Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1899 — STATE LAW MAKERS. [ARTICLE]

STATE LAW MAKERS.

Albert J. Beveridge was nominated for United States Senator by the Republican caucus Tuesday night on the eleventh ballot. The “field” combined on him. and he received 48 of the 89 votes. J. Frank Hanly received 35 and Frank B. Posey 0. Roberts, Taylor and George W. Steele threw all their support to Beveridge. In order to expedite business the House and Senate on Tuesday determined to hold only half-day sessions for the next fourteen days. The members arc thus enabled to dispose of bills in committee more rapidly, and it is believed that all work will be advanced. The controversy between the State and aon-State schools was brought to the fore a bill introduced on Tuesday for the reorganization of the State Board of Education. It provides that there shall be aine members, no more than four of whom shall be of one political party, the Governor and the superintendent of public instruction being ex-offlcio members. Representative Kirkpatrick offered a bill which is designed still further to limit the liquor traffic. Section 1 makes it unlawful for county commissioners to grant licenses to sell liquor in the residence districts of any city or town. To make this binding it is provided that any license so granted shall be void. It is also provided that county commissioners who violate the provisions of the act shall each be fined in any sum not exceeding SIOO, to which may be' added Imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding thirty days. The bill went to the Committee on Temperance. At Wednesday’s session of the Legislature many bills were introduced. Representative Kerwood offered a bill making an appropriation of SIOO a month as a pension to Lucinda M. Morton, widow of Oliver P. Morton. The bill prepared by Gov. Mount, the State superintendent of public instruction and the State statistician providing for the study of agriculture in the common schools was introduced by Representative Barlow. In the Senate Mr. Nausbaum introduced a bill making it the duty of the Attorney General to visit every county in the State either personally or by deputy once each quarter and make an examination of the county books. It has been decided by the Republican majority that the State shall not be redistricted for congressional or legislative purposes at this session. In order that some remedial legislation may be accomplished on county and township expenditures, Representative Roots introduced a bill on Thursday which is less extreme in its, provisions than the measures framed by the State commisThe bill provides for a purchasing board in each county, composed of township trustees and the county superintendent, whose duty it will be to meet once each year and pass upon all proposed expenses for the term of twelve months. All expenditures not so passed upon are made illegal and uncollectajblc. All warrants must be signed by the president of the board, and another officer purchasing supplies outside of the authority of the board is subject to removal. The promised campaign of the equal suffragists of the State took definite shape Friday in the form of resolutions introduced both in the House and the Senate asking for an amendment to the State constitution giving women the right of suffrage. The proposed amendment is to section 2 of article 2 of the organic law. The resolutions provide that there shall be no distinction as to sex in conferring the right to vote. Representative Furness of Porter County introduced a bill which provides that the State shall pay a bounty of 1 cent per pound on all beet sugar produced in the State. A committee representing the non-State colleges began an earnest canvass of the members of the Legislature in the interest of the bill for the reorganization of the State Board of Education. Both houses adjourned to Monday. The first contest in the House came Monday afternoon over a bill that is designed to enable the executive to deal with the Roby racing people. The bill provides that in cases of repeated violation of the State statutes, places in which the violations occur may be declared a nuisance, and also that injunctions may be secured against them without giving bond. Representative Knotts of Lake County opposed the bill, but was beaten at all points, and it went to engrossment. While the bill is aimed directly at Roby, it is also designed to cover violations of the natural gas laws. Another temperance measure was introduced in a bill declaring that the possession of a Government license to sell liquor shall be prima facie evidence of such sales, and where the person holding it has not taken out local licenses his place may be declared a nuisance and abated as such. Bills for the appointment of a State boiler inspector, a State etymologist and a commission to prepare a general plan for redistricting the State for judicial purposes were introduced.