The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-02-17
MINNESOTA NEWS.

MINNESOTA ] NEWS.
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY z.
t,szasATR-Mr. Wheat, chairman of the com
mlttee that visited the hospitals for the insane
At st Peter and Rochester, submitted report
which was highly complimentary to these insti-
buttons: Tho committee cordially endorse the
proposition to supply the hospital at st. Peter
with water drawn from a neighbo7ing lake,
which is 1C1 feet higher than the basement of
the building; In regard to the Rochester asy-
lum the committee recommend an apprepria-
ton Of 81 O3, 900 for the years 1881 and 1 1882,
IN order that the institution may be put in shape
to take care of the insane people who are now
locked up in miserable local jails
An attempt to pass the. Omaha railroad bill
was defeated by vote Of 13 to IA.
Several bills granting swamp lands to rail-
HoUsE-1he bill establishing State militia
passed by vote of SO to 25. The memorial
to congress relating to the lepositlng of saw
dust in the Mississippi river was called up by
Mr. Smith, who asked suspension OF therules
TO allow it to be, put upon its passage The
memorial was then passed, go voting in the
affirmative and 20 in the negative. A resolu-
ton offered by Mr.. Collins, authorizing the
committee appointed to examine the charges
made against the managers of the St. Cloud
the adjournment OF the Legislature was, after
some objection, adopted. 1t was held that as
over fifty witnesses would have to be examined,
the committee could not be spared from the
house long enough to complete the work thor
oughly.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8. $.
SENArr-A bill was introduced which changes
the salary of the secretary of state to So, 900
year, three hundred of which is attached to the
position of superintendent of public printing,
all fees attached to the office to be turned into
the treasury.
Among the appropriation bills introduced
were those for the enlargement of the hospital
for the insane at Rochester, and to rebuild and
furnish the burnt wing at the st. Peter hospital.
The aggregate appropriation for the institution
Peter $162 200.
Bills were introduced appropriating 81, ZOO
for the enlargement of the grounds Of the nor
NAL school at st. Cloud; designating the coun-
ties that shall send their insane patients to the
hospital at Rochester.
The Omaha railroad bills were passed.
Senator Wilson, from the committee on edu-
cation, introduced bill which materially sim
plifies the machinery of dhe text book law, the
principal point of which is that hereafter the
and agents will be appointed in each county to
70 sell the books at the State superintendent's
cost list prices Dealers buying the books at
cost prices will sell them at 10 per cent. adj
vance This will relieve district clerks, trea-
surers and directors entirely, and the county
HoUsE:-The bill increasing judges salaries,
from So, 500 to 81 900 was amended, placing
the amount at $50, 800, and was passed by q
vote of ~ to IA.
The house bill reducing the rate of interest
to be paid by savings banks on deposits from +
per cent. to 4 per cent. was passed by vote of
20 to 20. -
A bill was introduced by which the rate of
taxation is fixed at one mill for 1881 and
1882, reduction of Il mill from the previous
rate
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY g.
sRNArz- Senator Peterson presented 2 con-
current resolution asking for committee to
investigate charges against the Winona & st.
Peter Railroad company, which is reported to
be guilty of discrimination against certain towns
and individuals. ..-, :. :.
The Judiciary committee reported in favor Of
the indefinite postponement of the bill giving
fees to witnesses in Justices courts, and to ex-
empt institutions of learning from taxation
These house bills were passed, and now only
await the governors approval to become laws:
To repeal the section Of a law relating to fees Of
county officers Of Winona county; to authorize
the city of Winona to issue bonds to the amount
of $4,000 to fund it's floating debt
MI. Pillsbury, from the senate finance. COM
mittee, presented the general appropriations
bill, for 1881 and 1882.
t1OUSE-Ou UlOLlOu Ol MI. SodDNi, NC
Cracker was appointed to ill the vacancy on
the committee to investigate the charges Of
bribery in awarding the state prison contracts
made By the resignation of MIR. Gould.
A resolution, introduced by Mr.. Searles, was
adopted 1t requests the finance committee to
ascertain what legislation if any, is required to
enable the State to do it's duty toward the suf-
fering people of the frontier.
Mrs. Sarah W. Clark petitoned the legisla-
lature, throug Mr.. Daniels, to qualify her to
vote, or to relieve her Of taxation. She stated
that she was paying heavy sums of money to
aid government; but had no voice in their dis
bursement.
Mr. Dunn, the champion of the temperance
cause, sent up huge roll of petitions, bound
with red and blue ribbons as the avant coureur
on the question of liquor selling. They were
from every county in the state and bare the
names of 81 ,228 persons.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY TO-
SEsArE-The bill for appropriating $780,
600, to be expended within the next sx years,
to put the state university on. proper basis,
was favorably considered, as were also the bills
for trying the cottage and farm plan Of taking
care of the harmless insane and encouraging
higher education in the common schools The
Minneapolis charter revision was passed; the
county scat of Grant county can be removed to
Herman, if the people desire it, and consdtu-
honal amendments are proposed in order to
to save the swamp lands from the grabbers.
HoUsE-Mr. Hoyt introduced resolution
protesting against settlement Of the. railroad
bonds in the manner proposed. The bill to
grant the right of suffrage to women on liquor
Questions was introduced by Mr.. Dunn, and
the house refused to assign it's consideration to
a certain date by avote of AZ to 43. A large
amount of detail business was disposed Of
Mr. Mott offered petition from the students
of Carleton college, praying for constitutional
amendment whereby college students, might
vote at general elections without returning to
their homes 3