The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-02-13
WHAT OUR LEoIsLAToRs ARE
DOING.

weeks have been MIR. Obrien's nquor
bill, the railroad and transportation
and the Wilson bonus bill. This
latter bill provides for the prohibition OF
granting bonuses to railroads by coun-
ties. Senator Wilson, of Winona, intro.
duced it and stood up to it manfully,
though there was strong opposition. 1t
came up for the third reading on Tues
day of last week, and gave rise to some
warm debate. Senator Billson was the
spokesman for the opposition, and he
and Senator Wilson measured oratorical
swords for some time. A vote was final
ly reached, resulting in q in favor to 10
against.
A bill for the extension of the corpor-
ate limits of St. Paul, was introduced IN
the Senate last week.
A bill providing for the taking of the
census of the State, was reported in the
legislature Thursday Of last week.
1t provides that the assessors of the
yeral towns in the State, under the
direction Of the county auditors, Shall
make the census for their respective
towns, and where there are no assessors
the county auditor shall appoint one or
more assistants to make the census. The
Secretary of State shall prepare such
blanks as are necessary to permit OIL
there being shown the name, sex, age,
deaf or dumb, blind, insane, person Of
color, nativity OF persons OF foreign
parentage, number of families, number
Of churches, value of church property
properly held by church associations
exempt from taxation, and these blanks
shall be sent to the auditor before April
| Is, and he shall distribute them To the
assessors, who shall commence the work
of taking the census, obtaining the facts
indicated in the blank, on May /. The
work is to be closed i'll two months
thereafter and a return made TO the
county auditor by the first of August or
sooner. The auditor is to transmit the
return to the Secretary of State and file
a COPY with the clerk of the court IN the
| county where the canvass is made. The
CON pensation fixed in the bill Tor asses
sor, in villages and cities is .25 for
ever 100 names, for assessors III the
country towns and assistants appointed
by the county auditor $3.50 for every
| 100 nal,es, and in unOrganiZed counties
five cents for each name taken. The
auditor il to receive $40 for transcriblng
the first 81 900 names, and 10 for each
additional thousand. Tins bill makes /,
the duty of the Secretary Of the State to
digest and compile the returns received
from the auditors, for which he is to re.
be allowed s. per day for each assistant
which he employs in the work. A
penalty of $3.50 is imposed for failure OF
refusal on the part OF any assessor 10 per-
form the duty imposed. The assessors
are to make and subscribe TO an oath
for the faithful performance of theii
duties. The bill appropriates $3O,OOl
for the purpose of carrying out the pro-
visions of this act.
The matter of railroads and grain in
spection gave the Senate and House
committees vast deal of trouble, there
being considerable variance between the
individual members of the committees
and at the close of last weeks session
no definite condition of this matter had
been shaped. In the House it was de
termined to make the railroad bill 1
special order for Tuesday of this week
In the House Mr.. Spaulding intro
duced bill, providing for the proven
ton of deception in the sale of dairy
products.
) A bill passed the Senate last week
authorizing Blue Earth county to ISSUE
bonds to the amount of $4,000 for the
erection of new county buildings.
On Thursday of last week the Senate
judiciary committee reported on the
Fletcher-Williams contest case recon-
) mending that the petition of Mr.. Will
Jams be indefinitely postponed. Thu
virtually settles the question and doe
away with any further consideration o
the case.
The bill reported by the committee OF
insane in the Senate makes appropria
tons for the st. Peter asy lum rs o.luws
For building and furnishing detached
wards in 1885, $4,000 in 1886, $4,000
for improving central building, $4,000
for barn and root cellar, $500; annua
repairs, 5000. Total, Sll4,5O0. A
Rochester, reconstructing central build
ing, $72, 600; for stock barn farm, $500
for patch of pasture land, 81 200; duple'
pumps, $1,000; hose and hose house
81, 600; repairs annually, s., 200; detach
ed wards, $50, 900. Total, $l3l 700. Crane
total, $246,2
The temperance element are making
efforts to have high license measure
passed, fixing the minimum of liquor
licenses throughout the State at $500. A
bill providing thus, was introduced il
both, the Senate and House last Friday
with hopes of favorable action.
The House committee to whom wai
referred the bill to appropriate $l00,OO(
for equipping the State fair grounds be-
tween st. Paul and Minneapolis, decided
to report favorable upon the same.
Senator Knudson has introduced 8
bill in the Senate, relating to taxes. II
provides for on amendment to the laws
governing the assessment and collection
It requires that the county treasurer
shall get the tax list the first Monday o.
January Of each year, and he retains
them there one year. The time of the
sale of land under the delinquent tax
law will be changed by this bill from the
third Monday in September to the first
Monday in May. The collection of the
delinquent personal property tax will
BIZ placed in the hands of the Sheriff In.
stead of the County Treasurer.
Senator Truax is after the canine spe.
Gle, he having introduced bill making
dogs personal property and assessable,
as are horses and other domestic an.
inals.-
The suffrage committee reported favor
able on the bill giving women the privi-
lege of voting for county supennten.
dents, but unfavorable on the one grant
ing to the ladies right to vote for Presi-
dental electors.
Bills effecting the dairy interests OF
the State are quite numerous.
An attempt was mado to pass an act,
postponing the time Of commencing to
shoot prairie chickens until Sept. 10, but
the measure was Indefinitely postponed.
The past week has been given up.
largely, in both houses, to the consider
alton of the railroad bills, and Tuesday
this matter was made special order in
the House. A long heated debate en-
sued, and the friends and opponents OF
the measure entered into the work with
a determined vim. Many attempts to
amend were made, and great deal of
adverse argument produced, but the act
| nassad ON Walnesdav and will 90 To the