Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-02-04
TIE LEGISLATURE.
Soins Homo on AsjouFnmenH-& @
Soldiers Bounty 81. I Soix Land 09wmsL
-PFisOn RefOFm-esOOO 60
Converts aud schools,

"ih6' d III Va ehS LuCnU cfo NduLtu
TO do II bat were afraid 10 place
themselves in the record as voting
for the adjournment Some twenty
five asked leave to run home on Fri
day, majority Of them voting
against the Adjournment over Satur.
day, bot their cards were poorly
played, and one member who lives
IN Dane county and who could get
home in two hours time, objected to
the leaves being granite d, which
somewhat staggert the fellows who
were anxious to get away them
selves, but wanted others to stay ~
hold q session to-day. The result
was that only four or five succeeded
in getting away from business on
leave.
THB SESSION
does mot have the appearance OF a
very speedy adjournment. There
are not many bills To consider, but
few of them are of that peculiar
character which will bring to Madi
son q powerful lobby, and no doubt
at least one.third OF the session Will
be consumed in getting through one
| If tho fnnr hiils onnoarnina Tho dis
posal of the st. Croix land grant.
Next Wednesday ia the time limited
for the introduction of new business,
and after that, there will be warm
work. Up to this morning there
were 1873 bills before the Assembly.
and some eighty in the Senate. There
will not be much more that half The
number this year that were intro
duced last year
BOUNTY RESOLUTION.
The soldiers bounty bill now pend.
ing in the United States Senate, has
received considerable share of the at.
tention of the Legislature this ses-
sion. Almost the entire morning
session of the Assembly yesterday
was occupied 10 discussing the batch
OF resolutions pertaining 10 that sub
ject. The Republican side of the
house opposed the passage of the bill
and TO give the United States Senate
an expression of this opposition. a
JOINT resolution was offered in the
early part of the session, instructing
our Senator'S to vote against the bill
The Democrats seized the opnortu.
nifty Of favoriDg the bill, thinking TO
lay up some political capital out OF
the movement. The whole pack Of
resolutions and their snbstitates were
referred TO the Committee on Federal
Relations, q majority of which re-
ported ia favor of the Armstrong
recitation, opposing the present bill
and recommending one " hich would
allow the eoldieT to elect which he
would take, 100 acres IF land or 5000
IN money TO be paid out of the proc
oeeds from the sale Of public lands
Some of the Democratic members
made clustering speeches, and pro.
nounced the opposition TO tho bill d
stab at the best interests of the sol.
der, want of recognition Of their
country, - "penny-wiee and-pound
foolish policy" and the like These
"puS 90" speeches did not have the
effect desired, and the Armstrong
resolution was adopted, which ended
the matter.
THE LAND GRANT
contest j. growing in interest every
day, and the fight will DO bitter and
long. Already four bills ere before
the Legislature containing PROPOSE
tions 20 take the grant and build the
roads Since my last letter, the
North Wisconsin has introduced a
new bill, containing very different
proposals than the one introduced by
Senator Irish 10 the early part of the
session, which promises TO perform
impossible things, as means TO Sc
cure the grant. 1t not only pledges
itself to build the road but 0ifers TO
pay taxes on the land as soon as con
veyed, to pay FIVE per cent annual
ly on the gross earnings of the road
TO the State; aud to cap the climax
of liberalily it promises to pay back
into the State Treasury the entire
receipts of all sales of land after the
road is paid for. Considering that
the North Wisconsin aud it's friends
have endeaSored TO prove that the
grant is OF but little value, that il II
covered with black jack pine. that
there are not more than 200 600
acres of pine, that So 900 900 is more
than it is worth, and would not there
fore build the 70, de as contemplated
by Congress, this last proposition is
certainly the biggest joke of the sea
son. ltsinsiuCeIity is too palpable, its
Inconsistency too preposierous The
real fight will be between the
North Wisconsin aud the Milwaukee
and ST. Paul The proposition OF
the latter TO take the grant and build
The roads, is the most liberal, and the
company itself most trustworthy.
The fight will occupy a greater part
of the session from this cut, and the
disposal Of the grant to a responsible
company one OF the most important
duties the present Legislature will
be called npon TO discharge.
PRISON REFORM BILL.
Mr.. KeIsey's bill proposing a rad
zeal reform in the management of
the STATE Prison, came from the com.
mittee on Charitable aud Pepal In
stitutions fully endorsed, which Sc
cures its passage in the Assembly.
and probably in the Senate There
is no earthly doubt that the Prison
needs reform There may be no di-
'ect stealing going on It's manage
ment, but there certainly exists
i conditions Of things which loudly
calls for reform. Commissioner
Wheeler is fighting X elsry's bill, as
he wants the Office for another term,
and it is too good a thing TO lose
But his opposition won't Kill the bill;
there j. q change emanded, and the
people will have it.
MILWAUKEE APPROPRIATIONS
The old bills appropriate z slU00
t. each of the eight charitable and
benevolent institutions of Milwaukee