Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-02
Drs Mo,yrs. Inn aOrb 1874

The bills thus far introduced iii
both Houses amount to 1888: of this
number the House claims 233 and the
Senate the remainder. ii is safe Ia
say that not more than scventy-iivG
will ever pass. There is scarcely q
bill in the Senate hut has its duplicate
in the House. II is rather singular
that the Senators and Represents
tiyes from counties in which there
are State institutions and upon whom
rests the responsibilities Of being
father and mother TO all bills intro
dnceyi in regard to them cannot COM
promise and present one bin to do
for both Houses; as il is there are
bills i'm each House in regard to ap-
preparations. We can account for
this only on the supposition that these
men cannot decide upon whom to
thrust the honor of Introducing the
bill, and all being DESTROYS OF doing
something TO incur the profound
gratitude of their constituents, they
introduce as many bills as there are
Representatives Of the county on the
floor of each House. This. is great
loss of time, for all bills must pass
through the mill, be acted upon by
committees, be read three or four
times, and be printed and considered.
So far only one public bill has passed
both Houses. and that was merely a
correction of the Code, in relation to
the estates of dccedcnts. #.5.A
1t is now understood that the work
of the session will commence in down
right earnest the LIST of February.
The committees have reported sufii-
Gent number of bills to keep the
mill grinding and a lively grist of
bills Of but little Importance will be
disposed of during next week. II is
proposed 10 have two sessions each
day from now OH, and the Senate has
passed resolution to that effect.
The discussion OH Boilers memori-
al to Congress in reference to the re-
peal OF Sherman's specie resumption
act, promises to be lively, and several
members are pluming themselves for
the debate. Itwould, however, seem
the part of discretion for ambitious
politicians to severely let the subject
alone. The Congressional Record
for 1875, containing tho speeches. on
this subject is in great demand, so
much SO that the supply is exhausted,
and members may be seen hniigrily
prying around and cautiously inquir-
ing for Congressional Records. If
some ambitious individual desires to
gain the everlasting and eternal graf
itude of the majority of the Sixteenth
General Assembly, it is very easily
done by distributing gratuituously to
every member copy of the Congress
sional record. The debate will prob
ably occupy more than the afternoon
of Tuesday, the day set apart for it, as
several members intend making long
speeches. We understand that Hon.
John y. Stone will lead one party in
the debate while Hon. l.. II. Boltcr
will control the other. The debate
should be a good one as there arc
more men in the lower house the
present session of known and ac-
knowlcdged ability than there has
been for years. a..
The hospital for the insane at lndc-
pendence has entered its demand for
$4,000. This makes 100000 as the
amount demanded for the various
state institutions with several co,m-
tics yet 10 hear from, and not counting
the appropriation demanded for the
new capitol building.
The Senate Yesterday passed the
joint resolution agreeing To The
proposed to the State
Constitution 10 strike out the word
'i'ree white" from the section rclat-
ing to the qualification ofmcmbers of
the General Assembly. A bill was.
passed providing That township clerks
shall not receive per cent on moneys
over to them by their pre-
decessor. Also a bill providing that
in contested will cases, jury may be
demanded. Also bin in relation to
the width Of roads, providing that in
cases where permanent fences have
been erected the minimum width of a
public highway may be thirty-three
feet. A bill was Introduced abolish