The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-03-10
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
TUESDAY MARCH L.

SENATE-A vast number of bills nearly all
of q local character, were rushed through.
The State prison contract was ratified by a
vote of 25 to TO-
Mr. Miller's bill to appropriate $25, GOO to
| be expended in having Minnesota properly rep
! resented at the great New York International
exposition of 1883, passed the senate yester-
! day by handsome majority. VI this amount
ST, 600 is to be devoted to the erection of
building on the exposition grounds, and the bal
| ance to cover the expense Of collecting products
! of the state to be exhibited at New York.
| Thomas Simpson, after bitter contest, was
confirmed director of the State Normal Schools.
! The congressional apportionment bill was
finally passed by vote OF yeas ~ to 10 nays.
! taken out of the third and placed in the second
| district.
| In the mi st Of reading bills in the evening
| the senate suddenly adjourned, the announce
| ment having been made thatthe capitol was on
! fire.
HousE-The bond bill was debated and
amended and finally passed by vote of So to
! 80, many Of the members making explanations
of their votes.
The bill appropriahng the internal improve
ment lands for the settlement OF the old bonds
was then put upon it's passage, and passed by a
vote of rs to 20.
large number of unimportant bills were
passed during the day.
In the evening the house, IN committed of the
whole attacked long list of bills. The bill to
create the Office of state minerologist had been
| recommended to pass, land Mr.. Cults bill relat-
| ing to the text books was under consideration,
! when the the cry burst forth, $'The senate is
on fire." The rest of the story can be found
elsewhere
| WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2.
SENArE-Met at the usual hour at the ruins
of the capitol under the east portico, and was
11ol 70 1,x,% md 1iofo
~ adjourned to the new St Paul Market House.
At i o'clock the Senate was called to order
The amendments of the House to the Rail
road Bond Bill were discussed. The bill finally
passed by a vote of yeas %, nays IA.
| A large amount Of business was rushed
through during the day. A subcommittee of
| the whole took charge of the local and special
| bills, and their report was accepted as
! the action of the committee of the whole, and
| at once put on their way for third reading
without delay. Mr. F. E: Snow was sworn in
as a special secretary, and assisted Gen. Jenni-
| son in reading the bills and calling the roll.
From fifty to a hundred house bills were passed,
not one failing to secure tine necessary number
! of votes to pass it. The senators generally ex-
pressed themselves as highly pleased with the
arrangements made for their accommodation.
| Senator Adams resolution, authorizing the
| committee on second State prison to sitafter the
adjournment of the legislature, was defeated by
| vote of yeas IS, nays II. Mr.. Adams then
| moved that all other joint committees be pro-
! hibited from sitting after the adjournment and
resolution to that effect was carried-yeas %,
| nays7.
HousE-The speaker called for order at the
Market House at O:3O, and the chaplain made
most appropriate prayer, alluding to the ter
rible disaster, and returning sincere thanks for
! the divine mercy in sparing the lives of his
children who were exposed to such fearful dan
ger
Mr. Sophor,, ;otro1ucoda hill Of +1,o ,oo,oc+
! of the governor, authorizing the executive to
secure proper accommodations for the state
officers and the legislature. The bill was passed
under suspended rules.
| The house went into committee of the whole,
! with Mr. Denny in the chair. About forty bills
| were disposed of, and during the discussion of
| some of them the greatest confusion occurred.
| The bill devoting the ten sections of land in
! Kandiyohi countyto a capitol fund, which was
lost on Tuesday, was reconsidered yesterday
afternoon, and will be passed. Mr.. Wilson
| resurrected it.
! The bill exempting independent school dis
tricts from the operations of the State textbook
! law was so amended as to include graded and
| common schools, was passed in the house by a
vote of 50 ayes to 25 nays, this virtually does
| away with the law if it passes the senate.
The bill creating two additional associate
Judges OF the supreme court passed the house
| by vote of 70 to 13.
| A message from the governor relating to the
| rebuilding of the capitol was received The
message announced that he had employed Mr..
Radcliffe, all architect, who estimated that the
| reconstruction of the old building could be
made for 500, 900. The governor says:
| Hon. Loren Fletcher, Speaker of House of
| Representatives:
| The destruction by fire of our capitol last
night is a calamity demanding at once wise and
prompt action. We have much reason to be
thankful that this great disaster resulted in no
loss of life, and that all our citizens escaped
without harm. The loss is one of property on
| ly Approaching the short time which the leg
islature would be in session, have employed
MI. A. NJ. Radcliff, a competent architect, to
prepare a careful estimate of the cost of replac-
ing the building upon the original site, having
in mind the sewerage, water supply and vaults,
which are all i'll good condition and can be util-
| lied in the erection of new buildings, together
with the brick walls, which are mostly in good
condition and can also be utilized in replacing
new buildings, Mr. Radeliff has submitteS his
herer it'll transmit Should the legislature
determine that it would be for the best
interests of the State to rebuild on the
old site, would suggest that an appropriation
be made sufficient to cover these estimates /
would be wise to expend the amount estimated
for rebuilding the capitol, rather than to con-
vene an extra session of the legislature, which
would cost the State as much or more money
than the whole expense of rebuilding as pro-
posed: l have also to inform the legislature
that the mayor and city authorities Of st. Paul
have generously rendered the use of the market
house building, free of charge until such time
as the contemplated new capitol building shall
be ready for occupancy
After the recent destruction Of the hospital
heavy demands upon the State treasury, it is
unnecessary for me to say that the State is, at
this time, in no condition to expend such
sum Of money for capitol buildings as
this commonwealth will require to meet the