Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1871 — Jottings From the Capital. [ARTICLE]

Jottings From the Capital.

Indianapolis Indiana, January 10, 1870. Editop.sUnion:—Presuming that “jottings” from the Capital migfct be interesting to your readers, I herewith send you a few: The Hffuse of Representatives organized without a struggle more than that the republicans nominated and voted for their candidates. Everything in the House is democratic from Speaker to Spittooncleaner. A number of bills have been introduced, the most important of which are, those to regulate the fees and salaries of county officers and to amend the Draining Act, commonly known as the “Kankakee Draining Swindle.” This law will certainly be repealed or amended, for I have talked with every member from the 11th Congressional District, and, as the beys say, “they are down on it.” Calkins, of Porter, and Wood, of Lake, have both introduced bills having that end in view. The members voted themselves twenty dollars’ worth of stationery and stamps. The last legislature voted fifty. This is a saving of 83,000, provided they do not vote any more. They subscribed for weekly papers instead of dailies, bq if the Constituents of the law-mikers here assembled, do not get sa many, they will know- the reason t>f it. Mr. Calkins, of Fulton, introduced a bill repealing the railroad tax law, attaching a saving clause, so that if the Supreme Court decides tho law constitutional as it now stands on our statutes, what has been voted may le collected, and not defeat the wuhes of those who voted the tax.

A bill has been introduced looking to a lessening of taxation. Heretofore we have paid 60 cents on each poll, 15 cents for State purposes, io cents for Sinking Fun'j, Th o Sinking Fund will not l’e needed hereafter. There will be, if I mistake not, on- the Ist of July next $550,000 of the Sinking Fund on hands after all the debts to which it is applicable have been paid. The taxable property of the State amounts to $662,000,000. A tax of ten cents on the hundred dollars will probably be levied, which will realize at least 8500,000, a sum that will be more than enough to grease the wheels of State. This will be a falling off of ’twenty-five cents on the one hundred dollars and sixty cents on each poll. Dear reader, can you not breathe easier?" All this is due to a republican administration. The divorce law will be modified, so that hereafter Indiana will not be the resort of all tlie ill-assorted-lot-tery-made matches (in which there is an incompatibility of temper) for the purpose of obtaining divorces, that they may go and adulterize. i. Wash.

January 16th.—The weather is very warm here at present; so much so, that we sit in our rooms with our windows up.and sleep with as little cover as wexlid in September. Almost every one is complaining of “cold in the head.” It may not be all cold, but there is an “onpleas. antness” about' it that is distressing in the extreme. "* Legislation goes on slowly so'far as\ “getting bills through” is concerned. Only two have passed; One a local affair relating to the town of Gosport and tl'ie other an appropriation for the current hx-

puuiMM of the HVMiou. Seventy bills hate been introduced’so far. There Are several bills in now to modify the Drainage law. The objectionable sections in what is known as the “Kankakee law” will be stricken out. Mr. Butterworth succeeded yesterday in getting a motion through creating a special committee on Levees and Drains, which was a good movement We repeat that the fannbts of Jasper county otight to give their ideas with regard to what they want» by writing to their Senator and Representative. We know that such suggestions would be thankfully received and maturely considered. There was quite a lively time m the House after Mr. Wilson, of the Judiciary committee reported back Mr. Britton’s Judgment-interest bill with a recommendation that it lie upon the table. Mr. Wilson said that it was a report in favor of the weak against the strong. Mr. Calkins, of Porter, thought that when a man agreed to pay ten per cent, interest on a note he ought to stand by the contract and not take advantage of the law by permitting himself to be sued and then paying only six per cent, on the judgment. Mr. Neff, of Putnam, who is always “up and doing,” thought differently, and said that six per cent. was enough. lie thought the bill benefits the poor widow and moneyborrowers. Many other gentlemen expressed themselves with regard to the matter, both pro and eon.— We think that it is only just and right that every man should slick to his contract. It is justice between man and man. In our opinion, the idea that it is unjust to the widow, is only a cheap sort of benex olence indulged in by the demagogue for personal exaltation. So far as our observation has been, there are more widows who loan money than there are who borro r ,v. The House will call up the b : .d a * no distant day. Let the people think of the matter in the meantime. * -.tr VV ASH.

\ ice President C<, fax haß again placed us under c cligations {or sev . eral documentary favors . The Ke adallvifie News b< en i ar g C j double its or *S’ n .al size. It has been in existenr,e but a year and this evidence °x prosperity is not only creditable to the Kendallvillians, but rajret W highly gratifying to its proprietors. The New York Observer Year Book for 1870, with Almanac for 1871, has been received during the past week. It is a valuable publication and well worth the price (§1) that it is sold at. Subscribers to the Observer receive it free of charge. On Tuesday, Senatorial elections were held by the legislatures in six States which resulted as follows: Maine—Lot M. Morrill. Massachusetts.—Henry Wilson. Michigan—Thomas W. Ferry. Illinois—John A. Logan. Missouri—Frank P. Blair. Minnesota—. William Windom. lion. R. 8. D wiggins, of this district, isone of the most active members in the State senate. He recently came out squarely in favor of women’s suffrage in Indiana, upon a motion to prepare an amendment to the State constitution, having this object in view, to be submitted to the people for ratification, and was appointed one of a committee to draft the amendment.

The Indianapolis Journal says that two gentlemen of that city gave snake shows, on Saturday night, to small but select audiences consisting of the family physician and two or three assistants to help manage the reptiles. No city license was required. Quite a number, of persops in this county are preparing to go into the snake, business, and we may expect before long to have some first class exhibitions. The snakes are mostly pf the copperhead variety and dangerous to handle.

The Fort Wayne Sentinel says that “a petition has been filed by tfiose in the interest of the Pacific railway, in the commissioner’s court of Aljjen county, asking that body to call another election, for the purpose of again submitting the proposition for. an appropriation of 5’200,000 to the above railway. An election will no doubt bo called at an early day.” , We are heartily glad to hear of this action on the part of the friends of the enterprise m that locality. The 'Officers of the company inform us that the prospects of the enterprise are very favorable and they hope to be in condition to ♦onjpience the construction of the road at an early day.