Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1885 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Foulke’b bill establishing the Female Reformatory was i assed by the Senate, March 25. It provides that girls convicted of criminal offenses may be sent to a home for friendless women, instead of being imprisoned in jail at the option of the Judge. The bill author!-ing the payment of sl.noo to the two orphan chi dren of J achim Bachtell, an employe ot the Insane Hospital, who was ki led on Aiay 16. 188>. by falling into a vault on the grounds of the institu’ion, was ca'led up. It was stated that one of the children is an idiot and the other helpless y crippled.and that both have been in the county rsyluin a part of the time. The court recommended an allowance of SJ.ooo, and there woie several Senators who favored increasing the amount from JI.fMX) to s2.<xx). The bill » assed by a unanimous vo e. The House bill re<;uir ng that the effects ot alcoholic stimulants ui on the human system sha'l be taught in the public schools came up for consideration on the second reading. An amendment was offered by t-enator Thompson requiring the teaching of hygiene in connection with physiology, and providing that the text-books shall be selected by the State Board of Education. After further lengthy discussion, the bill passed. In the House the bill authorizing the Secretary of State to sell copies of the Revised Statutes of Indiana at $2 a volume, instead of $3.40, as now provided, was pas-ed by a vote of 72 to 1. It was explained th't there were at present about 4,000 of these books in possession of the Secretary of State, and that they were becoming less valuable every day, as, s.nce the revision of there had been many changes in the laws. The bill extending the charters and franchises of gravel-road companies was passed, as was, also, the bill prohibiting railroad companies fn m making f reed assessments on their employes. The State House bill passed, making a levy for an appropriation of $350,1)00 for this year, authorizing a temporary loan of $500,090, and $ 15> ,000 lor present use on the State House grounds. A dill providing for an Appellate Court comprising five Judges, who shall be located at Indianapolis, was introduced in the Senate, on the 26th. It is substantially the same as the original Appellate Court bill which was introduced by the same gentleman. It was referred to a special committee with instruction to report on it without delay. The House bill prohibiting Sunday bass-ball playing came up for consideration on third reading. An amendment was proposed by Senator Hilegass, providing that the bill should only apply to base-ball games played for profit. Senator Willard objected to the use of the word “base-ball” for the reason that clubs could play with eight men and it could be proven under the rules of the league that the game was not base-ball. After a long debate the bill was referred to a special committee, to report immediately. The bill requiring that the effects of alcoholic stimulants shall be taught in the public schools came up on third reading. Senator Foulke warmly advocated its passage, hut Senator McCullough opi posed it because he believed that it was a subject which was improper lor s :hool-room instruction. The bill was indefinitely postponed by a vote of yeas 22, nays 20, and a motion to reconsider the vote was laid on the table, the yeas numbering 23 and the nays 19. The bill forbidding gambling at fairs was recommitted. In the House, Representative Sears, from the special committee appointed to draft resolutions concerning the death of Representative Browning, reported a lengthy memorial, and speeches were set down as the special order for the 29th in<t., and a resolution was passed allowing $225.66 for funeral expenses. A number of Senate bills were read the first time, and Mr. Patten introduced a bill providing that school trustees shall make public statements of their indebtedness. Mr. Gordon called up his bill compelling County Clerks to keep a record of unsettled guardianships and estates, and Mr. Moody opposed it for the reason that it would give the clerks large fees. The bill barely passed. Mr. French’s bill allowing County Treasurers 6 per cent, for collecting delinquent taxes was passed by a vote ot .55 to 25, and the House then, by a vote of 35 to 34, resolved itself into a committee of the whole to resume consideration of the general appropriation bills. The pending question was Mr. Gordon’s amendment to strike out the item appropriating $21,000 for Purd ae University, which was dis.ussed all the afternoon and no decision made. In the Senate the House bill authorizing a special loan of $500,000 for completing the new State House building, besides continuing the tax levy of 2 cents, was read immediately after the Senate was called to order, March 27, and on the motion of Senator Willard was referred to the Finance Committee. Mr. Willard said that he thought there was some question about the constitutionality of the proposed tux levy. Long debates followed on allowances to Senators for visiting State prisons and other allowances for divers purposes. The House did not go into committee ot the whole to resume consideration of the general appropriation bill, but took up Senate bills upon their second reading, advancing them a stage toward passage. When Senator Bailey’s bill prohibiting the employment of- children under 12 years of age in mines and manufactories was called, Mr. Williams moved for a suspension of the rules, which was agreed to, and. under the operation of the previous question, the bill was gut to a final vote. The roll-call progressed alf way through, with everybody voting in the affirmative, when a few gentlemen explained their votes, claiming that the bill was entirely too broad in Its provisions. A number of members changed their votes, the bill failing to pass—yeas 42, nays 42. Mr. Gordon moved to recommit the bill with instructions to amend it so as to prohibit the employment of child labor m coal mines, iron and steel manufactories, and such other establishments as would be deleterious to their health, and that they should not be compelled to work more than eight hours a day. Mr. Lloyd moved to instruct the committee to report in favor of the Indefinite postponement of the bill, which was laid on the table by a vote of 9 to 17, and the motion to recommit was carried. The committee designated is composed of Messrs Gordon. Williams, and Hopkins. A large number of Senate bills were read a second time and passed over without discussion. The Purdue appropriation was reduced to $19,500 end passed. Senator Wellard, Chairman of the Finance Committee, submitted a report to the Senate, on the 28th ult., on a bill authorizing the continuance of the new State-House tax levy of 10 cents, besides a temporary loan of $500,000. He stated that the bill as passed by the House was unconstitutional. In order to conform to the requirements of the constitution the temporary loan should be for the purpose of covering a casual deficiency. He recommended an additional'chance by making the interest on the bonds 4 per cent, annually instead of 4 per centum payable semi-annually. The language of the bill might also be interpreted as including the $150,000 for the improvement of the grounds, and the appropriation of $350,000 for the completion of the building. The changes which were recommended were adopted, and the bill was passed. Senator Marshall s bill for fixing the time for holding courts in the Twenty-first. Twenty-second, and Forty-seventh Judicial Circuits, and a Judge in the latter, was passed under a suspension of the rules. After discussing the ditch bill, the Senate adjourned. In the House the Senate concurrent resolution providing for the employment of an expert to compare the various measurements and make a computation on the brick-work in the Insane Asylum, with a view ot determining whether or not the claim of John Martin is just, was passed. 'J he appropriation bill was taken up. The appropriation for the State Normal School was increased from $7,000 to slo,oo<i. The afternoon was given up to hearing eulogies upon Representative Browning, recently deceased. The chair in which all the English sovereigns for the last 500 years have sat to be crowned is a rough wooden affair, with a Gothic hack. It stands on the backs of four wooden lions, and has underneath the seat the famous “Stone of Scone, ” on which the Scottish sovereigns, down to the time when there was none, knelt to be crowned. The stone is said to be the same which •Jacob used for a pillow when he had his well-known ladder dream, but this part of the story need not necessarily be believed. The throne in the House of Lords is modeled after the famous old chair, which latter is kept just behind the reredos in Westminster Abbeys