Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-06
THE LEGISLATURE.
IMPoRrAsr BUSINESS REACHED.
Goes Into the Burlesque Business
THE Seed Grain Bill--Serious Imperfect
lions Found--The Inebriate Asy1um--The
Hastings and Dakota Extension in the
House--Mr. Kinds Efforts for Taxation--
Final Passage of the Bill.

Lie OauSeTS Oh uaSCy leSlSlAuOu were very
forcibly illustrated in the Senate yesterday.
In committee of the whole, the bill of Rep
resentatiye McCrea, providing the manner in
which applications for seed grain should be
made, was reached, and Senator Rice, who
has made these measures his pet hobby,
moved that the bill be recommend
ed for passage instanter. AS the
bill is really the companion piece for
the measure proposing loan by the State
of $25O,O00, Senator Donnelly and others
thought that its several provisions should be
submitted to careful scrutiny. The result
was the discovery that by it's provisions the
several auditors and treasurers of the coun-
ties in which the bill would be operative were
furnished with an excellent opportunity to
profit handsomely off the misfort1nes of
their neighbors; and this leak was stopped.
Several other important defects were found
and remedied, but the most important Of all
was the discovery that no provision had been
made by which the county was to be made
responsible to the State for the loans made.
The effect of this omission would have been
that individuals receiving such assistance,
failing to comply with his obligations, from
any cause, the State was without remedy,
and the money advanced instead of being
loan became gift. When the proneness
of humanity to try and get the best of the
government, running from the town up to
Uncle Sam himself, is remembered, it will
generally be acknowledged that it would
prove an even chance that the appropriation
would be largely consumed in such gifts
The judiciary committee will perfect the
bill in this respect, and then the measure
will receive Senatorial endorsement.
It must be confessed that Senator Don
nelly struck vein of humor in
his resolutions given in the rou-
tine report, burlesqueing the offer of
certain book publishing firms to bond them
selves to furnish school books at the same
price named in the Merrill contract. It was
not surprising that Senatorial dignity was
forced to unbend before it, but the reporter
is of the opinion that many of the Senators,
while laughing at the hits, remembered the
aptness of the old saw about a man dancing
at his own funeral.
The letter of Attorney General Wilson, in
answer to the committee on insane-not the
insane committee as a Senator 'sinadver-
tantly'' alluded to it the other day
affords food for thought by all
persons favoring extreme legislation of the
character of the Inebriate Asylum law. The
attorney general pronounces this law consti-
tutional and requiring no further legislation
to make it operative simply a disposition
41,o> e -.
visions. 1t cannot be supposed that the at
officials deliberate law breakers in the ac-
copied sense of the term, but simply
that the principle of the law Jared
upon all their ideas of social
and religious freedom, and that for this rea-
son, they could not bring themselves to lend
ing their assistance to the execution of a be-
lieved wrong. While this portion of the let
ter is worthy of general consideration, the
suggestions he makes should promptly re-
ceive legislative action. The following is the
Routine Proceedings.
ST.. PAUL, Feb 5, 1873 Senator Mcclure
presented a petition in the usual form, for the
repeal or amendment of the school text book
law.
resolution by Senator Goodrich for the
printing of 1000 copies of the majority report
of the school text book commission, printed as
an appendix to the journal by the journal con-
tractor, was adopted,
Senator Morton extended an invitation on
behalf of Mr.. Ingersoll, for a visit of the Sen
ate in body to the State Reform school at 2
O clock tomorrow afternoon.
ATTKIN COUNTY.
A resolution was adopted, introduced by Sen
ator j. B. Gilfillan, for the appointment of a
committee to examine and report as to whether
Aitkin county was legally organized county,
the committee to have power to send for per-
sons and papers. In introducing the resolution
MIR. Gilhllan stated that he had been informed
the county had never been legally organized.
CHRISTOPHER RELIEF.
Senator Pillsbury, from the financial COM
mittee, to whom was referred the grasshopper
relief bill, reported back new bill authorizing
the issuing at this time of 100000 in bonds
for such purpose, this amount bringing the
bonded debt upto the constitutional limit. The
further appropriation eff 300, 900 asked for in
the original bill, which it is believed by the
sites of the case will be provided for it is un-
derstood, by the issue of other bonds in July
next, at which time further issue can be
made, 100000 of outstanding bonds having
then fallen due and been redeemed.
THE INEBRIATE ASYLUM.
In answer to the resolution Of inquiry of
Senator Deuel. referred by the committee on
INSANE 10 Attorney General Wilson, as to what
legislation, if any, is needed to enforce the
collection of the Inebriate Asylum tax, this
officer answered. in effect that no further legis-
latlOn was needed to accomplish that object
the failure in SO doing not being in the law,
but in the officers whose duty it was to en-
force it, and he concludes as follows
Several years having run, during which the
law has not been enforced, except it be in a
few localities, it might be well to authorize and
direct county attorneys to commence civil ac-
tions in the name of the State against all those
who have eyaded the law, to collect past dues.
1T might be well, also, for the Legislature
by general act to prohibit county commissions
ers and the authorities Of cities, villages, ETC.,
from granting licenses to any one who has
hitherto evaded payment Of the inebriate
asylum tax or license fee, until such time as
the amount due the State for the sunnnrt of tho