Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1889 — THE STATE LEGISLATURE [ARTICLE]

THE STATE LEGISLATURE

1 In iho-Ben«t« rtn the 11th blitz vrere Introduced petitions were presented and committee reports were read. Foley introduced a bill which authorises School Commissioner* to levy a tax aaretementof five cents on the SIOO for library purpoeoa. A bill by MnllinlX '- provides lor the election of a SnpeniHCndent of the State House by the General Assembly, whoM salary shall be $1,500 a year. A petition from 325 eitisens of Henry I county, asking lor the enactment of a law nro hibiting the sale of tobacco to persons under eighteen years of age/was presented by Grose. The majority of the Judiciary Committee recommended the indefinite -postponement of Senator Johnson's bill authorising the Supreme Court Judges to employ secretaries; and the minority reported favorably upon i|. Two’ | reports from the Judiciary Committee were presented on Cronk’s bill to M repeal section 5,317 of the Revised Statutes, the majority being adverse and the minority being favorable. Crmston Introduced a kill authorising the sale of the old State building at the dornerof AVaahlngton and Tennessee streets. Senator Barrett ureaeuted a petition from the Young Men's Democratic Club of Franklin, aakingthat the pro nosed new lawahould be made to Apply to nil there was so much corruption in the Elections in that county that there was no etmnce for a poor man to-get an office. The ejection bill was again taken up, and as amended was read through.’The minority substitute for the bill waa rejected bv a party vote. The bill- was then engrosed by ■ayes :W. nays 9'(R'»). In tnc House the bill to amend the bill which makes it a criminal jod'ense to intimidate men from working to interfere with the working of I trains was engrossed. A bill legalizing the acts I of J. It. Hutch.n justice of the peace, was passed. Beasley's bill limiting the power of township trustees was passed. The bill requires that trustees, 'before making contracts for the purchase of supplies of any • kind or for the cohstrm tion of buil lings, shall tile with the county auditor at least let) days befqre tue first session at the Board*of County Com-inia-iouers, a statement of what may l>e needed; to which any tax-payer may have the right, to file objections, which must Jtlveu cunaiderattoii bv the county commisaidners. Whenever a tiustoc issues a note, warrant or other evidence of indebted hept he shall regisiefit in a book to be kept for that purpose. Carroll's bill amending the road law, reducing the toll, was considered and defeated. The bill appropriating $190,000 for buildings for feeble tnin ed children wns engrossed. The bill’ relating to the. police boards of cities of '.9,000 inhabitants was engrossed without d< bate under the rule of the prey oils question. The Republicans attempted to break n quorum by leaving the hall, but before they all could do' so the doors were locked find twenty-four of them were compelled to remain nnd vote. The .senate on the 12th passed the bill legalizing the acts of the Trustees, of Boonevil'e. The bill appropr litlng HMI.OQO for rhe home for Feeble Minded Children occupied nearly all of the forenoon session but it W-rt* finally passed, but one vote being recorded against t, that of ID ys. The Senate devoted the afternoon to the discussion of the House bill for the appropriation of tlQO.fNn to pay for the completion or the newly-erected Slate Normal School buildings at Terre Haute. The bill-pass <1 by ayes 38, nays 4. The bill toleghlize the < lection of the Board of ’Directors of.the Cl nton Drawbridge Cpmpiiny. Hills engrossed: For the release of liens in deeds of real estate; to amend Section-2202 R. S: to

emjiower comity ulierill's to appoint bnilills. Bi Is In'rodnceil: Appropriating $45,000 for I’nnhte; to incorporate live itock companies: tq provide for public printing by county officers, and others. In the House, on the 12th, among the bills inteod.nced: giving women right of suffrage at municipal nnd school elections, and one prohibiting candidates from being assessed for campaign nnrposes. The drainage bills of Adams and Fierce were discussed. The bill of Adams was referred lan k to committee and that of Pierce indefinitely postponed. The bill legalizing the incorporation of Bedford was passed. The bill appropriating $27,000 for the Plainfield Reform School wns considered nnd passed. It is the only institution in the State not heated by steam. The bill proposing an appropriation of $t;0.000 for the erection of a new library building for the State University was under consideration in the House as n special order. Ordered engrossed. The bill fixing pay of State prison wardens failed to rww for want of a constitutional majority. The bill to prevent the spread of hog cholera f-itlod topass for want of a constitutional majority.

