Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1885 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Foulke’s bill establishing the Female Reformatory was passed by the Senate, March 25. It provides that girls convicted of arfmlnal offenses may be sent to a home for friendless women, instead of being imprisoned in jail at the option of the Judge. The bill authorizing the payment of SI,OOO to the two orphan children of Joachim Bachtell, an employe of the Insane Hospital, who whs killed on May 16. 1882, by falling into a vault on the groupds of the institution, was called up. It was stated that one of the children is an idiot and the other helplessly crippled.aiid that both have been in the county asyluni a part of the time: The court recommended an allowance of $4,000, and there were several Senators-who favored increasing the amount from SI,OOO to $2,000. The bill }assed by, a unanimous vo'e. The House bill requiring that the effects of alcoholic stimulants upon the human system shall be taught in the public schools came up for consideration on the second reading. An amendment was offered by Senator Thompson requiring the teaching of hygiene in connection with physiology, 'and providing that the text-books shall be selected by the State Board of Education. After further , lengthy discussion, the bill passed. In the House the bill authorizing the Secretary of State to sell copies of the Revised Statutes of Indiana at $2 a volume, instead of $3.40, as now provided, was passed by a vote of 72 to 1. It was explained that there were at present about 4,000 of these books in possession of the Secretary of State, and that they were becoming less valuable every day, as, since the revision of 1881, there had been many changes in tbe laws. The bill extending the charters and franchises of gravel-road companies was passed, as was, also, the bill prohibiting railroad companies from making forced assessments on their employes. The State House bill passed, making a levy for an appropriation of $350,000 for this year, authorizing a temporary loan of $500,000, and $150,000 tor present use on the State House grounds. A bill providing for an Appellate Court comprising five Judges, who shall be located at Indianapolis, was introduced in the Senate, on the 26th. It is substantially the same as the original Appellate Court bill which was introduced by the same gentleman. It was referred to a special committee with instruction to report on it without delay. The House bill prohibiting Sunday bass-ball playing came up for consideration on third reading. An amendment was proposed by Senator Hilegass, providing that the bill should only apply to base-ball games > r played for profit. Senator Willard objected to the use of the word "base-ball” tor the reason that clubs could play with eight men and it could be proven under the rul.es of the league that the game was not base-ball. After a long debate the bill was referred to a special committee, to report immediately. The bill requiring that the effects of alcoholic stimulants shall be taught in the public schools came up on third reading. Senator Foulke warmly advocated its passage, but Senator McCullough oppposed it because he believed that it was a subject which was improper for school-room instruction. The bill was indefinitely postponed by a vote of yeas 22, nays 20, and a motion to reconsider the vote was laid on the table, the yeas numbering 23 and the nays 19. The bill forbidding gambling at fairs was recommitted. In the House, Representative Sears, from the special committee appointed to draft resolutions concerning the death of Representative Browning, reported a lengthy memorial, and speeches were set down as the special order for the 29th inst, and a resolution was passed allowing $225.66 for funeral expenses. A number of Senate bills were read the first time, and Mr; Patten introduced a bill providing that school trustees shall make public statements of their indebtedness. Mr. Gordon called up his bill compelling County Clerks to keep a record of unsettled guardianships and estates, and Mr. Moody opposed it for the reason that it would give the clerks large fees. The bill barely passed. Mr. French’s bill allowing County Treasurers 6 per cent, for collecting delinquent taxes was passed by a vote of 55 to 25, and the House then, by a vote of 35 to 34, resolved Itself into a committee of the whole to resume consideration of the general appropriation bills. The pending question was Mr. Gordon’s amendment to strike out the item appropriating $24,000 for Purdue University, which was discussed all the afternoon and no decision made. In the Senate the House bill authorizing a special loan of $500,000 for completing the new State House building, besides continuing the tax levy of 2 cents, was read immediately after the Senate was called to order, March 27, and on the motion of Senator Willard was referred to the Finance Committee. Mr. Willard said that he thought there was some question about the constitutionality of the proposed tax levy. Long debates followed on allowances to Senators for visiting State prisons and other allowances for divers purposes. The House did not go into committee of the whole to resume consideration of the general appropriation bill, but took up Senate bills upon their second reading, advancing them a stage toward passage. When Senator Bailey’s bill prohibiting the employment of children under 12 years of age tn mines and manufactories was called, Mr. Williams moved for a suspension of the rules, which was agreed to, and. under the operation of the previous question, the bill was put to a final vote. The roll-call progressed half way through, with everybody voting in the affirmative, when a few gentlemen explained their votes, claiming that the bill was entirely too broad in its provisions. A number of members changed their votes, the bill failing to pass—yeas 42, nays 42. Mr. Gordon moved to recommit the bill with instructions to amend it so as to prohibit the employment of child labor in coal mines, iron and steel manufactories, and such other establishments as would be deleterious to their health, and that they should not be compelled to work more than eight hours a day. Mr. Lloyd moved to instruct the committee to report in favor of the indefinite postponement of the bill, which was laid on the table by a vote of 9 to 17, and the motion to recommit was carried. The committee designated is composed of Messrs. Gordon, Williams, and Hopkins. A large number of Senate bills were read a second time and passed over without discussion. The Purdue appropriation was reduced to $19,590 and passed. Senator Willard, Chairman of the Finance Committee, submitted a report to the Senate, on the 28th ult., on a bill authorizing the continuance,of the new State-House tax levy of 10 cents, besides a temporary loan of $500,000. He stated that the bill as passed by the House was unconstitutional. In order to conform to the requirements of the constitution the temporary loan should be for the purpose of covering a casual deficiency. He recommended an additional change by making the interest on the bonds 4 per cent, annually instead of 4 per centum payable semi-annually. The language of the bill might also be interpreted as including the $150,000 for the improvement of the grounds, and the appropriation of $350,000 for the completion of the building. The changes which Were recommended were adopted, and the bill was passed. Senator Marshall’s bill for fixing the time for holding courts in the Twenty-first, Twenty-second, and Forty-seventh Judicial Circuits, and a Judge in the latter, was passed under a suspension of the rules. After discussing the ditch bill, the Senate adjourned. In the House the Senate concurrent resolution providing for the employment of an expert to compare the various measurements' and make a computation on the brick-work in the Insane Asylum, with a view of determining whether or not the claim of John Martin is just, waspassed. 'lhe appropriation bill was taken up. The appropriation for the Slate Normal School was increased from $7,000 to SIO,OOO. The afternoon was given up to hearing eulogies upon Representative Browning, recently deceased.

The chair in which all the English sovereigns for the last 500 years have sat to be crowned is a rough wooden affair, with a Gothic back. It stands on the backs of four wooden lions, and has underneath the seat the famous “Stone of Scone, ” on which the Scottish sovereigns, down to the time when there was none, knelt to be crowned. The stone is said to be the same which Jacob used for a pillow when he had his well-known ladder dream, but this part of the story need'not necessarily be believed. The throne ift the House of Lords is modeled after the famous old chair,- which latter is' kept just behind the teredos in Westminster Abbey. The youth who wooes and wins a girl at the rink will find it but a few steps from roller-skates to the rolling-pin.— New York Morning Journal. In Siam husbands gamble away their wives. In this sfbuntry the wives frequently gambol away from their husbands. — Texas Siftings. Custom may lead a man into many errors, but it justifies none. Six hotels have already failed in New York since Jan. L ?. ! t-