Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1893 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Senate convened at 11 a. m., Monday. Rev. Taylor prayed some. Bill requesting members of Congress to use their influence to secure a department of labor was lost. Resolution for election of United States Senators by the people direct was recommended by committee. Roll call for bllls brought out a flood of new measures mostly relating to G. A. R., which were referred. Chairman of committee on benevolent institutions stated that eight bills referred to his committee had been lost and asked for substitutes. Report providing for location of Indiana soldiers at battle of Chicamauga was adopted. Number of bills passed to second reading, Bill for settlement of decedent’s estates was engrossed. Bill legalizing action of trustees of Centerville passed. Resolution relating to Hatch bill now pending In Congress was passed. Bill for building workhouses in county seats of 5,000 inhabitants was killed. Bill relating to stoppage of trains at stations was referred. Bill relating to election of successors to present county officers was killed. Bill to vest appointing power in Governor was amended to exclude State Librarian and Custodian and engineer of State House by unanimous vote. Bill limiting powers of township truster* was killed. Adjourned. House was opened at 11 a. m. with prayer by Rev. Sawyer. No quorum present. Bills and memorials were presented, among which were: Allowing preferred building association stock to be issued; preventing horse racing for more than sixty pays at a time; amending charter of Indinapolis. Speaker announced committee to investigate Roby raee track. Hord’s bill providing that employes shall not be discharged because they are union mon failed of engrossment. Bill abolishing prison contract system was engrossed. Labor and Memorial day holiday bill passed to engrossment. Bill providing for restoration of records destroyed by fire passed. Message from Governor received vetoing H. B. No. 93, providing for continuance of cases ih court where attorneys are members of Assembly, and on vote bill failed to pass by constitutional majority and is lost. Heated debate ensued over call for reconsideration of Hord’s union labor bill, and a vote being taken reconsideration was carried. Bill requiring insurance companies to keep on deposit (50,000 or property of that value was engrossed. Senate opened Tuesday at 10 a. m. without prayer. Motion that Investigation of corporations loaning money in State be indefinitely postponed was adopted. Judiciary committee made numerous reports. Committee on roads recommended passage of bill to establish a soldier’s home. Committee recommended passage of bill regulating jurisdiction of county commissioners. Insurance committee reported against bill to form mutual protection associations. Committee on cities and towns favorably reported six bills. A dozen or more bills on roll call were fpassed to engrossment. Petition from Pomona Grange of Boone county asking that no appropriations be made was received with usual formality. Great deal of time consumed in consideration of bills on second reading. Bill to amend election law was continued. Adjourned. House was opened with prayer by Rev. Bryan. Numerous petitions and memorials were presented—one against the Roby race track. Judiciary committee reported in favor of passage of five bills, among which were: Concerning donation of lands to cemeteries; amending law concerning change of venue; concerning payment of turnpike bonds. Senate concurrent resolution for popular election of United States Senators unanimously adopted. Bill providing that insurance companies shall pay full amount of policy in loss by fire, passed. Bill regulating liability of common carriers was engrossed. Bill prohibiting winter horse racing was favorably reported. Bill to abolish relief association of Pednsylvania railroad was postponed. Discussion ensued on bill to amend homestead act, providing that a man shall not have (600 exemt if anyone has a claim against him for labor performed, and bill referred. Bill making Memorial and Labor Days legal holidays, passed. Bill to prohipit adulteration of food and drugs was given two reports by committee, majority favoring its passage. Large number of new bills introduced. Adjourned.

