Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1893 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

The bill to stop the printing of sample ballots in newspapers again, came ijp for consideration in the House. Monday, and was passed by a vote of 78to 2. Tno two members who voted against the bill wore Messrs. Ader und Rodabaugh. The Ilarnes bill to abolish horse racing in Indiana during the wintor months was passed by a vote of 73 to 1. In the Senate two legislative apportionment bills wero introduced, one by Senator Fulk. Democrat, and one by Senator Wisbard, Republican, the latter ot which will bo supported bv the Republicans. Sonator Fulk'a bill will not receive support from any quarter, as the official Democratic bill, now In course of construction by a caucus committee, is a very different bill. Senator Fulk’s bill changes tho old apportionment in the following places: The Senatorial districting is ohanged in tho case of Brown County, which would be taken out of tho distriot now composed of Browu, Morgan, and Johnson. Representative districts Lawrenoe and Orange are placed together: Jay and Adams are given one representative each, and Wells and Blackford are given a joint representative. Tuesday, the Deery bill to abolish tho prison contract labor was- defeated by a vote of 44 to 34. The following bills passed: Requiring railroads to give employes eight hours’ rest after twenty-four hours’ work: to preveut township trustees from hiring touchers for terms to begin after tho expiration of the trußtoos term of olfioo: fixing tho interest to be charged on school funds at 0 per cent.: to prevent tho adulteration of sorghum molasses; authorizing township trustees to purchase not to exceed live acres for coraotory nurposos; to describe promissory notes taxed as "notes owing” instead of “notos duo."

Mr. Honoh's bill to fill a long-felt want in criminal praotioo was passed. Wlion tho Supremo Court reverses a decision in a criminal case tho prisoner is returned to the county Jail. Then, if a rehearing is ordered, and the Supreme Court rea-ersos itself and affirms the lower court, there is no provision for getting that prisoner hack to tho penitentiary. Mg'. Honoh's bill is to correct this defect. Tho Senate wrangled for some timo over the report of tho Committee on Elections on Senator Kopolko’s bill, wbich proposes to reject tho section of the election law which provides for tho printing of snmplo ballots in not loss tliun two newspapors in oaoh county. - Tho committee’s majority report proposed a substitute for the Kopolke bill, which fixed tho printer's foes at 50 cents por square for tho first publloutiou and ‘25 cents fbroaoh succeeding publication, being just half tho rate now provided by law. The minority roport favored tho passage of the bill, ana it was on the motion to substitute the minority ropet-t tliut tho Senato tangled up in a debate that lasted the greater part ot tho day. The majority report was adopted. Both iiousos, Wednesday, advaneod a soore of bills to engrossment, and passed a number of minor measuros. The plmrmucy bill, which requites tho employment ot a registered pharmacist in every drug storo in compounding proscriptions, failod In tho Senate for want of a constitutional majority. It was mado tho special order for Friday, Tho Houso, by an overwhelming majority, passed tho autl-olgarotto bill, as it is called, which mukos it a ralsdomonnor to sell tobacco to any person under sixteen years old. Tho bill to change county Boats was defeated.

The following bills passed tho Sonata Thursday: Extending tho oondltions under which suvings banks may loan their surplus funds; providing for the appointment of “Investigators of the poor,’’ at a salury not to exceed in townships having apopnlation of 25,000 or more: dividing counties into throo road districts, and giving ouch county commissioner charge of one district: requiring tlio publication of the date when property is to l>o sold to satisfy a school fund mortgage; requiring employers to furnish seats for female employes; authorizing the collection of a tax of 15 coma on tho SICO in oitios and towns for electric light purposes: providing for tho title and custody of certain school property; requiring notailos of public to indicate with each attestation the date as the expiration of thoir commissions; providing that Judges as woll as juries may declare persons Insane; providing for tho refunding of surplus gravel road funds among the tax payors from whom it was oolloctod: providing for tlio punishment of persons wiio bring stolon property into tho State; legalizing the note ofNotarios whoso commissions havo expired; providing for long-hand transcripts and short-hand evidence at public expense in oases whore tho litigant is not able to pay for it; raising the age of consent from twelve to fourtoen years. Houso bills passed: Requiring railroads to give employes eight hours' rest after twonty-four consecutlyo hours of employ* ment; regulating tho weighing of wheat in testers. The House refused to reeonsldor the vote by which it passed the McMullen bill, whicp Is Intended to roach for taxation the foreign money loaned In the Htato on farm mortgage. Tho bill provides that where suit is entered to collect a note the plaintiff must prove that tho note hus been listed for taxation else it is void. The vote to reconsider was a tio. 4*2 to 42. It is not likely the bill will pass the Senato. The foo and salary bill received considerable attention Friday in thp Senate on the roport of tho committee adverse to a bill introduced by Senator Kopelko, proposing an amendment by which tho salaries of all the officials in Lako County will be increased. Tho committee adhered to its determination to rocommend no change In the law until It had been thoroughly tested. A nnmbor of senators, however, seized the oppoitunity to attack the law. It was shown that in Delawaro County, whoro the Rocorder was paid but SI',T(X), and In Grant County, whore tills official receivos SI,BOO, each was required to employ four deputies, and that the recorders had served notice .upon the county that the salary of the office would not pay deputy hire. Those officers, unloss the Legislature gives rollof, will discharge thoir deputies, and, after doing what, individual work they can, will let what is undone pile up for the official of the future. Other instances wore cited of similar embarrassments.

In the House Representative Hench HtruoU a blow at the lobby which U fighting tho co-omploves bill. Ho arose and said: •‘The struggle between-the corporations and the people has got to be (ought out in the Legislature, and I move that the co-em-Sloyes liability be made the special order (or tonday at 10 a. m.” The corporations have a strong lobby working against the co-employe bill, und it will novbo passed without a struggle. A new dog bill passed tho House, wiping out ttll enactmnnts now in vogue, ana imposing hn annual license on all dogs. This bill went through with a whoop. One ol Its peculiar provisions ig that nnv person at anytime Is authorized to kill unlicensed dogs. Representative Fipnln's bill was engrossed. providing that the death penalty may be imposed upon persons who place obstructions upon the traek or mfsplacs switches to wreck trains.

Minor State Items. The Franklort attorneys contemplate organizing a bar association. Richmond labor unions forbid their members patronizing Chinese laundries. Richmond has a school teacher who fills a child’s mouth with cayenne pepper for punishment. The expense of maintaining the 2,200 organized and enrolled militia of Indiana during the year 1892 was 924,844.36. Fabmkb John Clabk of W ashington Township, Delaware County, had his fine residence wholly consumed by fire. Herr von Madai, who was for many years the President of Police in Berlin, was vain of his many decorations. No man in the country, outside of the royal princes, and Bismarck, and Von Moltke, could display so many decorations on his breast Every sovereign who came to the capital as a matter of course contributed a decoration to Von Madai. “Is this photograph not good of you?” once asked a young lieuteuanc. ‘‘No,” replied His Excellency. “I then had only fifteen decoration, and now I have sixteen.’ 1