Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-16
IOWA LEGISLATURE MAY SEND
MEMORIAL TO DELEGATION
AT WASHINGTON
Though There Is Some Opposition TO
Representative Weeks Resolution 1t
Has Precedent and May Pass
The Official Register and Its Value.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Des Moines Bureau of the Courier.
Des Moinss, Jan. 13.

LES MoInSS, Jan. 10.
Representative E. W. Weeks of
Guthrie county expected yesterday
morning to introduce his re ;.ocition
respectfully requesting the Iowa dele
cation in congress to support with due
yigor the bills for vitalizing the inter-
state commerce commission, but there
was not a quorum and he postponed
its introduction. He will Offer it the
first of the week, in all probability.
His statement concerning the matter
was positive ON Thursday night and
had there been a quorum he would
have ,offered the measure yesterday
morning.
The last matter of this character
which came UP in the Legislature was
the resolution in the house TO instruct
the delegation to support reciprocity
with Cuba. This was four years ago.
1t created furore almost as great as
the resolution for the instruction of
the delegation to vote for the bill to
limit the scope of injunctions. The
question of instructing the delegation
to vote for the Cooper uarles bill
which was due to resolution by Sen
ator Trewin four years ago was also
regarded as a matter of great import
ance. This passed, and the Weeks
resolution is along the same line.
Some of the members Of the ,egis-
lature are opposed to this method Of
expressing the opinions Of the assem-
bly, in instructions to We members Of
congress. They belie Sat it is ques-
tionable propriety fl e'yeason that
they do not think thats .ol.seople who
elected them and the %, 8$qessmen
both ever had any idea OF q, horizing
the members of the assembly to tell
the congressman what to do. That
is not part of the duty of the as
semblymen, in the judgment of some
of them. who will oppose the resolu-
ton by Weeks.
Nevertheless it has been done re-
peatedly by the legislature and after
having instructed or requested them
to vote for the Cooper-Quarles bill the
assembly would be in rather peculiar
position were it to refuse to pass the
Weeks resolution.
The theory Of the members who
will oppose the adoption Of the reso-
luton if it shall come to vote will
be not that it should not be passed
as a matter Of principle and that the
people do not endorse it, but purely
on the ground of propriety. They will
say that the constitution provides
that there shall be the right of petition
and the people have this right without
the representative body called the
legislature undertaking to exercise the
right for them.
The OFFICIAL Register.
Representative Calderwood yester-
day got through the house resolu-
ton providing for an increased num-
Der of copies Of the Official Register.
formation and could be used to advan-
tage as school text book
Representative Calderwood appreci-
ated the great value of the book and
therefore his proposition to increase
the circulation of It,
This legislature, too, will have to
change the law regarding the rublica-
ton Of the Official Register. 1t is now
issued annually. Hereafter it will be
necessary to issue the book bien-
nially, only as there Is no election in
the odd numbered years, and as there
will be no change in officers it will not
be essential to have a blue book. But
when the thing is changed 1t should be
so fixed that the book will be of a
proper size, like any ordinary book,
and contain more information even
than does the present one.
The Official Register has been
brought to it's present state Of ex
cellence by John Jamison Of the Of
flee of the secretary Of state. He has
devised all of the new departments
which have been added to it during re-
cent years and is the editor Of the
publication. This credit is due him fol
he has given the publication the
greatest care.
Leon Brown.