Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1895 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

In the House, Feb. 4, the morning hour was devoted to a debate over the bill to abolish the office of county assessor. The bill was recommitted. Bill 330, providing for election of county August was favorably-reported. The committee on the affairs of the city of Indianapolis reported favorably the Senate kill prohibiting the opening of streets or the construction of streetcar lines through any Marion county cemetery. Similar action was taken on Mr. Leedy’s bill permitting the police to sell stolen property at auction After it has been unclaimed for a certain period. At the afternoon session Mr. Leedy was in the Chair in the absence of Speaker Ad ams The Adams drainage bill and a bill providing for i State board of arbitration Wpre favorably reported. Billingsley’s bill, Concerningtaxation. was indefinitely postponed. Nir. Leedy’s bill, appropriating money for street paving claims, went through, and the Wishard Senate bill, exempting cemeteries from taxation, was lent back with a favorable indorsement. I’he military bill, reorganizing the State militia, came up for passage. Mr. Mclendy. chairman of the -committee, explained the features of the measure, after offering an amendment allowing the GovArnor to draw on the State funds for any unusual military expense necessitated by ?xtraordinary troubles in the State. Mr. Statesman thought the committee on ways and means should’consider the appropriation feature of the bill, as a large jumof money was involved. Mr.Stiitesmafii was not in favor of so large an appropriaigtion as $75,000. Mr. Leedy moved to send the bill t.o the .ways and means committee with nstrnctions tucut the appropriation from $75,000 to $40,000. Mr. Leedy saw no reason for doubling the amount of the appropriation. Chairman Melendv, of the committee, who has been a militiaman for Seven .years* detailed the necessary expenses of the brigade of more than 3,000. Mr. Leedy expressed the opinion that men (vent into’ the Voluntary service from patriotic motives and not to secure extensive equipments. If the officers showed a disposition to resign on account of a low ap? propriation, others would take their places: the State would not be left unprotected. Mr. Dinwiddle favored a moderate appropriation. Mr.. Robinson was ipposed to the appropriation of such a -large sum as $75,000. Mr. M elend y concluded the debate. He denied that patriotism would put down mobs. In Lake county, for instance, lie said the people were more in sympathy with the mob. The previous question was urged and the House substitute. A vote was then taken on the $40,)0() amendment of Mr. Leedy’s and it failed for lack of the required Cwo'-thirds vote. Mr. Allen wanted the enacting clause of the journment was taken with the amendment and references still pending. Ift the Senate at the morning session. Fob. 5, the bill to establish a Superior Court in Madison county passed—3B to 1. Senator Watson’s bill, providing that the lets of Justices of the Peacofwhose succeslors have been chosen shall be null and void, was passed. A number of bills were uigrossed. At tho afternoon session S. B. 13 to lacilitate the build ing’of gravel roads ivas passed. Senator Bird's dog tax bill was the occasion for much sportive donate. Senator Cranor opposed the measure which he said was “an act to counterAct the effect of the Democratic tariff act n its direful influence on the sheep industry and to lay the blame on tho poor de’cnseless poodle.” The bill was passed, aowover. Tho usual grist of new bills was introduced, the most important bemg: By Senator Vail—Requiring landiwners to cut weeds on public highways between July 1 and Aug. 20 of each year; By Senator Vail —Providing that when property is destroyed by mob or riot the :ounty in which the property was situAted shall pay the amount of the damage, cut if the property was situated in an inlorporated town the.town shall payhalf. In tho House, Feb. 5, tho greater part of she morning hour was devoted to the miitia bill, which was finally sent back to ;he committee with instructions to cut the jppropriation from $75,003 to $45,000. McJaskey’s bill for a State Boiler Inspector ‘.time up on special order and was defeated -74 to 15. Mr. Leedy’s bill for a firemen’s tension fund in cities-where a paid-lire lepartment was maintained was considireii. Speaker Adams referred, in a feeling nanner. to the dangerous work of firemen, i serious conflagration immediately opposite the State House then in progress ■erving to emphasize his remarks. Mr. Leedy made a strong and effective speech n behalf of the bill. On a vote the bill onssed—Bl to 8, In tho Senate, Feb. 6, a number of measures were passed, the most important being Senator Ellison’s—Prq,ziding for the care of abandoned children jy orphan asylums by Senator Haggard —Authorizing cities and towns to refund ndebtedness; by Senator Bozeman—Pro -acting money and property bequeathed for benevolent purposes. Senator Bird’s Dill for increasing salaries of commissionms of Allen county to $1,200 per annum was lost The judiciary committee reported a rigid building and loan association law and the Senate approved the report in spite of the objections of Senator tfail. Thirteen new bills were introduced, the most important being by Senator Gif'ord providing that an applicant for divorce must have beefi a resident of the State for two years and of the county for fix months. In the House, Mr. Merritt occupied the Speaker’s chair in the absence of Mr. Adams. Committee reports occupied jearly the entire day. Mr. Mclntosh’s bill for the levying of a tax for the State ■dueational institutions was reported 'avorably and sent to the ways and means iommittee. , Mr. Becker’s bill fixing the a umber of trustees for Purdue was also passed, as was Mr. Merritt's bill for printng the papers of the Academy of Science. The amount was cut to SI,(XX>. The lommittee on education amended the pill of Mr. Harris providing for the itudy of narcotic effects of stimulants be idded; that after tho termination of the present school book contract all textPooks shall contain extonsive instruction is to these effects and teachers shall be ixamined upon them before being given a jertiticate. Mr. Cardwiil’s bill for transerring from the prisons to the insane in■titutions all insane prisoners was favorably reported. Mr. Stakebake's county JommLsioner bill was reported favorably, is was Mr. Leedy’s bill exempting itigaipts from the- effect of the egalizing annexation bill for amendnent to the city charter. The Davis insurance bill to prevent agents rom soliciting for foreign brokmage firms was favdrably reported, is were Mr. Holloway's veterinary colege bill and Mr. McGregor’s billconcernng tho second usage of casks for food, products. The railroad committee teported McCaskey’s 2-cent fare bill imendel to fix the rate at 2'4 cents a nile. Mr. McCaskey submitted a minor-ty-report in favor of the 2-cent rate. The Nicholson temperance bill came up, but ifter extended debate was sent back to ;he temperance committee for further conlideration. Two reports on this bill were mbmitted. The majority report favored ts relegation to the judiciary committee, vhlle tho minority a«R<*d that it be retommitted to tho temperance committee, vhich was agreed to by an almost unaninons Vote. The Senate, Fab. 7. convened without a |uorum. r Prayer by Rev. Mr. Hendrick--K>n. Senator CrumpaakeP offered a joint •esolutiop ordering the Stfito Librarian « turn over to tho Fifteenth Indiana In’antry a haitleflag presented to it bv the comrn of Laporte county for the reginent’s valor at Stone river. Tho Veterans’ Association of the Fifteenth Indiana Infantry is to be the custodian of the flag vhlch must be kept in Indiana. The res-

