Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1891 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

.. LEGISLATIVE CAUCUSES. . Both parties of the Legislature caucused on the evening of the 7th for officers of the Senate and House. The Senatorial Democratic caucus selected the following officers: D. H. Fenton, of Lake, Secretary by acclamation; Geo. S. Pleasants, of Switzerland, Assistant Secretary, he receiving 30 votes, John Bens, of Crawford. 2. and John D. Carter, of 'Orange. 1, Oliver T. Weils, of Marion, received 32 votes for dorrkeeper, against 2 forD. F. Lemonof Crawford. The Democratic House caucus nominated Mason J. Niblack, of Knox, Speaker, by 37 votes, over James B. Curtis, of Marion, 28 totes, and Judge Hench, of Allen, 8 votes. F. D. Haumbaugh, of Miami, was elected doorkeeper, receiving 45 votes, to 26 for R. M. Robertson, of Tipton, and 2 for John D. Carter, of Orange. Thomas J. Newkirk, of Rush, received 47 votes, and Emmett, Rose 25 votes for Clerk, Chas. E. Crowley, of ‘Sullivan, was nominated for Assistant Clerk, receiving 41 votes, .T. Fred France, of Adams, 27, and D. T. Stevenson, of Crawford, 8. . • The Senate Republican caucus nominated. C. C. Waite, of Randolph, for Secretary; Geo. B. Henderson, Spencer, Assists ant Secretary, and W. A. Dußois, Hamilton, doorkeeper. The House Republican caucus nominated A. Hess, Wabash, Speaker; W. T. Seweesee, Clerk: B. A. May, Jefferson’ Assistant Clerk, and John Childs, Decatur’ Assistant Clerk. ■

THE SENATE. The Senate was formally called to order at 10:15 a. m. on the 3th inst., by Lieutenant Governor Chase. Rev. D. R. Lucas petitioned for divine aid. Most of the session was spent in preliminaries. : The House of Representatives was called to order by Mr. Griffin at 10 a. m. on the Bth Inst. Dr. Cleveland invoked devine blessings after which nominations for Speaker of the House were in order. Mr. Cullom, of Knox, placed in nomination Hon. Mason J. Niblack, of Knox County and Mr. Lindemuth, of Wayne performed a like courtesy for Hon. Alexander Hess, of Wabash County. The result of the roll 'call was a strict party vote—74 to 23 and Mr. Niblack was declared elected, i A number of more or less important resolutions were offered. One to the effect that smoking, swearing tr vulgar language should not be used about the House was carried. A resolution offered by Mr Beasley that a committee of five be chosen jto prepare and report a bill revising and modernizing tax and revenue laws. In the Senate on the 9th Senator Hubs bell introduced a series of resolutions demanding that a bill be passed taxing eor. poratiems and providing for a revenue from the sale of franchises. By a party vote the resolutions were laid on the table the Democrats declaring that they proposed to control legislation when ready to do so. The Senate adjourned to the House and heard the Governor’s Message read. Among the important bills introuneed were the following: Appropriating SIOO,OOO for Indiana’s .At, _ the World’s Fair; authorizing county commissioners to fix salaries of county officers; for listing moneys for taxa»t tion, for relief ot railway employes; to suppress gambling in blocks, wards, etc., for compulsory education. There was considerable debate over unimportant things. - The House met and with the Senate heard the reading of the Governor’s message. A bill appropriating SIIO,OOO for the expenses of tho Legislature was introduced. An attempt to pass was unsuccessful for want of a constitutional majority. The House then adjourned until Monday afternoon.

> L.EGSIL.ITIVE NOTES. , The legislative committee of the Farms ers’ Alliance, Grange and Federation of Trades met at Hotel English on the night of the 7th and decided to ask the Legislature to pass bills looking toward the es- . lablishment of a fee and salary system for county officers, the preventing- of adulterating of food and medicine,the compulsion of corporations to pay taxes for special privileges, the confining of convict labor to the wants of the State, and the repeal of tho law empowering county commissioners to call elections for voting subsidies The Farmers’ Alliance also decided to ask the Legislature to put all gravel roads in charge of the road supervisors, to require all permission to bunt on private farms to be written, and to compel teachers to make the enumeration of school children. Representative John T. Beasley, of Sullivan county, says tho matter which in importance overshadows all other sub. jeete which will come before the Legisla ture this session is the reorganization of the State’s system of finances. About $2,000,000 is now required annually for the running expenses of the State, and the revenues amount to but $1,409,000 in round numbers. Mr, Beasley ha 3 given a good deal of study to this problem, which must very soon be solved, if the State’s credit is retained. Said he: “I believe State and county taxes should be entirely divorced from each other. The entire income of the State should be derived from taxes upon corporations, say a certain per cent, of their gross earnings of some other fair basis of reckoning.. If the corporations were taxed justly the income from them would give the State all the revenue it needs. Then there should be one assessor for each county, and all the taxes levied on private property should be used iu the county where it was collected. The F. M. B. A. contingent of the House of Representatives to the number of twenty-five met in the State House a few nights since. The meeting was for the purpose of organization and to come to some understanding on important legislation. Representative Work of Clark county was chosen chairman. A list of members to be i placed on each committee in which the farmers are interested was handed to Speaker Ni black. It was agreed that the farmers of both houses join in the organization, and that meetings be held once a week. The meeting adjourned to meet at ! the call of the President There are about | sixteen farmers in the Senate and forty- ' five in the House.