, 1873-01-20
The Adjourned Session Of the
Legislature.
The Work It Has Laid Out to Do
Twill Tt Do More Than
Consider the Code ?
Investigations the Order of the
Day.
Political Gossip---Somc of Brother
Harlan's Tracks,

Special corresnotienct ~ Tbs Chicago Tribune.
= DEsMo1NEa Town, Jan. 10, 1873,
| EVor-IlVely Doha1oincB Is stirred once moro by
e1citcmenta Legislative. Tho solons Of tho
stato mot horo yesterday, In adjourned session,
inc Aebombied Wisdom OF Iowa is itsclf again.
usually, Iowa has ncBston Of Its Legislature
nus once In two years. This odd sosaon the
prosont body of men composing tho Qouoral
Assembly havo thrown in for good moas,1ro. II
remains to DO econ whether tho gift will provo Ia
DO ono Of OWL, or DO sort Of surprise and re-
suit In good. Tho majority Of tho poop1o arc 10
ungeneroua and suspicious nH to DO afraid Of 1t ::
and tho minority are content to do no moro than
wait and 500. Departure from regular custom
thoro aro mono to fancy, and IN extra expense no
ono makes protenco Of liking. Tho tasls Of
making 1t popular Is loft to tho legislators, with
tho pross largely against them, md tho odds
| tllreo to ono against thotr making It.
/ -. THE CAUSE OF IT.
Tho Adjourned Session, 1t is claimed, Is tho
outgrowth Of tho now Oodo. It was known,
| when this Assembly wan olcotod, that it would
nave to do with and daposo Of this elephant.
but 1t was not supposed that the regular soasion
would not bo able to deal with and finish it, It
] ls doubtful If the body, in lts session Of last
winter, could havo dono all It's regular work and
this extra labor besides. Yet tho people, ro-
membering tho numerous and unonlinR dobatea
Which consumed It's time, will always think that
1t could. Tho truth was, tho Legislature, by
promising too much led tho people to expect
too much. It took to itself, at tho start, with
great parade, tho name~ Of Economy mud tho
motto OF Reform. Under these flags, 1t spent q
largo portion Of tho winter in fighting for ro-
forms which their final votos proved It's NOM
bers did not believe In. The long railroad war
ended IN leaving things in still better shape for
railroads, Tho raid on tho public patronage Of
the press, made with g view Of saving $50 900 or
S75,0 annually,-in tho natter Of newspapor
publication OF tho laws,-reaultod similarly, aud
left tho printers' craft with more Of public fat
than it had baforo. Similar fights for the cauae
Of economy had like oxtravagant results, Tho
money sought to bo eaycd directly was not
saved, and q great deal Of money was spent in
thus trying to aaye. Among tho other bills OF
expenses, asy many, in thia frantic war for Ro.
trenohmcnt md Reform, ending so disastrously,
is tho Adjourned Session, which comes down to
this winter as an inheritance from the wrangles
OF last.
WORK OF THE BEssIoN,
Tho resolution Of nd journment stipulated that
tho work OF this session should consist solely Of
tho consideration and adoption of the new Code.
Whother this firmly ytaken resolution will be i'd
nerea to; remains to DO soen. It has alrendy
SUSTAINED M 1ar IN tho necessity which has called
Tor IN Investigation into tic dofalcatton Of
ltanktn, Treasurer of tho Board OF Trustees Of
the State Agricultural College. Tho two Houses
took hold Of this as soon as they were organized,
yestteraiHy t ana # looka KIT now at tho beginning
ongh: Ihe Republicans, warned by repeated
examples e. mp In the paat, hosin to SOC thas uvon
eo,ooo majority is no security against, md no
me bssonng &C. dhe 'so's So .R S1 RssSn opsp and
IN Iowa. rio $4,000 ' 8rvig 1S'qtoa. stoal.
in Governor Btone'a Administration ''t ths
aEsppng Ro fest Of
haul Of Auditor Elliott in "lnsuranco fecs,H in
the yenra 1aG9-T2; and now tho Raukin'g s9S. 900
grab, have finally arouBed The people into an old
fashioned +; notion Of beginning to look after
sentiment having demanded instant md thor
ough procedure IN tho caBo OF Rankin, tho Log.
islature, meoting for Gode-work only, ,inds itself,
at tho start, switched off upon something olao.
GENERAL LEGISLATION NOT NtpRoDADLE
This iuyeatisntion, and othors which arc talked
tuted, the fitof public virtue and public indie- %
R1stoa Rhso2 being 80 strong thet all obbors in
boots, will probably oloar tho way y to The the !
opening up Of general legislation: On tho |
railroad question especially is thoro a great
nugo Ihaf pressure The people stu hayo hope
tro tbs a 1osf eh may h found In s
oppresH thom. So It is not unlikely that tho Log
isature Will bo besieged to again grapplo with tho
great question, and not leave it closed for an-
CHEAP aud money too scarce, for the people 10 bo
Wiling to give it up 80, unless they plainly SEQ
that they can't help the lnsolyes.
1t Is true, porhaps that the break will be
viii force themsolyos In. Several leadlns 1 nom.
bera havo hobbies, and Rre determined to ride [
them If they get lalf q chance, or Gun mako
chance. Jnst nov, now, Of courso,.,.fn tho. first
9 thirty days session and no work but the Code.
Lot Us hope. for tho people, TINT they really
orl1En PERENNIAL SUBJECTS.
Ihere IN re- arc two Or three othcr things the advo-
Gates Of which arc anxious to turn the LeeBla-
turo loose upon. Among these nro capital pun
lshlnent md the question Of tho woman who
wants to to yoto The opponents Of the Quaker
punishment, last winter, has proved great fac-
tor OF ovil aud an alarming ad;utant OF crime.
They assort that tho number Of murders the
past year has been double that OF any year OF
tie II state,s history, and urge that the banahment
restraining terror. The Presbyterian synotls Of
tho state. IN their annual soasionH, havo taken
holu OF the mattor, and demand tho roatoration
OF @ tho o1d Mosaic laM in the name Of God and
nomination !! hnve boon preaching In support Of
tho domand with as much zeal as though the creed
Of thoir Church WAS endangered by The innova-
tion. On tho other side arc tho Friends as
society, aoms o,oo0 strong, who have met and
taken official action praying the Legislature to
stand fast to that which Is good, and lot tic
proabyterians boar 1t as bost they may. The
Quakers, too, arc backod by a powerful public
which is not yot roady to giyo up the
trial OF the Gontler law aa having boen failure.
To the charge that SO many murders have boon
committed this year because no murderer hns
been hanged this year, tho undtsmayed Quaker
roplies: "Noithor has tlloro boon . murderer
tho hnngman's law for thirteen years, and, by
novor executing It, made uf it farce, aud loft
It 4 disgracefully dead lottor. Tho law was 80
Df It. Now lot Us give fair trial to Ia law % whioL
humane men will DO willing to execute, and an
elevated public aontiment nuatain. It is
rue we have had In Iowa more murders this year
Ihnn We had last. It is alao true that We have