Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1881 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Tuesday, -March 15.— Senate.— The Senate proceeded with the farther consideration of the House bill on taxation. 2m amendment was adopted making the Lieutenant Governor a member of the State Board of E jualization. Also an amendment depriving “ professional ferrets” of their occupation by providing that County Commissioners shall not employ other than the officials prescribed by law to discover omitted property. House. —The House killed the bill directing that revenue derived from liquor licenses should revert to public libraries. The Insurance Committee recommended that the bill relating to foreign life insurance companies be laid upon the table: that the House bill prohibiting the taking or receiving of applications for ii'e insurance policies on the tontine plan in the State be indefinitely postponed, and that the House bill relating to foreign insurance companies be similarly dealt with. The first report was concurred in, and action upon the other two deferred. Amendments to the constitution were offered, forbidding the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors in Indiana. These amendments were referred to committees. There was a severe struggle over the bill compelling druggists to take out license, the opptoents finally securing a postponement. The price of publishing delinquent taxes was fixed at 35 cents per description. Wednesday, March 16.— Senate. —The feature of -the day’s work in the Senate was the adoption of an amendment to the Tax bill abolishing the publication of delinquent tax lists. Afterward the vote was reconsidered, and a long discussion ensued, but no vote was reached before adjournment. Other amendments made to the bill were as follows: That where a tax deed proves to be invalid the holder oan recover only lawful charges, with 8 per cent, interest, and requiring the Treasurer to give ten days’ notice of sale of personal property for delinquent taxes.

House.—The Ryan Election bill was passed by a vote of 54 to 34. A new feature is the provision that all ballot-boxes should be uniform, the box being so arranged that it cannot be shifted by the Election Board itself. The ballots are to be preserved a given length of time, and each ballot is to be numbered by the clerk as it is cast. Mr. Gibson’s bill concerning the landlords and tenants, giving the former a hen on tho crop, was also passed by yeas, 82 ; nays, none. The House then proceeded to the discussion of the >pecial order, being the consideration of the ill for a reorganization of the State Prison, which was ordered engrossed for the third reading by yeas, 49 ; nays, 40. Thursday, March 17.— Senate.— The Senite to-day finished consideration of the Tax fill on which it has worked for the past month, md immediately took up tho bill from the Cod.fication Committee relating to offices and offl;ers. The most important changes over the iresent Tax law are those doing away with the minting of delinquent lists and taxing semi-an-mally the gross receipts of foreign insurance •mpanies $3 on SIOO, and not allowing any Eduction for actual losses sustained in the Rate, A concurrent resolution was adopted ustructing the Committee on Fees and Salaries n both houses to draft and report a bill fixing tie fees and salaries of public officers in this state.

House.— The Common Carriers’ bill passed he House this morning with but six voting in ihe negative. The bill provides that there shall be no greater charge for freight carried a ess distance than is charged for a longer disance; there shall be no discriminations nade among shippers; competing points •n a road shall not receive any advantage over other points, and there shall be no charge for switching or transferring ;ars, except when they are compelled to pay raclsage. Section 2 fixes the following rates: b’er all distances not exceeding twenty-five uiles, 6 cents for eacli 100 pounds ; for all distances exceeding twenty-five miles and not exceding fifty nules, 7 cents for each 100 pounds; ■'or all distances exceeding fifty miles and not xceeding seventy-five miles, 8 cents for each 100 pounds; for distances exceeding soventy--five miles and not exceeding 100 miles, 10 cents for each 100 pounds. Section 6 prohibits railroads from increasing their charges a greater sum than the rate of freight charged by at the time such freight is offered for transportation. The bill also passed for the protection of sheep husbandry and the taxing and killing of dogs. A constitutional amendment was proposed making the term of all county and State officers four years instead of two, and rendering such officials ineligible for re-election until four years after the expiration of their term. The bill reorganizing the benevolent institutions was ordered engrossed after a sharp partisan fight. The remainder of tho day was occupied with the School bill proposed by the Codification Committee, during which, the effort failed looking to the abolishment of County Superintendents. A concurrent resolution was adopted for a joint committee to report upon the feasibility of consolidating the State prisons. The House also adopted the Senate concurrent resolution for the Fee and Salary bill. Friday, March 18.— Senate. —The Benate during the morning session took up the Tax bill on third reading, reaching a vote early in the aftenoon. The bill passed—33 to ll.*Bome progress was made on the bill relative to offices and officers, and by resolution it was decided to take up ihe General Appropriation bills on Thursday next. A - ' committee was instructed to inquire into the feasibility of an appropriation for representing the State in the World’s Fair of 1883, and a joint resolution was introduced requesting Indiana Congressmen to favor the passage of an amendment to the Federal constitution prohibiting the disfranchisement of citizens of the United States on account of sex, which was read the first time and referred to the Committee on the Bights and Privileges of the inhabitants of the State. House. —The House worked the greater part of the day on the School bill, and among the amendments was one reducing interest on the gphool-fund loans to 6 per oent; also, permit-

ting half an hour’s instruction each day in German. After engrossment the bill passed—ss to 26. A joint resolution was introduced requesting Congressmen to favor an amendment to the Federal oonstitutien for the enfranchisement of women.