Year: 1879

MADISON, Feb. 1S.-A great deal


has always been said in favor of the
advantages offered in large cities


for pleasure and amusement, Al
though Madison cannot boast of be-
ing large city, yet if all large cities
offered proportionately as many at
fractions, your correspondent is de-
cidedly Of the opinion that the an
cient splendors Of Babylon would
dyindlc to i mere candle-hame sig
niticancc, which would receive not
even 4 passing notice. During the
past week our honorable and digni-
fed Legislators have had ample op-
portunity to edify themselves to the
last degree; nor have they been slow
in embracing the same. Many MEM
bers have appeared ON this busy
scene in company with their wives
and daughters, and they all seem
intent upon having Il good time,
which no doubt they will secure.


The Senate has been the scene of
a very sharp contest in regard to
the dictionary the State should buy
for its district schools. Hitherto
Webster has been the standard.
Last year the State paid 81 a copy
for them, and this year the commit
tee on claims, having ascertained
that Worcester could be procured
for S., they reported back the bill,
authorizing the purchase of Web
ster, with an amendment recon-
mending that Worcester be allowed
to compete, and the dictionary that
could be bought for the least cost
should be procured. The amend.
ment was adopted after a spirited
contest, in which the merits of each
book were sustained with marked
ability. When the amended bill
reaches the house most animated
discussion will no doubt ensue, in
which those members who torture
the English language the most, will
participate. If the discussion will
only tend to incite some of the un-
lettered members of that honorable
body to an investigation and study
of the works a most beneficial ena
will he reached, and while some Of
the untamed eloquence may be
curbed, the community will not be
shocked by the incongruous combi-
nations of words there given utter
ance.


The tramp bill which gained SO
much notoriety, while its merits
were under discussion, has been
by striking out the fog
ging feature, and passed.. This
laaves the law on the subject Of va
grancy substantially the same as it
was before. When the Assembly
was laboring upon the consideration
of this bill much fear was manifest
ed by certain eloquent ruralists be-
cause they imagined that we were
suddenly going to degenerate INTO
barbarism if the tramp bill passed.
If your correspondents judgment is
of any account, and no doubt it is,
he would venture to assert that there
are brilliant genuises here in seats
in the legislature of the great State
of Wisconsin who would, had they
lived in that age, found it exceed
ingly difficult to procure the posit-
ion Of cuspidor custodian at the
palace Of Charlemagne, no matter
how neatly they might have pulled
the wires.


The Assembly has passed the BIZ
ennial session bill with only one
dissenting voice and the pros
poets are bright for its passage
i'll the Senate. If it passes this
session it is fair to pre- sumo that
It will the next and when the peo-
pie light onto it, they will be
sure to make it an amendment to
the State constitution, and SO there
are good reasons for believing that
IS soon as it can be brought about,
Madison will be honored only once
u two years, and will begin on
plan that will save the State large
amount Of money az well as cur
.ailing a great deal Of unnecessary