Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1881 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Saturday, April #. —Senate. — The Senate spent considerable time this morning over the consideration of the bill providing for a Police Judge in Indianapolis, and *it finally failed for want of a constitutional majority. The Senate deferred action on the amendment exempting regular racing associations from the prohibition against pool-selling. The Governor transmitted a message vetoing the Codification bill, regulating the adoption of heirs, for the reason that if the bill became a law it would be competent for a court to order the adoption of a child upon the application of the petitioner, if the Trustee of the township would consent in open court; notwithstanding the parent of the child might be well known, might be'able to support it, might be ignorant of the pendmg of the application for adoption, and might be within easy reach of the process of the oonrt. The Governor considers this too dangerous a power to confer upon any tribunaL,

House.— The bill for the reorganization of the benevolent institut ons passed the House by a strict party vote, with the exoeption of Westfall, of Tippecanoe, who sided with the Democracy in the negative. The codified insurance bill, known as Finch’s, was killed by reference to a committee. The bill passed ■ prohibiting the sale of poisonous drugs to children under 14 years of age, except upon medical prescription, and a large number of measures were advanced to engrossment. The bill concerning the benevolent institutions contemplates putting the management in the hands of the dominant, political party, with the appointing power»the hands of the Governor. Bil s passed: To enable towns and cities to surrender or disannex a portion of their corporate limits ; to authorize cities and towns of 4,500 and over to construct and maintain water-works ; to separate the manufacture and sale of commercial fertilizers; to authorize a levy of 10 mills on each SIOO for every ten miles to construct and repair free gravel roads. The bill to protect sheep passed both houses too hastily, and the Governor has been requested to return it, as it is found out that it imposes a double tax on dogs. Monday, April 11.—Senate.— The Seuat e passed the bill authorizing cities and towns to disannex territory- from corporate limits. It then engrosstd the Public Offense bill and ac cepted the report reimbursing former employes of the Soldiers’ Home who were barngd out. The House bill -doing away with constructive mileage of Sheriffs was passed. The most of the afternoon was taken up with ttie eodified Election bill. A special committee rec- . ommended that section 7 to stricken from the constitution, thereby enabling women to practice law in the State. The Public Offense bill was amended before engrossment, so as to impose heavy penalties for the sale of diseased meats, or for any article of food or drink, the quality of which is misrepresented. This last clause is intended to check the sale of “ bull butter.” There is also an amendment imposing heavy penalties for attending prize-fignts. No exemption is granted newspaper reporters. Pool-selling at horse races is also prohibited. Among the bills introduced was one by Senator Wilson for tho purpose of organizing the two houses of tke Legislature, tbs Lieutenant Gov ernor, or, in his absence, the oldest Senator holding over, to organize the Seuate, the Speaker of the last House of Representatives to organize the House, or, if he he not present, some member-elect to be designated by the Governor. .

House. —The House passed the codified Decedents’ Estates bill, and worked much on specific appropriations. Mr. Cauthorne offered a resolution that the joint Assembly declare its fidelity to the General Government of the United States, and that it indorse the political ideas of Adams and Jefferson, declaring the several State Govt rnmeuts sovereignties, etc., etc. He moved that the resolution lie on the table until Friday afternoon, when it he taken up. He did this in order that the minds of the Legislators might be occupied upon the last two days of the session, when it would be unable to pass bills, and when a discussion of the resolution would be more seemly than the usual hilarity and mud throwing. Tuesday, April 12.—Senate- —The Senate wasted the entire forenoon in forcing a fight on the Fee and Salary bill, an issue being made on a motion to indefinitely postpone. Senator Brown headed tho opposition upon the ground that the bill was an open violation of the constitutional amendment thereon, for the reason that it ignored “ services rendered,” and mak s the estimate entirely on population. Senator Chapman, Republican, pressed the question, but noon came without change in the situation. During the afternoon the bill providing for the payment of war-loan bonds passed unanimously. The terms of the General Appropriation bill were accepted. No effort was made to resume tho fight on the fee and salary question. House. —The House passed bills: Relfftivo to the estates of decedents (57 to 59); to encourage the improvement of live stock by requiring licenses on stallions and jacks ; to make the face of insurance policies tne amount of damage to be paid in case of fire, and regulating -fire insurance companies, making the face of the policy the amount of damages to be paid in case of fire, unless thecompany preferto rebuild. The House refused to take upi the Specific Appropriation bill or make it the special order lor to-morrow. The Metropolitan Plate-Glass Insurance Company’s bill, allowing them to do business in this State, was voted down. Several bills of minor importance were passed, and the remainder ot the day was given to consideration of the measure relative to offices. Contrary to expectation, the House fought shy of the fee and salary question.

Wednesday, April 13.—Senate.— The Senate passed the Revision Committee bill on- public officers and House bills concerning roads and highways, relating to the organization of the General Assembly, providing for the publication of tho Revised Statutes of 1881, establishing a department of geology and natural history, appropriating money ior the relief of the State Board of Agriculture and authorizing a Joan of $60,OJO and appropriating money for the relief of .he Soldiers’ Home employes. Much of the time was spent in committee of the whole in consideration of the bill providing a reserve fund for the completion of the new State House. The Vawter bill passed, making Township 'Trustees Superintendents of Roads and Highways, and assessing a poll-tax of $2. The night session was used in advancing bills to final passage.