Senate was opened with prayer, Wednesday, by Rev. Bryant. Bill providing that county shall pay for bridges costing SSOO and over, and impowering Commissioners to assess persons directly benefltted, passed. Bill prohibiting sale of cigarettes passed. Extended debate on drug clerk bill and it was made special order for next Wednesday. Bill allowing State Board of Agriculture to own more than eighty acres of land passed. Bill concerning compensation of witnesses passed. Bill concerning release of mortgages passed. Bill providing for the appointment of special judges was postponed. Bill authorizing Commissioners to cover Into treasury all surplus revenue was unanimously passed. Bill defining powers of policemen passed to second reading. A general melee followed, in the midst of which a motion to adjourn was made and carried. House was prayed for by Rev. Butchell. Bills to amend school law and for transfer of insane convicts were introduced. Large batch of committee reports. Numbers of bills were killed. Concurrent resolutions asking Indiana members of Congress to support Hatch bill passed. Bills for regulating weighing of wheat and for the appointment of township engineer were favorably reported. Bill allowing children in thinly settled townships to attend school in adjoining townships was unfavorably reported, but was ordered printed. Resolution favoring American supremacy in Hawaii was refern'd. Report* from committees favoring the passage of largo number of bills received. Bill regulating the weighing of coal was favorably reported. McLean's resolution concerning ship canal was referred. BIH for electing superintendents of county poor farms was killed. Bill to regulate indebtedness represented by checks and drafts was killed. Bill to enlarge powers of prosecuting attorneys was postponed. Extended discussion of Mil to stop printing of sample ballots in newspapers was had and bfti was ordered printed. Bill to regulate liability of common carriers was passed Law amending the law tor granting license to teachers passed. BHI to pro-

teet hotel keepers was introduced. Adjourned. . Thursday’s session of the Senate open**!! without devotion, no parson having arrived. Senator Magee presided in absence of Lieutenant Governor.* Bittrefating to the violation of the fish law was unfavorably reported. Bill regulating payment of salaries of county officers was • nfavorably reported, and ordered printed. Bills for location of pffeltkm of Indiana ooldiera at Chickamauga, and for tho payment of short-hand reporters, in certain eases, were favorably reported. Bill to revise the statutes was indefinitely postnoned. Bill to appropriate(6o,soo to State Normal School was referred to finance committee from educational committee Thirty-five , petitions, asking for watchers on election, boards, were presented. Large number of new bills Introduced, among which were: For the enumeration of deaf mutes; for a monument to Gov. Jennings; granting women right to vote at city and township elections. Adjourned. J House was opened with prayer by T. A. Hild;eth. Members were in sportive mood as a result of the ball, Wednesday night, and “guyed” the journal clerk for fifteen minutes, after which the regular order was resumed. Many new bills were introduced. M any unimportant bills were killed or indefinitely postponed. Bill to regulatedepth of gravel on toll roads was discussed, but no action taken. Bill presented as a substitute, for one vetoed by the Governor, providing for continuance of cases in court where attorneys are members of the Assembly, passed. Bill providing for taxation of receipts of telephone and other corporaeions was referred. S. B. No. 39, legalizing incorporation ol the town of Markle, was passed. Bill changing time of holding township elections to November was recommended passed. Number of bills ordered engrossed. Several were killed. Bill for the relief of Chumworth, treasurer of Wabash county, who suffered loss by burglars, was adopted. Adjourned. Senate was opened, Friday, by Bishop Knickerbacker, according to the Episcopalian ritual. Lieutenant Governor Nye in the chair, after a day’s absence. Committee granted leave of absence to investigate Evansville hospital lor insane. Bill for forfeiture and repayment of money raised for railroad companies was favorably reported. Bill concerning attachments was unfavorably reported. Usual number of memorials favoring G. A. R. encampment appropriation were received. On roll call for new bills Senator Magee objected to introduction of any more new measures, but several were offered. Bill making pay of commissioners (5 instead of (3 a day was amended tb (4 a day and adopted. Bills were advanced to third reading. Bill enlarging powers of justice was engrossed. Bill for formation of mutual protective associations was postponed. Motion to adjourn caused debate of an hour, and as a result the Senate adjourned till 11 o’clock Monday. Immediately following opening House a resolution against extra session was passed by viva voce vote. Bills were introduced. Bill providing for analysis of commercial fertilizers passed. Bill to abolish contract prison labor system read a third time, and made special order for Tuesday at2o’clock Bill to stop printing of sample ballot in newspapers was engrossed. Bill to prevent trustees from moving school buildings without consent of a majority of patrons passed. Bill providing that railroad companies shall not make extra charge where passenger has not purchased a ticket was favorably recommended. Bill providing for removal of county seats was favorably recommended and made special 0.-dt r for next T. urslay. Bill providingfor appointment of township engineerwas engrossed. Adjourned till Saturday morning.