The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-03-05
Thursday, Feb, 20.
SENATE

SENATE.
Senator Mcmillan introduced resolution
! providing Tor the payment of 81, 294. so to
Senator O'Brien Tor contest expenses. 1t
was referred to the committee on claims,
Senator Kelly presented a resolution au
thorizing the chairman of the engrossn ent
| committee to appoint clerk at S. per day
Senator Geissel moved to amend by includ-
| ing as part OF the duties OF the clerk the
work OF the insurance committee. The
amendment was accepted, and the resolu
ton as amended was adopted.
THE INTEREST QUESTION
The hour of 1920 having arrived, which
was fixed as the time for the consideration
ofSenate Files and 375, regulating rates Of
interest, as a special order, Senator Leavitt
moved to take up No. 375, which is thesub-
banks and banking. Senator Davis moved
an amendment that No. 1 be considered at
the same time. The amendment was de-
leated by vote Of % to 25-a strict party
vote. The motion to take up No. 1916 was
| then adopted.
| Senator Leavitt opposed the motion to
| substitute, and Senator La Due contended
| that his section of the country demanded
| that no reduction Of interest should take
effect until next fall.
Senator John Day Smith said he was in
! favor OF straight 6 and per cent, but would
not vote Tor per cent nor for forfeiture Of
principal for usury.
Senator Sanborn said he was in favor of
the usury law, but thought the legal rate
O. interest without contract should be lett
at per cent. He would be willing, how
ever. to reduce the contract rate to 8 per
cent.
Senator Tawney moved to amend by
making the penalty for usury forfeiture
Of the interest, and in addition to this
making it a penal offense The amend
ment was defeated by vote of21 to "a.
Before vote coulu be reached on any
other proposition the senate adjourned.
The discussions of the same special order
will continue this morning at 10 o'clock.
The house had lively session yesterday,
INDUCING in halfa dozen spirited debates
on bills on general orders, and, also dis
cussed and hung up Mr. Bjorge's bill for
the abolition Of capital punishment. The
West Duluth incorporation bill was also
discussed for couple of hours, but no
recommendation was made and it will
probably come up again and be either
passed or rejected this morning.
The first part of the morning session was
taken up with the Introduction Of bills,
several of which possess features Of general
interest.
Another Of Mr.. Searles' bills is to regu-
late the employment OF convicts in the re-
iormatory, and the only change it proposes
in the existing law is provision that not
more than twenty-five convicts shall be em>
ployed in the work OF quarrying. cutting
and dressing granite, the object being to
limit the output OF prison-c cut granite.
Mr.. Currier introduced bill providing
for the licensing of auctioneers and Others
selling fire and bankrupt stocks of goods
who are not permanent residents Of the
town where the sale takes place. The OBJ
ject OF the bill is to protect permanently
established merchants from the competi-
ton ofsuch sales. The license is fixed at
from $50 to $500.
When the house reassembled at 2 o'clock
it took up, as a special order, MIR. Bjorges
bill. house file 222, providing for the aboli-
ton OF cabital punishment. Mr.. Kinney
was called to the chair, and Mr.. Biorge
moved that the bill be recommended to
pass. Mr.. Feig moved that it be indefi-
nitely postponed. Before tht question was
put Mr.. Bjorge made an earnest appeal to
have his bill become law.
Mr.. Gallagher favored the bill and cited
the case of Pete Barrett to show that inno-
cent people were hanged for murder. Mr..
McAllister followed suit. Mr.. Walsh Of
Hennepin believed that great crimes should
meet with great penalties and that life inn
prisonment was but a farce.
Mr.. Bjorge, in introducing the debate,
said he could not see in what way the state
derer. He held that many great criminals
were turned loose on the community be-
cause the death punishment was so severe
and so serious that juries hesitated to ask
for its infection.
The motion to indefinitely postpone the
bill was then put and carried by large
majority.