Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1895 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

In the Senate, Feb, 18, twenty-one Senators were present when President Nye called for order. Senator- McCutcheon isked that the reading of the minutes be iispensed with, but the motion was voted down, and Harry Bertch began in a faltering voice to read. In a short time Senator Shively again asked that the reading of the journal be dispensed with. 1 Senator Kern called attention to the fact that not since the, session began had the journal been read, and "more than that,” said the Senator from Marion, “the committee whose business it is to inspect the journal has not done so, something unprecedented in the history of Indiana Legislatures.” Mr. Kern said the Senate had been passing laws for forty days, and yet hot a member knows how his vote is recorded. Senator Newbyjchairman of the Inspection committee, said that he had read the journal himself—at least 400 pages of it. He found it correct. Senator Gifford said he knbw nothing of the record. The vote was demanded, A few Republicans arose. “The steering committee is demanding that the Republicans vote,” laughed Senator Kern.. “Simon jays wig wag.” exclaimed Senator Gifford. Senator Shively and other members of the “steering committee” urged the Republicans to vote against the-reading "OT did, The reading was’dispensed with by a party vote. Senator Dunean’s bill to provide funds for Indiana University. Purdue University and the Indiana State Normal School was considered. The total amount asked for Is about 1180,000. A message from the Govermor was received, asking that the charges! against Alexand&f Jbiinson.su perintendent of the School for FeebleMinded youth, be condacted at the institution by a committee controlled by no other motive than to arrive at- facts. Senator Ellison offered a resolution directing the State Board of Charities to conduct the investigation in accordance with the Governor’s recommendations. Senator Boyd moved to reject the resolution. Senator Ellison reiterated the charge that &t least one member of the committee was actuated by malice, and declared the impossibility lor a fair and impartial hearing. Senator Newby took decided ground against delegating to another body a work that had been undertaken by a regularly aut.ho.ized committee. In the meantime Governor Matthews had come on the floor of Senate and was coaching the Democratic Senators. Senator McHugh spoke against thb resolution. The Ellison resolution was rejected,, and then Senator Parker introduced a resolution providing that the committee on benevolent institutions should appoint a sub-committee of three members to go to Fort Wavne for the purpose of making a full and complete investigation. This resolution was also opposed. Senator Kern warned the majority that they were abont to make Johnson the biggest man in the State by making a martyr out of him, but even this threat did not go, and the resolution of Senator Parker wasxlefeateff by a strict party vote. The investigation, therefore, of the Fort Wayne School for the Feeble-minded will be conducted by the committee on benevolent institutions on the lines on which it has been begun.

The House, Feb. 18, was opened with prayer by Rev. Mr. Brown, pastor of the Friends’ church. No quorum' present. Reports of committees were submitted. The -onlydiscussion-arose on thereport upon Stotscnberg’s preference of creditor bill No. 119. The report went up in two parts, each signed by four members. Upon the question of which should be considered the, majority report, the Speaker ruled that the one the Chairman signed would bo hold to be the majority report. Mr. Stakebake immediately asked to sign this report. The majority report was adverse to the bill and the minority for it. A quorum being present. Speaker Adams recurred to the regular order and sent down House joint" resolution No, 1, providing for an amendment to Section 2, Article 2 of the Constitution so as to require a five years’ residence in tho State to be eligible to vote. This passed by an aye and nay vote of, ayes 67; noes, 11, the negative votes being all cast by Democrats. The foreign born members generally yoted in tho affirmative. House joint resolution No. 3, to amend Section 13, Article 2, Cardwill’s proposition to permit voting by machines, was passed by 65 ayes to 5 noes Speaker Adams Sent down IL IL 32. being Leedy’s fireman’s pension fund bill, together with the amendments which the Senate had engrafted bn the bill. Mr’j treed y said he believed the amendments