The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-03-17
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
A big Dose ~ IHasty Liquidation.
LANSING. Mich. March IS. 1882.

| LANSING, Mich, March IS, 1882
| Practically, the extra session is at an end
while theoretically 1t win not end for two o.
three days yet. Both houses ceased to d.
business at about o'clock this afternoon. ant
now the officers and the engrossing clerks hav,
until IL m. OF the 18th to complete the work Oh
hand
The three main bills OF the session. viz: TIT
so-caled Fire Relief bill, the new Tax bill and
The Re-apportionment bill were all disposed OF
in good shape, the former, appropriatina
S2oO,0OO for relief for the sufferers by ire in
Huron, Sanllac and Tuscola counties. and
$4,000 to aid in rebuilding the fifty school
houses burned (Which was given in full
In our last, as 1t passed the Senate).
passed the House on Tuesday last. sub
stantially az 1t passed the Senate, the only
change being that no district shall draw lis
proportion Of the $4,000 (s3OO) until after il
has actually rebuilt the school house.
The new Tax bll-the new system for as
sessing and collecting taxes-presented by the
Tax Commission was the next bill OF the trio
to get safely through both houses As indicat-
ed In our last, after passing the House, it was
tackled early in the week by the Senate and
carefully considered for two days, forty amend
ments being made to il by that body, and on
Thursday the final vote was reached and the
bill passed 30 to 2, those voting no being Sena-
tors Amber and Brown. The House at once
concurred in the amendments and the deed was
DONE. Michigan was given . new and, it is
hoped, better system of assessing property and
collecting taxes thereon.
The third important bill, the reapportion-
ment OF the State into eleven Congressional
districts, which had passed the Senate before
our last, was passed by the House OH the 9Th,
but in a very much amended condition. In
h1 n n m No tha
cur. and the House insisting on them, a COM
mlttee OF conference was created. This COM
mittee reported in favor OF modifying some
what the bill az amended, and OH Friday the
conference report was adopted and that subjec,
WAC disposed of.
The House, on Tuesday (7th) passed bill
appropriating 800, 600 for rebuilding o por-
ton Of the main building of the Reform School
The building mas been in constant use for more
than a quarter of a century, and it has recently
been discovered that the foundation has all
given way, and the building, or one wing al
least, is likely to fall at any moment, hence the
action of the Governor in calling the attention OF
the Legislature toit The Senate in its supposed
wisdom, and in fit of economy, cut the amount
down to $4,000, and then passed the bill
Several other bills upon the tax question,
either to repeal laws that are obsolete in view
Of the new bill just passed, or to amend other.
that conflict with it. have passed both houses
curing tue week.
With all the subjects for which the
session was called disposed Of the Gov
ernor, at o'clock on Friday afternoon
yielded to the strong pressure that
has all along been brought to bear upon
HIM from parties all over tho State
and opened wide the food-gates of legls.
lation, by sending to the two houses a message
in which he called attention to variety of sub
jects upon which legislation was desired.
Having a few hours before decided by con
current resolution to do no business save t.
close up that on hand after Saturday, the
scramble began, and such scramble and such
mass of hasty legislation was perhaps never
before known in the history Of the Michigan
Legislature. Each man interested in the sub
jects named was prepared, and at once tool
from his desk bill ready for introduction
SO that within an hour q bill had been intro
duced In one or both houses upon every subjec
named in the message-some of the subjects
needing one to five bills to cover all the points
All rules were suspended, and during the mex
twenty hours every bill in the lot had passed
both houses and been referred to the COMMITTEE,
on ENDORSEMENT. This, too. without the bill
having ever been heard Of before, and withou
moments time being given for consideration
of any of them. Many of them will doubles
be amended or repealed at the regular session
next winter. When the work OF at least three
weeks is crowded into twice that many hours
some very poor and very dangerous Legislation
is sure TO follow. OBSERVER.