Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-12-09
MINNESOTA.
Prayer For An Extra Session of the Min
nesota Legislature Denied.

Prayer For An Extra Session of the Min
nesota Legislature Denied.
Under date of Nov. 2Sth, Gov. Hubbard
replies to petitions from Duluth and other
quarters for an extra session of the
Minnesota legislature, declining to call the
same. The constitution of the State, he
recites, authorizes the Governor to con-
vene the legislature in extra session on
extraordinary occasions"
No extraordinary occasion has arisen
under the new laws relating to inspection,
handling and weighing grain, or the
regulation of railroad companies, and it is
yet too soon to determine what amend
ments are essential.
Admitting that the population of the
state has increased very unequally since
1880, so that the apportionment upon the
census of that year is no longer just and
equal, and that this inequality ought to
cease at the first opportunity, Gov.
Hubbard says that the constitution itself
anticipates unequal increase of population
with resulting inequality in the existing
apportionment, and authorizes the taking
of a census to ascertain the fact and a
reapportionment every five years at the
next session after the census, if found
proper. In fact inequality in representa-
tion in the legislature has been found to
exist after every census, as was from the
first expected. Can that be called ''an
extraordinary OCCASION which occurs
according to habit and expectation?
The next legislatures is the one Of which the
work of reapportionment is sconstitutionally
expected, and the present legislature, if
called, might not attend to the mat
ter, it being the duty Of the other. An
"extraordinary reason" for an extra ses-
sion might appear, if it had been observed
that the new or weak counties have hither-
TO been neglected or oppressed. A good
test is the distribution of the internal reve-
nue. improvement fund. The legislature
disposes of that fund at its pleasure. The
present legislature distributed about $4,000
belonging to that fund at its last session.
OF this amount twelve districts, having
forty five members of the legislature, took
nothing at all; twelve other districts, all
now over-represented, having fifty men,
bers, obtained less than $4,000; the five
country districts, now under-represented,
having thirteen members, were voted more
than $4,000.
AS to the request for an extra session,
Gov. Hubbard states that in addition to the
action at Duluth, he is advised that the
city council of st. Paul and of Fergus Falls
have adopted similar resolutions, that sew
eral editors have asked for an extra ses-
sion, 33 representative men of Otter Tail
county have petitioned, and other petit
tions bearing 224 signatures have been pre-
sented, and these form the total demands
Gov. Hubbard concludes his paper as fol-
lows: But if the favorable expression had
been more general, could not have justi-
fed to myself the action you request You
will remember thatI was obliged at the
end of the last session to protect the credit
of the state by vetoing appropriations
amounting to $174,0O0 which there was
reason to believe the treasury would not
be in condition to pay. 1t is not yet cer-
tain that too much was not, after all, al
lowed to pass. It is certain that the ex-
penses of an extra session could not be paid
without another state loan.