Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1893 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

The only business transacted in the Leg. isiature Monday was the passage of two constitutional amendments by the House. The first provides that hereafter corporations shall pay taxes on the gross receipts. The socond amendment provides tor extending the legislative session from sixty to 100 days, making extra sessions when called to be of forty days’ duration. Tha amendment providing for the extension of terms of all county officers to for years was defeated. The House, Tuesday, ordered the co-em-ployes’ liability bill engrossed. Among itho Committee reports was one from tho Committee on oitles and towns, recommending Mr. Hodabaugh's charter bill for Fort Wayne and another favoring his annexation bill Both reports were approved. Thore will be tewer long-winded speeches In the House hereafter. Mr, Ader offered a resolution, which was adoptod. limiting all spooohes on committee reports to flvo minutes, and on engrossment and third reading to ten minutes. Tho Senate killed a number of unimportant bills that oame up on Committee reports, and spent thb balance of tho day discussing the Building and Loan Association bill, which was finally ordered engrossed with afow minor amendments. Important aotton was taken hy tho Senato, Wednesday, in engrossing tho bill incorporating loun. trust, and surety deposit eompunies and enabling them to act as trustees of the estatos of deceased persons and as guardians of persons of unsound mind, etc. Tho Senate also took approving action on the bill giving minority partios tho right ol representation on eloction boards. Tho House approved a resolution looking to ;ho appointment of a speotal committee to investigate and report on' fees and salaries. The House struggled for sovoral hours over tno Senato bill providing for elections but onoe every four years in cities and towns and making present offices hold over till 1896. By a olose shave tho bill reached engrossment.

The gonoral appropriation bill was introduced in tho House by tho Ways and Means Committee, and was made the special ordoi for Friday at 9 p. m. Tho House called up tho majority and minority reports of tho commlttoo on the bill appropriating S6O,(XX) in aid of tho National Encampment. G. A. 8,, and tho majority roport, recommending an indoflnate postponement, was approved hy & vote of 61 to 4ft. This settles the question of State aid in the negative. A bill lias pasaml the House, hqwevor. empowering tho City Coun ■ cil to levy a speolal tax of $75,000 in aid ol the proposed encampment. The House passed tho bill creating the office'of-Boiler Inspector and .calling for the inspeotion of all steam boilers in tho State In tho Senate. Thursday. Magee's bill, making it unlawful for Warden's of prisons to let the labor cf convicts to contractors at less than Oft oonts a day was ordered on* grossed without division. Among tho bills passed in the Senate was one making it ifhlawful to practice pharmacy without « certificate to bo issued by the Cfiroult Court Clerk on diploma from a college or school ol pharmacy; increasing tho jurisdiction of the Appelate court to cover cuses involving $8,500 and enlarging tte jurisdiction In misdouiounor cases, and fixing the ralo of interest on Congrostional and common school fund loans at 0 per cent. A bill was introduced and pushed to engrossment in the Honato whioh is approved by tho State Board of Charities, and looks to tho abolition of corporal punishment in tho prisons, except in extreme cases. Thb bill extending tho time of all oflioers of cities, towns, and corporations to 1804, and making the terms four years thereafter, was called up and pusbod to its passage In tho House. Evansville and lndlanupolls oi the cities of tho State are alone exempt. The Speaker laid before tho House the majority and minority reports, the first suggesting amendments which exempted the librarian, ongineor, and custodian of the Capitol Building from appointment by the Governor, whllo tho other recomended an indefinite postponement of the whole business. Debate was out oft under the previous question, and on an yon and nay vote the Governor won by a majority of 01 to 113, Two important amendments wore made to tho school-book law in tho Sonate, Friday. Ono amendment permits tho placing of school books contracted for in tha hands of the local dealers instead of being furnished directly to tho County Superintendent or Township Trustee. The dealer Is prohibited from selling in advaneo of the contract priao. Another amendment gives school commissioners the right to make changos in books, so as to bring them up td the required standard.

Senator Boord, the youngest man In the Senato. Introduced a bill to prevent the manufacture and salo of “hoop-skirts" In tho Btato. Tho bill declares that tho fashion of wearing “hoop-skirts" was revived by a combination of fashion producers and drese goods manufacturers, tho hoops roqulrinit moro dross goods and creating an unnatural demand, ana that women wero oompollod tc wear them for fear of being ostracised bj sooloty in gonoral. Tho penalty of violating tho law was fixed at a maximum ol SI,OOO fine with thirty days’ imprisonment. The House took another whack at the bill wiping out tho Pennsylvania Central Insurance business, and it undid tho work bj which the question of insuring with the company was left optional with tho employe. This is tho second timo tho bill hai been reconsidorod, ouch time with different roHiilts. The co-omployos liability bill was passed by tho House, (i!) to 17. without discussion. Consideration of the gonoral appropriations has gone over until Monday. Minor State Items. Charles Koiilmkyer, a young farmoi of Knox County, was killed by being kicked in the breast by a Texas pony. Thk, Wabash Hospital at Peru, hai about thirty patients, the largest number that has been confined therefor somt time. An old maid at Martinsville presents the following argument in favor of hoopskirts: “It koeps the men at a distance.” A league of young ladies has been fortupd In Shelbyville with thirty-one signers up to date, who say they will not wear hoopsklrts. John lleisiiman, near Corydon, had his left leg so badly ernshed in a hay press that amputation was necessary, and he died from the effects of the operation. Most of tho negroes along the Mississippi river are grossly ignorant. It is said that not one in tmfesty "faoirbbjr practical knowledge of reading or writing. Many of them get in arithmetic no farther than the single record —as a memorandum—of a number which they usually put down exactly as r6p<skea'; thus, 200502 for 262. Inconsequence some of tlieir prety cotton accounts look as big as a national debt statement.