Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1875 — INDIANA A STATE LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA A STATE LEGISLATURE.

Sen a tv., .1 au. 12.—The Chair announced the standing c ommittees of the Senate.... Bills were introduced—making the property and earnings of the wife free from the control of the husband; amending the Marriage'act.... The bills heretofore introduced were referred to the appropriate committees.... In the afternoon bills were introduced—holding the principal responsible for accidents to employes resulting n • >m the negligence of the employer; repealing the law creating a 'Tree-banking department in ' o' office of Auditor of State.... Adjourned. House. —Thirty-six new bills were introduced; among others: To amend the Marriage act, civil code. Justice of the Peace act. Grand Jury system, and abolishing the same: act for incorporations of towns; Tax law. County Commissioners and Township Trustees laws. and per diem of members; providing for the employment of such teachers as. arc suggested by the people of the district: repealing the County Superintendent law-; providing lor uniform and equal freight tariffs upon railroads; authorizing the erection of a monument in memory of those who fell at the battle of Tippecanoe.. . .The bill appropriating $135,000 for legislative expenses was passed to a second reading... .In the afternoon bills one to forty-six were read a second time and referred. . .Nine new bills were introduced —amending the Civil Code, “ Justice act, per diem of members, the act for the incorporation of towns.... Adjourned. Sesate, Jan. 13. —Message received from the House announcing the passage of Havens’ Louisiana resolutions .... Resolutions passed—authorising the Secretary of State and Chairman of Printing Committee to contract for necessary printing until other arrangements are made; requesting the Auditor of State to. report the number of insurance certificates issued to foreign compauies ....Bills were introduced —for fencing railway tracks; relating to promissory notes and fixing legal holidays; amending the Fish law; admitting colored children to white schools where no separate school is provided; authorizing ' husband and wife to testify or or again -t each other; fixing salaries of coui iy officers at from SI,OOO to $1,500, according to population; establishing City Courts in cities not county seats; amending Sec. 8 of Real Property Alien at iou act; providing for trials in change of venue against a Jut ge; to repeal law imposing taxes on dogs; for the inspection of all coal 0i15.... The St.te Auditor reported the cost of Brener Reports for the years 1865 to 1873, inclusive, as $36,257.25....1n the afternoon a bill was introduced making the robbery of graveyards a crime to be punished by a fine * not exceeding SI,OOO and imprisonment for twenty years.... Adjourned. House.—Bills were introduced —for fencing railway tracks; amending the act relating to Supreme Court Reporter.... Resolutions were introduced —Instructing for an asylum for incurable insane; opposing further increase; of Circuit Courts; requesting the committee to report a bill at once reducing the compensation of members.... The joint resolution censuring the Government for its inference in Louisiana matters was ad op ted to 87.... A number of temperance petitions were presented and referred ... .In the afternoon bills were introduced—to incorporate the State Horticultural Soci-

ftty ; fixing the number of Senators at twentyflve and the Representatives at fifty.... Adjourned, Senate, Jan. 14.— Sundry temperance petitions were presented.... Bills were introduced—authorizing banks to make assign* ments; providing for the removal of public officers addicted to intemperance; 'authorizing the transfer of the bank fund to the general fund; preventing discrimination by railroads; fixing Judges'salaries; for constructing fish-ladders at county expense.; authorizing the ergstrizationoH-«nr|**meeting-asso-ciations; requiring a vote »f the people as a condition precedent to the expenditure of more than #5,000 for public improvements by County Commissioners:” repealing the Railroad Aid law in river and border counties; regulating the sale of patent medicines; modifying the Divorce law so as to allow parties to testify against each other. ..At the afternoon session the contested election cases of Walker r*. Lowe and Jeffries -><*. Baxter were referred... .Resolutions were passed setting apart Wednesday, the 20th, for the diseussion of the local-option clause in the bill to be reported by the Temperance Committee.... Adjourned. House.—Bills were introduced—fixing passenger fares on railroads at three cents per mile and freights at five cents per ton per mile when carried thirty miles or more; requiring county officers to accoouut for interest on public moneys; that two-thirds of a jury can return a verdict, signed by the foreman; fixing the legal rate of interest at 6 jht cent,; providing for the collection of wares every thirty days; protecting pigeons while nesting; authorizing the issue of bonds for county buildings ...Sundry temperansepetitions were ofl'e red.... Resolutions were adopted in.memory of the late Superintendent of Public Instruction, Hon. M.B. Hopkins- .... The Committee cu Railroads ’were instructed to report how much the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad owes the school fund.. ..Adjourned. Senate, Jan. 15.— Bills were introduced—allowing foreign administrators tosell real estate in this State; to enforce the collection of* employes’ wages; requiring the publication in county l papers of allowances by commissioners; making desertion of wife and children without good cause a misdemeanor; fixing the number of grand and petit jurors at six; allowing Justices of the Peace-to imprison for costs as well as for tines ....A bill passed extending credit on sales of land under assignment to two years instead of nine months, as at present. .-.Adjourned to the ISth. House. —Bills were introduced—increasing clerks of committees; providing rewards for killing wolves and foxes; relating to contracts made by married women; to aßow prosecuting attorneys to arrest persons upon the evidence of three persons as to an alleged criminal act, so as to prevent the frequent summoning together of’ grand juries; dividing counties into three grades, according to population, and fixing salaries for all officers; making libel a misdemeanor punishable with fine and imprisonment, and creating a sinning fund of #20,000 per year for the State Normal 5ch001....A resolution to instruct the Committee on Temperance to reporta local-option law was tabled—so to 34.... Adjourned. Senate, Jan. 16 —Not in session. House. — Bills were introduced—establishing County Courts and abolishing Boards of Commissioners; making the legal rate of interest 0 per cent; defining abortion as felony, with a penalty of from one to ten years’ imprisonment; repealing the law of Into for the publication of the allowance of County Commissioners; removing the disabilities of married women as to contracts.... A resolution to amend the State law so us to have the State Board of Education prescribe the text-books to be used in the schools of the State xvas defeated V resolution was introduced affirming the --even constitutional amendments passed by the last Legislature... .Adjourned.