Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-04-26
JEFFERSON CITY LETTER.
JErFERsoN CITY, April "a, 1878

JEFFERSON CITY LETTER.
JEFFERSON CITY. April "a. 1879.
EDITOR INTELLIGENCER The pas
week has been one of close application
to legislative duties, both III the senat
and in the house. Members are begin
ming to learn the art of Legislation. fol
it is something which requires to b.
learned. and they are, beside, becoming
anxious that the work of the session ma.
be concluded. that they may return t
their private business. so a great dea
OF work has been disposed of.
Most of the bills now beng passe'
are merely routine work to perfect tn
revision, but. of course, new Legislation
is going on also. and occasionally a bll
comes up which creates considerable ex
element and debate. Among such bill
this week may notably be mentioned
what is known as Judge Dryden's'stree
car bill. ca bill to repeal the &C
OF 1860, prohibiting street railroads from
being built within three squares of eacl
other. Under this old law monopolie
have fattened and grown rich. prevent
ing new companies from entering St
Louis, which would ha We made compe
tition and afforded decent accommoda
tons to the public. In spite of thu
heavy lobby against the bill, it passee
the house by a large vote.
The bill appropriating $75. 900 to re
build the insane asylum at st. Joseph
has passed the house.
The bill for the protection and propa
cation Of food fishes has passed bott
houses.
The ~penitentiary bill has been delay
ed in the senate, owing to the absence
of the senate penltentiary committee ii
St. Louis. 1t should certainly come uI
in q day or two.
To take up the two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars of emergency bonds
which fall due in June. a bond of small
denomination and low rate of interest,
say four per cent, is very popular in
the house.
MIR. Lesueur's grain bill went to en-
grossment to-day, with very little oppo-
sitlon.
A joint and concurrent resolution to
auhmit an a~mondn,ant n Tho oo,et;t,
ton, granting the right of suffrage to
woman. was indefinitely postponed in
the house yesterday.
The resolution submitting an amend
ment to the constitution for the removal
of the capital to Sedalia. went to en-
grossmant in the house yesterday, by a
considerable majority,
Capt. Collins made an eloquent speech
last Monday. on the amendment to the
road law reducing the number Of days
work to four. His peroration, in
which he apotheosized labor and the
patriotism OF the laboring men.
who were always first in the de-
tense of their country and first to save
property and life. materially contributed
to the success OF the amendment.
The deficiency appropriation bill was
under discussion this afternoon for some
two hours, but no conclusion was reach.
I'd on it. 1t will probably be disposed
Of tomorrow morning.
The bill regulating irelghts and pas
'enger rates on railroads will probably
be reported to the house from the COM
on internal improvements to-
A great deal OF labor has been
put on this bill by the railroad commits.
sloners, the committee and other gentle
men. With this law, and a good law
the elevators, farmers will
have something OF a certainty that their
products will not be entirely consumed
10 transit.
l cannot refrain from inserting this
complimentary notice OF Judge Bashaw,
the Henry County Democrat:
"Hon. Thos. P. Bashaw. editor of the Paris,
Monroe county, Mercury. has taken an advanced
among the legislators of the state, and
BIDS lair t. rank among the foremost Of his fell
democrats. Always logical and many times
and brilliant, he never rises to speak
securing the full attention OF the body.
md seldom fails to Garry hi, point because he
Is nearly always right.
Judge Bashaw is a man of %singularly
pure character. a iorclble speaker, a
democrat sans peur ct sans reproche.
and deserves we'll of the state for his
able services as a legislator.
About n hundred and twenty men,
oers have been answering to roll call in
the house this week.
An important bill has been introduced
INTO the house, and has been ordered to
engrossment and printed. 1t is known
the ''Bell Punch Bill" and is, in ef-
feet, the same law enacted in Virginia
years ago, to raise ven from
he sale of liquor. The bill provides
hat each retail liquor dealer in the state
shall register, with a machine to be pre-
pared for the purpose. each drink of al
'oholic and malt liquor sold, including
wines, etc.. and Tor every drink OF wits.
~. wine, or mixed liquor sold, the state
will receive one and one-halt cents; for
'very glass of beer or ale sold, one-half
cent. The register will be so arranged
hat n turn OF a crank will sound a
bell and u a figure to appear on the
ACE OF the register, denotlng the num-
Der OF drinks sold aud this shall be done
n the presence of the party buying. 1t
S estimated that the financial benefit
likely to accrue to the state by the adop-
ion of this bill will exceed $500, COG the
irst year, and alter the system is once
naugurated, it will possibly bring $780,
100 a year. The adoption OF the bell
'unoh bill will in no way interfere with
he present license required OF saloons.
l penalty of ten dollars attaches TO each
.'iolation of the law by the dramshop
;eeper or any one employed by him.
)ne great advantage claimed for the
ell punch Is that It will be g check on
be bartender, and tor this reason all
arge dealers will be willing to pay the
mall sum required of them, and be ab.