I ~e senate devoted the forenoon of the 13th to considering Byrd's bill to create a department of geology and natural resources. It proposes to take from the Governor the jxiwer Jo appoint the Geologist, the Mine Inspector arid the Oil Inspector. It provides that the Geologist shall be elected by the General Assembly, ami the Mine andfOil Inspectors shall be appoinu-il 4>y him. yhc Mine Inspector is given authority to einnloy all a s slant, The expenses of the departHiynt lire limited to SKl.ooi) annually.. The i ill was opposed by De.Motte and Sears because the change was unnecessary, was merely for tlie • purpose of placing Democrats in the positions, and Would Own a>e the expenses of the office about ,-year. Sell 'tor Sears said that- if it« could he shown Jliat there was any demand, from miners for such legislation he would' vote for the bill. Opposed it Ix'eausc the appointees would. I,e responsible to no one, and it would be mpossible forthe tto.vernor.il' incompetent or dishonest men should he placeil in the positions, to remove them. Byrd and Ixigsdon -poke in favor of the bill, the latter asserting tliaj the responsibility of the l egislature was enough,rend that iTo rciis'MTwliy" the Gov< rnor should have morce ntr.d over Die .Mine, and Ojl Inspectors tliiuj over the Sate Treasurer and State Auditor. Byrd said the ’■ill would„not increase the expon.se of the service more tlian $1 .:Sibn year. John-on denounced I toe lull as nothing more than u perils n I measure, which ought to be entitl’ d "an act I for tiic prCpetnat on of the Ih-mocnitie party." Itirasn subt ytug’ 'for the purpose of pnttingjn office i:ien who hid liven rei udiatvd by tlie people. The principle was-had. It deprived the Governor absolutely of power to correct nbuws that, may’develop, lie referred a so to tlie dishonesty and outrageous abns s in,the prison under the management of trusted elected by the Ix'gislature. The same iH'rnieioiis Av-em had filled the Insane Hospital with thieves and wonn ; rels. who, up to this hour, eontnined in voinro! of the institution because the Governor ha<i no power to remove them, as he had paiiliy vndeav.r.'d to do. Why r was the s<du>ol-book bill, the clv< tion-reform bill, tlie mecKanies’-lieu bill, the buil ling-nssociation bill, and other equally important measures, held ack., while the political bills were being r.-pi-dy advanced? He appcals'd to the fairness of inc majority to defeat the bill, whi, h it i-ould not Ik- denied proi>o«od a contin-ii.-uiix-of a most pernicious system, from which the public had 'already suil'ered piuvh.. Tiic iTFs-

