Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-03-11
Special correspondence Of the HrAALp)
THE LEGISLATURE.

aud all directly crested IN rail-
roads are very much put about, and
terribly aroused as to what the etd
will be 1t is very strange, that at
this late day in the session, nothing
reliable is known about what will be
done with the grant. We have had
promises after promises, until they
are the lowest commodity in the
market, that the bills would be
brought out at certain times, and this
consideration coatinned until they
were disposed of in some shape.
Virtually, the land grant bills to-day
are where they were dozen days
ago. The railroad committee of the
Assembly will.make no recon menda.
ton of the bills; they were then re-
ferred to special and select commit
tees--one assigned TO each bill, and
each bill falling into the hands of its
friends. Of course the reports of
these committees could be nothing
less than favorable to their own bill
and consequently their reports rec
commended the passage of their re-
spective bills. The reports were
long winded, setting forth their indi-
vidual claims at length. The compa-
MES promised to grapple with ques-
tons at once after the committees
made their reports but neither com
pany had the moral courage to face
the music and fight for their bills on
principle. Consequently, when the
bills were about to be reached yester-
day, and Def re the regular calendar
was half finished, a motion was made
to adjourn to Monday evening, which
was carried by a good maj ,rity
which gave evidence that neither.
company were ready for a fight.
Mr.. Palmer moved that the Milwau-
kee Il St. Paul DILL be made q special
order for next Tuesday morning al
IL o'clock. Whether it, or any 9TH
er railroad bill, will be reached by
that time no mortal can venture a
prediction. Both bills, the Milwau-
kee and ST. Paul and the North Wis
consin, have been amended by hitch.
ing thereto the Chicago and North
ern Pacific A r Line bill. This will
divide up about fifteen votes in the
Assembly between the Milwaukee g.
st. Paul, and the North Wisconsin.
II il the general impression among
outsiders, and in fact among many
of the members, thai the Legislature
will not be able to agree on any land
grant bill. This may very possibly
occur.
PRISON REFORM.
Mr.. kclsey's bill TO reform the
management Of the State Prison, has
passed the Senate with an amend
ment which provides that the direct.
ors shall hold for the term of two,
four and six yesrs, instead Of one
two and three years "a provided by
the original bill. The amendment il
not an Objectionable one. and will
doubtless be eoncurred in by the As
sembIy in which case the bill be-
comes q law.
RAILROAD TAXATION.
The Senate bill raising the license
fee on railroad gross receipts from
three to FIVE per cent. was discussed
at length in the Senate this week.
The bill has not yet come up for
passage, and on the whole | doubt
very much whether it will become q
law. Mr.. Cary, attorney for the
Milwaukee and ST. Paul, made
speech in the Senate on Wednesday
evening against the bill. He
brought facts TO prove, that acoo I'd.
ing to the assessed valuation of 9TH
or property, the per cent. of taxation
was only from one and half to
three per cent, while assessing the
property Of railroads in the same ra-
ito, they pay nearly eleven per cent.
MINERAL POINT RAILROAD.
A resolution for an inv estigation of |
the history and management of the |
Mineral Point Railroad, with a view |
to the repeal Of its charter, after
some carr est remarks in its advoca-
cy by Rowe aud Robinson, who told |
how the Iowa County people had |
been swindled and oppressed by this
corporation, was, on motion of the
former, referred TO the Raj way Com
mittee, empowering the Governor to
appoint O Commissioner to take ties.
timony on both sides, ard report to
the next Legislature, IN order to en-"
able that body to determine whether
the State should, in view of the facts,
take back the franchises and privi-
leges granted by the charter.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTER.
The Senate has passed bill pro.
viding for the levying of State tax
of 1921 ITO for 1873 and concurred
in bills to appropriate s26 $50 for An
ishiug the State Capitol the i'm.
provement of Capitol Park, and to
restore the right Of suffrage to citi.