The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-03-30
THE STATE CAPITAL.
LANSING. March 26. 1877.

10 come 10 the surface. The school laws
are undergoing quite revision, should
the bills recommended by the Commit
tee on Education be passed. One of
these provides for return to the County
Superintendency system, with a few
slight changes from the law in force sew
eral years ago. Another bill provides
for system of teachers institutes in
the various counties of the State. A
third provides uniform series of text
books, to be furnished at great reduc-
ton in cost from present prices.
A member from Wayne proposes to pu-
rify our system of political caucuses, and
a bill introduced for that purpose passed
the House Wednesday. 1t provides a
legal protection for the management
OF primary elections" prescribing
the qualification of voters, etc., but the
system is not obligatory upon any
party or community choosing to conduct
their caucuses on the old plan. Icopy sec
ton A, which gives an idea of the restric-
tons imposed for the purpose of exclud-
ing illegal voters and to prevent the pack
ing of caucuses by persons of the oppo-
site party
SECTION 4. 1t shall be the duty of the Super
visor and judges of such election TO entertain
objections made by any qualified elector under
said published call or notice to any vote that
may be offered, on the ground that the person
Offering it is not entitled to vote under the terms
OF said call for the said election, or that he
is not citizen of the United States, a legal
resident and voter of the election precinct.
ward, township or district, or that he has re-
ceiyed or been promised, directly or in
directly, any money, fee or reward by
| Iotn tl.oN he LofD
at that place or some other on that day, in the
same election and it shall be the duty of said
] Supervisor or one of the judges of election, il
such objection be not withdrawn, to administer
to the person so offering TO vote an oath or
affirmation TO the general effect that he will
truly testify to all matters relating to his said
qualification, under said published call, his res
idence, citizenship of the United States, receiv-
/ ing or being promised, directly or indirectly,
any money. fee or reward for his vote for any
candidate, and whether he has voted at that or
! other place on that day at such election. IL
shall then be the duty of the Supervisor, or one
of the judges of election, to interrogate the
person 80 objected to, as to all the matters in
particular upon which said objection was made,
and generally as to all of said qualifications.
If the person so objected to shall refuse to an
swer such questions, after said oath or affirma-
ton shall have been administered, it shall be
the duty of the Supervisor and judges of
election to reject such vote. But if such oath
be TAKEN and such questions be answered sat
| isfactorily, and not contradicted successfully
by the sworn testimony Of other witness who
may be called, it shall be the duty of the
Supervisor and judges of election TO admit
the vote sworn to be qualified according to
the term Of the call and the provisions of this
act, having the word "sworn " noted opposite
the party's name on the poll list. And any
violation of the provisions Of this section by the
Supervisor and judges of election, shall be
deemed misdemeanor, and shall, on convic-
ton, subject the party offending to punishment
as prescribed in section three Of this act. And
any person who shall, upon taking such oath
or affirmation, and under the examination
herein authorized. willfully make false state
ment to matter pertinent and material in
such examination shall be deemed guilty of
the crime Of perjury and on conviction be pun
! ished as prescribed by law.
A bill to punish malpractice and
protect the people against empiricism in
medicine" was unceremoniously slaugh-
tered in the House Thursday morning,
after having been "bone of conten-
ton on three several occasions in COM
mittee OF the whole.
The "power of prayer" is still felt by
the Legislative body, as the petitions do
not yet cease to come in. Some Van
Buren, county gentlemen seems to have
appreciated the situation, and come III
with burlesque memorial, asking for
the repeal of the laws of "supply and
demand" for the enactment of law to
regulate the price of apples, to reduce
the rate of interest so that any man can
have all the money he wants by sim
ply asking for it, and further
to abolish all distinction of sex in mat
tiers of civil rights or social customs
The memorial, although only bur-
lesque, was about as sensible as many of
those which have been presented in sober
earnest.
All the important railroad bills before
the House have been made the special
order for April 5. Among these are
bills repeating the charters of all the
railroad companies in the State not or
ganized under the general law. The
railroad companies generally oppose
this measure, and there may be a
swarm contest over the matter. The
Railroad Commissioner does not seem to
very heartily indorse the policy of re-
pealing these charters. La special re-
port Just laid ON the desks of members
he says
The only condition made by the State, by
which it could alter. amend, or repeal their
lowing words
"SEcTIoN 81. The State reserves the right at
any time after thirty years from the passage OF
this act, by vote of two-thirds of each branch
of the Legislature to alter, amend, or repeal
the same Provided, The said company shall
be compensated by the State for all damages
sustained by reason Of such alteration, amend
ment, or repeal"
Now, if the Legislature had the right to sell
the property the State had acquired in these
two roads, It had the power to fix the condi-
tons by which the State should De goUerned IN
regard to the sale, as well AZ those which should
govern the railroad companies; and among the
conditions OF the sale imposed on the State by
the Legislature was this one, which makes the
State liable for any damages which might ac-
crue to the companies by reason of any "altera-
, ton, amendment or repeal" of any OF the con-
ditions Of these charters If these charters
were ever valid, the proyiso quoted must OF ne
cessity be valid.
IL would seem that the charter OF the
Grand River Valley can be repealed, 80 az to
take effect in March next but fail to discover
, any advantage which is derived by the COM
pany by operating their road under their char
! ter. Neither do / discover that the State IS
, in any way the loser by permitting them 80 to
| do but ON the contrary, it is shown by the re-
} mart of the Commissioner Of Railroads for 1879