Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1891 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Overwork probab'y killed S«ere‘ ary Folger. as it undoubtedly led to 14»e resi'mation of Secret ry Manning and to his death shortly afterward. Overwork probably hastened the end of Secretary Windom also. The post of head of the Treasury i* the most laborious and exacting of all the Cabinet offices. ■ r 1 . "ra Sarah *anu her 107 trunks is now receiving homage of fine America in such a way as to lead one to beliexe that America is indeed fine with the contents of its pocket-book. Let us hope the devine Sarah will not strand in some of the small towns of the country as many a better actress has dona The promptness with which the republican revolt in Portugal was sup“"ptwwid ludiuntus that tho priop'oc that country are not ready to overthrow the monarchy and substitute popular government for it. About eighteen years ago Spain tried a republic, but the experiment was not successful. Something more than a mero desire for freedom is necessary in order that a republic, when established, may endure. None of the Latin nations of Europe except France are prepared for anything of this sort, lheir people lack the education and the experie ce Id home rule in local matters requisite to prepare them for the duties of citizenship in a republic.—Globe Demo crat.

The new year has thus far been unkind enough to France. The necrology of January ineludes the names 6T Belot Feuillet, Alphonse Karr, Baron Baussman and Delibes. Another blow severer than the loss of any one of these is the death of Meissonier, one es the first of modern artists. He was unique among painters for the clearness of his expression, the care of his detail work and his fidelity to truth as he saw it His conceptions were prodigal in number and variety, and, waether he worked on huge canvasses tike ••1807” or on very small ones, he Invariably studied and detailed and refined like a goldsmith, with infinite patienoe. The world regrets his loss and cannot forget it easily. ————n— Thb Legislature ought to pass a law giving the victim of any white cap outrage peremptory elaim for damages aga'net the county in which the outrage has been perpetrated, say of $5,00(1 for each case, after failure of the authorities within a reasonable time to arrest and punish the perpetrators of the outrage. This is genuine local ■elf government. It is but a renewal of the old law of our Saxon ancestors, which put the responsibility of crime upon the ••hundred.” or county, in which it was committed, compelling it o pay a fine of indemnity unless it dis covered and punished the criminal. We believe it would end white capisn. in Indiana, for it would mulct every taxpayer in the county every time the crime went unpunished. At all events, something must be done, and thia might be tried.—lndianapolis News. Alan a law giving the victim oFa horse theft claim for damages against a county for say 14.000 for each case after failure of the authorities within, a reasonable time to arrest and punish the thieves. In fact extend it to all erimes or violators of law. Some very practical things are unpractical.

Nothing is more rem « kable. when we consider the valuation placed on human life, than the number of utters ly needless deaths. Since the dis. closure of the new cures or remedies lor consumption it has been shown by half a dozen witnesses in the public press that consumption has really never been the incurable complaint it was charged with being; and that Koch and other inventors—whom we dare not name lest we subject them to the charge of violating the code of medical ethics by advertising—were anticipated years ago. This being the case, it follows that there has been needless sacrifice of thousands of human lives because of ignorance or prejudice. Pneumonia, too. has taken its thou#* nods who need not have died, if a Boston doctor tells the truth. He declares that pneumonia is an absolute impoe' •Ibility U his remedy is taken as a preventive. Considering the preval. •nee and fatality of this disease it would seem as if the state government •hould take some steps to compel peo. pie to take this preventive. It might be worth the while of the people who rely wholly on the Federal Govern- ? ment to call for a congressional enactment or an amendment to the Constitution. It is wrong to permit the peo* pie to throw their lives away as they are doing, if these tales of the doctors ■nefiMMk

