Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-06


Senator Thacher said that Mr.. Mealey had not
desired to have the bill come up to-day and
moved to lay it aside and that it be made the
special order for Monday at o'clock.
Senator Page, as practical and representa-
tive farmer, said he desired that the bill be
laid ASIDE forever. He knew what the tester
committee had been doing, and they had
framed a bill to meet the requirements of the |
case.
Senator TEACHERS motion to make it the spe-
cial order for Monday at 8 O clock was carried. |
HOUSE, February %, 1878.
THE SWAMP LANDS.
Mr.. Amundson asked to have his vote |
changed, which had been improperly recorded |
in the morning on the vote relating to the tax |
ing up of the bill to release the grant of swamp
lands TO the Soldiers Orphans home. His re-
quest was granted and the question was de- |
ciared before the House. |
Mr.. James Smith, Jr., moved that the report |
of the committee favorable to the bill be
adopted.
Mr.. Hicks moved to lay the motion on the
table. Lost-yeas "a, nays 30.
The motion of Mr.. Smith was then adopted.
THE DEFICIENCY BILL.
The special order for 2:30 o'clock, the def
cheney bill, was taken up.
Mr.. Hicks moved that section be stricken
out. Lost.
The special order for $50 o'clock P. NJ, the
wheat grading bill, came up, when MIR. W. NJ.
Campbell moved its being placed on file for
third reading.
A large number of amendments to section
were offered, when motion to strike out the
second section was carried.
When section three was read Mr.. Geary Of
fered an amendment authorizing the use of the
brass tester when the buyer and seller were
agreed.
Mr.. Gilman stated that he knew little about
the question, but this he did know: The senti-
ments of the people of the State were emphat-
ically in favor of the abolition of the brass
kettle and he was in favor of following the
wishes of the people in this matter. The Ian
guage of the law should be positive and une-
quivocal. There should be no chance of the
use of any other implement than the standard
half bushel. This he understood to be the
wishes of the people, and the House, as repre-
sentatives of the people, should follow out that
desire.
Mr.. Campbell said that the section as at
present in the bill covered the point demanded
by the people. He had on hand over bushel
of petitions asking for the substitution of the
half bushel for the brass kettle. They were
under the impression that that instrument
could be dishonesty used, and he was sure it
had been so used. He had heard one of the
largest wheat buyers in the State, at one of the
meetings of the committee, state that to his
C6TUd1u knOW16USo Uu6 GRASS Kettle nau DeeD
improperly and dishonesty used, and that the
farmers had been swindled out of large amounts
of wheat He had known, after the elevators
had been weighed up, that there was two or
three Thousand bushels of wheat more than was
purchased. Where did that wheat come from
1t was wrung out of the farmers by the wheat
buyers. They were not content with depreci-
ating the grade of wheat from No 2 to No. 8,
they took more in weight-fve or six pounds
on the bushel-for so-called chaff and dirt, and
always found that the elevators overweighed.
After further discussion the section was
adopted.
Several amendments were presented and
adopted mainly to perfect the phraseology of
the bill, when, after Mr.. Stacy's substitute had
been defeated, it was ordered to be engrossed
for a third reading under the operation of the
previous question, after which the House adj
journed.
Senate met at 10 o'clock. Devotional exer
cises by Rev. MIR. Chaffee.
STATE PRISON REPORT.
Senator Wedge, from the joint commit ee of
the Senate and House of Representatives, to
whom was referred the matter of investigating
the general management of the State Prison at
Saltwater, as well as the charges of cruelty to
prisnoers and further to investigate the man
ner of letting contracts and theiexpenditures of
money in the Improvements of said prison,
made the following report:
To the Honorable the Senate and House of
Representatives:
Your Joint committee to which was referred
the matter of investigating the general man
agement of the State Prison at saltwater, as
well the charges of cruelty to prisoners and
further to investigate the manner of letting
contracts and the expenditure of money in the
Improvements at said prison, would respect
fully report:
That pursuant to the resolution appointing
said committee. large number of witnesses
were cited to appear before said committee to
give their evidence, and did SO appear and tes-
tify; that every facility was given both to par
ties who made the charges above recited and
the prison authorities, ard every effort consis-
tent with its duty to the State was made by
your committee to arrive at fair and Just
conclusion in the premises.
After full and impartial hearing of all tes-
timony upon the matter of ''the general man
agement of the State prison as we'll as the
charges of cruelty to prisoners" your COM
mittce have instructed me to report that the
charges of cruelty to prisoners have not been
| sustained by the evidence adduced, and that
the general management of the State prison
compares most favcrably with such institu-
tions in any other State in the Union.
While making the above report your COM
mittee would state that evidence was adduced
to show that in several instances apparently
harsh measures were used toward some of the
convicts, but in every such instance such
the discipline of the prison vitality needed in
an institution of this character. So far as your
committee were able to discover by the evi,
dence punishment was inflicted upon any
prisoner except for violation of the rules of the
prison. M
Your committee would recommend that in
order to avoid q repetition of such reports in
the future ESQ prejudicial to the maintenance
of discipline in the State PRISON. that the Gov
ernor of the State be authorized to appoint
some suitable person whose duty it shall be to
visit the prison at various times (said times to
be previously unknown to the prison authori-
ties) and make diligent inquiry into tho mat
ter of the treatment of the prisoners the
quality and quantity of the food furnished and
the manner in which meals are s.rved and re-
port to the Governor such changes (if any, as
are necessary from time to time.
Your committee would further report that in
view of the shortness of time before the close
of the session, and the importance of the qnes-
ton involved in investigating the manner of
letting contracts and of the expenditure of
m, ney in the improvements of said prison and
all matters concerning the contest between the
State and the contractors; that the accompany
ing resolution be adopted by the Senate and
House of Representatives. 800
Respectfully submitted, A. G. WEDGE.
Chairman of Committee on State Prison Inves-
tigation. F a3essa
Resolved. BY the Senate (the House of Rep
resentatives concurring1 that q committee con-
sisting of Messrs. Wedge and Mealey, on the
part of the Senate, and Messrs. Donohue Den