Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1897 — THE INDIANA SOLONS [ARTICLE]

THE INDIANA SOLONS

The House spent the most of Tuesday considering a mass of insurance bills in committee of the whole. A blanket bill governing foreign companies and not differing very materially from the present law was slightly amended. The House killed two others—a blanket bill for the organization of home mutual companies and a bill for the organization of home stock companies—and one governing life and accident assessment companies only escaped death by being recommitted. The bill fixing a standard form of policy escaped with amendments. A bill exempting farms within the limits of towns or cities from corporation taxes, and’ the Remington dog bill, which permits any person to kill a dog that is known to have ever chased or worried sheep or any live stock or fowl, was passed. The Senate, after passing a couple of minor bills, took up the McCord building and loan bill, practically the Peckenpaugh bill, as it passed the House, and spent the whole day discussing it The House Wednesday killed the local option bill, and by a narrow margin passed a bill providing for a revision of the statutes. The first of the insurance measures to reach final enactment got there when the House passed a Senate bill repealing the law and fixing a 10 per cent penalty upon home companies for failure to adjust and pay losses within sixty days. Mr. Thomas’ bill for a revision of the statutes passed. Senator Shively’s bill appropriating $5,000 for a statue to Morton in the Capitol at Washington came up on third reading, and finally passed by almost a party vote. The Senate, after adding a few more amendments, recommitted the building and loan bill, in order that the numerous changes might be incorporated. Two caucus measures, the bill providing for non-partisan boards for the benevolent institutions and the Fort Wayne charter bill, were passed. A bill permitting the commissioners of Starke County to issue bonds for a new court house and one to provide for janitors for country schools at 10 cents per day, were passed. Gov. Mount Thursday returned the Ad-ams-Jay court bill to the Senate with his veto. He permitted a bill requiring that the standard half-bushel measure be used in testing wheat, and another permitting the commissioners of Jasper County to issue bonds for building a court house to become laws without his approval by the expiration of the ten days’ limit. The Senate passed the Barlow tax bill and the Morris House bill giving City Councils greater police power. The Senate defeated Senator Duncan’s bill for a system of auditing the warrants of township trustees, and Senator Schenck’s bill requiring wide tires on gravel roads. Senator Self’s bill for the punishment of voters who offer to sell their votes was passed. It also defeated the Terre Haute charter and passed the following: The House bill providing for giving discharged prisoners money, a railroad ticket and suit of; clothes; regulating ferry charges, and providing that service upon the Auditor shall hold foreign insurance companies. The House spent much time in amending the intermediate prison bill. The Nicholson bill to wipe out quart shops was amended so as to exempt wholesalers and make a level license of SIOO and then engrossed. The House passed the following bills: Gilbert’s Senate bill providing heavy penalties for slaughtering fish and permitting the fish commissioner to appoint deputies; requiring that evidences of debt must have been listed for taxation before collections can be enforced; amending the ditch laws. The bill authorizing the Attorney General to bring suit at once against the Vandalia Railroad Company for the large indebtedness of the company claimed by the State passed the House Friday under a suspension of the rules and without a dissenting vote. The Vandalia investigation, to discover what amount, presumably $2,090,000, the company, it is said, has been defrauding the State out of for years under its old charter, was threatened with being smothered by the influence of the railroad lobby. The Senate killed the Sunday baseball bill by laying an amended bill on the table which provided for submitting the question to a popular vote. The House caught the friends of the Citizens’ Street Railway asleep, and the bill providing for 3 cent fare was rushed through to engrossment. It will now require a square vote to kill the measure.