Morris tribune., 1881-11-24
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
Proceedings Of the Extra Session.
NfoNnAv NOV ID

Proceedings of the Extra Session,
MONDAY, NOV. IA.
SENATE.-A considerable amount Of routine
business was transacted, an immense number
of house bills having been passed through their
first reading and placed in position for early
passage for it is q fact that scarcely one bill
out of twenty that is introduced fails to get
through.
Mr.. Wilson offered a resolution which sought
to limit the time for the introduction OF bills to
Wednesday noon, but some opposition being
manifested to this stoppage of the wheels of
legislation, its consideration was postponed.
Not far from 500 bills have already been born
in the two houses, and it is a singular fact that
large proportion of them entirely repeal OF
are amendments to the laws passed at the reg
ular session which adjourned only eight short
months ago.
Senators and representatives have a special
liking for getting up bridge bills, nearly every
member having one or more which have either
passed, or are in the hands Of clerks or COM
mittees.
HoUsE.-No less than sixty-ive bills passed
the house and seven new ones were introduced.
Aside from this but little business was trans.
acted. Of the sixty-five a large number are
local woodchucks in tho shape of road and
bridge bills, the whole amount appropriated
therefor out of the internal fund being $S, ,675
and lot Of counties to hear from.
The amendment to the capitol bill, by which
the 800, 900 is made sufficient to furnish the
building, as well as to complete 1t, cupola anG
all, passed without the faintest opposition.
TUESDAY, Nov 15.
SENATE.-The house civil service reform
resolutions, which look to remodelIng of the
federal constitution and an improvement in
ment, passed the house unanimously. The
swamp land grant to the St. Cloud, Mankato &
Austin road was amended to death in the house
and the senate refused to bury the corpse The
house bill appropriating $4,000 to finish
and furnish the capitol passed through COM
mittee of the whole with but slight opposition.
The senate, by an almost unanimous vote,
agreed to take pay fer services after the
expiration of so days.
HousE.-Another day Of routine work and
scores of bills passed. The bill allowing saw
ing banks to invest in Dakota securities was
tabled The usual number Of local bills
were introduced and there seems
without questions II q member is struck BY
curious or mischievous provisions, and crises
to remark, his mouth is shut at once by some
body shouting "local bill"
WEDNESDAY, NOV. Is.
SENATE Among the appropriation bills
passed were $40. 900 for the expenses of the
extra session; $25, 600 to pay for the Cox i'm
peachmsnt trial; 5000 for improvements at
the Wlnona Normal school; $1,000 for grad
ing grounds of state prison; 50, 900 for clerk
hire in the adjutant generals Office last year
and the year BEFORE and seven or eight bridge
bills, running from $500 to So, 500.
The capitol appropria ton of 800, 900 is now
g law. This, with $75, 900 appropriated at the
last session, will make very respectable struc-
ture.
HOUSE Articles of impeachment, twenty
In number, charging Judge E. St Julien Cox
with drunkenness and lewdness, were adopted
by vote of II to IS. The St Louis River
Dalles Improvement company bill was prac
tically Eilled by recommendation for indef-
mite postponem ment from committee Of the
whole. A number of local and one or two gen.
eral bills were introduced and several house
and senate bills passed. The usual routine of
first and second readings was carried through
rapidly.
THURSDAY, NOV. II.
SENATE-The senate organized itself into a
high court of impeachment the articles pre-
pared and adopted by the house having been
duly presented with the usual formalities and
solemnities.
The bill to separate the office of Land COM
missioner from that of state auditor was then in
definitely postponed by the crushing vote of
20 to 2. I, was looked upon as drive at
Capt Braden, the new auditor.
large number of bills were passed and pushed
forward to final passage. The Duluth and
Winnipeg land grant was favorably considered
The senate refused to concur in the house ap-
preparation bill, which reduces the amount es-
tlmated to be necessary to pay the expenses of
impeaching Cox. The senate decided that $685.
600 might be necessary, as it required S23, 600
to try the late Judge Sherman Page, and as not
enough money was available the members and
the officers of the court were
rOmna1pH kn Qnppnt atafa
The se nate concurred in the house amend
ments to the bill granting swamp lands to the
st. Cloud, Mankato & Austin railroad company
and that bill is consequently again ready for the
governors approval, at which its friends are
again jubilant after several days of despond-
ency. whole raft of local bills went through.
House The day was devoted to industrious
work in passing local bills. and large number
we're disposed Of Three sessions were held and
he calander was materially reduced
FRIDAY, NOV. IL.
SENATE. body, acting as court of i'm
peachment, has decided to meet on the 18th of
December at 10 O'clock, to hear the prelimina-
~ arguments on the exceptions or objections
to the articles Of impeachment on the part of
the counsel of Judge Cox, after which an ad-
journment will be had to the second Tues
day of January, when the trial will begin. The
house came over gracefully and agreed to vote
all the money the senate is likely to require to
ascertain whether Judge Cox is guilty of the
charges preferred against him. The Murray
county seat bill was passed in the senate. The
senate passed bills appropriating money to
build bridges in from twenty 10 thirty counties
HoUsE-Representat Rice's bill which
sought to relieve the settlers in the various
counties where seed was distributed after the
srasshopper invasions, from all claims by the
state, was first lost, lacking three votes of a
majority Tt oo11a1 nd a
desperate fight ensued Messrs. Sanborn,
Hicks, Fletcher, Norrish, Braley and
Collins were the leading opponents of the bill
on the ground that it was unjust and
discriminating, and that in the majority of
cases it would relieve parties who were amply
competent to pay their debts. Those who sup
ported the bill took strong grounds in favor Of
the claims of humanity, and urged the poverty
OF many poor men, who, from continued mis-
FOL tunes were unable to meet their obligations
to the state Messrs. Wilson, Smith, Dunn,
Rice and Baxter championed the bill After
bitter and most exciting fight of the session,
the bill was finally lost by a vote of yeas 4S,
house that Minnesota will not be deprived OF
representation in the house should congress
fail to pass an apportonment bill Nearly all
the bills before the house were pulled through.
The forty day session has been an industri-
GUS one, the house records showing that 333
house and 2O1 senate bills, total Of 534, have
been through the mill At the last regular
session there were 1,OS1 bills, 6SS originat-
ing in the house and 393 in the senate.
The Minnesota State Election.
The vote of Minnesota at the late general
election will not be fully returned for some
days, perhaps week. The vote for governor
is the only one full enough for footing, ant
even in the some twenty counties are incom.