Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-02-27
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.

SENATE. February 1s. 1879
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. E-7 NI I q
HOUSE BILLS PASSED. I-,,
Organizing a school district in Wabashaw
county. |. =q-r &8 y a\sfsI
Amending the charter of the city Of Rooh-
ester.
Legalizing the plat of the village of Browns
= Legaliziug the plat of the village of Houston.
!. j ! IN coMn1rGEE, OF THE WHOLE. ts..s /
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 amendments pro
Vldlng that the pamphlet should be- printed in
almost every language on earth, which were
voted down. and the bill finally amended max
ing the Governor, secretary of state auditor
and treasurer a. 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
Dill approprlatlng 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,-
OOO for the support Of the St. Peter Insane
asylum for the year 1878.
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
uRskilled laborers at the asylum, aud called
upon Senators to stand by their rec, I'd
relative to the reduction of salaries. and cut off
e3travagances at st. Peter, and said he would
not vote one dollar to that institution until it
moo nj IN "a h0ro1 ~E
the people had confidence.
: Senator Pillsbury said the bill proposed a
new method of expanding money, and that the
auditor would have charge of expenditures.
. Senator Kinds asked by what authority the
auditor could refuse to pay salaries.
Senator Pillsbury said the auditor could in
form the trustees that wages should be reduce
ed, or he would not audit the bills.
Senator Kinds said that when insane patients
were boarded and cared for by the institution
of the State of Iowa it was done cheaply, but
that since the State had commenced to take
care of its own patients tho. 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
$40, 900.
Senator Pillsbury said that although the ap-
preparations had been increased from year to
ton to the number of patients.
Senator Thatcher did not favor an appropria-
ton less than the necessities of the institution
required and advocated his amendment fixing
| the amount at 100000. Adjourned. =:
HOUSE, February 10, 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 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 recom-
| mending the indefinite postponement of the
bill. He supported his motion with a long
| speech.
| Mr.. mes-Smith, Jr., opposed the motion,
stating that it was a scheme by which the
swamp lands could be gobbled up by the State
University. The lands had been donated by
! the general government for internal improve
ments, and had been donated to the soldiers
| orphans home by the State. The necessity for
| that use of the lands had ceased, as the home
had been discontinued. This was a grab that
had been before the legislature repeatedly, and
| he hoped the motion of Mr.. Hicks would not
prevail.
Mr.. Hicks denied that it was steal for the
benefit of the university. At the last session
he had fought the bill for transfer of the
lands to the university up to the last minute of
| the session.
Mr. W. M. Campbell said Mr.. Hicks had
| been forced to fight the bill to maintain his
| consistency. He understood that a bill to d.
| vert the lands to that purpose had been intro
| duced in the Senate by Mr.. Hicks colleague,
Senator J. B. Gilfl]an. -,
MIR. Jones-Yes, and have been lobbied to
favor it already.
| Mr.. Kendall opposed Mr. Hicks motion. He
thought the lands were needed for internal i'm
nrOVem nnf9 and the aoctiOnS n roooa ofcu oh
Improvements ought not to be deprived of
their rights.
The question was further discussed by
Messrs. McCracken, Hicks, Campbell and Ken
dali, when MIR. Jones moved the previous
question, which was seconded.
The chair ruled that it would require two
thirds vote to amend the report Of the commit
tee, as it involved a suspension of the rules.
The vote was taken and resulted yeas 81, nays
IS, and the Speaker declared the motion lost.
Mr.. Hicks appealed from the decision of the
chair, but after a brief wrangle withdrew his
appeal.
Senator Doran said it was not true that all
the low prices for supporting the insane were
in the Southern States, and read statistics
showing the expenses were cheapest in the
Northern States. He then moved that further
consideration Of the bill be postponed.
The bill to restore the death penalty was lost
"a yeas to AZ nays. The bill relating to sales
of school lands was lost-yeas 20, nays A.
Adjourned.
- SENATE, February l9, 1879.
| Upon the reassembling Of the Senate it i'm
nediatelY went into committee of the whole,
Senator G. F. Buck in the chair and took under
| consideration the bill for the reorganization of
the hospital for the insane of the State of Min
| nesota and providing for the management; and
| government of the same. The bill was dis.
cussed during the greater portion of the after
! noon and several amendments were adopted.
| The bill as amended is as follows: -.
Section one provides that the st. Peter asy-
| lum shall be known as the First Minnesota
Hospital for Insane; its officers shall consist of
| five trustees, one superintendent who shall re-
side at st. Peter and have charge of the asylum,
| and a steward. .,.;~
|. Section two provides that the Rochester asy-
| lum shall be known the Second Minnesota
| Hospital for Insane, with five trustees resi-
dent superintendent and steward. The term
of Office of the present trustees of the asylums
are to terminate with the passage of this act
and it's approval by the Governor. "
! Section three requires the Governor, bv and
with the consent OF the Senate to appoint new
J trustees, in accordance with the provisions of
| this act, and EMPOWERS him to remove any of
| said trustees at his pleasure. -, -t
| Section four requires the trustees of the
First hospital to meet. at St.. Peter on the first
Wednesday in April, 1879, and elect from them
| selves q president secretary and q treasurer,
who shall hold their offices for one year, or un-
/ til their successors are elected and qualified.
Their annual meetings thereafter shall be on
| the first Wednesday in December, when they
shall elect officers for the ensuing year. (.
Section five provides for the election of Off
Ecers at Rochester by the trustees of the Second
hospital on the same day, and in like manner
| as is required in section four
] Section six req uires trustees to take an oat
to faithfully discharge their duties; provides
| for the payment of necessary expenses, and
| nothing MORE and requires them to file item
| lied bills of such expenses "
Section seven empowers the trustees to ap.
point superintendents and stewards for the
Section eight fixes the salary of the superin-
tendant at St. Peter at 1000 per annnm and
sustenance; for himself; the salary of tho
| steward shall be 81, 800 and the use of the
stewards residence. The salary Of the superin-
! tendent at; Rochester shall be 1880 per an:
mum and sustenance for himself, and the salray
of the steward 81, 600 and sustenance for him
| self. -,
Section nine authorizes the boards of trus-
tees to suspend superintendent and stewards
upon complaints, and after hearing said of
foers may be removed from Office.
I Section ten requires superintendent and
stewards to take an oath of Office and give bonds.
! Section eleven empowers the boards of
| trustees to control the general management of
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