Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1883 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Mr. Bundi offered a resolution in the Senate, on the 26th ult., directing the appointment of a committee of three Democrats and two ReSubficansto investigate the condition of the tate treasury, as it was a well-known fact that the Treasurer was loaning out about $60,000 of the State's money for his personal benefit, contrary to the law, which provides that the money shall remain in the vaults. The resolution provoked an acrimonious political discussion, in which Senator Magee stated that the greater part of the money was loaned to a bank of which Gov. Porter was the principal stockholder. The Democrats voted down the resolution by a party vote. The conference committee reported on the General Appropriation bill to both branches, and the minor amendments recommended were concurred in and the bill Anally passed. In the House, Mr. Frasier's bill providing for toe establishment of an Appellate Court was defeated by a vote of 37 to 6& The bill providing that legal advertising should be published in the daily instead of weekly papers in cities was under consideration and was discussed at length. The bill consolidating the offices of County and City Treasurer and Assessor passed the House by a vote of 69 to 23. A caucus of Democratic members of the Legislature, in toe evening, decided not to pass toe Congressional Apportionment bill and not to force the passage of toe Metropolitan Police hill. In the OverstreetJohnson contest they decided to allow Johnson, the sitting member, to retain his seat. The investigating,committee on the new State House made two reports to the Senate on the 27th ult., the majority recommending that the Legislature take no action on the matter, and the minority favoring the passage of a bill to allow the Commissioners to employ the old contractors, Howard and Derig, to complete the building, with the $2,000,000 limit provided by law. The claim of Mrs. Edwin May for SIO,OOO for services rendered by her late husband as architect of the new State House was allowed. The Senate passed, by 30 to 10, Representative Atkin's bill requiring the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in his next apportionment of the school fund to set apart SIO,OOO, and semiannually deduct toe same amount and set it apart, to be known as a normal school fund; also, Mr. Shirlev’s bill making mechanic’s liens good on all classes of structure and including attorneys’ fees. The Senate also passed House Mils to' enable counties to dispose of certain lands for the benefit of the school fund; to relieve the flood sufferers by allowing them to pay but 6 per pent, penalty on delinquent taxes instead of the heavy penalty allowed by law. The Senate Road bill, reviving the old law, was concurred in by the House; also the bill to prevent and punish the assessing and collecting of illegal or constructive fees. The House, with oply five dissenting votes, passed the State House Appropriation bill. It levies a yearly 2cent tax and appropriates SIOO,OOO from the general fund. The bill relating to the Bureau of Statistics, as amended by the House, left the geological and statistical departments separated, and the Senate concurred therein. The following Trustees of the various State institutions were elected by the Legislature, in joint session, all of them being Democratic nominees: President Of the Board of Benevolent Institutions, Thomas H. Harrison, of Boone county; Trustees Insane Asylum, Philip Gapen, Indianapolis; Deaf and Dumb Asylum, S. E. Urmiston, Franklin county; Blind Asylum, Howard Briggs, of Putnam; Trustees of the Feeble-minded Institute, John M. Gore, of Henry; Richard J. Wilson, of Washihgton; Robert D. Brown, of Dearborn. . . ,

The Senate was in session nearly the whole night of the 27th ulf., the bone of contention being the Metropolitan Police bill, and there were a number of turbulent and exciting scones The Republican members held the floor all night for the ostensible purpose of discussing the Railroad Commission bill, which was then under discussion, but in reality to prevent consideration of the Metropolitan Police bill, which is purely a jiolitleal measure. Lieut. Gov. Hanna overruled every point of order made by the Democrats, and refused to consider appeals, although the discussion was interrupted every minute by such questions. The Democrats denounced Lieut. Gov. Hanna’s rulings os being revolutionary and outrageous. The Senate adjourned between 8 and 4 o'clock a. m., and upon reassembling on the 28th the fight was renewed. The bill was passed by 27 to 21, Senator Youche (Republican) voting with the Democrats in the affirmative. The animus of the latter's vote was soOn made apparent, for when the vote was announced he made a motion to reconsider, and bn that got the floor for discussion. It then became evident to the Democrats that a repetition of last night’s filibustering proceedings was imminent, and they used every means in their power to fight it off, but to no avail, as the Republican minority, with the assistance of the Lieutenant Governor, prevented them from- getting the floor. A)»out midnight the Democrats tried to piit Senator Willard in the chair by main force, but the effort was futile. This action created such excitement that it was found necessary to clear the lobbies and galleries, which was done with considerable trouble. In the House, the entire day was consumed in considering the Specific Appropriation bill, fully two-thirds of the provisions of which were stricken out.

The Renata was In session nearly all night again on the 28th ult., as a result of the filibustering tactics of the Republicans to compass the defeat of the Indlanaptflls Police bill. When the Senate convened in the morning of the Ist the contest was renewed. The Democrats, to offset the tactics of their adversaries, reconsidered the vote by which the General Appropriation bill was passed, and then refused to concur in the amendments made by the conference committee, with the object of farcing the Governor to sign the Police bill or accept the alternative of calling an extra session of the Legislature. The proceedings were enlivened by an attack ujwn Lieut. Gov. Hanna by Senator McCullough, of Gibson county. Addressing the chair directly, fee denounced the Lieutenant Governor in the most unmeasured terms. He said Hanna was an accident; that he got his nomination under false pretenses, the delegates in the convention thinking they were voting for John Hanna; that he was a pigmy; that he had violated his oath of office; and much more to the same effect. The chair ordered the Secrfetary to take down McCullough’s words, which the latter offered to repeat if the Secretary desired. The proceedings in the Legislature, aside from this, were uneventful, the time being deVoted in the House to the consideration and passage of a great many minor bills, mostly of local significance, Among the most important bills passed was that of Mr. Button, which provides that any State, county, or township officer who falls to pay over any fines, forfeitures, docketfees, etc., as required by law, and allows the same to be collected of him by any authorised officer, and he cjoductlng therefrom his penalty or per cent., that said officer permitting the same to be done shall pay over and make good to the school fund the penalty or per cent, so deducted, and the prosecuting attorneys oi the State are required to brinrf* suit against such officials to enforce the collection of the same. The bill for the endowment of the State University onehalf 1 per cent, on the taxables of the State also passed the House.