Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-01-10
THE LEGISLATURE.
Opening Session o. the State Leglsla-
ture.

iht tdNNuStS were ne q on inc evening o.
January LIST. PcytJn ltanney OF kalama-
zoo, was chairman of the senate caucus and
Z. G.. y. Grtlfey of Marquette, secretary.
The first action was to choose l.. NJ. Miller
OF Muske2oR. secretary of tho senate.
Two ballots were taken for sorgeant-at-
arms, resulting in the choice of John j.
Brubaker of Emmett county For first as
sistant X. M. Allen of Berrien was chosen,
and James Mckay Of Kent, was chosen
second assistant.
+. NJ Howe OF Lansing was elected en-
crossing md enrolling clerk, and Mrs l. X.
do Ir~u o. Midland - sistant
Wl!iam BAH of Livingston, was selected
f. "'~s dent nrn TEN.
The house caucus elected Representative
Diekema Of Ottawa for speaker. Mr.;
)seEemi was escorted TO the platform and
thanked the houl c gracefully Tor the great
honor conferred upon him. He said he felt
that he would be embarrassed by two cir
cumstancc5-tirst TO be able TO equal lhe
prince Of parliamentar,ans, Marley, who
mad preceded him rs speaker; second That
there were more republican members than
there were committees, and consequently
an insufficient number of chairmanshps.
However, he was absolutely unpledged TO
any individual for any position OF any com
mttee. He would bring his best Judgment
TO bear upon the task before him.
W. w. Williams of Eaton was chosen
speaker pro tenn, re ;eiving 45 votes.
Dan. CrOssman was nominated for clerk
by reclamation the ninth success i've time.
II required two ballots TO settle who
should be sergeant alarms, w. ii. Dunn
of OceaHa being chosen, and Geo. w. Foot
first assistant, and Henry Spaulding OF
Van Buren, second assistant.
Henry NJ Rose and Clarence H. Leonard
were chosen enrolling clerks.
William Il minson was chosen keeper OF
the cloak room, with John Wesley of jack
son for assistant.
Charles A. Lee was chosen by acclaim
ton chief ianitor, with power TO name his
assistan'.
The legislature was formally opened on
the 2nd inst After the official list OF sen9
tors elect had been read, Mr.. Wessolius
offered the protest of Freeman b. Dicker-
son OF Detroit against the seating of Mr.
Rentz, claiming that Mr.. Rentz's majority
for sena(ur was attained by fraud in the
fourth and fifth precincts of the first ward
of Detroit legal votes being cast and, as
Mr.. Dickcrson asserts. about fifty votes
being purchased. Mr.. Rentz was duly sworn
in.
Lieut. Gov. Macdonald congratulated the
senator's on the beginning OF their duty,
asked their indulgence for the chair and eX
pressed hope for short session.
The officers of the senate were then e.Cct.
oil as follows: Lewis NJ Miller, secretary;
ID. +. Award, Clare assistant secretary;
e. r.. Baxter, Eaton, bill clerk; j. :. Bru
baker, sergeInt-at arms; Robert NJ. Allen,
acknowledgements arms; James Mckay,
second assis ant sergeant alarms; Frank
NJ. Howe Mrs, l. II. Jamison, enrolling
clerks.
William Ball was elected president pro
TEN. The democratic members voted for
Chauncey VI .sner OF Saginaw.
The Acknowledgements announced the
following as pages for the senate: Walter
j. Hasse, Newaygo; George III. Royce,
Livingston; John A. Quincy, Oceana; Wal
lace Edwards, Cass; VIM. A. Chamberlain,
anlre
kins, Ottawa.
After the house hal been called to order,
Representative Gerrt j. Diekema of Otta-
wa was elected speaker receiving Is votes.
Henry ". Rose and Clarence II. Leonard
were selected unanimously for enrolling
clerks.
w. w. Williams of Eaton was elected
speaker pro tenn, receiving sixty six votes.
John Killean of Kent, 26 being supported
by the democratic members. Mr. Killean
voted for Mr. HJllister Mark Walters of
Oakland was elected keeper Of the docu-
ment room. Charles A. Lee of Wayne was
chosen chief lantOr. with authority 10 APP
point his own assistants
William Il. Dunn Of Oceana was elected
sergeant-at-a arms; c. w. Foote of Hillsdale
first assistant, and Henry Spaulding of Van
Buren, second ass slant sergeant alarms.
The organization Of the house being thus
effected, and eX Gov. Alger being observed
in the hall, he was invited to address thu
house, and made a pleasant little speech.
Mr.. Markey, speaker Of the last house, re.
.ceived similar compliment and reDlied
with a speech that was much applauded
The house and senate met in Joint conven-
ton at two O'Clock on the Bird and listened
to the governors inaugural address. An
informal reception in the executive par!ors
followed
Gov. Luce began his inaugural by remind.
ing the legislature that, by virtue of the
laws ennct2d by tho legis aturo, more than
S20,OO0,0)O is annually collected from the
people OF Michigan. Then he urged that
laws be passed more perfectly to guard the
ballot "ltumors are current he said,
that the laws against bribery and the i'm
proper use of money are violated with i'm
punity. Whether this is true or not, it is
weakening confidence in our SYSTEM He
recommended the Massachusetts system Of
voting
Gov. Luce suggested that a special Joint
committee be appointed to look into the
constitutionality Of bills, in order to reduce
TO minimum the now alarming practice of
passing laws that the supreme court de-
clares unconstitutional
The question of indeterminate sentences
receives the governor 3 cold shoulder. The
bill passed by the previous legislature, to
allow the imposition of such sentences, met
veto because of provision which allowed
the prison authorities to extend the limit of
punishment. while other portions of the
bill seemed faulty says the governor. az
should probably have signed il but for that
provision, and now the question will prob
ably again come before you"
PAROLE SYSTEM.
The Ohio system of paroling prisoners is
commended TO the consideration of the leg
isature. "a very important feature" says
the governor, "that must be embraced in
this law, to make it effective and useful
Is, provisions must be made for the employ
ment of the prisoner before he is permitted
TO leave the prison. And in this connection
/ desire TO call attention to the home for
discharged prisoners established i'm
the city of Detroit through the eff
forts of few Christian philan.
thropists II ought not and must not be
made in any sense n state institution It's
management and chief support must be
left TO private enterprise, but an appropria-
ton of 81, 900 per annum will be of great
service TO IL.
PENAL INSTITUTIONS.
The prison labor pays nearly oil of the
current expenses of the jackson prison.
Demands for appropriations will be for re
pairs only. and il is believed that Z !0,OO0
will meet the requirements. A portion of
the men at the lonia house Of correction are
employed on contract, another portion di-
rectly by the state. So far as competition