Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1899 — STATE LAW MAKERS. [ARTICLE]

STATE LAW MAKERS.

The Senate on Tuesday passed the bill under which it is proposed to settle the street railway controversy in Indianapolis. By this bill all franchises to operate street railways in the city are wiped out and the city is left to make a contract for a thirty-four year franchise with the reorganized Citizens’ company. It is provided in the law that if the city fail to contract with this company the franchise shall be sold at auction in January, 1900, to the highest bidder for a period of not more than thirty years. The bill for the condemnation of land for a waterway between Lake Michigan and Wolf lake, in order that a harbor for the city of Hammond might be formed in the latter, was killed in the Senate Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 27 to 19. The principal objection to the bill was that it placed the cost of making the waterway upon the adjoining land owners and that the city of Hammond alone would reap the benefit. Two years ago the bill passed both houses and was vetoed by the Governor. The Senate bill for the reorganization of the State Board of Education by the appointment of three additional members of the board by the a Governor, one of whom shall be a county superintendent of schools, passed the house on Friday. It ends a five years’ fight between the State and non-State colleges. The Winfield anti-trust bill, which passed the Senate two weeks ago, was killed by the House. This action makes it impossible to enact any anti-trust law this session. The Governor signed the bill to reorganize the present system of county government by providing for the establishment of county councils, also the bill to authorize machine voting and the bill to enable the city of Indianapolis to grant a new street railway franchise. Both houses spent Saturday mostly in passing humorous resolutions. Very lit-, tie business remained for this session. The Noel anti-lynching bill passed the Senate. It provides that lynchers may be prosecuted on information, and declares that when a prisoner Is taken from a sheriff and lynched it shall be prima-facie evidence that the sheriff was negligent, and proceedings to remove him from office may be brought by the Attorney General. The Glossbrenner primary election bill was killed in the Senate. The sixty-first session of the Legislature came to an end at 9 o’clock Monday might. The bill for general and specific appropriations for State purposes was signed by the Governor at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. During the day the Governor’s veto of the bill to pay the claim of the Vincennes University, amounting to $120,000, was sustained by the Senate, the body in which the bill originated. . A long telegram was received from the Legislature of Texas expressing its appreciation of the action of the Indiana body in directing the return of a flag captured from the “Texas rangers” during the civil wax. The following bills have been signed by the Governor: Authorizing depositions to be taken to probate wills. An act to regulate the manufacture and sale of commercial fertilizers. An act concerning public offenses and their punishment. An act concerning the tender of money. An act relating to husband and wife. An act fixing the time for holding court in the Forty-ninth judicial circuit. An act concerning pensions for disabled or retired policemen. An act concerning public officers and their punishment. To regulate the management of county asylums. Providing for a more uniform mode of doing township business. Providing that county auditors shall provide bulletin boards. To amend an act authorizing county treasurers to pay over to township trustees any unexpended funds, etc. To amend an act providing for the opening of highways, etc. To amend an act authorizing deputy county surveyors to perform the services of county surveyors. Providing a method of collecting certain judgments against railroad companies. To legalize the acts of the board of trustees of the town of Markle, Huntington County. To legalize the election of the board of trustees and other officers of Waynetowa, Montgomery County. Authorizing the board of trustees of the Indiana State Soldiers’ Home to sell certain lands. Regulating the use, maintenance and operation of natural gas pipe lines. To legalize the incorporation of the town of Castleton, Marion County. Concerning the veto power of mayors in certain cities. Concerning the collection of assessments for improvements of streets, alleys, sidewalks and other public places, etc. To legalize the incorporation of the town of Normal City, Delaware County. To amend section 4 of an act defining the Eighteenth judicial circuit, creating the Fifty-third judicial circuit, fixing the time for holding court in said circuits and providing for the appointment of judge for the Fifty-third circuit and the piosecuting attorney of the Eighteenth judicial circuit, etc. In relation to orders issued by cities of more than twenty thousand inhabitants on their treasuries.

To amend section 8 of an act entitled “An act concerning building and loan associations.” To amend section 24 of an act fixing the fees, salaries, duties and compensation of the officers and persons named therein, etc. To amend section 3 of an act concerning the sinking, safety, maintenance, use and operation of natural gas and oil wells, etc. To amend section 1 of “An act to provide for the opening, vacation and change of highways,” etc. To legalize the incorporation of the town of Georgetown, Floyd County. Regulating the allowance and payment of claims against incorporated towns and cities. To amend section 1 of “An act to amend an act, entitled ‘An act providing for the election and qualification of justices of the peace,’ ” etc. The House has passed the following bills: By Mr. Nusbaum—To provide for the inspection of nursery stock and to'create the office of State entomologist. By Mr. Gilbert—ln relation to the recording of the assignments of mortgages, etc. By Mr. Agnew—Prescribing the manner in which nominations to office shall be certified.

Prince of Wales Has No Peer. In the gentle art of changing clothes the Prince of Wales is probably without a peer. Among other things his royal highness is two princes, two dukes, two field marshals, an earl, a baron, eight knights, a great steward, a grand master, a colonel of guards, of horse, of foot and of artillery, an admiral, a highlander, a Trinity brother, a barrister, a bencher and an English gentleman. And he wears the costume and the orders of them all.