House.- The influence of the Republican caucus last night was felt immediately upon the opening of the House session this morning, and came in the shape of a motion to attach the Fee and Salary bill as an amendment to the Public Offices bill. A strict party contest at once developed, the Democratic members interposing motions to take up the Specific Appropriation bill and to lay it on the table, etc., while the Republicans voted as a unit, according to caucus agreement. Various amendments to the amendment Were offered and voted down. A protraoted and lively discussion was one of the features. During.the afternoon the discussion became persona], and there were several intensely-ex-citing episodes. Toward evening a vote on the final passage of the bill with the amendment attached was reached, and it passed, 57 to 36 —a strict party Vote—with only three absentees. Another row was expected at the night session, bat the House contented itself by passing several hours in considering the Specific Appropriation bill. Thubsdav, April 14.—Senate. —The House fight over the fee and salary amendment to the Publio Offices bill was transferred to the Senate to-day. Several abortive attempts were made to take it up daring the forenoon, and it was not until every parliamentary subterfuge possible had been sprung in the afternoon before the Senators faced the issue. The debate was animated and at times personal. Just before adjournment for the night session a vote was reached, and four Republicans joined with the Democrats and Nationals in defeating the measure, by a vote of 29 to 20. Previous to the Fee and Salary discussion the Senate passed numerous bills, among the most important of which were the following: Houso bills concerning elections and the contest thereof ; to enable owners of wet lands to drain and reclaim the same; to amend section 24 of the Fee and Salary bill so as to increase the pay of witnesses to $2; also, to regulate the manufacture and sale of commercial fertilizers; also, regulating insanity inquests; also, concerning Grand and petit Jurors ; also, prohibiting partnerships for insurance business. Also, the following Senate bills: Appropriating $973.70 to Benton codfcly for extraordinary expenses incurred in the oonvietion of James McCullough j appropriating SB,OOB for losses sus-

tamed in the burning of the Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home at Knightstown; Mr. Chapman’s bill concerning the laying out of streets and alleys; also the bill tnsiting appropriations for the new State House, with the amendment increasing the appropriation SIOO,OOO, the vote being yeas 28, nays 17. A night session was held, owing to the constitutional limit prohibiting the passage of bills within two days of final adjournment. The session was disorderly. A strong fight developed over what u known as the Supreme Court bill, a faction of lawyers endeavoring to substitute the bill creating an Appellate Court, but tho former finally prevailed At 11 o’clock the Senate began on the Specific Appropriation bilL Shortly Defore 1 o’clock Friday morning the Senate sud denly adjourned, leaving the Specific Appropriation bill uufinishedtnd the Public Offices Dili a dead letter, owing to a failure to agree with the House amendments. The failure of the Appropriation bdl leaves several of the benevolent institutions in an embarrassing condition. House.— The House occupied the entire morning session iu the discussion of the Specific Appropriation bill, which, after being amended by reducing the appropriation for a bath-house in the Northern prison from $15,000 to $ 5,000, finally passed by only two votes more tlmi the necessary constitutional majority. Iu the afternoon tne House passed tjio following Senate bills : Amending the act concerning the acquisition of Green island in the Ohio river ; appropriating $45,000 to be paid the city of Indianapolis for sewering lhe Female Reformatory aud Deaf and Dumb Institute; also, providing for a system of levees, and enabling owners of ffitet land to drain tbs same ; also, fixing the time of meeting of County Boards of Equalization after the fiscal year ; also, half a dozen legalizing acts; also, appropriating $6,000 for the removal of a sandbar in the Calumet river. The House also concirred in the Senate amendments to Mr. Barnett’s Foe and Salary bill, abolishing con.,t uctive Sheriff’s fees ; to the bill, for the reclamation of wet lands; relating to the organization of the General Assembly; relating to the sale of property by infants ; as to Grand and Petit jurors ; regulating elections and contests. Several House employes appointed by the Clerk, tho Hon. Cyrus Nixon, presented Mrs. Nixon to-day with "a handsome easv-chair, and in their note accompanying the chair they took occasion to happily*e\press their regard for her husband.

Friday, April 15.—Senate. —The Senate met as usual this morning and went through the motions of legislation. But, being without the power to pass bills, members became restless, then noisy, and finally boisterous. Crackers were thrown about the room, aimed at the bald heads of the more unfortunate, until the chamber resembled a school-room without a teacher. Pending this exhibition the House marched in and took forcible possession of the chamber, for the purpose of lorcing upon that body consideration of the Cabbage Owl bill. Dr. Edwins took the chair, and the hilarity that ensued, resulting iu the mock passage of the bill, was of that nature only evolved by Legislators when they unbend themselves sufficiently to be humorous. Several resolutions, however, were adopted—allowing Messrs. Darnell and Robbins S4O each for extra work on the Senate journals ; to send acts and journals to members at their homes ; to allow a number of claims ; for a lounge, etc. ; to allow the Principal and As distant Secretary each for indexing the Senate journal by the letter, aud making a Calendar of unfinished bus ness pending at the adjournment. Thanks were also voted to the Lieutenant Governor, to the retiring President pro tem., Mr. Viohe, and to employes of the Senato. The Senate also reconsidered its former vote and passed the joint resolution to so amend the constitut.on that the members of the Supreme Court might be increased from five to nine members, j he Governor vetoed the bill amending the act regulating the adoption of heirs, because, if the amendment should prevail, the surviving wife of an intestate-adopted child would receive no part of the land of which her husband died seized, which ho had inherited from his adopting father or mother. House.— Mr. Ryan submitted a resolution setting forth at considerable length the necessity for anothor and immediate session of the Legislature, reciting precedents in the administrations of Govs. Willard aud Baker, and declaring that public policy, hi view of the bad shape in which legislation was about to be left, demanded that fifteen or twenty extra days should be allowed to finish the work. A lively debate ensued, in the course of which the Democrats charged the Republicans with endeavoring to shiit the responsibility for calling an extra session from the Governor to the Legislature, The House, subsequent to the extra-set sion discussion, adopted the resolution to amend the constitution, fixing the term o i county and State officers at four years, and rendering them ineligible for re-election until after a lapse of eight years.