The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-04-22

other lSest--MOre Compilation Talk
The Court Declines Consideration
az school u.aws-Thc May Portrait
-Dom't Like the Tax Biii-sziscei-
IancOus.
LANSING, April 16. 1881.
Legislatively speaking tins has been the most
broken up, and less has been accomplished,
than in any week for long while in which they
have made any pretense of being in session On
doing business. This has been caused 10y the
DEATH OF SENATOR DURKEE.
whose sickness has been before alluded To in
this correspondence, and who died at his home
at Nashville. Barry county, on the 18th inst.
The House did little unimportant business,
and crawled along through the day on Monday
on a bare quorum, but the Senate made
no attempt to do business from Saturday
afternoon of last week until Monday evening,
and then the President announced immediately
after roll-call the death of Senator Durkee. and
the Senate at once adjourned out of respect to
the memory OF the dead Senator. Next morn
ing the Senate met, ordered the desk and va
cant char of their late fellow-Senator draped
in mourning, and the flag over the chamber
lowered TO half-mast, ordered n supply OF
badges for the members and officers OF the
body, decided to go IN body to Nashville on
Wednesday and participate IN the funeral SER
vices, and invited the Slate officers and men,
bers and officers OF the House TO accompany
them appointed committee to prepare suit
able resolutions upon the death, and then
adjourned until after tho funeral Thursday
mornlng). A special train was III readi-
ness at 9 o'clock next morning to
take the party. about ninety strong,
over the Michigan Central 10 Nashville.
wa Rives junction. The funeral was conducted
by the Masonic fraternity (of which the Senator
was member) aud the legislators, and the return
trip was finished at o'clock Thus is the first
death of Senator in Michigan in eighteen
years, and the first case in the history OF the
State that both or even one branch adjourned
and attended funeral OF one of their number
in body. 1t has usually been customary to
simply send committee from the body OF
which the deceased was q member, vet il seemed
very appropriate that at least the Senate should
go as q whole.
MR.. DURKEE's SUCCESSOR.
Not so much for what he may be able to do
during the remainder of the session after he
can get here, but IN order that there may be no
vacant seats in the almost-certain event Of an
extra session. in 1882, Gov. Jerome has called
a special election 10 be held on Monday, April
25 for the election or successor to Mr.
Durkee. II is pretty generally supposed that
Levi NJ. Dewey. of YOUNGSTOWN, Barry county,
will be- the Republican nominee, and, as that
district has for many years been represented by
men of that political faith, IT il safe to predict
that Mr.. Dewey Of nominated) will be the new
Senator from the Fifteenth eaton and Barry
district.
ANOTHER REST.
Getting to work again OH Thursday, the Sem
ate made up some OF ITS lost time by holding
three long and busy sessions that day and u
short one on Friday. and the House by working
until Friday evening, when both houses took
another rest until Monday evening.
COMPILATION QUESTION AGAIN.
Not week and hardly day has passed
since the opening of The session but some pc
tition, remonstrance, telegram or bid has been
presented and referred in regard to the re-
compilation OF the laws and no subject, unless,
perhaps, it may be the proposed prohibtory
amendment, has been so thoroughly discussed,
and the House has just closed q two-days' dis
cussiou upon the so-called Howell bill which the
Senate passed some days ago with hardly dis
sentlng voice, ana which provides (as before
described) for the purchase of the compilation
made by Andrew Howell, recently elected
Circuit Judge of Adrian, and the publication OF
the books by his publishers at Chicago; while
its opposers favor the election OF
compiler by a joint convention Of the
two houses, and the advertising for the
lowest bidder (the state Printer naturally be-
ing the one) to do the printing and binding.
After every man III the House who can talk had
said his say, pro and CON- the motion to strike
ont all after the enacting clause was withdrawn,
and tn bill placed Oh the order of third read
ing, but with the understanding that the vote
should not be had until Wednesday, when the
voters are expected to be present IN full force.
One side say the bill will surely pass, while
those Oh the other eide az emphat cally say it
never can pass. The roll call will decide.
DECLINE TO COMPLY.
ms trl N tf..i m i, hray, oh
es of the Legislature a long communication
signed by the four members Of the Supreme
Court -Messrs. Isaac Marston, James V. Camp
bell, b. 4. Graves and Il. M. Cooley-declining
to comply with the requirements OF tire bill
recently passed by this Legislature, which pro-
vides that hereafter u syllabus of each opinion
rendered by either or any of the Judges shall
accompany such opinion and be at the disposal
of the public or any publisher who may wish to
publish it. They decline, AZ they say, not OH
account of the increase il would make to tn, ir
duties, but because the law is clearly in conflict
with the constitution which provides for SUI
premc Court reporter and prescribes his du-
ties, ana that, with this law put in force, ne
would be man without an occupation, or, in
other words. the law seeks to require the
Judges to do without extra pay substantially
what the constitution provides the Reporter
shall do mt $500 per year.
Several bills were introduced early in the ses-
sion regarding the
CoMMoS-sCHOoI. LAWS
OF the State, then they were boiled down into
one monster bill, ordered reprinted az sub
stitute and a special order made for the 18th
for their consideration. As. the Senate was not
III session that day, the special order was
taken up on Thursday evening 04th), but, ow
ing to the extreme length (neary fifty pages),
was only half gone through With, and will have
special order designated for the other half.
More regarding it hereafter.
THE MAY PORTRAIT.
recently presented to the State 10y the wife and
family of the late Dwight May OF Kalamazoo.
who was, years ago, both Attorney General and
Lieutenant Governor Tor four years each, has
been accepted with thanks by concurrent
resolution OF both houses and ordered hung in
tho room of the Attorney General in the Capt.
toll.
DON'T LIKE 1T.
The opposition To the bil passed last week by
the Senate regarding the liquor tax il begin
ming to manifest itself here by strong lobbios OF
their lest workers and takers from all parts OF
the State, who are doing all in their power to
induce the House to either kill the bill or cut
down the figures very materially. Some pre-
dict that the House will do neither, but it is
hard to tell in advance just what lOO men will
do IL they are urged hard enough.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.