made it a better measure and upon the House taking a vote upon concurrence with tilt* Senate's action, —the vote-was . unanimously for it. The bill only reeds the Governor’s signature to become, a law. Mr. Van Arsdel offered a resolution for an i investigation of the change in the’9l fee ! and salary law. Referred. Tho Soldiers’ tidmo bill camo up on third reading. Several amendments were offered and .the bill was referred to a special committee. The Senate. Feb. 19, was opened with prayer by Rev. Mr. Barnhill. Senator Wishard made reports on the apportionment bills. Senator Wray called up hi’ resolution demanding a report On his bill touching stock yards charges. The resolution was tabled. Newby’s bill concerning building associations was taken up. Senator Vail named Charles Kahlo as a man who was trying to get up a scheme that will drive all the smaller associations out of business. Senator Newby spoke in behalf of bis bill. He read the heading of that had been sentout by Indianapolis parties and denounced it as calculated to deceive. He denounced an alleged combination of building association men. He said he had petitions containing the names ot over ten thousand shareholders and borrowers and not the name of an officer among them. The debate was continued until the noon hour.- At the beginning of the afternoon Session Mr. Holler reported in favor of GoV. Matthews nnti-Roby bill against racing. Newby’s substitute billon building associations was adopted. Senator Seller moved to amend by prohibiting the issue of prepaid stock. Senator Kern offered an amendment fixing entire expense of any association at 13,500 a year. Senator Phare.%,proposed,j,hat the amount be fixed at, S7,O(X) per year. Senator Wishard objected to any legislation on tho subject. The bill was Anally recommitted to cor porations committee with instructions to prepare a substitute bill for all building association bills and amendments now pending. Tuesday, Feb. 19, was the “Sold day” In tho House. The galleries and every available place in the lobbies were crowded with visitors. At the opening oft the session Rep. Mclntosh introduced a bill to abolish the Soldiers’ Monument, Commission. The bill wa, passed under a suspension of rules—76 toll. Rules were suspended and the bill to repeal the legislative apportionment of 1893 was received. Report of committee recommending its passage was concurred in. Rules were again suspended and tho hill was passed. Rep. Newhouse introduced the Wishard legislative apportionment act. The majority report recqminoiided that the bill be passed. Rojo Stutsenburg, for tho Democratic minority, submitted a lengthy report protesting against any reapportionment as being directly in conflict with the constitution at tins’ time. Rep. Stotsenburg moved that the minority, report be substituted for the majority report, and on this demanded tlio yeas 'and nays. The motion was defeated—yeas, 72; nays, 19. Five Republicans—Reps. Dinwiddle,'Harriott. Gibson, ilpwe and Mclendy—rc-fu-ed to stand by the caucus action and voted with the Democrats. The majority report was concurred in by a vote of 73 to 16. On this call three Republicans—Reps. Marriott, Howe and Mclendy—voted with tho Democrats. Tho report wf tlio corqmltteO having been disposed »f. the rules were suspended

and the bill was put on its passage. The bin was p£s3e<Tny the foliofvTh'g v3tet Yeas. 73; nays. 18. The following Republicans voted with the Democrats against the bill: Coates, Garriott, Gibson, Howe and Melerrdy. At It o’clock the Nichelson bill came. up. Mr. Nicholson spoke tn favor of the bill. Mr. Wilson opposed the bill, and said its. passage would hurl the Republican party out of power. He instanced the States of lowa and Kansas as having suffered from temperance legislation. He objected, he said* to the section requiring screens to be removed upon the ground that he did not want his son to see respectable men, leaders in business, church and society, in saloons drinking Mr. Nicholson asked him what section of the" bill required this in legal hours of business. The question was not answered, and Mr. Nicholson said: “The bill only requires screens to be removed during il- _ legal hours.” Mr. llowc of Morgan next addressed the House. He furnished a great deal of amusement to the listeners. He referred to a saloon as an “infernal machine.” Mr. Howe’s argument was in favor of the bill. Mr. Holloway. Mr. Robinson and Mr. Leedy offered amendments. The House then adjourned. In the afternoon the House went into committee of the whole to consider the bill. Speaker Adams