The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-04-20
THE STATE CAPITAL.

the Cansus--Co-operative Associations -
Appropriation Bills Secret Societies
Detroit House of Correction.
from Our Own Correspondent
LANSING, April z. 1889
Both branches of the Legislature met
promptly on the morning of tho 9Th, and the
four days intervening since have been busy
ones here. The sight of home and it's duties
during tho election recess, from March 20 to
April 4, gave many Of the Legislators
Especially the farmer members) q feeling
that they want to get home in tho near
future-and the nearer the better-so they
pitch in with an unu' ual vim; yet with all
their hurrying 1t is hardly possible that they
can, or probable that they will, complete the
work Of the sesson day before June LIST.
A new scheme is being ia ked up by some OF
those who are opposed to staying here
very much longer this spring, and that is,
TO work few days longer and then take
REcEss UNTIL DECEMBER
when, they argue, there would be plenty of
time to complete the work Of the session
w thout crowding upon the time when farm
ers and others are especially needed at
home TIL scheme will hardly crystalline
in this State, although Ohio. and perhaps
one or two other States, have for some years
had sessions every year, each regular
biennial session being carried over to the
succeeding winter by recess We think
iour-hfths of tho Michigan lawmakers
would prefer to stay and sight it out on this
Inc If it takes al summer"
PETITIONS AND REMONsTRANCEs
occupy quite large portion OF each forenoon
session. and they are very largely upon the
subject OF the proposed prohibitory consti-
tutional amendment, large numbers petit
tioniug for and others demonstrating against
fhA tl fv-x.a ftxv- Alx<.
so-called
aCAsE LIQUOR Bills.
These bills are two In number, and one
proposes to reduce the liquor-seller's tax to
sl00 for liquor and $50 for beer, while the
other proposes the equally undesirable
change of allowing liquor-sellers to secure
bondsmen anywhere in the county where
they hold forth, instead Of limiting them to
the township. village or city as now. What
ever opinion may be expressed by tho
masses as,to the desirability or practicability
OF prohibitory laws, we think the number OF
those who desire TO 80 far encourage the
traffic as TO make the changes proposed by
Mr. Cases bills are very few az compared to
the total population Of Michigan.
THE PRoHIDIToRY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
reported by the Senate committee came UP
on the 9th, in that body, and after the word
"sacramental"had been struck out on motion
OF Senator White, an attempt was made by
Senator Romeyn, OF Wayne. to strike out
the word medicinal" This failed by vote
Of 10 to ID when the Senator moved that
the committee report 1t back to the Senate
with the recommendation that It's fu rther
consideration be indefinitely postponed This
was also lost bv vote of yeas Z nays l3
When the committee rose there was several
short of its full number. and the joint resolu-
ton was tabled pending concurrence in the
amendment striking out the word "sacra-
mental" If the resolution passes the SEN
ate it must have % votes and it s under
stood that only % votes can be surely count
ed on with full Senate.
PECULIAR sUEPRISES
1t is sometimes matter OF surprise that a
little bill Of no seeming special Importance
should stir up n hornets nest in one house
OF the other, Vet such case frequently
happens. A case of the kind was met in the
House to-day, when large part of the day
was spent in the conside ration of Senator
Romeyns bill to amend compiled laws
relative Co divorce. AS printed the entire
bill contains but few lines and reads as
follows:
SECTION |. The people Of the State Of Mich
i0Gn enact That sections and 80 OF chapter
40, Of the compiled laws OF 1871 being I'm PLIERS
sections 4,733 and 4,76l, relative 10 divorce, be-
and the same are hereby, amended so as to read
as follows:
abb Soc. l. All marriages which are pro-
hlbited by law on account Of consa guinity or
affinity between the parties, on account OF
either of them having former wife or husband
living, and I'll marriages solemniZed when either
OF the parties was insane or an idiot, shall, IL
solemnized within this State. be absolutely void
without any decree of divorce or other legal
process.
area. Sec. 80 Upon the dissolution by deere.
or sentence Of the nullity Of any marriage that
Is prohibited on account Of c1nsanguinity or
affinity between the parties, the issue Of the
marriage shall be deemed to be Legitimate
The attempt of the opp onents Of the bill
seemed to be TO legitimatlze good, bad and
ind tlercnt, with no regard to the circum-
stances or iniustices of any particular cases
hence the long and hard fought contest over
short and innocent looking bill. The
friends Of the bill triumphed at last, and it
goes to the order Of third reading.
MINORITY EXPERIMENTATION
Another bill, still shorter than the one
above alluded to, is that of Representative
Barnard, Ito secure To the minority OF stock
holders in corporations the power Of elect
ing n representative membership of direct
ors, and reading as follows:
SECTION /. TIE people Of the state Of Michi-
gan enact, In all elections for directors of any
corporation in this State, other thQn municipal
every stakeholder shall have the right 10 vote, in
person or bv proxy, the number OF shares Of
stock owned by him for a. many persons az
there are directors to be elected or to cumulate
said shares and give one candidate as many
votes % VIII equal the number Of directors null
tplicd by the number of shares of his stock: or
20 distribute them on the same principle among
as many candidates a. n shall think Mt. And
such directors shall not be elected in any other
manner.
Another innocent-ooling bill. but one that
has occupied much Of the time of the House
for the past two or three DAYS as much, and
perhaps more, than has been given to anv
bill at this session. It's third reading was
finally made special order
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS
are being reported within the past few dnys
and ordered printed. We gave quite full
synopsis Of these some weeks ago. but as
soon as they are all agreed upon will give
tor attempt toy the grand total Of all asked
for or likely TO be voted ut this session
SECRET SOCIETIES.
The House has Just passed n bill ito provide
FOR the incorporation OF local assemblicA of
the order W Knights of Labor of North
America, and of district assemblies thereof
in the State OF Michigan" which leads one
of an inquiring turn of mind TO ask when
will the organization of new secret societies
end
DETROIT HOUSE OF CORRECTION
Representative Bolger introduced bill TO
amend one section of an act relative to the
establishment of the Detroit House OF Cor
rection, and to add q new section TO the bill.
which was seriously opposed by the Detroit
dailies, but was nevertheless passed in the
House on the 9TH; yeas Ga, nays & The two,
sections read as follows:
sl6s SEC. 4. Whenever any court of tho
VInitpi Stntpa Al N ia a. I