■ .:-si in continue.! in the >:ft nioou. Burke. replying to Johns'.n.s,iy>ke in ilefeiisifref the Peniogtytiep My's ml ministration of the public inMitUiiot's of the State. The i,lehiite took a wide range politically. Ifubtiell. went- into the rc< < nls of the t'.i o f'nriiii- generally, .-iti'l made i.o reference to the pen-ijiigTiill. Ihe bill after. furti.er <!:s ussion was re <1 the second timynml e:.^:os,e,'. Flight new bills were i»troOu,ee<l. In the House the bill appropriating .'KM for the ti>e of Purdue 1 irersity and the bill fbr.an a> t supplementary to the voluntary assm-iation law were engrossed. The bill giving cities and towns authority to construct and operate natural gas-wells was passed, Committee reports were presented favorable to the hill relating to the pulilie ition of legal advertising, fixing the eo:npei>:Hion of the- Reporter of the Supreme Court nt 51.0pi.,-5 voarand ytepriving him of -Il fees: empowering the City Ito ird'bf Education to esiabijsh nraiiuaT training schools: giving nnttird gas and oil ebmpanies power to condemn reai estate.’ The indefinite postponement of the following bills was reeoiunieuded. Relating to printing: regulating fees And salaries: ! concerning -g n. tjil election: coucernitig the galaties of tvounty An liters: concerning the fees of Justices of the I'eiw: relating tfl the government of the State University: coniS’Hiiug County Sutwrintendenfe. Reynold’s local option bill w.-m indefinitely }M»t;x»icd, the l.temocrata and Covert arid Nugent, Reps’., voting aye. and If Republicans vo i'e no. The Senate bill making separate judicial yircuits of Hamilton and Madison counties was pissed: also, the Senate bill appro’.-intinj 1 * .Ci.sT.XM.for the const ruction- of new buildings' for the Home for Feeble Minded Children. The bills to apppropri.de nioncy for the expenses of the State government for tlie fi.wal year ending Opt I. JW; to antanrize the Governor. Auditor’ tend Treasurer of st ite to borrow money; defining the 24th i hd creating the 50th judicial cireu, ts: and the bill to divide the 1 State into judicial circuits were paused. ° T e Senate on the 1 tth passed the Andrews election ill. or rather the substitute.. Its provisions have been given in this - columns a»d ahouldibe House pass it lhe bill will be published in full. SeVe- tl of the Senators explained ti.eir votes. The principal objection lo the bill seems to lie theiencnirous < xi cnse it may entail on the counties, in '.'s. it was : >said it would reach from SgO.OOu to S o.' og- " The vote resulted in 35 avert to 12 nays, the nays bej.’itj •Alfr.nl. goyd. liiehonski. Carver. Casters, Crouk, IMnotte, Grose. K- nn-dy. Shoekney and Thompson, of Jasper. K pnnlicsns, amt Hurke, Beinoi-rat. The House bill creating a Supreme court commission was called up, with a faw>ru !e inin irity.report. Johnson opposed the bill txitseit wus'uneonstitutiouiil and 'ox advo -nted the bill bee-H*e it wsts ne«.v!ssary the supreme Court should hare some reli-.-L lays opposed tUe bill and Barret demanded the prevfoiis question. A political snsrl resulted. ilSfii tHdl raised a point of order Chair sustained i’. Barrett appealed’ from tl isdecision ofChair. mi -mined. The bill was ordered cnrussedz The B*>ive- 1,-ke i illjmis taken, up and ili-ifot iiassnge for grant of a constitutional ma-wity-S-ayws 26, liars 1 . ,! :i the House, the bill to make eight hours con■titute u day's wort was yasaed. The bill ap

.lies to except agricultural nr domestic ahor. The Hon«e spent iotny hours in an attempt, to repeal the tele none law, which* it finally succeeded in doing by a vote of 59 to 26. Other bills passed by the House were: To amend lln-eharier of Evansville; to abolish the office of water works, trustees in towns of over 12.W1U inhabitants; to create the r>2d judicial circuit; concerning the purchasv of toll road l *: to define the word “mining" in it. 8.; concerning the spread of hog cholera, i The Senate on the 15th wasted much gas on Boyd’s natural gas bill. The bill was reported upon favorably by the committee, together with an amendment which makes it unlawful to pipe gas out of the State. The original bill Diakes it unlawful to abandon gas wells without first plugging them; one section makes it unlawful to consurndmore gas than is contracted for; another,section defines the methods by which lands may be obtained andMigfid--by gas companies. Shnckney in opposing the amendment making it unlawful to pipe gas out of the State said that it would be absurd to take a stand over the Indiana gas holes and say that nobody but Indianians should enjoy the benefit o( the product. If reminded him of the opposition to railroads down in Jackson conbtv, where it was maintained that railroads should not be permitted to p m through because the trains wojjld scare the cows and turn the milk sour. The amendment was adopted. The bill together with a bill relating to the protection of land against gas companies was eventually made the special order for Tuesday. Dresser’s bill to appropriate $75,000 for the use of Pnruue University was passed. Thirty thousand dollars of this amount is for the current expenses of 1890. sls.oo<> is for a new dairy house, an implement house, an ad dition to the experimentstation, aWeterinary department and improvements on Ihe farm; $15,000 is for additions to the shops and chemical labrafory and $15.000 for building and equi ping the school of electrical engineers. Many bills were advanced on the calender. Adjourned until Monday,

