The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-02-12


somi- Centennisi--Another Investigation
Wsnted-spare the Deer-senator Henry
to Retain His seas-Long Recess--stop-
ping Abused Power--BrieAets.
from Our Own Correspondent
LANSING, Feb. 2.
When the Senate met last Monday even
ing good working majority was on hand
and good evenings work was done; but
when the House met ut 800 p. m. (rather an
unreasonable hour the roll call showed only
forty-nine members present, and no bust
ness was in order.
THE GENERAL TAX LAW.
As before stated, the general tax law,
drawn by the Special Tax Commissioner,
and passed by the Legislature in extra ses-
sion in 1882, has proven defective in many
respects, while the Supreme Court is evenly
divided as to its constitutionality. In view
OF these facts, il has been self evident for
year or two that the Legislature, when
it met again, would be expected to
thoroughly overhaul the law. To
that end special joint com
mittee of three Senators and five Repre-
sentatives was ordered some days ago, 10
whom all matters pertaining to the subject
should be referred That committee has
been appointed and consists Of Senators
Hubbell, G.. A. Smith, and Pulver. and
Representatives Campbell, Post Coomer.
Hankerd. and Ford They have organized
by electing Senator Hubbell as Chairman
of the joint committee and appointing Mark
M. Powers, Grand Rapids lawyer as clerk.
While many members of both houses have
introduced bills to amend the law in GER
tain sections to fit particular cases that have
come under their personal observation,
Senator George A. Smith. of Hillsdale, has
been preparing bill for general and
sweeping amendment of the entire law. and
one that shall provide for the payment of
taxes semi annually, as recommended by
Gov. Alger IN his inaugural message. The
bill was introduced Friday evening aud pro-
vides for the amendment of thirty nine
sections of the law entitled An act to pro-
vide for the assessment of property
and the levy and collection of
taxes thereon" The feature alluded to
above provides that taxes on all personal
property must be paid in December and
january as now, and that the entire tax on
real estate may be paid then if desired. but
that if the tax payers SO wish, one-half the
latter may be paid then and the other half
in June. While the payments made In the
months first named will come under the
8 per cent for collection fees. as Mt pres
erf, if the real estate tax (the first half is
allowed for any reason to go over to June
the victim must then pay fee Of 10 per
cent. Doubtless many in the State will
prefer to pay oil up for the year at one time,
but there are more who will be glad of the
opportunity of making two bites of the un-
welcome cherry. Tax-collectors are un-
welcome visitors at best, but, like death,
can't be avoided. The semi-annual feature
is in force in Ohio, and has been for years,
and is said to work satisfactorily.
MICHIGAN SEMI CENTENNIAL.
Michigan will soon be half a century old,
having been formally admitted into the
Union as State on the Goth day of jan
uary, 1887. The fact of the near approach
of the semi centennial and OF the fitness of
suitable celebration of the event was, on
Jan. 81, brought to the notice of the Legis-
lature by Hon. Henry Chamberlain, of
Berrien, in the following memorial:
To tho Honorable the Senate and House OF Rep
resentatives of the State Of Michigan:
The undersigned would respectfully call
the attention of the honorable the Legis-
lation Of the State of Michigan to the fact
that the semi centennial of the formal de-
claration that Michigan was one of the
States of the Union will occur on the 26th
day Of January, 1887.
Your memoralist would further represent
that it is the wish of many citizens of this
State that the event should be celebrated in
a proper manner becoming the people of o
State which will have increased by that
time from ia, 600 to 1000, 900 Of people.
Your memorialist would suggest that a
gathering ut the State capital on the Goth
day of January, 1887, of all the persons
then living who have served the State as
Governors, Senators, Representatives, or
State officers might be made an occasion
IF great interest, and might be the means
Of reviving incidents in the history of our
State and perpetuating in the minds of
our children valuable lessons
| Your memorialist would respectfully re-
quest that your honorable bodies appoint a
Joint committee of the two houses to take
this matter into consideration.
HENRY CHAMBERLAIN.
THREE OAKS, Mich, Jan. 26, 1886.
In accordance with the memorial Sena-
! tors Sherwood, Woodruff and Moon have
been appointed as members of the Joint
committee, while Speaker Clark has not
yet announced the members on the
part of the House. 1t is expected that
WANT AN INVESTIGATION.
The Detroit papers having for several
weeks charged gross frauds and incom-
potency on the Board of Auditors of Wayne
County Senator Hueston has been moved
to ask the Legislature to appoint special
committee of three to investigate such
charges. Up to this date the question has
been considerably discussed, but no definite
action has been taken on the proposition.
HUNTING DEER WITH DOGS
After the attempt has been made for
years, and failed each session, to pass
bill to prohibit the hunting of deer
with dogs. it remains for Representa-
tive Ester. of Isabella. TO succeed (at least
so far as the House is concerned), his bill
going through the House Friday by the
unusual vote of 81 yeas to nays II is
hoped that the bill will 60 through the
Senate as easily, because if the wholesale
slaughter of these animals is not stopped in
some way, the time is not far distant when
their race will become extinct in Michi-
gan.
SENATOR HENRY SEATED.
The COMMITTEES on the Judiciary made
its report on the Both on the McNamara-
Henry contest from the 10Th district. II
took precisely similar ground to those taken
in the Kirby-Lovell case in 1884, and de-
clared that although Mr.. Henry was q
county officer ut the time of the election in
November, his term expired before his term
rs Senator began Jan. z. and therefore