Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1881 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Satubday, Feb. 6.—Senate.—Bills were introduced : Appropriating $’20,000 annually to Pardue University; looking to the establishment of homes and school* for children now in the poor-house; increasing the pay of the Speaker of the Houte to $lO per diem ; Creat ing a board of thirty inspectors for the benevolent institutions, to serve without pay. and six members to be women ; providing that ail ministers of the gospel of good moral standing, and graduates of a reputable theological college, shall have the right to preath in this State, and any minister of reputable character, but not a graduate, who has preached for ten consecutive years, may continue to preach. A committee was directed to inquire into tho feasibility of selling University Park. House.—The House fought for several hour* over a resolution admitting Meuser to the Soldiers’ Home. It was finally adopted. A strong pressure developed for tbe passage of what is known as the Bridge law, permitting cities to issue bonds to insure construction, etc., but no definite action resulted. A bill was introduced requiring courts to commit girls under 16 years of age to the Female Reformatory, instead of the county jH.iL. Monday, Feb. 7.—Senate.—The Senate passed the session wrestling with the bill providing for the resubmission of the constitutional amendments. The bill, however, was ordered engrossed, and made the special order for to-morrow afternoon. House. —About twenty new bills were introduced, among which were: Abolishing the Grand Jury system, and bringing prosecutions before Justices of the Peace, and thence on appeal to the Criminal Circuit Court; establishing a whip; ing-post for wife-beaters; providing lor the separation of the Department of Geology from tho Bureau of Statistics ; enacting a homestead exemption law, for $1,500 in real estate and SI,OOO in personal property where the debtor is the head of a family, and in other cases S3OO in books or tools when the debtor is not a family man. Tuesday, Feb. 8. —Senate. Th* Senate passed the day considering bills on second leading. A resolution was adopted fixing on Friday morning to take a vote on the bill calling a Constitutional Convention, and resubmitting the amendments. A concurrent resol vtion was also adopted calling a joint convention on Friday for the election for a Prison Director. House.—A considerable and somewhat heated debate was developed upon Ryan’s Compulsorv Education bill. It abolshes separate schools for colored and white children. The Legislature will visit the Normal School at Terre Haute on Thursday. A resolution was adopted enlarging the scope of the investigating committees of the several benevolent institutions so as to inquire concerning the selection of officers thereof. Wednesday, Feb. 9.—Senate.—The Senate passed the bill authorizing counties to establish homes and schools for dependent child ren otherwise confined in poor-houses, and rejected the measure empowering the Governor to appoint the Trustees and Directors of the various benevolent and reformatory institutions. A bill passed authorizing counties to construct free gravel roads by issuing bonds not exceeding SIO,OOO, running eight years at 6-per-cent. interest, the bonds to be redeemed by an assessment on the property along the line of the road. The Insurance Commission submitted a lengthy report and bill making au entire change in tho law concerning the organization and management of home insurance companies, the effort being to favor the organization of home companies at every point. A bill passed limiting the time that cities may contract with water-works companies to five years, and authorizing a tax levy for water purpose* of 20 cents on the SIOO. House.—After debate on the Compulsory Education bill, the House rejected the minority report unfavorable to its passage, and recommitted the bill for further amendments. The vote on rejection stood 47 to 35. The Bix-Per-Cent. Interest bill was considered in committee of tbe whole, and was made the special order for Friday. The bill giving women the right to vote al Presidential elections was favorably reported upon and ordered engrossed, and the one making women eligible for School Trustees was set down for Friday. The House declined to abandon the one long session for two each day. The Governor gave notice of the reappointment of Marcus R. Sulzer, of Jeffersonville, as Ohio River Commissioner. He was first appointed by Gov. Williams, but removed by Gov. Gray. Thursday, Feb. 10.—Senate.—The Senate unanimously passed the bill relating to guardians and wards. The report of the Revision Committee on tho civil code was made the sp-jcia! order for Wednesday, and the resolution consolidating the two prison boards went over indefinitely. Bills were passed: Abolishing capital punishment; giving the wife of an insane husband control of their property, and authorizing cities and towns to vote aid to manufacturing and mining interests upon petition of two-thirds of the residents. Tho bill for preventing stock running at large failed to pass. The Educational Committee was directed to inquire into the necessities of Purdue University. Senator Brown presented a bill regulating the cost of transportation of freight in this State. House.—Tho Attorney General reported to the House that the suits against ex-Auditor Henderson had been removed to Johnson county, and would be pushed to trial. The State Auditor reported the total cost to the State for the past six years of Perdue University school was $353,665.27. A bill passed giving three months’ additional time to perfect the transfer of railroads purchased iu good faith. A number of bills of minor importance passed. The proposition to exempt indebtedness from the tax-schedule was laid on the table. A lively time was had over the bill for the relief of Silas T. Brandon, Trustee of Jackeon township, Jackson county, but the bill finally passed. A bill also passed,-authorizing counties to appropriate 25 cents per day for the maintenance of children in orphan asylums.

Friday, Feb. 11.—Senate.—The Senate passed the bill providing for the resubmission of the constitutional amendments by a vote of 28 to 22. All the Republicans voted for it. together with Senators Poindexter and Davis, two Nationals, and Senators Woods and Vu he, two Democrats. Then Senator Brown’s bill providing for a Constitutional Convention was taken up and defeated by a vote of 28 to 22. The same Senators voted against it that voted in favor of resubmitting the amendments. Monday, April 4, is the date of the election on the amendments. House.—There was some debate in the House over the bill authorizing the election of women as school officers, and a resolution was adopted in the committee of the whole recommending its passage. A bill was introduced authorizing notaries public to perform the marriage ceremony. The 6 per cent, interest measure was called up, and an effort made to increase the rate to 7 per cent., and also providing against interference with existing* contracts, but the amendment failed, 45 to 39. The Female Suffrage bill was made the special order for Wednesday, and the freetoil road scheme went over until Thursday. Bills were introduced protecting wild game, tinkering with the fees of Clerks and Recorders, and relinquishing the title of the State in the bed of Beaver lake, in Newton county. Bills were passed : Authorizing the Auditor of Dearborn county to report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction in relation to school funds ; establishing a Superior Court in Vanderburgh county ; authorizing the sale of State lands in Porter county. In the afternoon both branches met in joint convention, and by a party vote elected Joel J. Finney, of Wayne, Director of the Prison South, and A C. Belson, of Randolph, W. T. Horine, of Lake, and Leopold Levi, of Huntington, for the Prison North. Satubday, Feb. 12.—Senate. —The Senate engrossed the bill increasing the per diem of the Speaker of the House to 810, and indefinitely postponed the proposition making all judgments collectable without relief from valuation or appraisement law’s. Senator Wood’s resolution calling for a survey of the Kankakee swsnip lands for drainage purposes was recommended to lie on the table, but was afterward taken up. A number of bills were advanced a stage, and adjournment followed until Monday afternoon. House.—The Hohse engrossed the wifewhipping bill after voting down an amendment by Lindley, of Hamilton, that the wife injured

shall do the whipping. A bill was introduced recognizing the public school, as suggested by the Revision Committee. Adjourned.