The Senate on the 17th discussed the hill fining from *lO to *IOO spectators of 1 prise fights. The bill was engrossed. Several bills were read second time Following bills were passed: Requiring railroad* to erect suitable watting rooms in towns of £SO inhabitants and over, and to open the same an hour in advance of the arrival of trains; relatingtbdeeds,btc., acknowl* edged in foreign countries. The House discussed the bill providing that county commissioners shall -hold monthly sessions' and fixing salary. Referred. Building and loan association bill, looking to the establishing of associations OB the aocalled National system wa killed. Bills passed: Enabling county offleers to possess property for free gravel road construction. Authorizing cities and towns to establish and operate water works, gas and electric plants. The Senate resolution providing for an Investigated Of the Richmond hospital was adopt- • ed. A resolution instructing the com- ! tnit'ee on temperance to report bills referred to that committee was tabled. The Senate resolution requesting the city of Indianapolis to purchase ths half block east of tho State house for a park was adopted. Other bills passed: Authorizing organization of guarantee and safe deposit companies; legalizing town of Osgood ; making it unlawful to burn natural gas in flambeau lights. The Senate, on the 18th, considered com. mittee reports. Following bills were Raising salaries of prison wardens; making imprisonment a part of the penalty for selling goods without license; concerning gravel roads; allowing guardians to s II property of wards; providing penalty for hunting on enclosed lauds without permission; legalizing Clifford; defining judicial circuit. The House indefinitely postponed the bill for the relocation of county seats; Mr Beasley’s school text bill (provisions given n these columns) was passed. The folowing bills were passed: Authorizing cities to own and construct water works Midg&s plants; establishing the office of atural gas supervisor; enabling Madison county agricultural society to pay its debtsand retire from business; requiring railroad companys to heat their coaches by steam; relating to appeals to Supreme Court: to reimburse Superintendent Rogers, of the Insane Asylum ; repealing act of 1889 compeilingestatesof patientsof insane asylums to pay their maintananoea; rela. ting to dececdents estates.

The Senate on the 19th had its dally dose of the street railway bilL The Governor vetoed the bill taking power of appointment of members of the State Board of Health from the Governor and vesting in the Governor, Auditor and Treasurer ot State, giving as his reasons therefor tba the measure is clearly unconstitutional, and declaring that he would continue to make such appointments in accordance with the Constitution. Ths bill was promptly passed over the veto by a party vote in both houses. A bill providing for two loans of >700,000 each at 3)< per cent was passed. Senator Magee's bill to put the benevolent institutions of the State on a non-partisan basis was discussed and defeated by ayes 22, nays 26, Akin, Holland Fulk,'Howard, Kennedy, Kopelke, Magee Moore and Smith, Democrats, voting with the Republicans in favor of the bill. Bills passed: To correct mistake in the aot retoting to labor statistics; relative to wife’s Inheritance on death of her husband; exempting one-story buildings from the provisions of the law reuiring doors to swing outward; for the return of stolen property; abolishing water works boards in cities of loss than 5,000; for the protection of nests of birds; extending metropolitan police system to Evansville fire department; providing a penalty for spectators at prise fights; authorizing attorneys to release judgments; taking appointing power of State oil inspector from the Governor and vesting it in the State Geologist. The following bills were passed : Repealing the section of law requiring physio'* ians to take out license in county in which they practice; making State Geologist custodian of the battle flags ; authorizing funding of corporation indebtedness; re- , lating to mechanics liens .relating to gravel roads; establishing board of public works in Evansville; concerning organization of voluntary associations ; appropriating >45,525.11 for the Southern hospital; relating, to aid of township trustees. The vetoing of a bill by the Governor (see Senate) was re« ceived and the bill was promptly passed over the veto. The house took the fee and