called Rep. Merritt to the chair. The famous bill No, 165 was... then read—tn- its entirety and taken up section by section. Under the second section an amendment was offered by Mr. Holloway. This section defines the room in which liquors are to be Sold and provides that there shall be no other business of any kind, ho amusements and no music. He said the section as it stood would tramp the life <>ut of the socia 1 pleasures-of the Ger - mans and if the Republican party dared to do that it would be a long day before the Republican party would have an opportunity to make another law for Indiana. Mr. Nicholson objected to the Holloway amendment and when asked what he proposed to do with the Germans Mr. Nicholson they could organize as clubs. Mr. Willoughby denounced the bill in its entirety, saying its passage will down the Republican party in the State. Finally a vote was reached, on the Holloway amendment and it was lost—34 to 50. Mr. Leedy’s amendment was the first to come up at the night session. It gives saloons the privileged having music that is ground out by automatic machines. The object of this amendment, according to Mr. Leedy, was to prevent the conlis--catiop of .expensive machines owned by saloonkeepers in the State. The amendment was lost by a27to 38 vote. Section 4of the bill was killed. Section 5 requiring blinds to be taken down during unlawful hours came up, but tho House adjourned before a vote was reached.

Rev. Mr. Van Buskirk opened the Senate with prayer, Feb. 20. Bills on third ' reading were the order. The Soldiers’ Home bill, as passed by the House, was called up, and the amendments were concurred in. The bill is now ready for the Governor’s signature. Boiler inspector bill was defeated. The afternoon session of the Senate opened without a quorum. Thc com m i ttee on military a ffa irs re--ported favorably on Senator Boyd’s bill to appropriate money to erect monuments on the Chickamauga battlefield. The committee increased the appropriation from $39,090 to <50,000. At the night session t-he Republican caucus bill for appointment of metropolitan police commissioners was introduced. Senator Holler introduced a bill for tho preservation of forests. Senator Holler has disco vered th at there are between 15,000 and 20,000 acres of miandered lands in the State. The timber has nearly all been cut off these lands I>y persons with no right to do so, The title of the landsis in dispute bnt it is presumed to be, with the State. The bill introduced provides for the appointment by the Auditor of State of aboard of three commissioners to investigate the matter; and where able to quiet tho title to the State. The Auditor is required to report to tho Senate two years hence as to the legislation needed to restore those forests and to preserve forests on other lands belonging to the State. A number of unimportant bills were passed. The quorum being broken, the Senate adjourned. Rev. Dr. Lucas opened the House session Feb. 20 with prayer. Bill to amend the tax laws was passed. Only one vote was cast against it. BilFtd amend thelaw under which toll roads are purchased by counties was passed unanimously. Robinson’s bill to enable the Gsvernor to "more effectually discharge his duties,” was passed —52t031. Nearly all the Democrats voted against the bill. The House then went into committee of tho whole to consider the Nicholson bill. A number of minor amendments were offered to the 6th section, but they were killed. Section 7 was adopted without discussion. Mr. Holloway offered an amendment to the Bth section, extending license in case of death of licensee. It was voted down. The 9th section, which is the local option section, was then taken up. Mr. Holloway amended by requiring the signers of the remonstrance to be legal voters o f the precinct or township. This went down to defeat. Mr. Pettit at this point made a speech, as he said, in behalf of the Republican party, in which he denounced Col. Eli Rilter as a traitor and enemy of the party who was urging the passage of this bill as a means to disrupt the party. Mr. Holloway made a last appeal for a milder bill. He said he had tried to get tho bill modified and had failed. The vote was taken and the amendment of Mr. Pettit was adopted in its modified condition. The tenth stiction was taken up. Mr. Williams offered the amendment which provided for high license, fixing tho saloon license in the State at not less than $5iX) per annum, and allowing cities to fix an additional license of $509 per annum. In talking on his amendment Mr, Williams merely referred to the