Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-03-01


There seemed TO be but very little interest
IN the proceedings this morning. Only one
bill was introduced, and no committees re-
ported. There was only bare quorum
present. Third reading of bills vas post
poned till the evening session. The evil
arising out of hssty action, IN passing bills
without consideration, showed itself to-day.
On last Friday night a mass of bills were
agreed to In committee Of the whole without
even reading This morning a senator
found that one bill hal been so reported
which was not right. 1t took a half hours
talk to mn out how to correct this error,
and then did not do it. The senate cot into
a muddle, and finally laid it over till to-
morrow.
By some break, caused, we suppose, by
the small number present, both the house
and senate bills on judicial appOrtlonment
were got onto the ca endar for third reading,
one of them subjecJ to amendment and de-
bate and the other not. This shows that
senators who have measures IN which they
are Interested should not go home to spend
the Sabbath, but always be on hand to watch
the proceedings.
The senate, at 1I:3O, went into committee
OF the whole on a half dozen bills relating to
insurance. 1t took ten minutes to get at
which bill to take up. It provides that there
shall be no pooling by Insurance agents;
that is, that it shall be a crime for agents to
fix rates for which business shall be done.
That Is, each agent shall make rate for
himself, but he cant agree with other agents
as to what the rates shall be. It was recon-
mende for passage.
Another bill came up providing tor a
''value policy" that Is, that companies shall
pay the full face value of a policy when
building Is destroyed, whether 1t is worth
sage.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The work this afternoon, or at the outset,
shows the bad policy of making special or
derFs There has not been one this winter
but has resulted in delay instead of prog
ress. In the forenoon the insurance bills
were the special order, but the consideration
of It was not through at the time of the a6-
tournament. After dinner the interest bills
were up for special order, and 1t took until
nearly 3 O'Clock to extend the time fol their
consideration one day. Then, tae move of
this morning to place bills on third reading
this evening was reoonsidered, and the SEN
ate went into that order and considered
them till the me OF Adjournment.
EVENING SESSION.
The entire evening was spent in committee
OF the whole, most of the time on the eXecu-
tive and judiciary appropriation bills. A
great many amendments were made to the
Dill as It came from the committee, and at
y, midnight, it was recommended for pas
sage, and at 1915 a. N. an adjournment was
HOUSE.
After the preliminary TX tbs HOUSE at
tackled the usury bill. The bill as reported,
was to make the legal rate 6 and the con-
tract TO per cent. and all excess be forfeited
and besides that 10 per cent. of the excess be
taken from the principal. For instance, a
man loans another 800 and takes $50 for
one years interest. The lender is liable to
an action for the return of the $40 and 81
more, or 10 per cent of the excess.
A motion was made to add punishment
Of thirty to sixty days in the county jail for
taking any usury. 1t was stated that this
motion was made on purpose to kill the bill
by loading 1t down so heavy that the senate
The amendment it was said would not
hurt the banks but the men from abroad
who would be driven out of business.
The debate on the bill cont inued till ad-
tournament without any definite result.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The house again took up the usury bills
and continued at them till 3 p. m, when the
time for another special order arrived, it be-
ing an act providing for the inspection of
live CATTLE The committee arose and as
soon as the latter special order was extended
till to morrow morning the house went
into committee of the whole again on the
Usury bill. The pending amendment was to
make it a criminal offenss to take interest
above the rates presided by the bills to 10
per cent. The talk was long and partici-
pated in by large number of persons.
The whole question of usury, the action OF
the republican party IN declaring in favor of
such a law in convention assembled the ques-
ton whether or not IL would drive capital
from the state, etc, etc., was discussed with
q great deal of ability all the afternoon
without coming to any definite result.
EVENING SESSION.
The amendment to the usurY law, prOvid-
ing for imprisonment in cases of VOL ton
of it, was defeated. The bill finally passed
the committee, and was ordered engroEsed as
it passed. It provides for per cent an
contract at 10, with the penalty that when
the money loaner takes over 10 per cent (tIe
contract rate) and less than II shall forfeit
double the excess taken above 10; that when
ne takes u per cent interest or less tn n 10
per cent he forfeits the entire interest; when
he takes Is per cent, and less than 20 per
cent, he forfeits all the interest and half the
principal; if he takes 20 per cent or more he
fOrfeits all the interest and all the principal.
The rest of the evening session was de-
voted to the consideration of a bill to gov
ern cities of the first class. 1t is an entire
revision of the charters governing these cit
les. It provides that ali snch cities shall be
put under the metropolitan police system.
IL WIS amended and recommended for pas
sage.
| A committee was also appointed to revise
! the c]lendar. It has been apparent that but
small number of the bills on the twenty
one page calendar can be reached, and so
| this committee was appointed to pick out
/ the most important oness
} Tuesday.
SENATE
TOPEKA FebruaPv TU-lE the n -eF3 mn