Daily globe., 1879-02-15
Smelling. Passed under suspension Of the rules.
Mr.. Hicks gave notice Of a motion to recon-

Smelling Passed under suspension of the rules.
MIR. Hicks gave notice of a motion to recon
slider.
By Mr.. Bean-To appropriate money to P.
n n. McDermid to pay claim arising during the
Indian war of 1862.
By Mr.. Bean-To pay a similar claim of
Albert Frietag.
By Mr.. Amundson-To amend the law relat-
ing to mutual insurance companies.
BY MIR. John Thompson-To prohibit the
catching OF fish in Thompson lake, Waseca
county. Passed under suspension of the
rules.
The speaker announced as the special COM
mlttee on local bills Messrs. Chamberlain
Tharalson, Burns, Dodd Goodsell, Bean, Lam
bert, Bissell and O'Hara,
Mr. Bohan offered a resolution directing the
chief clerk to place the secretary or the COM
mlttee on public accounts and expenditures on
the pay roll The resolution went over under
notice of debate by Mr.. Wiley.
Recess to 2 O. clock P. NJ
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The House met at clock p NJ. and at once
went into committee of the WHOLE Mr.. Jones in
the chair, on general orders. There were sixty
SIX bills on the calendar, and forty-eight were
recommended to pass, eleven were postponed
and seven indefinitely postponed.
INDEFINITELY POSTPONED.
The following were recommended for in
definite postponement:
Relating to bounties for killing wolves; for
the relief of the poor; relating to practice in
district courts; for the repeal of the bounty on
wolves; for constitutional amendment abol-
ishing grand juries; for trials of offenses on
information.
On the bill for the repeal of the bounty on
wolves, Mr.. J. M. Riley said he was from dis
trict that was largely interested in sheep rais-
ing; that many hills and valleys in the county
of Houston were especially adapted for this
purpose; that to repeal this law would compel
the owners OF large f1ocks of sheep to kill their
tocks in order to save them; and asked, with
the repeal of the wolf bounty and the taxation
OF their dogs, who are to large extent their
only protectors, and the large increase of
wolves, what protection would they have for
one of the great interests of the State. He
mending the bill to pass.
Mr.. Bertrand supported the bill, but it was
effectually killed.
On Mr.. Comstocks bill relating to practice in
district courts, it was charged by Mr.. L. L.
Baxter that it was assault upon the integrity
OF Judge Brown, and an attempt to drive his.
two sons from practice in the courts of that
district.
Messrs. Comstock and McCracken defended
the bill, and Messrs. Baxter, Hicks, James
Smith, Jr., and Benson opposed it. The vote
to Indefinitely postpone was about two to one.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
The Senate bill abollshing the Office of rail-
road commissioner came up for consideration
Mr.. James Smith, Jr., moved to postpone
consideration Rejected, 25 to 36.
MIR: Gearey moved that the bill be recon-
mended Tor passage
Mr.. James Smith, Jr., said the Office was
useful one. The State ought to have such an
officer. The fact that he was in existence had
restraining influence upon the railroads. He
himself was connected with competition cor
poration which had done more to reduce the
rates of transportation in the State than any
other and this had been possible only by the
protection afforded that corporasion by the
railroad commissioner. He though it was tax
ing step backwards to abolish the office. His
powers ought rather to be made broader He
opposed the passage of the bill.
MIR. Benson was not in favor of the Senate
bill. He thought it ought to be made the duty
OF the secretary OF state, encouragement and
auditor. The legislature was going too fast in
creating offices. He thought the office ought
to be abolished. but did not favor the pending
bill.
MIR. Comstock, up to three or four days ago,
had believed the office to be a sinecure, and
was in favor of its abolition, but had since
been converted. There must have been some
reason for its creation, and the speaker quoted
from the law defining his duties. The legisla-
ture was too ready to tear down. Why not
abolish all the Offices from the Governor down.
The same reasons exist for the abolition of the
rest OF the offices as for the abolition of that
OF railroad commissioner. He was the only
officer to whom complaints of extortion, etc.,
could be made. We do not abolish an Office
when the incumbent is incompetent There
was a great cry of economy and retrenchment,
but there was no real retrenchment in saving
$4,000 and sacrificing hundreds of thousands.
Everybody with any would oppose the
passage of the bill.
Mr.. Smith said the Office was intended for the
public safety, and We could not afford to econ
omize in matters Of public safety, or of the life
or liberty Of the citizen. It was the duty of
the commissioner to inspect the roads and see
that they were safe for travel.
MIR. McCracken retorted by saying that the
commissioner travelled over the roads in palace
car with free pass in his pocket Nothing had
been shown to prove that the Office was Of anv
use whatever. The reports were the same as
those made and published by the railroad con-
panies. All that the officer did was to take
these reports and compile them-work which
could be done by the insurance commissioner
just we'll.
MIR. J. N. Stacy said it was of great import
ance that the Office be retained. It was an office
IN the interest of cheap transportation. He
considered it wrong to econemize by cutting off
a salary of few thousands year, while so do
ing the State would lose thousands
Mr.. Fairbank offered amendment to the
last section, making the act take effect imme-
diate'y. Adopted.
MIR. W. NJ. Campbell understood that the
whole duty of the commissioner was to compile
statistics Of the railroads from reports fur
nlshed by the railroads. If so he would favor
the passage of the bill.
MIR. Server thought that the abolition of the
office was legislation in the wrong direction
he thought it was a useful office. He had had
difficulty with railroad company which was
fha ,of+ +bo
commissioner, while otherwise it would have
involved tedious litigation.
A wrangle here arose, Messrs. SERVER, Nc
Cracken. W. NJ. Campbell and Comstock, all
attempting to talk at once and to ask all man
ner of questions of each other
Mr.. Fairbank said he had had a difficulty
with railroad company as we'll as Mr. SERVER,
and though he had repeatedly applied to the
railroad commissioner for redress, he had never
succeeded in inducing him to pay any atten-
tion to it, If he thought good man could be
the abolition of the office, but as he
knew no one could get the Office except those
designated by the railroad companies, he would
vote for abolition.
A vote then taken on the motion to in
definitely postpone, and it was lost, 33 to 80.
The motion to recommend the bill for passage
was then carried viva voce.
Some time afterwards Mr.. ". NJ. Campbell
ascertained that Mr.. Fairbanks amendment
virtually killed the purpose of the bill, and
moved to reconsider. This was fought by the
opponents of abolition, but was finally carried,
and with hurrah the vote by which the
amendment was carried was reconsidered, the
amendment killed, and the bill in it's original
form placed before the committee
Mr.. Combstock made a long speech in oppo-
sition to the bill, denouncing its enactment as
hasty and foolish BE was answered by Messrs.
W. NJ. Campbell and McCracken. A motion to
indefinitely postpone was lost, 80 to 49, and by
a vote of AZ to 33 the committee resolved To