million and half. which Mr.. Dun
coinbe accepted.
Then came the t,Ig of war; Messrs.
Pratt, Ainsworth and Duncombc de-
Tending the amendment, and .Kasson,
Irish and Leahy opposing it.
Mr.. Duncombe was in favor of build
ing new capital, but he desired to
hare the price fixed. 80 that future as
pirate million or two million of dol
lars to finish the work, that they are
told now million and a-half will
complete; and it was his opinion. that
to finish the building according to the
design and plans as adopted, with
dome and everything complete. would
require at least 81, 100000. and vet the
people were led to believe that the cost
would not exceed million and a-half
when the truth in the matter is. they
would be taxed to three times that
amount.
Mr.. Caldwell thought that these
amendments were all boys play.
This legislature has a right to say
what kind of a building it will have
The plan for the new capitol has bee,
adopted by the commissioners, and on
that plan they have gone to work ani
> expended $4,000 in the work of ear
rying it out, and yet, the gentlema,
rom Webster would overthrow all tia,
work that has been done thus far. AM
render it necessary to commence anew
and all to save $3.50. 600 at a cost of twic,
that amount. lie had full faith in tn,
gentlemen constituting the new board
and was satisfied they would carry on
their work faithfully, and he therefor,
trusted the amendment would be votet
down. The amendment was lost bv ,
vote of 81 yeas to 53 nays.
MIR. CampbeN offered an amendmen
authorizing the commissioners to LEI
the contract for constructing the new
Capitol to the lowest responsible bid
t.lIr
tect the State. They shall advertis,
the letting of the contract in two news
papers published in Iowa two in Phil
adelphia, two in New York and twt
in Boston, The amendment was lost
| Mr.. Duncombe offered AN anndf
ment making il the duty of TIN IN
commissioners to make an estimat6 o
the cost Of the new Capitol accOrdin.
to the present plan, and il they founl
that it exceeded al 500. 600. they should
SO modify the plan as not to exceet
this amount. After some debate tn,
| amendment was voted down.
In order to save time and put stol
to all further discussion, Mr.. Hopkiri
|,suggested that the contract of buildin.
the new Capitol be let to b. Il. Allel
who was willing to take theac0ntrac
| for II, 500. GOO 'anu who would give sc
curity to the ainoant of $3,OO, 600 .
The suggestion was not acted Upon.
Mr.. Durham offered an amendment,
for which Mr.. Hall presented a subsfi
tute, to the effect, ssthat it shall be IN
duty of the commissioners, to cause til
present foundation, and material O
hand, to be carefully and slxillfully III