Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1885 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

The attention of the Legislature was almost entirely devoted to the consideration of the investigation of the State Treasury, on 4th inst. In the Senate Mr. Gibson inteoduced the majority report, stating that all vrtfe well with the Treasury, and deprecating further investigation as needless and expensive. From the report it appeared that the State had never received interest on any public money deposited in bank, .ami that it was doubtful whether a Treasurer could be compelled to account tor such interest ,/by law. The committee recommended that the law be changed. Senator Foulke presented the report of the minority of the committee, which concluded with the declaration that the minority believe that' there is a large deficiency in the Treasurer s office, and that it should at once be investigated. The majority asked leave to tile an additional report in reply to the charge of the minority, and the matter went over for a day. In the House, the committee was instructed to report whether any legisla ion on the subject was necessary. The majority, after stating teat the Treasurer had made a showing, say they had discovered no reason whatever why a legislative ’ committee or any other committee should be appointed at this time to investigate further into his affairs, in support of the minority report recommending an investigation. Representative Sayre charged that Tieasurer Cooper had been an habitual violator of law; that he exhibited to the committee a certificate of $1.5,000 from the Merchants’ National Bank, Which was dated Nov. IG, which was Sunday, and that it bcre marks of fraud. Mr. Sayre thought it high time to make a thorough investigation. The committee had been unable to lefern the true condition of arfairs. By a strict party vote the minority report was tabled and that of the majority concurred •in. The Senate, on conclusion of the read ng of the reports, took up the House bill increasing the Treasurer’s bond frdm $150,000 to $1,000,000. By a vote of 30 to 15 the bill was am ended by making the bond $500,0e0, and was then pa -sed. The He use passed the bill by a unanimous vote. The House joint resolutions were passed in the Senate on the sth inst, urging Indiana Representatives in Congress to labor for the repeal of the pension law of March 3, 1879, for the pensioning of Mexican Veterans, to secure the revoking ot lands to railroad companies that have not completed their roads in the prescribed time, and to secure the equalization of bounties to soldiers. The Senate passed the House bill fixing the State Treasurer’s bond at $500,000, and the House bill appropriating $3,000 to the New Orleans Exposition display. Petitions for nstraction in the schools on the effects of alcohol were presented by about thirty Senators. Committees reported on the following bills: That the bill to protect the ballotbox be amended and pass, and the report and amendment were adopted; that the bill to suspend the imprisonment of, defendants in criminal cases pending appeals be made the special order for Thursday at 11 o’clock: that the bill for recording liens and mortgages on real estate be amended, and pass; that the bill to abolish the offices of City Treasurer and Assessor be amended and pass. The amendment provides that the act shall not be enforced until the expiration ot the terms of the present incumbents, and the bill passed to second reading, without printing. The committee also reported: '1 hat the bill limiting the amount of taxes to be levied by commissioners in counties having a voting population of 25,600 do pass ; that legalizing acts of the Union Loan and Savings Company do pass; that to prevent the spread of pleuro-pneumonia be tafiled; that creating a county dog fund do pass; that enabling cities to purchase lands for sanitary purposes do pass; that an eight-hour law be enacted and adopted; that the concurrent resolution on the contract system in prisons be amended and adopted; that Sarah May’s claim of SIO,OOO fcr services of her deceased husband do pass, and that the money be taken from the State-House fund. authorizing aliens to hold real estate. The State Treasurer’s bond bill, as amended by tire Senate, fixing the amount at $500,000, was called up in the House. Messrs. Gordon and Reeves spoke in iavbr of maintaining the former action, placing the bond at sloo,Oto, while Messrs. Gooding, French, Moodv, and Browning advocated concurrence in the Senate amendment because it was important to pass the bill before next Monday, at which time the Treasurer would renew his bond. Mr. Browning called upon the Democratic members “to have more sand in their crops,” and not to be browbeaten by the threats of the minority. There was nothing in the rumored defalcation, he said, and the House had already