River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-12-03
PRAYER FORAN EXTRA SESSION OF
THE MINNESOTA LEGISLA-
TUKE DENIED.

Under date of Nov. 29th, 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 III 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 railroe i companies, and it ID
yet too soon to determine what amend
ments are essential.
Admitting that the population of the
state has increased very uneqnally since
1880, SO that the apportlonmeut upon the
census OF that year is no Longer just and
equal. and that this inequality ought 20
cease at the first opportunity, Gov.
Hubbard says that the constitution itself
anticipates unequal increase OF Population
with resulting Inequality IN the existing
apportiOumeut, and authorizes the taking
uI a ,e1sus to ascertain the fact and Il
leappurIonment every five years al the
next SESSION after the census, II found
proper. In fact inequality in representa-
Uiou In the legislature has been found TO
exist after every census, as was from the
Urst expected. Can that be called IAN
extraordinary occasion which occurs
according to habit and expectation
The next legislatures the one of which the
work OF reappOrJloumeHti is constltutlonaIly
expected, and the present legislature, II
called. might not attend to the mat
ter, it being the duty of the other. An
extraordinary reason for an extra SEES
sion might appear, if it had been observed
that the new or weak counties have hIther-
to been neglected or oppressed. good
test is the distribution of the internal reye-
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 fly mem
bers, obtained less than $1,000; the five
country districts, now under-represented,
having thirteen members, were voted more
than $50, 900.
AS 10 the request IOT Ill extra SSSSiOu'
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
tons bearing PA 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, L could not have jnsti-
fed to myself the action you request. You
will remember that was obliged at the
end of the last session to protect the credit
of the state by vetoing appropriations
amounting to Sl74,C00 which there was
reason to believe the treasury would not
be in a condition to pay. 1t is not ) ct GER
tain that too much was not, after all, al
lowed to pass. 1t is certain that the ex-
penses of an extra session could not be paid
without another state loan.
L. T. HUBBARD, Governor.