St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-14
Che Governors Appointments
Would Not Railroad
Through.
A Movement on Foot to Abol-
ish That Old Fraud Of
Closed Doors.
Yesterdays Rush Of Proceed
lngs in a Short Legis-
lative Session.
The Majority Combination
Agrees Upon a Division of
House Committees.

The feature of yesterday afternoons
session of the senate was concealed
from the public through the means of
that ancient and obsolete fraud, an eX-
ecutive session. After a number OF bills
had been introduced, all except MEM
hers and officers of the senate were in
Vited TO retire from the hall. The list
Of appointments made by Gov. Merriam
was then read, and the Republican sem
atOrS wanted all of them confirmed at
Dnce. Objection was made to this, and
Senator John Day Smith. of Hennepin,
tried to have those appOintees who have
served in the state senate in years gone
by confirmed at once. He thought the
present body owed that much to pre-
ViOus members, besides it was the rule
in the United States senate.
Senator Hompe sarcastically inquired
if membership in the last state senate
was a certificate of character.
Objections were raised to several of
the governors nominees, among whom
are Capt. w. p. Huntington, of Red
wood Falls, who has been named for a
place on the board of trustees of the
soldiers home; Col. w. NJ. Liggett, Of
Benson. for railway commissioner, and
C. H. Smith, who is the governors
choice for insurance commissioner.
When so much opposition was devel-
Oped TO the scheme Of forcing the con-
frmationS of these men. the Republican
senators offered but little opposition to
the adoption of a motion putting over
the whole matter to another time.
A Rush of bills.
The new chaplain of the senate, Rev.
Edward Savage. offered prayer at the
opening OF the session yesterday after
noon. The reading of the minutes of
last Fridays exciting session was dis
pensed with, and the roll was next called
disclosing the presence of forty-one out
of the fifty -four senators. A flood of
bills and resolutions followed the an
nOuncement that there was quorum
present.
Senator Barr presented a petition
from the w. G. I. q. with reference to
the rights of women, which the lieuten-
ant governor referred to the judiciary
committee. Senator Stevens introduced
bill providing for the submission of
an amendment to the constitution of the
state. which shall allow municipalities
W HUN ltlAdlIOIl
corporations for a certain number Of
years. Railroad and logging companies
are excepted, and not more than $780,,
600 of property shall be held by the eX-
empted company. The exemption pro-
Vided for in the amendment is to end i'll
1918.
The following bills were then intro
duced:
Senate File No. Ex-senator Bell. of
Hennepin, introduced an act aimed at
the Pinkertons and providing that no
person not resident of the state shall
be allowed to exercise police power eX-
cept in cases of eXtradltion. A penalty
of $500 is provided in case of violations
and the county attorney of each county
is intrusted to make prosecutions. Re-
ferred to judiciary committee.
Senate File No. IL was introduced by
Senator LeaVitt. 1t fixes the rate Of in
terest at per cent and prohibits and
Furnishes the taking of usury. No
greater amount than per cent can be
contracted for. No mistake in reckon
ing interest shall release the usurer.
Senate File No. II was a joint resOlu-
ton protesting against the United States
government guaranteeing the interest
on 500, ZOO bonds for corporation
of Panama and calling upon the Mime
sofa senators and representatives to Op-
pose it.
Senator Lienau introduced senate File
No. 13 which provides that hereafter
real estate securities and mortgages
shall be exempted from taxation.
Senate File No. IA vas introduced by
Senator Kelly, of Houston county, and
proposes to cut down the annual seS-
sion to eighty days, and prohibiting the
introduction of bills in the last twenty
days of the session.
Senate File No. Is is Senator Don
nelly's first bill and provides that all
cases, except those in which the state of
Minnesota is party, shall be tried in
the county where the defendantre resides.
In case neither plaintiff nor defendant
reside in the state, the action shall be
tried in any county the plaintiff may
designate. This was referred to the
judiciary committee.
Senate File No. 16.-ThiS was intro
duced by Senator Geissel, of Morrison,
and provides that chapter 62, of the
General Statutes of 1878, be amended
making it unlawful for a person obtain
ing divorce to remarry until after a
period of year from the time the de-
cree is entered.
Senate File No. II, sent up by Gen.
SanbOrn, is the bar admission bill
fought over two years ago. 1t provides
for an examining board of six members,
who are to be paid salary of $40 per
day and expenses. These examiners
are to be appointed by the justices of
the supreme court.
Senate File No. Is was introduced by
Senator SanbOrn, and amends the act
providing for the creation and Organi-
Zation of a board of park commissioners
for the city of ST. Paul.
Senate File No. 10 was Senator San
born's adaptation Of the Built bill. and
is entitled 'An Act to Revise, Consoli-
date and Reduce to One Act the Act In
cooperating the City of st. Paul" This
was. at the request OF the introducer, or
dered printed and referred to the RAM
sey county delegation.
A bill allowing the trust companies of
st. Paul to act as SuretieS on the bonds
of contractors, was introduced and
passed under suspension of the rules,
and was at once dispatched to the house.
The senate then went into executive
session for half hour, and when the
doors were again opened, three-q1arters
of an hour were spent in debating the
question whether or not each senator
should be furnished with copy of the
statutes Of the state. The fight soon
resolved itself into a contest between
the West Publishing company, which
desired to force fifty or more sets of the
edition of 1878 upon the state, and the
senators who desired the Kelly compila-
ton, which Is complete to date, and is
Is recognized as first-class and credit
able compilation, The West edition
was not In it from the start, and by a
close vote it was decided not to make
the purchase. The senate then ad.