The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-02-13
The Legislature.

The Legislature.
There are large number Of mem
bers in the present House who act
like children. They are specially dis
tinguished by their persistent asking of
useless questions. During the progress
of debate they will 81, staring va
cantly into space or twiddling a piece
of paper in their fingers, " hen sud
denly they will spring to their feet, in
terrupt the speaker, and after attract
ing the attention of the whole house
PROFOUND a question which the man
on the floor has just elu idated. They
had not been paying attention. Every
one of such Interruptions costs t e
State about $40. The Speaker had
an experience of this kind on Friday
morning At the end OF every yea
and nay vote half a dozen members
have been in the habit of asking to
have their votes recorded. Speaker
Thompson on this occasion waited
patiently till all the careless ones had
had their votes entered, and then he
read the rules, viz, that members
presen, and not responding to their
names could not go on the list after
the close of the roll-call He had
scarcely finished when a member in
the rear row on the Republican side
stood up with a grin on his broad face
and asked to be recorded. The su-
preme ignorance or the unlimited gall
of the man provoked a general laugh
in which the Speaker was forced to
join. The rule will be inforced here.
after with hand Of iron, as it should
be.
The State Board of Health is fgur-
ing considerably in legislation. 1t has
drafted number Of bills as the result of
Its investigation the past year. Among
these is one to protect streams from
impurities. This bill provides pen
atty of from $Io to $Ioo for permit
ting a carcas oEother nuisance to lie
within one hundred yards Of high water
mark. The act is not intended, how
ever, to interfere with the cultivation
and use of the soil in the ordinary
methods of husbandry. An additional
fine is impossible for failure to bury
the nuisance when ordered to do so by
the proper authority.
The bill authorizing boroughs to
manufacture electricity for commercial
purposes is regarded as of great i'm
portance by these municipalities. As
introduced the bill was prospective in
its operations, but an amendment has
been inserted validating the acts of
boroughs which have these companies
in operation. Under the proposed
law a majority Of the qualified voters
of a borough must vote for an increase
of Indebtedness necessary to manu-
facture electricity before a plant can
be established by the municipal auth
critics.
Bills to prohibit the sale of intoxi,
eating drinks on Decoration Day have
been introduce d in both houses. The
one read in place in the Senate has
been crippled by having an amend
ment inserted into it which exempts
Philadelphia. Pittsburg and Allegheny
from its operation. A bill to prevent
the sale of intoxicants on all legal holi-
days was shelved early in the session.
Unless the Senate and House differ
as to the merits Of the bill to have all
murderers hanged within the walls of
the Eastern and Western Penitentiaries
1t will be among those sent to the
Governor fol. his consideration. The
Senate took very kindly to the prop
osltlon to relieve the counties of the
duty OF executing criminals, and after
little discussion passed the bill hav-
ing this purpose in view unanimously.
The spectators are confined to the
Sheriff, inspectors and clergymen in
attendance on the prisoner. not more
than three persons, whom the criminal
may designate; twelve citizens to be
chosen by the warden, and as many
physicians and representatives of the
press as the warden may select. If
requested by the friends of the man
executed. the remains are required to
be sent to them for burial their trans
poratlon and funeral expenses to be
PAID by the State, provided they do
not exceed $50,
A number Of bills are not being
pushed because of the complications
they might introduce in the election
contests of this month. Senator Thom-
as bill to compel telephone and tele-
graph companies to put their wires
underground in Philadelphia is one of
these. 1t is in committee and will re-
nam there until the people have
spoken at the polls. The bill to take
from the State the one-ffth of the
liquor license fees it now rec, ives and