Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-16
DIES MONIES CORREsPOND ENCE.s
Dies MONIES, Feb, {


ointed a subcommittee to consider
he capital punishment bill. That
subcommittee has made its report to
he Judiciary Committee and it is
low under adviscmcnt with pros
'ect that with but few alterations it
will be introduced i'm the Senate. The
ill provides that all murder which
$ pcrpctrated by means of poison, or
wing in wait, or any other kind of
villful, deliberate and premeditated
Killing, or which is committed in the
or attempt to perpetratc
my arson, rape, robbery, mayhem, or
is murder in the first de-
gree, and shall be punished with
death, and when judgement is pro-
nounced the day of execution shall be |
fixed and shall not be less than a year
or longer than fifteen months after
the day of Judgment, aud during that
time the prisoner shall be imprisoned
in the pcnitentiary. When the
Sheriff has reasonable grounds to be-
lieve that the defendant is insane or
pregnant he shall summon jury of
twelve, to be drawn as any other
jury. The jury shall examine the
prisoner, hear evidence and determine
upon the insanity or pregnancy ofthe
prisoner. In case the jury find the
prisoner insane or pregnant, then the
execution shall not take place. The
bill does not state what shall be done
with the criminal in this event. 1t
further provides that no person nm
der age shall witness the execution.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
The House has been busy all affer-
noon discussing the woman suffrage
amendment. Long speeches were
made by Messrs Given and Boiler in
favor OF il, and by Messrs Hobbs and
Brown against it. A question was
sprung as To the validity of the pub
LEGATION of the notice OF the amend
ment. 1t appears that the constitution
requires the publication, but neither
| it or the statutes describe how ii shall
be done. This question being of con-
siderable moment, a resolution was
passed postponing the further con.
sideration OF the resolution until next
Tuesday, and inguiring of the At.
torney General in regard 10 the cor.
stitutionality of its publication. Much
more opposition is manifested thar
was expected. 2-s
Senator Maginnis introduced a bill
providing that no liquor shall he sold
i'll any shape or form within one mile
of the polls ON election day. and also
providing for a fine for the distribu
ton of bogus tickets on that day.
| Senator Cooley introduced bill
making il the duty Of a defendant j,
a criminal case to show that awitncs
is in possession of testimony materia
to his defense before the witness shall
be called. This is 10 prevent the use
less drain on the treasury in crimina
cases where an enormous number o
witnesses are called who really know
little or nothing about the case.
Senator ROihert introduced bill
providing that the legal age for adj
mission into the public schools shall
be six years instead of five as nov
provided. Also a bill providing tina
a candidate for certificate to teacl
school shall pass an examination OF
natural philosophy and elementar,
drawing.
4 The Senate occupied the whole o
the afternoon in the consideration o
, the bill to provide for State Boart
OF Charities, without reaching vote
but enough was shown that if the bill
passes at all i'm its present shape j
will be by close shave. The bill
provides for the appointment by tn
Governor and Executive Council o
five Commissioners. who shall visi
all the county jails once in two years
and all the State charitable and re
formatory institutions once year
They shall report their observation
and make such recommendations {,
the Governor as Is doomed necessary
and advise such special appropriation
, as they may see 1T, Further, the,
shall, when directed by the Governor
make Investigations of alleged mis-
management of State institutions an,
shall have power to compel attend
ance of witnesses. For all this labo
no compensation shall be received
and only actual expenses be paid. 4
permanent Office shall he In De
MOincs, where the Commissioners
shall hold an annual session.
i Efforts were made 10 amend thu
bin so that the Commissioners shal
be elected by the General Assembly
bnt they were fruilless. CAL.
i DIS MONIES. Feb. 8.
The Senate. to-day. discussed th,
bill compelling railroad companies Il
furnish their ears with self-coupler
in order to prevent the necessity o
employees passing between the car
10 couple them. and thus save a grea
loss of life. While the disposition
seemed to he 10 make life as safe al
possible, yet the majority fell that !
I'm Just thus to pass bill, compel
ing the roads to furnish their car
with appliances or patents the prac
teal success Of which had not beer
shown. Although there are hun
dreds of patents all of which claim II
obvia1e the necessity of passing be
tween the cars, yet there are non.
that have given entire satisfaction
Besides the various companies have
evinced desire to do what the bill
requires and ii would he to their in
tcresi. ThYs the members understood
il and accordingly the bill failed IL
pass by vote of Ii in favor to 3;
+ against it.
/ The consideration Of the bin TO pro
vide fora Board of State Charities
was continued and il passed, there be.
ing only four more votes for il than
was necessary to its passage.
/ Bills were introduced this morning
/ in the Senate rs follows:
/ Br Senator Merrill, of Your city. to
change the law in relation to limit oil
! tax levy by the Board Of Supervisors
] The law now limits the levy for or.
i binary county revenue TO four mills
and the bill proposes to increase the
limit to five mills,
4 Senator Miller, OF BlackhaWk, in,
/ troduced a nil 10 provide for the es-
] tablishment of State Normal School
ut Cedar Falls. to occupy the building
now used for an Orphans Home, and
also provides for an appropriation 81
$4,000 for its maintenance. II also
provides that il shall be under tho
management of five directors, one oil
whom shall be chosen by the Senate
one by the House, and three be ap.
pointed by the Governor, and tina,
1 the orphans now at the institution in
Cedar Falls shall be removed TO DAY.
export,
| The House considered the bill al.
lowing defendants in criminal eases
to testify in their own behalf. The
bin as introduced permitted that in.
dividual to testify when indicted fol
any crime, but il was amended making
an exception of the person indicted
for manslaughtcr and murder. 1t is
rather strange, this feature of the bill
for thief is just as liable to commit
perjury as a murderer, since there is
nearly the same temptation and there
is but slight difference in the char
acter if anything, the average thief
has less sense of honor than the aver
age murderer. The bill, however,
na % al ~ {. II ~, GO n ftnr a 1nhato NJ a n