, 1865-02-01
Qbtfa96 Qrit:liie
OEn INDIANAPOLE; l,.TTER.
Proceedings Of the Indiana
Legislature.
4 Move to Expunge the Black Laws
of Indiana.

lFrom our Special Correspondent
ISDIAKAroL1s, Jan. 80 1864.
The subject Of bounties, and the leyying Of
taxes to pay them, has occupied much Of the
attention Of the Legislature during tho past
VI. eli. On Monday last Mr.. Bennet lUnion}
introduced bill into the Senate exenpting
from all taxation, to pay bounties, the prop.
e1ty Of soldiers and soldiers atmi1ies. The
bill was received with evident favor by the
Senate, without regard to political predi'ec-
tions, Was read twice and referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary. On Friday that
Committee returned the bill, and made the
following report through Mr.. Bennet, its
mover:
MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee Z fthe Judi
claIy. 10 whom was referred Senate Bill No. q,
entitled an act esenpf1nE certain real and per.
introduced hy Senator Bennet, have had the same
under consideration, md have directed me to re-
port the same back % the Senate, with the recon-
Thar they believe 1t to be unconstisuttonal. Sec,
1sf Of article 1oth Of the State Constitution Is a.
S1he General Assembly shall provide by law
for . uniform and equal rate Of assessment and
taxation; and shall prescribe such regulations as
shall secure 1ast valuation for taxation Of all
en5y fof municipal, edaeaons ltoty@ @ ,seisntie tt
feeess e9eptea sas'S iaa a. may be
hardships imposed upon that class Of our citizens
who have served In the armies Of the Uuited
States, BY the collection Of taxes from their prop
eaiy to Pr 9onntiss TO 1nduee other citizens
and while your committee unanimously and earn
cstly favor tho bill under consideration, upon pr-
eip'e, le. tts provisions arc 90 clearly IN contra
ycLnou Of the provisions Of the constitution
absvc rcticd. TINT they are reluctantly compelled
10 report against it's passsge:
Afr. Bonnet, on concluding the reading Of
the report, said that under the circumstances
be should 60 no further than to legalize what
bad already been done by counties Ia this re-
gard. Then he should stop, unless the Law
csuld be made to shield soldiers and their
families from the rigors Of an oppressive tax
alton for the purpose Of raising bouu ties to
Induce others TO perform the same service, OF
to prevent others from having to perform
for levyipg such tax (which Is doubtful) it
would probably be killed In the Scnate.
A bill to that effect was reported to the
House by the Committee on the Judiciary in
the carly part Of Inst week Its main fea-
turcs are as follows:
!. No county or clty IL permitted to LAY moro
:. city cannot add it. bounty to that paid BY
the county, but when city pays bounty It IS to
receive no benefit from the county appropriation
MI Mhie Is ea On the e. d oae
participate IN the county lund and taxation.
5 opsy r y bSua .Sst s sesei q
le:s thsn par, running not more than twenty mol
less thsn i've Ecars whish bonds are to bear inter,
Get at the rate OF fix per cent
!. An annual tax Is required to be levied suth
cicnt u pay the Interest 9pd not less than ve pei
rent. Of the principal; and If the tar for the ex'
tingnish,ng of the principal cannot before the sx.
cnas Il Q Or be- below thcF par va1ae lie bl1 autnor:
Ices It 10 be loaned real estate security Of moi
less than twice the value Of the loan or to be tenn
porari'y invested in the public debt OF this State
The bill was debated during the CRED b
portion Of Thursday and Friday, in Commit;
vigorous opposition from all quarters. Poll,
teal issues and predictions we're laid aside,
and the bill considered solely with reference
to the public welfare. Siesers. Kilgore,
{Tnion,) and Cotfroth, Ocm.D were promI:
nent in opposing its passage, and Me.sre.
Brsnbam and NcWconb, (Union.) aau Dur
ham, (Dem..) fought as hard iu Its iavor.
Several amendments were offered. ard the
whole matter WAS at last referred to select
committee Of seven.
A sharp little debate ensued on Thursday
in the House, In reference to Mr.. Fonske's
bill repeoling the act to prohibit evidence Of
more Of negro blood, Of March II, 1858, in
all cases where white persons are parties In
interest. The bill having been read second
tiule, Mr.. Coffroth moved to lay 1t on the To-
BILE, demanding the ayes and nays. They
were ordered and taken, resulting as follows
Ayes T., nays IS.
name was called, said that, while be vas
willing to do what woa propot 10 elevate the
negro race, he was not willing to place them
on an entire equality with white men. H.
M5. Meredith tun,on> Of vigo, stated that
while prosecutor, he had found cascs in which
the existing legal disability Of ncgrocs bad
covered up crime he therefore voted, no.
Mr.. NeWcomb {Union) Of Marion, voted no,
for the reason given By Mr.. Meredith, and for
others. He believed that black man WAS no
worse than man who had just come out ot
the pcnf>entiary. and would tell the truth Oh
the TitLess stand sooner than the latter.
After some further sharp hits, Mr.. Buskirk
moved that the bill be indefinitely postpnued.
Mr. Zeigler hoped the motion would not
prcyail. he wanted some action Ca It. lie
shou vote no, because he Was Dntchmau
and the same reason that would excluie q
negro from the witness stand, might exclude
Du!chman. The motion to postpone indie,
fnitely was lost-ayes IS, nays 50. Pending
the discussion, the House adjourned.
Another bill selntiyc to the exclusion oi
free co1o1+d persons from the State. has been
introduced into the Senate, providing for q
repeal Of all laws enacted to cary into effect
the 18th article of the Constitution. 4 pro.
position to repeal the aat1clc Itself is also
pending.
These facts indicate the feeling OF both
Houses in relation to the "black laws,'
which disgracc our statute book, and show
that We have an essentially different lcssisla
tute from that Of 1868.
The Common Pleas Court Is rs heretofore
the scapegoas Of the session. Half q dozen
petitions have been presented, and as many
it 20 be- great nuisance, which costs the
State So00 ,COope annum, md which might as
well be dispensed with. The Judiciary Com
mittee hare been Instructed to report q bill
to the House for that purpose, and it ia hoped
that It will be passed speedily and at once.
The salary Of the Judges is only g, 900 per
annum, and no man Of respectable legal at
decent lawyer can make e"threc times that
amount ont Of his practice, and IS conse-
quence the poor ones get 1t, and. administer
all sorts Of Justice.
Governor Morton has been compelled by
rails and miasma to yacate the old Executive
mansion, and has taken rooms at the Bates
House. That ancient cdifce-is situated on
the corner Of Market and Illinois streets. end
there are three lots IN the enclosure which
surrounds it. 4 bill has been introduced into
the Senate appointing q committee to sell tho
sumo aid purchase other grounds and have
erected thereon mansion worthy Of The
State, It Was favoFably received aud will
undoubtedly pass Two or three wives Of our
fo,mer Governors died In the present old
shell, and Mrs. Morton has just recovered
from q serious Illness. The lots are elfgibly
situated for business, and can readily be sold
for over fifty thousand dollars.
1sent you By telegraph night or two ago
the quotas OF the different Congressional dis
fricts, under the recent can for troops, but
lest they may have reached you IN a manglcd
condition, will here restate them:
1st District. .15s3