The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-03-02
FROM THE STATE CAPITAL.
From our Own Correspondent
DEs MONIES, Feb. q
Y.EGIsJATIyE MATTERS.


From cur Own correspondentl
DEs MONIES, Feb. 20.
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS.
Twelve laws il the record made to date b,
the Legislature, Of which only three are Of Q
public nature.
Nearly 800 bills orc on fl in the House, one
third or which have been acted upon by com
mittees, and twelve have passed to the third
reading.
In the Senate 22i bills are on file, one-tllird
or which have been returned by committees
and scarce dozen passed Among the mos'
important which have passed Ii that providing
for State Entomol0gist. The bill for semi
annual payment Of taxes hangs fire nnder IN
adverse report from the committee. The larg-
est majority OF bills in the senate refer to prac-
tice in the courts, although there are several
agricultural bills Of yslne on die. The bill to
increase the pay of County Superinte ndents to
- per day passed, with proviso which makes
IL optional with School Directors whether he
shall visit schools once a month.
Tie bill for = department of industry IL per-
fected, and provides for Secretary at salary
of $4,000 year, who Ii to have charge oi az
ricultural affairs, crop reports and diseases
among domestic animals. A board Of directors
OF five IN provided for, three Of whom arc y
be from the Board OF Directors Of he state
Professor Of Agriculture at the State Agrlcut-
ural College and the Secretary Of the State
Horticultural Society. This board IL advisory
To tile Secretary. Ihe Secretary IL appointed
every two wears by the Governor and confirmed
by the senate. The directors hold one, two
and three years. The report q the Secretary
will take the place OF the report OF the state
Agricultural Society. This Ii the oniv inter
ference Of the bill with that society, which will
continue a. heretofore. There IL strong prob
ability that the bill will pass the Senate. but
what the House will do IL conjecture !; yet II IL
! safe to assume that the farmers who are IN the
majority, will accept il. Who the Secretary
il 10 be IL not KNOWN but some think Col. John
Scott.
The long service Of Senator Russell as state
. Auditor has convinced him OF the absolute ne
cessity OF some provision for supervising the
expenditures Of public money for State lnstit,l-
tiOns, which amounts to over s15O.WW year.
He has therefore prepared a bill for = board OF
three Examiners, who shall maze thorough
Investigation Of all State institutions at least
twice year. with power to make such changes
in their management ~ deemed best, subject
to the approval OF the Governor and Executive
Council. The board are to BE- appointed by the
Governor aud confirmed by tho Senate. The
State can well afford to pay the board, as II
of the Legislature 70 visit these institutions BY
Legislative committees, which practically
amounts to nothing.
The dog days are numbered. The Agrcult-
Iral Committees have agreed on bill which
requires dogs 10 be listed by the Assessor az
other property, and tax of Sd cents on every
dog levied and collected NJ State tax. The
harboring or having i'll possession \ dog IL
deemed ownership. This establishes property
in dogs, and the consequent liability. Tie
same Bill also exemp,s from taxation lUO sheep
to each owner.
The bills to reduce the interest on school.
fund loans to per cent. aud the rate Of legal
progressing aud will doubtless get through.
The school textbooks business has taken q
rest, and it likely will fail from overweight.
| There il too much OF 1t.
The most exciting topics during the week
were the prohibition amendment and the dis
coyery Of bill-tampering. The House, On
Wednesday, took up the amendment. and, ait 4
one speech was made against it, passed i by =
vote Of &c to %, and sent it to the Senate,
where II seems to have troubled the 0pposi-
tion, ~ at once klibnstering began. FIRST, i
, was proposed to get the Attorney General to
tell the Senate whether they could vote to sub
NIT the amendment to the people, unless they,
the Senator's, were in favor of the amendment.
but the majority voted it down. Then II
was proposed that All explanatory clause
should be attached, or made some
how, stating whether or not the amendment
! was intended to apply TO manufacture for ex-
! port, and after several hours debate thst was
, voted down. During all this time the amend.
