Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-02-28
At The Capitol.
fspecial C0fftfpantlence.l
Z.

The maximum number of bills pre-
scented at that time was in the assembly
90l or 70 in excess Of the number intro
duced in the same body two years ago
and in the Senate $50 or q more than
at the same session. This number is
larger than at any previous session
and is truly surprising record when is
considered the diilidence If not apathy
with which the granger legislature "
for so it has been aptly dubbed, began
the work of aw-making. 1t was dur
ing the days just prior to the final date,
however. that relatively the bulk of the
number was handed in. On the last
day alone one-third of the entire num-
Der in both houses was introduced and
on the day proceeding fully sixth was
presented. Many of these, however,
were dead heads style Of bill intro
duced merely on its title. that is, there
is nothing of the bill except its title
and the blank space to be filled. The
bill is made the mule for q legisla-
tive trick. BY means Of it the "over-
worked Legislators eyade the lule
limiting the time for the introduction OF
new business and thus enable them
selves to perform ,heir duties with
greater convenience and ease. The
''dead head is usually referred to a
committee of one-always the member
introducing it, who then takes his time
to fill ia the substance and report II
back. 1t is then printed and finally
gets properly bsfore the legislature.
This practice though it in many ways
conduces TO the obstruction of business,
has long prevailed. Not SINCE the days
of speaker Fred Horn has it been inter-
rupted. As the procedure is entirely
discretionary with the speaker, and the
bismarck" of the Wisconsin legisla-
ture, as Mr.. Horn is termed, being
averse he objected and in consequence
none were pfeSenl0u.
1t was at the evening session of the
Assembly on the last day, after the in
PRODUCTION of live measures had ceased,
that legislative frolic was INDUCED in.
There were several bills designed to
create merriment presented in the reg
ular form and read. Among them
were the following: TO divide the
county of Dodge and create the county
of Muldoon. This was hit at the
Irish population of that county and by
the witty Irish member from Milwau-
kee, Mr.. Dunn, who for the time being
occupied the chair, was referred to Ire
land. Other bills presented were to
regulate blacksmithing in the state Of
Wisconsin referred TO the committee
on printing; to prevent lobbyists from
visiting Madison during the sessions of
the legislature; to prevent the re-elec-
ton of the present members of the
legislature; TO abolish all work and
labor; making it Il felony for state Uni
versity students to attend legislative
parties; authorizing Ellis B. Usher TO
construct bridge of signs across Salt
river; TO tax bachelors; providing for
the removal of the state capitol TO St.
Paul; to change the name of Robert
Elsmere; appropriaiing a certain sum
of money TO the "illigant bould Nc
Intyres' to provide for opening of
jack pots on pair of teusk to insure
good and pure government to the people
of the state by setting of the northern
portion known as the dive and den
region and attaching the same to the
Flambeau Indian reservation with the
capitol at some point on Squaw creek f;
attaching the city of Milwaukee to the
wicked city of Chicago; TO Kill any
regularly admitted practicing attorney
in said said city between the first day
of February and the 30th day of May
and the first day of August and the 30th
day of November. There were similar
provisions relating TO physicians, mer-
chants, etc. The concluding section
made it a misdemeanor to violate any
of the provisions of the act, Punishable
by an interview of thirty minutes with
Judge Lynch. As the bill was never
presented that it will become a law is
not probable.
OF the serious measures introduced
probably as important as any is the
libel bill of the State Press Association
introduced by Mr.. Osborn, of Darling
ton. The bill was framed by com.
mittee of the state association at its
recent session and in consequence en-
braces somewhat more liberal con-
struction of the term and ofthe methods
of procedure in liberal actions. By the
provisions of the bill no malice is to be
presumed either actual or legal from
the fact of the publication of the alleged
libel and where the party complaining
fails to prove express malice in the
publication only actual damages can be
recovered, punitory damages being re-
coverable where malice is proved. Also
it is provided that no action for libel
can be brought until the publisher has
been asked to retract and fails after
ample time having been given, to do so.
Attorneys whose fees would be contin-
gent upon the judgment obtained are
forbidden to participate in the trial.
AS the measure has the endorsement of
TIE association its passage is probable.
Among other important bills of the
week was that of Mr.. Legler, of Mil
waukee, providing for the establish
ment of commission on industrial
education. The board is to consist of
eight members made up of the presi-
dent of the state university, the profess
sor of science and art of teaching, and
of agriculture in that institution, the
Superintendent of Farmers institutes,
of the State Board of Supervisor, the
chief of the State Labor Bureau and
the State Board of Charities and Reform.
The committee is to investigate and re-
port to the legislature upon the con-