The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1871-03-03

Address Of q Joint cOsmMAitte An.
pointed by the DcmOc rattle ssema.
tors and Representatives in the
General Assembly to the People
J Of Indiana.
The forty seventh scssi0n OF the Gene.
ral Assembly was abruptly terminated
an the ?S'l instant by the resignation ol
thirty -four member. OF the House. The
ostcmsible cause for this revolutionary
course was 10 prevent the passage Of the
amendment Ia the aplortiOnment Law
but they are without Justification. We
insist this was fair. just and necessary
bill, aud that we had the clear constitu-
tiOnal right to pass il, and considering
the opposition il WAS likely 10 nu ct in
the Senate. and the fact that but few
working days remained, il was deferred
as long us prudence would dictate. But
cOMceaiing il To be unconstitutional, um-
just and iniqlitous.and li,ai il was press
ed with unwarrnntetl !,a..c in the House.
the question then arises: Was il q suf.
ficicmt ground for this revolutionary fac
tiOn to end the business Of the I-eyi.la-
turc? Ii the bill had been passed i'm the
House on the 23d and had gone 10 the
Senate. 1t could hardly have been taken
up IN that body before Friday, the Gath.
Then rs It requires two-thirls to suspend
the constitutional rule, which requires
bills to be read on three several davs.
and AS that could not be done, and if il
had been treated in the Senate ms a "a
vOred bill it would not have been ready
for passage till Monday, when, il i'm
pOrtant 10 defeat il, seventeen Senators
could have resigned. This would have
given three days more time. hut if the
bill Is unconstitutional, as il is claimed.
when 1t went to the Governor, lie could
have kept it three days and vetoed il.
This would have been three DAYS more,
and then If these members had desired
to dcleat 1t they could have resigned.
which would have been as ciIcctual in
defeating the bill. and would have given
six days more of legislation, in which
time important measures could have
been disposed Of or they might have re-
lnaincd and voted on it after the veto.
and then let the Senators have resigned
and defeated the bill in the last ditch.
The early days of the session had been
taken up IN pcrfecting measures Of i'm
portance, some of which have already
been acted upon. We can not enumc-
rate all, but will briefly alludc to the
most important. A fee and salary bill
passed after great opposition from per-
sons in Office, which cuts of construc-
tive fees and county allowances, and
saves thousands of dollars to the people.
Also, an act distributing to the several
counties Of tho State, to he loaned out
for the use Of schools, $4,000 which
We found IN the hands Of the State Au.
ditor, yielding - interest for the bene-
mt Of the fund, but from which that off,
Ger has been realizing annually from
twenty to thirty thousand dollars for his
own use. Also, an act reducing the tax
levy for State purposes from twcni five
cents to five cents on the 500 valuation.
Other measures OF equal Importance
had been matured, and could have been
passed but for this unwarrantcd and re-
evolutionary course. We desire 10 call
attention to some that were defeated by
This action, and for which the Rcpubli-
ran members who resigned, and their
attElscrs arr solc's - .s.-..-.;i =
First = An net to tax the stock tfi
banks for municipal purposes, had pass
would havo passed the senate. Hereto /
Tore, the stock in banks, which arc all To-
GATED in cities and towns, and share the
protection and reap the benefits of mu-
nlcipal authority, arc exempt from any
of the expenses necessary for their sup
port. 1t was u measure that (:oyeruo,
BAKER called attention 10 ia his message
- follows:
TAXATION OF BANK STOCK.
! repeat the recommendation made n,
hc opening Of the last General Asscn;b-
y, that provision bc made for taxing the
shares of stock in tho National and other
banks, for municipal purposes, as other
property is taxable.
The opinions then expressed A. 10 tlc
power and duty Of thus lcgislatins re-
main unchanged.
Sccond-An act regulatin. insurance
which would, according f.
lac statement Of Hon. q. Al. WiIsor
INC OF the members who resigned, made
~ INC Moor Of the House. have brought
mo the It: . Treasury ( I'm eighty 10
'nc hundred thousand dollars per an s
'um without any burden TO tho people.
,nd would also have entirely protected
ne people from wild cat and irrespon- L
Idle 'urancc companies Of every kind.
Ihlrd-An act reducing the Cover
lors house rent from $1,000 10 $3yOOOl
yer annum, which is the rent actually Il
'aid ~ him, together with $50 for the !
Use Of his furniture, thus saving the tax
,ayers OF the State $3,OOOspcr annum. I
y ,'ct!'cr this had anything TO do with
inducing Governor Baker to go into the .
republican caucus and urge and cntrcat Y
eIuctant members TO resign, we will NOT
ny, Dnt leave the people 10 determine. lc
sur TINS we will say. that some members 6
mo have resigned have stated that un- {
Ter no circumstances would they have .
lone It had not Governor Baker person :
lily solicited them TO do 50.
Fourth-A carefully prepared act 10 IS
emcdy the existing divorce laws OF the /
state TO which the 0ffcstir,, ~ e1,~ T.~..> |;