St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-11
This Was the Opinion Of the
Majority Of the Senate
Last Evening.
Senator Leavitt's Bill Repeal
ing the Mining Tax Law
Exeites Discussion.
The Committee on Agricult-
ure Summarily Bounces
a Fresh Clerk
Who Prepared and Gave Out
a Report the Members
Had Never Seen.

The morning session of the senate
started out with very large attendance
Yesterday, considering the character of
the weather and the further fact of the
governors reception Thursday evening.
The first matter to be brought up was
resolution offered by Senator March
providing stenOgrapher for the CON-
mittee on waterways to aid in complet-
ing the report of that committee. Sen
ator DOnnelly favored the resolution, as
did Senator Dean, and the great i'm
portance to the state of a system of
waterways connecting the Mississippi
and Lake Superior recited. The reSo-
luton was adopted with little objection.
A half hour was spent in arguing Sena-
tor Donnelly'S resolution allowing each
senator to select one bill from general
orders and have it considered at once.
This was defeated.
When committee reports were reached
Senator Dedon, from the public lands
committee, reported back the bill re-
affirming the law granting swamp lands
to the Duluth d Winnipeg without rec
Ommendation. Mr.. Mcmillan reported
favOrably the bill providing for the
Rhines ballot machine. Local bills by
the dozen were passed in the next half
hour. AT the end of this time Senator
Crandall, of the committee on agricult-
ure. asked leave to introduce a resolu-
tion. This resolution was prepared by
the members of the committee on agri-
culture, who were aStOunded Yesterday
morning to read in the papers that they
had made lengthy report to the SEN
ate relative to the agricultural college,
when, as matter of fact, none of them
bad ever seen it. The resolutions are
quite severe, and follow:
Whereas, There appeared In the MIuneapo-
lis Journal of the 9th inst, a statement of
what purports TO be the report of the COM
mittee on agriculture relative to the College
of Agriculture and the State University. and
the use Of the funds belonging to these insti-
tutions and the disposition of the lands be-
longing thereto: and
Whereas. The committee on agriculture
has made no report of any kind relative TO
these matters; neither has tt had any such
report under consideration; therefore,
Resolved, That the said newspapers are
hereby respectfully requested to inform the
chairman of the committee on agriculture
or the source of the information regarding
such alleged report and to publish these
preambles and resolution in as conspicuous
place ana typei in their paper as was given to
such pretended report.
The mystery as to the source from
which this report emanated was solved
even before the adoption of these reso-
lutions, Senator Crate, the chairman
of the committee on agriculture, send
ing up resolution relieving l.. II. Will
cox, the clerk of the committee, from
further work. This, too, was adopted
without objection. 1t seems Mr.. Will
cox, who is accused of being a rather
preSumptuOuS and inflated sort of indi-
vidual, fancied himself the committee
OH agriculture as soon as he was made
the clerk of the committee, and at once
proceeded to prepare report. When
this report was satisfactory to him. he
reasoned that the committee would
certainly be satisfied. and so he promptly
gave it out to his newspaper friends.
This ended the mornings work, and
recess was taken until o'clock.
The Mining Bill.
The afternoon session opened with the
first reading of house bills and nearly a
half hour was taken up in the tranSac-
tion of routine business. Several local
bills were passed, and, as there was no
calendar, the senate at once resolved it.
self into committee of the whole with
Senator McHale, of Scott. in the chair.
The consideration of Senate File No. Al,
the Leavitt bill repeating the law under
which mining corporations now pay
Tawney took the floor in opposition to
thesmeaSure.
The principal argument" said the
WinOna statesman, made in behalf of
this measure came from the senator
from Meeker, who has spoken at length
in behalf of st. Louis county, although
every representative of st. Louis county
in this legislature is opposed to the bill.
l shall, however, speak for the state of
Minnesota"
Here the senator branched off into a
statement filled with figures calculated
to demonstrate the correctness of the
position taken by the senator from st.
Louis. He argued that the mining
business was comparatively venture
some business, and that the state ought
to be careful not to retard the develop
| ment of the mining interests of North
ern Minnesota. In reply to questions by
Senator Leayitt, MIR. Tawney declar ed
that he did not know whether or not the
| law passed in 1881 was constitutional.
"This law has not been declared uncon-
stitutiOnal by any of the courts OF this state
| Its constituuOnality has never been assalled
| or challenged in the courts. The legislature
may repeal it, but until declared by the
| court TO be unconstitutional, it is presumed
| to be constitutional, and would be supported
| by the courts by every reasonable intend
therefore should be based upon some reason
| which affects injuriously the interests of the
| state, and If no other reason can be found
| for its repeal, than that of its supposed IN
constitutionality, we should not repeal 1t.
There are other considerations which
| enter into this question, and a great many
| facts which argue strongly against the
| abolition of the present system of taxing the
product of the mine III lieu of other taxes
We know thai the northern part of this great
| state abounds in mineral wealth, its magni-
| tude is undiscovered and unknown. The de-
| yelopment of tie iron industry of the state is
| in its infancy. The largest holder Of mineral
! lands is the state of Minnesota. We have
thousands of acres of unsold and unoccup1ed
timber and agricultural lands lying in the
region of our mineral lands. There is vast.
| rich. but undeYeloped domain to the north
| within the borders of our state.
This being Sc, the policy of the state should
| be TO encourage It's development thereby
adding to the value and creating q market
| for its unsold lands and timber. By SO doing
| we will develop the state, add to its riches
! swell its population, increase the demand for
| labor create d market for the products of the
| farm, and contribute to the general prosper.
| ity and happiness of the whole people
In the judgment Of the legislature of 1881 it
| was thought che passage of the law now
sought TO be repealed would accomplish this,
| Subsequent developments have proved the
! correctness of their development of the iron
| industry of our state by reversing that judg-
/ ment and removing one of the strongest in
| ducements for foreign capital to invest in the
| hazardous enterprise of opening up the un-
| discovered mines of our state''
Senator Donnelly, who a month or so
| ago voted to place the bill in question
on general orders, next took the floor.
| and made an eloquent speech
| Against tlse srEeasure.
Ihe tax per t0h might be raised, but