meut was not before tho Senate at all. Il II
] said the amendment passed by the House is II.
regular in form, 40 to avoid all question lasl
Saturday Senator Harmon presented copy oi
] the amendment AZ adopted by the last legis'
lature, which WAS referred 10 the committee.
| II will come back tomorrow with approval. and
then for the tiis. time the question will be far
| II before the Senate ON its merits. The state
! Brewers Association have filed 4 plea IN re-
monstrance against that part which applies Il
beer and wine, saying that it destroys millions
OF property, which has heretofore paid taxes Il
support the Government and which has beei
used in lawful business. Their argument Il
| specious one, and will afford tue text FOL
| the opponents to expend a large amount o.
! superfinous talk, TO no effect whatever. NJ til,
majority will adopt the amendment, without
/ explanation or change, and send 1t to the peo
pie for their final decision. leaving to them ant
! the courts the settlement OF all questions o
l construction. II seems strange that with ~
immovsble ma jority in both houses time thonla
] bc wasted in talk over the matter.
The other important matter referred to above
was that or tampcring with bill in the House
BY forgery. A bill had passed the Senate ana
1 tue Railroad Committee. Of which Mr. Wolf
/ was Chairman, and Charles Mcclure, o
Greene Cedar county,. Clerk. The next morn
ing Mcclure gave the bill to Mr.. Ellerick. actin,
i CnairMan--Mr. Wolfe being absent-statlnt
/ that the committee had considered the bill ant
! reported fAvorahly on it. and it WAS ready to bt
/ reported back 10 the House. assuring Eiiefcl
that it was all right. As Mr.. Eiierck was op
posed to the bill, hc thought strange that tn
committee should act upon It without hearing
| his objections but, As be WAS called Z
another committee, he supposed the bill hat
been taken mp and considered. he reported
with the committee report, whicE Was signed b.
Wolfe ~ Chairman, aud at once went to cthe
members with 4 minority report to get thci
signatures, when it was discovered the bill ha,
not been before the committee ut all, and tina
the report was probably forgery. which wa
confirmed by Wolfe when he returned, ~ b
declared that he knew nothing about the b
or the report An investigation was af ono
ordered, eince when disclosures have been mad
which show that Mcclure has played trick
here and elsewhere before. and that his repnta
ton IL decidedly lad. Ii il not necessary I
say that his services were dispensed WITH
His motive for the forgery probably. ~ Vic,
uf past exploits. WAS III the event The Oi
passed, to 80 to parties interested. and CLAN
compensation FOR services rendered by III
stroke Of strategy. and estimate himself At
high figure While his fraud should not fiee
the bill ON its merits. II will doubtless proven
i.s passage in the House. Several members q
the House are mourning his sudden eclipse. u
with HIM goes sundly sums Of money he La
artfnlly squeezed ont OF them, on bank check
"after banking hourr,. you know. Said YOU
correspondent to Wolfe. Saturday: How ii
you happen to appoint that fellow your clerk
Old members here, and the news reporter
knew all about him. OF DID,"
"He WAS well recommended to me and IN
committee" replied Wolfe. Nobody said
word against hum until this affair came ont. AL
now. lind, everybody in the House knew hii
to be rascal
The blli Tor semi-annual payment OF tax'
hangs fire in the Senate. The bllls for tinke
ing the road laws are hitling their time. Non
have been heard from since they We're intr'
duced.
The Senate las raised the pay OF County ~
perintcnslent of Schools to "A per day, All
leaves 1t optional with the Directors to III
whether he shall visit schools every montl
There will be very little change IN the scho
laws this session.
It is probable adjournment will be hs
March 10. JoHN.
Legislative Proceedings.
There Was no session OF the HOUSE on q
18th. In the Senate bill WAS introduced
1 - a;v Cikfo all hYiHf