The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-07-02

The Session Endcd-An Acting Governor
Clean sweep-Pardon Board-Moro OH
eers-A HI aud-Grand Total OF Appro-
priations--farcweil.

priations--farcweii.
lrrom Our Own Correspondentl
LANSING. June &c.
The long drawn out session Of the Mich
igan Legislature of 1SS5-longer by seven
days than any that have preceded it, fin
ished its work ut 10:40 D. m. on Wcdnes-
day and ut noon to-day the gayel fell and
the two houses were declared adjourned
sine die. As TO the good or bad results Of
the legis'at on of the session, time alone
en- tell. 1t seemed Mt one time that not
withstanding the unusually long session. an
extra session next winter would be inevita-
bic. That possibility has, happily, been
removed, an unless the Supreme Court
should very speedily be called on to render
n decision on the new tax Inv. and should
pronounce against its constitutionality, an
extra session is not at all probable.
A NEW GOVERNOR.
Michigan has to-day what she hasn't had
In many years. an acting Governor. Hay-
ing laid his plans some weeks ago for trip,
with his staff aud number of invited
guests, to the National Encampment of the
q. A. r., TO be held at Portland. Me-, Gov
Alger spent most of the night after the
close of business on the 18th in examining
and approving the bills passed during the
closing hours Of the session, and early next
morning left for Portland. leaving dozen
or SO bills that could not be enrolled and
gotten to him before he was obliged to
leave for Lieut.. Gov. Archibald Buttars to
sign and approve as Acting Governor
Such case has not occurred during the
last twenty-five years at least, where any
bills passed by the Legislature have been
approved by an Acting Governor. yet
Lieut.. Gov. Holt did exercise the pardon
ing power in one or two instances ten years
xvhi Ea oil fax, flxyn mi
of the State at the sea shore.
ALMOST A CLEAN SWEEP.
During the session Gov. Alger has vetoed
but one bill (the minority billy, and that
was subsequently passed over the veto,
and it Is now understood that Act
ing Gov. Buttars will approve all
those left in his hands except
ing the Egan bill to abolish the
prison contract labor system. 1t is under
stood that before he left Gov. Alger signi-
fed his intention to pocket it, which is
the only sort of veto left to Governor
after the adjournment of Legislature. 1t
is conceded that the fact that Gov. Alger
took a new departure and employed an as
sistant that he termed Governors Coun-
sci, has had much to do with preventing
vetoes, as heretofore there have been sew
eral at each session, while at the same time
the very serious and sometimes inexcusa-
Bile blunders that have escaped the Gov
errors attention have been weeded out,
many bills being recalled and perfected at
the suggestion of the legal adviser before
they were finally presented to the Governor
for his approval.
A PARDON BOARD.
Perhaps as important bill as passed
during the past week-and only a very few
were passed-was that for the establish
ment of an advisory board in the matter of
pardons. This will take much of the worry
and hard work, as well az responsibility,
from the Governor, and would seem to be
a sensible move; for while the Governor
still has the absolute right and power to
issue pardons. he will hardly care to go
contrary to the advice of the board, so the
zone man power is to great extent taken
away from the Chief Executive. The
bill only passed on the last day
June nth, but the Governor Mt
once appointed. and the Senate as promptly
confirmed, the members of the board, as
follows: Henry c. Wisner and Geo. II.
Richard of Wayne. for four years: Albert
III. Henry OF Wayne aud Chester Warn.
ner Of jackson, for two years.
OTHER OFFICERS.
The Senate Mt the same time confirmed
385 notaries public and the following:
Members OF commission to arrange for
celebration of fiftieth anniversary of the
admission of Michigan into the Union
Theodore II. Hinchman of Wayne County,
vice VIM. A. Moore, resigned.
Member of Pharmacy Board-Ottmar
Eberbach of Washtenaw, vice Christian
Eberbach, resigned.
FRAUD.
Early in the session the Attorney Cen
eral was directed to look up the facts in re-
gard to society that was doing business in
the State, with headquarters at Marine
City. and styling itself the Mutual Mar
riage Benevolent Association" 1t claimed
to pay each person insured stated sum at
marriage instead of at death. That officer
submitted long opinion on the subject on
the 10th, in which he sat down hard on the
institution, closing with these words: The
report of this association placed in my
hands is very far from a full and accurate
report Of its affairs, but consists of an ar
gument and effort TO establish the merits of
the association, in the interest, perhaps, Of
pending legislation. Ny conclusion is, as
above suggested, that the Mutual Marriage
Benev client Association has no legal stand
ing, and is not duly organized under the
statutes of Michigan" He was then au-
thorized by a resolution Of the House to
wind up the affairs of the so-called So
ciety.
VERY LITTLE WORK.
Very little work was done during the last
three days of the session, less in fact than
has been done by former Legislatures on
the last day, and instead of running ut
high pressure speed until two O'Clock the
next morning as is quite often done on tho
closing night, both houses adjourned at
10:4O p. m.
TIE GRAND total.
AS is usual, the general appropriation
bill was not passed until the last day, and
then difference arose between the two
houses that resulted in committee of con-
ference and came near beating the bill. AS
finally passed the bill appropriates for two
years little less than 81, 500, 900.
THE CLOSING HOURS
OF the session were marked by attempts to
vote extra pay 10 different officers, and. as
usual, 81 to SO per day extra was voted to
the chief clerks of the two houses, and 81
to few others, but the lines were drawn
! closer than for many years.
Resolutions OF appreciation and thanks
were adopted in regard to nearly every
officer from Lieutenant Governor and
Speaker down to messenger boys and then
4ha xyhoola of hueinags for this SAMSON