White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1872-02-08
Ealt.r.ai cereesre.de.ce.
TupEKA, FEBRUARY 5, 1872.

E0Ato4aa1 CofkesHO10coCes
" TupEKA FEBRUARY 5, 1872.
The Legislature is still vigorously at work,
passing local and unimportant bills, while inose
of Importance are being deferred, or permitted TO
Rrayitats to the bottom of a Calendar OF formld-
able length The House has somewhere In the
neighborhood of four hundred bills, not one hun
dr.d of which ore Of any Importance, and not one
third Of which win go through
The Senate has passed the bill providing for
the semi animal payment Of taxes on the first Of
December and June, and the prospect is that the
House win also pass it.
There are number of bills before the Legisia-
ture, regulating official fees-some for raising,
others for decreasing them. If they all pass, no
officer in the State knows what his services Will
be wcrth next-year.
Everybody is grabbing at the Treasury. The
State institutions are all dipping IN without mer-
cy and without modesty. If those elephants
could enc1 I've dispos-d-df it would be Immensely
to TIE l,saett of taxpayers - = =
Tie question that is causing the, greatest ex-
eitement, is pending liquor law, which is regaf-
.ara as virtually prohibitory. Petitions for. and
against it are coming in from every direction,
The anti-liquor law men have held a meeting, in
which the Teutonic element greatly predomna-
ted, which passed resolutions earnestly protest.
ing against the passage Of the bill. 1t is yet In
the House, where the fight is not ended, and its
fate is uncertain.
Congress having finally agreed upon basis CT
representation, giving Kansas three Congress
men, many of the members of the Legislature are
getting up bills for districting the State. Some
of them are very fair, some Of them "just so-so,"
but majority of them are simply awfni. II the
Districts were taken in hand by seine artist, and
made to represent animals, rs was done with the
lannon's gerrymandering apportionment of the
Democratic Legislature Of Ohio, in 1o42, there
would be shown three of the most hideOus look
ing beasts ever seen in Kansas.
Legislative committees have been ont, the past
week, visiting the various asylums and other
State institutions, TO see what they need These
institutions are all very needy. They are design
ed to take care of the unfortunate. But the most
unfortunate, so far, have been the persons who
run them, judging from the amount of money en-
pended upon them.
The Senatorial investigation is occupying most
of the attention of the Legislature. In the case
Of Senator Woop, all the testimony, thus far, has
been confined to "they say" Every witness
heard somebody say thus and so, aud that some
body; when brought up, heard it from somebody
else And that is all it is likely to amount to.
The joint committee on the general investigation
has resolved itself into sort of Star Chamber,
sitting with closed doors. Testimony may be
given that is totally false, rnpcating men who
are altogether innocent, and nobody will know of
it until the testimony is submitted to the Legis-
lature at the close of the session and there will
be no opportunity to offer rebutting testimony,
be it ever SO plentiful. Here is mighty machine,
under the fostering care of the Legislature, for
making political capital and for building mp some
politicians, and breaking down others.
Among other matters connected with the inves-
tigation, bill has been passed by the House, re-
lieving all persons from punishment for bribery
and other offences of which they may have been
guilty in selling their votes, if they will come mp
and testify that they received bribes 1t is SIM
ply BID to induce men to become informers, and
TO confess that they We're bribed, in order to
Wet somebody else. Ifthere be any such, we i'm
agine that this law will have but little force;
and that if any person sees fit to push the mat
ter, they may be indicted, punished, and disfran-
chised, according to the provisions of the law,
notwithstanding this enabling act to induce
them to confess.
The Railroad Committee of the House has re-
ported that no Legislation relative to rniroads is
necessary-the superintendents Of the varions
roads in the State having met at Topeka, and in
formed them that they did not need any legisla-
tion! The Legislature ought, by all MEANS to
tender its thanks to the Superintendents for their
kindness.
Some adventurer from abroad, fearing that
Kansas had more money than she knew what to
do with. has brought here daub which he calls
portrait Of Gen. LANE, which he offers to sell to
the 's.0- for the modest sum of $500 1t sits i'm
Tine Hall of the House, framed in goods box,
and there are large number of members keen to
invest at the above price.
County lines are a fruitful subject for fighting
this Winter. Quite number Of Counties have
designs npon portion Of the territory Of their
heishbors; and any number Of ambitious towns
are seeking tn aetarh slices from adjoining COun-
ties' Tor the purpose Of forming new ones, that
they may become the County Seat.