revenue that would accrue to the State. Mr. Nicholson objected to the amendment and Mr. Pettit said it had no place in the bill. The amendment was defeated. Mr. Adams moved to strikeout the emergency clause, and this was done without argument by an almost unanimous vote. This will put the law in operation about June 15. The bill, as amended, was concurred in by the committee of the whole and itarose. At tho night session a largo number of bills were advanced to engrossment. Tho anti-expense fund people on the building and loan association question gained a signal victory. No one was expecting any important move on the bill and it suddenly came up. The anti-expenso fund people were all present. As a consequence. when the Stonsenburg bill came up for engrossment Mr. Remy introduced a substitute, which was put to a vote and passed. The bill as awnded was engrossed, and building and loan legislation is now settled so far as the House is concerned. The Senate was called to order at 9:30, Feb. 22. A few bills on third reading were disposed of. At 10 o’clock, the members of the Senate, with President Nyo and Doorkeeper Fawcett at their head, marched down in a body and met the body of Minister Gray at the front entrance of tho capital. They stood in two lines stretching north along the corridor and when the cortege bearing the casket and the military escort had passed through and takbn their station the members of the Senate countermarched and were the first to view the remains. In the House, Feb. 21, Mr. Moore's anticompact insurance bill casne up. Mr. Willoughby proposed an arrfondment to include life as well as fire insurance. Mr. Leedy defended the bill and opposed the Willoughby amendment upon the ground that life insurance companies were not in a cbmbine and a reference to them had no place In the bill. “Wo will deal with them in another bill.” said he. Mr. McBeth. of tho insurance committee. ‘ announced th'at within the past two j months t here bud been in Indianapolis 109 I fires, which had destroyed property upon which there was insurance amounting to

| f335,n00, amountof annually. The bill went to engrossment. Mr. Robinson.’s anti-pass bill was engrossed without amendment. The House then adjourned to participate In the obsequies of ex-Goy. Gray.--LEGISLATIVE NOTES. The Soldiers’ Home bill from th? Senate was passed by the House, Feb. 19. As the amended Senate bill now stands the title to the land donated by Lafayette citizens must be vested in the State, The appropriation for the home is cut from SIOO,OOO to $76,000. The monthly allowance to the home for each soldier fs cut to $10.53, and the salaries of the commandant and his assistant are placed at SI,OOO and SBOO, respectively. A residence of at least in the State is required as a qualification for admission. The bill will probably be passed by the Senate as amended by the House. The House ways and means committee, Tuesday night, adopted an appropriation bill. A general reduction of 10 per cent, was made over two years ago. If the report is adopted a saving of $213,000 will be made over the last appropriation. A reduction of aver 2 cents will bo made in the school tuition fund rate if the. recommendations of the committee are followed, and it may bethat the general rate r may be reduced tcent; Some of the principal items in the appropriation bill are as follows: Governor’s office, including S6OO for house- rent, $16,140; Supreme Judges, $20,000; Central Insane Hospital. $234,000; Northern Hospital, $110,060; Southern Hospital. $106,500; Eastern Hospital, $140,000; Blind Institute. $30,000: Deaf and Dumb Institute, $54,836; Feeble-Minded School, $103,300; Indiana University, $40,000; State Normal, $30,000; Purdue, total, $91,001; Prison South, $90,000; Prison North, $101,500. A. C, Manwaring has been elected Senator from Wabash and Kosclusko.counties to succeed the late Senator Thayer. Mr Manwaring arrived jat the capital Feb. 21. At a meeting of the Senate committee to investigate the School for FeebleMinded, Thursday night, it was decided to conduct the inquiry at Fort Wayne. Superintendent Johnson was present and stated that he desired the fullest investigation possible. A sub-committee of three was appointed to conduct the inquiry at the institution. The local option section of the Nicholson bill, as amended, now requires a remonstrance against each applicant for a saloon license. The remonstrance must be in writing and signed by a majority of the residents--of -the township or ward, and it would seem easy to dcfe at it by changing the name of the applicant.