The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-02-25
AT THE CAPITAL.


met again Oh lucruny evening, huhy VI dioh'
having spent their recess in faithful work In
visiting the State institutions, some members
being upon rs many AZ three such committees,
and others having had good time In mndry
other ways BE that AZ it may, those who did
the most visiting are the ones who will be the
best paid, az members who go out upon COM
mittee work are allowed not only the usual
miesge-1O cents per mile each way-but their
hotel and hack fare as well. To those who are
on two or three committees, the item OF mileage
is quite an object.
SETTLING DOWN TO business.
While the first month OF the session seemed
to outsiders at least to have slipped away with
out very great amount OF work having been
accomplished, the members are nov settling
down to business, and moro work is being done
in one day than was done in three in the earlier
DAYS of the session. While many do not know,
or appear to forget, that not one-half OF the
work OF legislation is done in open sessions of
the two houses 1t is nevertheless true, 80 that
outsiders can tell but little from the published
records just how fast legislation is progressing,
nor how much work certain members are doing,
any more than they can with certainty predict as
TO the length OF a session
NEARLY ENDED.
Next Wednesday marks fifty days, and closes
the time for the introduction OF bills, 30 that
Lnc uuLll tut cItu VI u lOuk anu Duby tNtu-
ing session upon that day will be fully i'm
proved by each member, who either has or
thinks he has genuine reason for the intro
duction of bill. Already time liz being gained
by the introduction OF bills in what is known as
" skeleton FORM" the body of the bill being left
to be completed after the hurry of the fifty
days is done. This satisfies the constitution of
the State and helps TO preserve tho constitu-
tons of the introducers of said bills. While
some might think that the end of the time for
introducing bills would find large part of the
sessions work accomplished it has In fact only
nicely begun. The number Of bills and joint
resolutions introduced up to this time (about
500) will no doubt be doubled by Wednesday
evening. II 30, that means business until June,
as was the case two years ago.
THE RIGHT TO PETITION
or demonstrate Is being extensively used by
Michigan's citizens at the present time. The
petitioners having had il largely their own way
for the session upon the proposed prohibition
amendment, the remonstrants are now g, ting
in their work in right lively fashion, no less
than seventy-four circumstances having been
presented TO the Senate at one session this
week. II is fact, though, rs one Senator said
in the discussion upon the subject, that "the
name Of no wife or mother appears on any one
of them"
APPROPRIATIONS.
AS this is a subject that more directly tou hes
the pocket of every taxpayer, we shall make an
effort to give in our next Or the bills are all
perfected by that time) q complete summing up
of all the appropriations asked for and liable to
be voted.
TEN coSaREssMEN.
Senator Rich has introduced bill entitled
"A bill to divide the State Of Michigan into
ten Congressional districts" That, or some
thing similar. will undoubtedly pass-if Con-
gress gets around with its work in that line in
time.
THE PRoHIBIroRY QUESTION
has been the all-absorbing one here during
most of the week, the consideration of the joint
resolution having some days ago been made tho
special order for the 10th inst. Upon that day
Detroit and other parts of the State were rep
resented here by hundreds Of strangers, who
came to hear and help If possible, in the pass
age of the resolution. The discussion began in
the Senate with every available foot OF room
occupied by an interested listener. The day
was spent in committee of the whole with Mr..
Rich in the chair. The opponents OF the meas
ure did all in their power to curtail aud amend
the resolution, and it was finally placed upon
the order of third reading. When the order
was reached next morning, and the resolution
had been read an attempt was made TO amend
il by striking out the words " or sacramental."
winch was defeated bv vote of n to 4. An
attempt WAS next made 10 amend by striking
out the word mechanical" which also failed,
by vote of 10 to IL. The vote was then taken
upon the final passage of the resolution and it
lacked just one vote of the necessary two-thirds
required to pass it, the vote being:
Yeas-Messrs. Billings. Brown, Buttars, Dick
erman, Dow, Durkee, Edsell, Farr, Goodwin
Fitzpatrick, Lowell, McGurk, Mars, Morrison
Patterson, Rich, Shaw, Stanton, Strong, UpSon
Winsor-2l.
Nays-Messrs Amber. Capis, Chandler,
Ford, Gibson, Greusel, Rose, Russell, Swift,
WEIGH 10.
1t was reconsidered and rereferred to the
proper committee, who yesterday reported il
back in an amended form, and it was again
placed on the general order. 1t is thought
that the other vote can be secured when the
resolution again comes up for passage, yet its
friends are not very confident Such radical
changes were made by the last amendment that
we herewith give the resolution entire as
amended
joint Resolution proposing an amendment TO article
of the constitution of this State, relative to the
prohibition Of the manufacture and sale of spiru-
ous, malt and vinous liquors, and the rights of
property therein, except for mechanical medicinal
and sacramental purposes, and to provide pun
ishment for its violation by adding two Gee
tons thereto, to stand as sections 40 and 80.
RESOLVED on he Senate and House Of Repre-
sentdtiues of the State Of Michigan, That the
following amendment to the constitution of
this State be, and the same is hereby, proposed
to stand as section forty-nine (49) OF article
four "a:
SEC. 40. The manufacture, gift or sale OF
spirituous, malt or vnous liquors in this State,
except for mechanical, medicinal and sacra-
mental purposes, under State supervision, by
persons thereto licensed by the State, is pro-
hibited, and no property rights in such spiritu-
Gus, malt or vinous liquors, except the right OF
manufacture and sale for mechanical, medici-
nal and sacramental purposes, under State SUI
pervision, by persons hereto licensed, shall ex-
list.
BE IL further resolred, That said constitu-
tional amendment shall be submitted to the
people Of this State at the next spring election,
10 take place on the first Monday Of April.
1881, and the Secretary of State is hereby re-
CURED to give notice OF the same to the Sheriff
of the several counties OF this State in the
same manner that he is now required to do in
the case of the election of Justices of the SUI
preme Court and the several townships and
cities IN this State shall prepare a suitable box
for the reception OF ballots cast for or against
said amendment Each person for said
amendment shall have written or print
ed, or partly written and partly print
ed, on his ballot, the words, Amendment 10
the constitution relative to the prohibition OF
the manufacture, sale or gift OF spirituous,
malt or vinous liquors and the property rights
therein-Yes." And each person voting against
said amendment shall have on his ballot, in
like manner, the words, amendment to the
constitution relative to the prohibition OF the
manufacture sale or gift OF spirituous, malt OF
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