salary bill in hand. The amendment providing that the bill shall not affect officers elected prior to the passage of the bill was presented. A vote to table was lost by yeas 47; nays, 40. A motion was then made to ■ substitute the minority for the majority report. The vote resulted, yeas, 46; nays, 47. A motion to have the law take eflect Aug. 1,1891 was tabled, yeas, 48; nays, 43. By this time the excitement was at fever heat, and the “immediate effect” members were getting pretty mad. Several of them attempted, fruitlessly, to get recognition to offer amendments and there were two or three motions to adjourn, which the Chair failed to notice. Amid the turmoil Mr. Zoefener was recognized with a motion that the bill be engrossed as amended, upon which motion he demanded the previous question. This demand was the signal for a burst of Indignation on all sides, and the scene was a lively one. Twenty members were on their feet clamoring for recognition and protesting against “gag” rule. It did no good, however, for the Chair calmly proceeded to put to vote the question of sustaining the demand for the previous question. A dozen members demanded the yeas and nays, but the Chair would not order a roll call, aa exercise of authority which Was greeted with howls j of indignation. The Chair declared the * demand sustained. Mr. Ader, the member from Putnam, waved his arms wildly and demanded to be heard. The disturbance grew worse, and the Chair pounded vigor., ously for order, telling the members that as soon as they quieted down he would proceed to business and not before. “You bad better keep order yourself,” shouted the indignant statesman from Ripley, Mr. Faulkner,who was boiling ove- with rage, and who shook his fist at tLe Speaker. i the •oafwrtoa had to boom esoeat

fcsMed the Chair ordered a roll call oa «be I tsoUao to engross the bill, aad it waade4 seated by a vote of 55 nays to 33 yeas There was a wild hurrah aad before it had fairly died away the House, at 6:20, adjodrned. The following bills were passed by the Senate on the 20th: Making It unlawful for any person to drive over free gravel roads where the same have been damaged by rains in wagons having one and a halfinch tires, more than I ounds; two-inch tires and weighing more than 2,000 pounds; three-iuoh tires an! weighing over 3, COO pounds; four-inchtires and weighing over 4,000 pounds; five-inoh tires and weighing over 5,000 pounds; making church wardens and vestrymens board of administration; authorizing city councils to condemn the rlghtof way occupied by railroads for the purpose of opening streets and alleys; authorizing city councils to reouire pawnbrokers to procure licenses, paying therefor any sum not more than *IOO nor less than *SO. On the 20th the fee and consumed the time of the House, where it was finally engrossed. The Senate talked long and hard on the 31st, but no bills were introduced or disposed of. The House on the 21st devoted most of the forenoon to the discussion of the taxation bill, A bill increasing the salaries of the wardens of both State prisons to $ ’,500 a year passed to its third reading. A bill providing a scheme of property assessment for street improvements, after having been amended so as to exclude Indiapolis. passed to its third reading. A bill authorizing the Auditor of State to sell a tract of two and one-half acres in Rush county, donated by the State years ago to Fairview Academy, which has been out of existence several years, was passed under suspension o f the rules. The bill regulating salaries of county commissioners was called up for engrossment but was buried beneath an indefinite postponement. The bill providing that cities may construct water works, natural and artificial gas plants and electric light plants, and pay for the pipe laying and wire stringing by assessments on the abutting property, etc., recently passed by that body was by motion recalled from the Senate. The following new bills were Introduced: A bill providing that the Governor shall appoint a commission of three lawyers, of whom the Attorney-General shal be one, to examine the books of the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railway Company and report to the Governor how much is due the State from the company under the terma of its charter. It empowers the commission to employ an expert accountant and stenographer, and leaves the Governor to fix the time within which the work shall be done. A bill empowering women to vote at all regular and special municipal elections. A bill appropriating *350 to Hoilweg & Reese for supplies furs nished the Central insane hospital. A bill to legalize the incorporation of Marengo and its election of officers: to fix the time for the commencement and expiration of the term of the office of county treasurer, fixing the date on Jan. 1, after election, in all counties; providing for the relocation of county seats in Jackson and Jennings counties upon popular election; permitting manufacturing, mining and building corporations to increase their capital stock by a vote of the stockholders; also: Preventing boards of directors of corporations from delegating their powers or fixing .their o.wu compensation; to forfeit the fees of public officers when Illegal charges are made.