The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-01-31
LETTER FROM THE STATE CAPITAL.


interested in the matter of
TAXATION
than in any other measure that viii
come before the Legislature this SEES
sion. The long-continued financial
pressure has made the people feel dis
trustful and sad, and they are looking
to this Legislature to tighten their bur-
dens as much as possible. It has long
been felt in Michigan that 10 per cent.
interest was too high to admit Of any
mans doing business on borrowed CAPT
tai. A strong pressure is being brought
to bear upon this Legislature to have
the legal rate reduced to per cent, as
is the case in some other States. Mr..
Thorpe, of Branch county, even pro-
posed to reduce the rate to per cent,
but such sweeping reduction could
not be made to work. But the people
have rights which the law-making
power of the State is bound to respect.
! That the legal rate of interest in Michi-
gan will be reduced from 10 10 7 per
cent. there is good reason to believe.
"CUTTING" RATES FOR LEGAL PRINTING.
Senate bill No. 8, entitled "A bill to
amend compiler's section No. 7,454 of
the compiled laws of 1871, in regard to
publishing legal notices." called out q
sharp discussion in that body last Tues
day. The bill in question proposes to
reduce the price of legal printing from
20 to 90 cents per folio, with half-rates
for each insertion after the first. There
being some publishers among the SEN
ators, the bill brought them to their
feet at once.
Mr.. Huston was in favor of the re-
duction proposed. He argued that
since the prices of almost everything
have greatly declined since the war, the
price for legal printing ought also to be
CORRESPONDENCE reduced. Salaries and
the wages of laboring men have been
greatly reduced since the war. He con-
tended that the publishers in his part
of the State are making money these
hard times.
Mr.. Hodge, after forty years expert
ence in the publishing business, thought
he knew something in relation to the
matter. He said that, in war times
when prices for everything were enor-
mously high, in response to popular
demand on the part of the
publishers of the State, the price
of legal printing in this State
was increased from 80 to 20 cents
per folio. He claimed that printers
before the war gladly took legal print
ing at 90 cents per folio, and, in his
judgment, they would now gladly do
the same thing. He contended that the
high rates now in vogue fall with crush
ing weight upon the poorer classes, who
are least able to bear the burden. Mr.
Shepard strenuously opposed the pro-
posed reduction in legal rates, earnestly
contending that printers as a class are
poor men, striving hard to make both
ends meet" He claimed that all pub
fishers do much gratuitous advertising
for the public; that about all the cash
country editors receive comes from
their legal printing; that the prices for
printing materials have not materially
decreased since the war, etc. After
discussing the matter at some length,
on motion of Mr.. Shepard, the bill was
re-referred to the Committee on Ju-
dietary.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
| Hon. Levi Bishop, of Detroit, has
presented petition to the Senate, ask
ing for the restoration of capital pun
ishment for murder. The petitioner,
Mr.. Bishop, is one of the best-known
and most able lawyers in the State, and
it is fair to infer that he has given the
matter much thought and not little
Investigation. He contends earnestly
that, since the death penalty was abol-
ished in this State, the crime of muir
der has fearfully increased. He says
there were fifty murders in Michigan
last year. He holds that the greatest
good to the greatest number" demands
the restoration of the death penalty in
this State. The matter Will most likely
come before the present Legislature for
somr action thereon
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
In committee of the whole in the
House, the other day, MIR. G. Fl. Hop
kins' bill, providing for the organic
alton of Protestant Episcopal churches,
on n motion to strike out the word
male" called out sharp and exciting
debate.
Mr.. Kahn, of Detroit, led off in the
debate, asserting that the Bible expressly
excludes women from church govern
ment. ITO women" he said, "were
not given the keys of the church.
Messrs. Thompson, Parsons and Nc
Nabb all spoke eloquently in favor of
the amendment to strike out the word
male"
Mr.. Hall thought the question of fe-
male suffrage ought not to be dragged
into the affairs of church.
Mr.. Gould said that women are, as a
class, the best and most refined of the
sexes. The question, he said, was one
of right, and not one of polity. 1t will
not do to say to the women in our
churches: "You have no rights which
males are bound to respect"
Mr. Thorpe said he was a believer in
the Advancement of great ideas like
woman suffrage. He thought the mat
ter one of great importance.
Mr.. Donnelly said that the church
should he allowed to govern itself with
out any outside interference. @
l Mr.. Allen thought the members were
making q big ado out Of nothing. st
Paul said Let women keep silence