The Princeton union., 1879-02-26
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
SENATE, February 1s, 1879

.sz SENATE February 1S, 1879.
4-,. BILLS INTRODUCED.
BY Senator Miller-Proposing an amendment
to the constitution relating to the terms of
State officers. Fixes the term of Office at four
years.
. HOUSE BILLS PASSED.
Organizing a school district in Wabashaw
county.
Amending the charter of the city of Roch-
ester.
Legalizing the plat of the village of Browns
Vile.
Legalizing the plat of the village of Houston.
IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE,
Senator Rice in the chair, the bill creating
farmers board of trade was recommended to
pass, when the bill making appropriations for
the printing of immigration documents came
up, and with it a shower OF am mendments pro
viding that the pamphlet should be printed in
voted down, and the bill finally amended max
ing the Governor, secretary of state, auditor
and treasurer q board of immigration, with
power to print documents in such languages as
they thought would be for the best interests of
the State, and was recommended to pass. The
bill appropriating money for the support of
the various State institutions now came up,
and it was decided to consider each item
separately. The first item appropriates $1l2,-
600 for the support Of the St. Peter Insane
asylum for the year 1878. >.@s
Senator d. Buck said Senators had proposed
to cut down the salaries of State officers Is per
cent, and some of the salaries had been reduc-
ed largely. He alluded to the high wages paid
unskilled laborers at the asylum, and called
upon Senators to stand by their recurd
relative to the reduction of salaries. and cut off
extravagances at st. Peter, and said he would
Df tn i
was placed in the hands of trustees in, whom
the people had confidence.
Senator Pillsbury said the bill proposed a
new method of expending money, and that the
auditor would have charge of expenditures.
Senator Kinds asked by what authority the
auditor could refuse to pay salaries. H.
Senator Pillsbury said the auditor could in
| form the trustees that wages should be reduc-
ed, or he would not audit the bills.
| Senator Kinds said that when insane patients
were boarded and cared for by the institution
I of the State of Iowa it was done cheaply, but
that since the State had commenced to take
| care Of its own patients the expense had rap
| idly multiplied; thought it was about time
it should commence to decrease, and he favored
| the voting of an appropriation that would COM
pei greater economy than had ever been prac-
ticed. He moved to fix the appropriation at
$4,000. -..@ ...r .-..s.
Senator Pillsbury said that although the ap-
| preparations had been increased from year to
| year, the expenses had not increased in proper
tion to the number of patients.
Senator Thacher did not favor an appropria-
tion less than the necessities of the Institution
required and advocated his amendment fixing
the amount at 100000. Adjourned.
HOUSE, February 1s, 1879.
THE SWAMP LANDS.
The committee on public lands reported in
favor of the repeal of the law donating swamp
lands to the soldiers orphans home at Winona
Mr.. McCracken presented a minority report
protesting agaist the passage of the bill.
Mr. Hicks moved to amend the report by sub
stituting the minority report for it, and recon-
mending the indefinite postponement of tht
; bill. He supported his motion with a long
speech. >
MIR. James Smith, Jr., opposed the motion
stating that it scheme by which tn,
swamp lands could be gobbled up by the Stat'
University. The lands had been donated b,
the general government for internal improve
ments, and had been donated to the soldiers
orphans home by the State. The necessity fo
, that use of the lands had ceased, as the hom
had been discontinued. This was grab that
had been before the legislature repeatedly, an,
he hoped the motion of Mr.. Hicks would no
. prevail. III.
Mr.. Hicks denied that it was a steal for tn
f benefit of the university. At the last session
he had fought the bill for transfer of tn
q lands to the university up to the last minute o
the session. ..- ~ e. .-+ =
r Mr.. ". M. Campbell said Mr.. Hicks Ha
consistency. He understood that bill to di
vert the lands to that purpose had been intro
duced in the Senate by MIR. Hicks colleague
I Senator J. B. Gilfllan.
: Mr.. Jones-Yes, and have been lobbied t
favor it already.
MIR. Kendall opposed Mr. Hicks motion. Il
thought the lands were needed for internal i'm
provements, and the sections in need of sue
Improvements ought not to be deprived: q
their rights.
n The question was further discussed b
Messrs. McCracken, Hicks, Campbell and KeI
dali, when Mr.. Jones moved the previou
question, which was seconded. ......
The chair ruled that it would require two
, thirds vote to amend the report Of the commit
Il tee, as it involved a suspension of the rule
The vote was taken and resulted yeas 3d. nay
I IS, and the Speaker declared the motion lost.
Mr.. Hicks appealed from the decision of tt
chair, but after brief wrangle withdrew b
appeal. - -'
8 Senator Doran said it was not true that a
y. the low prices for supporting the insane wei
. in the Southern States, and read statisti,
showing the expenses were cheapest in tt
e Northern States. He then moved that furtht
4 consideration of the bill be postponed.
~ The bill to restore the death penalty was lo
t "a yeas to AZ nays. The bill relating to sal,
of school lands was lost-yeas %, nays 4
It
SENATE, February 49, 1879.
Upon the reassembling of the Senate it in
> lnediately went into committee of the Who'll
Senator G. F. Buck in the chair and took und
d consideration the bill for the reorganization ,
d the hospital for the insane of the State of Mi
Of nesota and providing for the management ar
II government of the same. The bill was di
cussed during the greater portion of the afte
noon and several amendments were adopte
= The bill as amended is as follows:
Section one provides that the st. Peter as
u lum shall he known as the First Minneso
lc Hospital for Insane; its officers shall consist
es five trustees, one superintendent who shall !
side at st. Peter and have charge of the asylu,
and steward. -. '0...
T. Section two provides that the Rochester as
W lum shall be known as the Second Minneso
!; Hospital for Insane, with five trustees, re
~ dent superintendent and steward. The te,
~ of Office of the present trustees of the asylul
n are to terminate with the passage of this 8
and its approval by the Governor.
- Section three requires the Governor, bv q
4. with the consent of the Senate, to appoint n
nd trustees, in accordance with the provisions
of this act and empowers him to remove any
vr said trustees at his pleasure. " =
v, Section four requires the trustees of t
"a First hospital to meet at st. Peter on the Fl