devoted too much time to Mr. Cooper’s affairs. In the reCorts of standing committees the passage of the uilding association bill was recommended, as was also the passage of the McHenry bill looking to a uniform system of text books in the common schools. Several educational bills were indefinitely postponed. Matters connected with the State Treasury consumed a large portion of the Senate session on the 6th inst. By a party vote the majority report, which declared that there was no necessity for further investigation, was adopted. The report of the conference committee on the bill to increase the Treasurer's bond to S7OOJX» was also adopted by the Senate. This was accepted by the House, and the act is now a lawt, In the House, the Committee on Temperance recommended the indefinite postponement of all bills referred to it, including Hanlon’s 12 o’clock bill, McHenry’s high-license bill, and Schmidt's bill to amend the law relating to the granting of license by county commissioners. By a vote of 65 to 28 the House laid on the table the following resolution offered by Mr.. Gooding: “That it is the sense of this House that the per centum of State tax should not, at the present? session of the Legislature, be increase!, and that the appropriations should be economical as far as practicable, avoiding the increase of expenses by issuing bonds or otherwise.” Representative Jameson proposed a bank bill providing as follows: That any bank president, cashier, clerk.etc., who shall draw and Issue any draft, check, or bill ot exchange calling for the payment of money on the account ot drawer when the drawer shall not have funds to meet such draft, or checs, or b.ll of exchange shall be guilty of a felony; and that spy bank official who shall receive money for deposit when he knows the bank to be insolvent shall likewise be guilty ot a felony. Upon conviction the violator ot the provisions of the bill shall be imprisoned not less th n two years nor more than ten, shall be fined in any sum not less than SI,OOO, and shall be distrancised for a period not exceeding twenty years. The following bills were also introduced and referred: To provide for the better education of pauper children; to appropriate $55,516.63 to pay John Martin for work on the insane rsylnm; to regulate the height of railroad bridges; providing how counties and townships may aid railroads; concerning free gravel roads; defining the liability of railroads for the killing of stock; to aid the Common Council of cities of three thousand inhabitants to change wards for consolidation and otherwise; to legalise the election and official acts of the officers of Ligonier; to prevent the giving away of intoxicating liquo ; to amend the law relating to the taking up of estrayed animals: to amend the justice of the peace act; to amend the act regulating proceedings in criminal cases; to create liens in favor of decedents’ estates; to prohibit the sale of tobacco to persons under 13 years of age. The Home passed bills permitting the slaughter of English sparrows, and to repeal the law of 1881 by which Judges were author!'.ed to try certain cases without the intervention of a jury. Reports of committees and the reading of bills occupied a brief session of the Senate on the 7th inst. In the House the following bills were introduced: To provide that the Revised Statutes of 1881 shall be sold at $2 per volume; to provide penalties under the act cone ranx public offenses; concerning partition fen res: providing for the payment ot interest semiannually upon county bonds: fixing penalties for keeping houses of ill-fams; providing tor a State Finance Committee, compos i of the Governor, Auditor, and Secretary, who shall designate where the public funds shall be Kept. Ttie bill was ordered printed. Also, concern! g claims against counties: relating to toll-gates and gravel and macadam! ed roads; to regulate the disposition of surplus school revenue by towns io trustees; fixing th? fees of surveyors; appropriating $2 ,000 t> erect new buildings, bath-room--, etc., at the Northern Prison, and for the purchase of a library; to establish a meteorological bureau in connection with onq ot the State colleges, and providing annual appropriation of sl,9i 0 to maintain a signal staticn. etc.; to require private banking iiistitutions to make and publish three reports each year: to regulate the construction of sewers by cities. J ... The latest statistics on<4he comparative longevity of the sexes show that under 15 years there are more boys than girls, but over 75 years there are more women than men, and from the age of 90 to 100 the proportion is about three to two in favor of the women. A steam flouring mill at Mad son. Dakota, uses hay for,, fuel, of which it burns three and a hut tons every twen-ty-four hours. In this -world one must put cloaks on all truths, even the nicest,— Balzac.