Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1875 — INDIANA STATE LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA STATE LEGISLATURE.

Senate, Feb.lo- —A resolution for the appointment of * special committee to inquire into the expediency of the reapportionment of feetSwie wua referredto the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 24-f021....The re maiuder of the session was devoted to the discussion of the bill to provide for building the new Insane Asylum. An amendment excluding Indianapolis from competition was tabled by one majority... .Adjourned. • House.—A resolution was adopted asking Congress to equalize soldiers’ bounties- . .Bills were introduced—creating Hie office of Surveyor-General to supervise County Surveyors; for register of births and deaths; making the salaries of. Secretary, Auditor and Treasurer of State $5,000 a year... -The Committee on Federal Relations were instructed to inquire into the propriety of asking an apB nation from the General Government for ling one or more railroads across the State, the passenger and freight tariff to be regulated by Congress.... The pending constitutional amendment to strike out the word “ white” from the State Constitution and the bill increasing the number of Supreme Judges to seven were indefinitely postponed.... Adjourned. Senate, Feb. 11.—A bill was passed authorizing the appointment by the Governor of a commission of five to locate two insane asylums, one- in the northern part of the State and the other in the southern. The bill appropriates $200,000 this year and $300,000 next.... Bills were passed—cutting off the fees of the Auditor and Treasurer of State in the free banking department; allowing the appointment of attorneys as Judges pro tem. in cases of change of venue; prohibiting nepotism in the appointments in State institution; for the admission of colored children into white schools... .The propel committee was ordered do investigate the charges of fraud and corruption made against the management of the Insane Asylum at Indianapolis ... .Adjourned. House. —Bills were passed —for assessing property of corporations the same as that of private firms; consolidating the Prison Boards into one of three members, at a salary of $500; to allow Town Trustees to exact licenses for liquor-selling; regulating coal mines, and appointing Mine-Inspector for the State . .Messrs. Hoar, Wheeler, Marshall and Frye, the Louisiana Congressional Committee, en route from New Orleans to Washington, visited both houses, and were introduced to the members during a recess taken for that purpose.... Adjourned. Senate, Feb. 12. —The Senate ex hausted the day in discussing the bill for the publication of the delinquent list, the question beingnpon the reduction of the price to forty cents a description, but adjourned without action. House. —Bills were passed—reducing the number of Grand Jurors to seven; making the President of Perdue University a member of the State Board of Education; compelling three of the Directors of Indiana'chartered railroads to reside in the State; for the reclamation of wet lands.... The bill providing for the appropriation of $20,000 annually for the Normal School at Terre Haute failed.... Adjourned. Senate, Feb. 13.—The bill repealing Sec. 10 of the General Assessment law was passed.... After the transaction of some local business the Ser ate adjourned. House. —The bill changing the boundary line of Fountain and Warren Counties passed.... The Committee on Fees and Sala ries reported favorably on the bill fixing the Governor’s salary at $6,000.... The bbl for fencing railroads was tabled — 45 to 37.... An effort was made to pass a bill requiring railroads to be fenced within six years but the matter was postponed until next week.... Bills were introduced—to repeal the law approp.iating money to the State University at Bloomington; legalizing certain elections in the town of Knightstown, Henry County; preventing municipal corporations from incurring debts to the amount of more than 5 per cent, of the tax duplicate; legalizing the incorporation of the town of Tipton; legalizing acts of the Trustees of Spencer, Owen County....A resolution was adopted asking the Committee on Elections to consider the propriety of so changing the Election laws that Boards of Election in cities and towns will not be compelled to labor continuously from twenty to forty hours.... A resolution asking the Committee on Roads to inquire into the expediency of exempting honorably-discharged soldiers from road work and road tax was laid on the table—43 to 27... .Adjourned.

Senate, Feb. 15.—Nearly the entire session was occupied in considering bills on second reading.... The bill providing that railroad employes living within the State shall be given the benefit of the Indiana Exemption law without regard to the law of other States was indefinitely postponed.... Adjournea. House. —Bills were passed—legalizing the acts of the Trustees of Spencer, Owen County; reducing the price of Supreme Court Reports to $3 per volume, and prohibiting the publication of decisions merely afflrmatory of the previous published decisions; exempting real estate and personal property of agricultural societies from taxation, but not such as are organized on the joint-stock principle; providing for perfecting titles to lands from the Wabash & Erie land grant; limiting the power of County Commissioners to expend money for public improvements to one-fourth of 1 per cent, of appraised value of property without authority of a vote of the people; appropriating $21,163 to pay the debt of the Strte Normal School; and providing that suits on notes shall begin in the county where the maker, drawer, or accepter resides.... The joint resolution asking Congress to pass tne bill equalizing bounties was unanimously adopted... .The Committee on Railroads reported against the bill requiring railroads to fence roads...'.Adjourned. Senate, Feb. 16.—The. entire day was occupied in the consideration of the BaxterJefiries contested election case without reaching a conclusion.... Adjourned. House. —Bills were passed—to keep open.and maintain streets at the public expense; to incorporate cemetery organizations; appropriating SB,OOO for a geological survey of the State... .The bill providing for keeping roads in repair by taxation was indefinitely .postponed... .The report of the majority of the Select Committee on Legislative Apportionment was submitted.. Pending discussion over the bill continuing the office of County Superintendents of Schools, the House adjourned.