olution was adopted. At this jnnctnri the Denison House was announced to bq on fire and the Senate hurriedly adjpurned. At the afternoon session them was a small attendance. The judiciary committee renorted on a number of bills. The committee killed many of these. Senator Sweeney’s bill, relating to long and short hauls by railroad companies, called forth two reports—the majo'ity ireport being against the bill,. Senator Boyd introduced a rej-olution for the investigation of Superintendent Alexander Johnson’s management at the School for Feeble-Minded Youth, Ft. Wayne. Sen~ator Ellison moved io have a special inVestigatian committee of tiveappoint'eiTto look into the affairs of the institution. Ho said that the committee on benevolent institutionswas prejudiced against Superintendent Johnson. He said that one member of the committee had a personal spite against Johnson. Senator Bbyd jumped to his feet and demanded the name of tiie member referred to. Senator Ellison replied that it was Boyd, and that he had been hounding Johnson, Senator Boyd replied that the charge was “false, untrue and could not be substantiated.” There was general excitement among the Senators. Mr Boyd’s resoention was adopted^On_the roll call for bills Senator O’Brien introduced a new fee and salary bill, based entirely on population. The bill was referred to the fee and salary committee. In the House, Feb. 7, "Mr. Merritt was again in the chair, Speaker Adams having appointed him Speaker pro tem. Amend? ments to citv charter of Evansville were submitted by consent. The charter, which is a duplicate of the Indianapolis charter, is changed so as to require the cost of all street in tersections to be paid out of tiie general fund and the cost of all main sewers to be paid out, of the g'neral fund. The rules were suspended for the passage of the bill; and, while it was being read the third time, the House was notified that tiie Denison Hotel was. on fire, and adjourned in a stampede. At tiie afternoon session tiie Evansville charter amendment bill was again taken u)> and passed—76 to 6. Rep. Leedy introduced a joint resolution authorizing the committee on prisons and benevolent Institutions to investigate the methods of purchasing supplies for the various institutions; to ascertain whether or not supplies were purchased from lowest bidders. In explanation of tho resolution Mr. Leedy said that there was no politics in it. He said that contractors had reported that contracts were not awarded to the lowest bidders. The resolution was adopted. The counties were called for the introduction of pew business. Many petitions for the passage of the Nicholson bill were presented, and several new bills were introduced. Rep. Howe introduced a bilHo require mining companies to nay Their employes every taro weeks: —T+re~ Senate Soldiers’ Home bill was ?ent to the committee on ways and means— The Remy greenback taxation bill was passed under a suspension of the rules. LEGISLATIVE NOTES, 'f; '', A proclamation was issued, Saturday by Gov. Matthews, calling for a special election in Kosciusko andJWabash counties to select a successor to the l»*e Senator J. D. Thayer. The election will be held February 19. Four hundred and twenty bills have been introduced in the House, and; three hundred in the Senate.

The House. Wednesday, unanimously adopted Mr. McCrea’s resolution of condolence and sympathy relative to the death of Gen. Manson. Senator Seller’s amendment to the election law provides watchers from all political parties to be present in the voting place all election day. It stipulates that rejected ballots be preserved. Senator McLean, when the measure was called up, Wednesday, moved that the amendment bo amended so that watchers will not be present while votes are being received. This was adopted, and the bill was referred back to the committee. Secretary Oglesbee. of tho Senate, received a dispatch, Wednesday, that his office at Plymouth, with all its contents, li ad been destroyed by fire the night before. The Senate elections committee reported unanimously in favor of allowing Senator Rinear (Dem.) to keep his seat. Governor Matthews sent to tiie legislature a message from Gov. McKinley of Ohio asking that Indiana participate in the centennial celebration of Wayne’S treaty wit h the Indi ans so r the Northwekt territory, which will be held at Greenville, 0., Aug. 3. The message also asks that a suitable tablet be prepared. Speaker Adams was confined to his bed with a severe cold for several days.