Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1883 — SENATOR HILLIGAS ON THE LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

SENATOR HILLIGAS ON THE LEGISLATURE.

Gov. Porter ha great faith in the effic wy of the -semicolon.’ Charles (?. Leland says no rtrd covers so much humbug as “art."— “P< rhans,” muses the Pi ilidelphia Press; “but Keifer’ gives a pretty tigh» race.” And the Indianapolis Sentinel thinks “ ‘Hanna’ is no slouch of a word in this connection.” The “P-ess” and “Sentinel” Are nearer correct than Leland.

An excited negro preacher in WashingiOfi City, concluded his set mon last Sunday night with the declare tion that “the time was coining when all m?n must be free and equal i bicod bud to bi shed to make.them to. ” This black threat was prompted by the dismissal of negro from the nuvy department. These wards of of the Republican party are very important personages.

The Hun ington Democrat is edited by Senator Hilligas. He knows just wtiat he Is talking about. In late issues ot bis paper he says: Lieutenant Governor Hanna held the appropriation bill from fifteen to twenty minutes pilot to the final adjournment of the Senate without signing it. and, to complete the infamy, adjourned the Senate in the factor a dozen Senators who were demanding the yeas and nays It was under these feliow Republicans, that Hanna killed the appr ipriation bill Again.: 1 The Republican Legislature of 1881 did not pass the general appropria tion bill until near the close of the special session. In contrast with this the Legislature of 188 J passed the bill during the regular session, but the pigmy, Hanna, who unfortunately for the people of the State—sad especially the Republican party—was President of the Senate, refused to sign rhe bill. Again: It was % part and parcel of heir work of the session to obstruct legis lation. By an understanding with Hanna, the President of the Senate-, the Republican Senators would secure the floor and hold it for twenty-four hours at a time. Hanna even went so far iu these revolutionary proceedings as to snatch bills out of the bonds of the Chairman of the Com mittee on Enrolling Bills and pocket them. More than this, he refused to sign bills passed by the majority. The toe of a No. 9 boot should have been employed to instruct this Hanna in manners and parliamentary law. Again: The Democratic Legislature repealed many odious laws, passed many goad ones, and had the nerve u stand for the right, Hanna and Porter to the contrary notwithstanding. Thereat the Republican press of the State are mad as a March hare. Agdn: The Republican piess of the Sta f e 'W just now filling their column -3 with abuse of the last Legislature. When the Repu licau Legi latureput in loti days and spent nearly $50,000 more than the session just closed, these same R**pub iean organs were as dumb as an oyster. The cost of the Legislature wa SSO 000 less than the Legislature of two years ago. It is unnecessary to say that that the Saving is in favor of the Democratic party and that the taxpayers will rfot forget the fact when they come to vote in 1884, Again, in outlining the work accomplished by the Legislature: > It would be impossible in this article to outl n the work of the Legislature just closed. There was mucu good work done in the interest of the* taxpayers, and we feel safe in saying that the laws passed will, in the ag grtgute, meet with general favor from all classes without regard to party. The Senate passed sixty four Hr use bills, ano the House passed fit ty tour Senate bills. Some o. the most important of those, and in wbkh there is- a very deep interest felt among the taxpayers, can only receive e passing no. ice at this time. 1. The decedents’ estate act. All the obnoxious features of the law of 1881 have been repealed. There is no further use for Master Commissioners, and no more newspaper notice* ot account currents. Administrators are allowed to settle just claims without Court expenses where the amounts do not exceed SIOO. In these three items alone we undertake to say that enough has been saved to the widows and orptia s of Indiana within the coming twelve months to pay the entire expenses of the sess sion of the Legislature just closed. 2. The road law of 1881 has been repealed throughout, and in its stead we have a Supervisors’ law. The law. as it now stands, secures work on the highways as under the law before the passage of the act of 1881. The Township Trustee is made Superin tendent oi all the highways in his Township, whleh is to be divided by him into road districts of not less than six square miles. These districts he is required to number, commencing in the : ortheast corner of the Township, and shall file a correct plat of the same with the Conuty Auditor, the districts to bo subject to change in the mouth of January and every two years thereafter. The Supervisors will be elected at the April election, 1884, until which time such officers are to be appointed by the Trustee. Sixty days in each year is tne longest time the Supervisor may work and he is to receive $1 50 pet day for bis work. When elected he must either serve or pay the sum ot SB, although no person can be compelled to serve uftener than once in six years. By making application to t ie Township Trustee, property owners may work out their tax at the uniform rate. The law will be received with favor by the masses because it enables them to work om tbelr time .nd- land tax. Instead of paylug their a * , by the law that bar been on the statutes fo 3 l^?be < digi»** , “ view of the wide•f 1881 is*one of importance to the :'X’ A d0..-1* ■ “° h T.lw“£ of this paper we publish the law in full for P he information of our readers. It has an emergency clause, and

hence applies ! o tne.Asses-or* this spring, who » • required, under Its provh/ons to list all th j dogs of their Township.

4. The me Hen law is also worthy of went on a’ itsei ures mor" certainly than ever before in tl Is State the wages of laboring men in a m chanh*» lien upon their employer s p operty. 5. An act to enable the several Counties of the B*ate to sell and disprs’ of lands forfeited to the S'ate for the use and benefit of the school fund, and providing f >r thed<-fi* lenry la said school fund o-easioned by sui h sale. 6. An act to Prohibit the selling, bartering or giving away the questions prepared by the State Board < f Education to he ns* d by County S' • penntendrnts in the ex iminntion of teachers, and providing penalties tberefrr.

7- An act regulating th 1 business of express coinp.n ie® in the rmr.-porta tion of gold tn d silver coin and paper currency within the .8. Anae creating Asylums in which to provide for the insane now-seatte s ed over the Stat' 1 , Statistics say thi t there are no less than 1.200 of these incurable insane in the Con ty Poor Houses of the State, a <i it tin long since been regarded n burning ah me that provisions were not made for them Ti the creditof the last General Assemble, be it said, that they ate to be cared for. We might continue this list with m-'.ny more notices of important measures, such as the laws wiping out what are called Graveyard Insurance C<>m|mnied, the construction fee b 11, the gravel road law. the ditch law, but will leave the matter, ha ing gore far enough to establish the fact •hat much good work has been done in the interest of the people.