lu the nouse the bill authorizing the school commissioners of Indianapolis to issue bonds for $250,000 to raise money for the. construction of new buildings was passed. A long debate followed the report of the committee favorable to the Pleasants bill relating to text books for the public schools. All the bills on this subject were referred to a special committee of seven to report next Tuesday. The Bigham bill to control the police force of Indianapolis was passed. Nd discussion was allowed and the doors were locked that Republicans might not escape. Other bills passed were: To a board of State charities; foT the encouragement of agriculture and making an appropriation; to index certain bond records; to change the name of the Female Reformatory to “Reform School for Girls and Prison for Women” and making an appropriation; to provide for the appointment cd a Supreme Court sheriff; concerning Ihe adulteration of vinegar, relating to the care and custody of orphan children; relating to gravel roads: to provide for the incorporation of associations without pecuniary benefit; to provide for the examination of teachers in cities of 5,0i)0 or over; relating to dnliing'pf natural gas and condemning real Mtlffi.

The Senate was not in session on the 16th. The House was Without a quorum but the fact was not”discovered. Mendenhall, R., offered a resolution to the effect “that Governor Hovey be permitted to retain his Private Secretary, and that this Democratic General Assembly did not force Green Smith upon him as his Private Secretary.” The resolution was ordered returned to its author. ‘Bills were- engrossed as follows: Fixing the salaries of certain county and township officers; authorizing the purchase of ten actes of land for the use of the Insane Hospital in Cass county; providing for the appointment of a humane inspector in cities of 29,000 and over; for the organization of an interstate fair, appropriating money for the payment of tt>e claim of the National Vuicanite Company for paving Washington street in front of the State-House; 1 amending the law relating to the regula- . tiqn of Life Insurance Companies; creating a lien for labor performed; concerning elections; relating to trespassing and partition fences; authorizing County Commissioners te pay rewards for the apprehension or detention df any person guilty of felony; appropriating ss''O to (jJ Dye and Fiahback; concerning taxation; declaring that twenty-five years shall constitute a life sentence; concerning the duties of County Clerks; relating to the institution for Feeble Mindejd Children. Hot words passed between Bigham and Foster, called,forth by an unfavorable report on the bill to reduce the pay of county officers. The biltewent over. I ■ the Senate, on the 18th, numerous bills were introduced. The bill reducing the legal rate of interest from 8 to 6 per Cenb waß indefinitely postponed. The House on the 18th, working without a quorum, engrossed many bills, among which were: Against treating tn saloons; regulating deposit and trust companies; concerning legal advertising; increasing the tax on dogs; concerning gravel roads; concerning the building of switches, arid a host of otliOra. Among the bdis introduced was one providing for a State boilerinspector, board of examining.engineera and the licensing of stationary engineers. The general appropriation bill was introduced and referred without reading. White’s bill regulating the practice of medicine was reported unfavorably, and after long debate report was approved. A oill to reinburse Rep. J. T. Beasly, of Sullivan, in the sum of SSOO, the cost of his contest two years ago, was introduced. The b:ll prohibiting the use of'screens in saloons was indefinitely postponed. The bill Creating a sinking fund in cities of 10,000 population, and in outstanding indebtedness of $lOO,l CO was passed.