Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-19
WORK AT THE CAPITAL.
LEGISLATIVE DoINos FOR THE
PAST WEEK.
A Din 90 Infiict the Punishment OF Death
by E'ectricIty-The Condemned to Bs
Kept In solitary Conhnement and Gifts
OF Flowers, Etc., Hefused Him

Representative Houghton has a bill ia
the House for the election OF County SUI
perintendents OF Schools, who shall give
bond in the sum of $500. To be eligible
candidate must be graduate Of some
reputable college or normal school, and
hold State certificate within two years
of the time of election. In counties of
no more than fifty schools second-grade
certificate win suffice. His compensa-
tion is to be four dollars per day when
actually employed. The bill also pro-
vides for an assistant visitor with COM
pensation of three dollars per day. The
superintendent may also be allowed the
sum of $500 for contingent expenses. In
the discretion of the Board of Super
visors.
Representative Rockwell has intro
duced bill fixing the salary of the Clerk
of the Supreme Court at $1,000. The
Ways and Means Committee were in
structed to ascertain the amount OF the
Clerks fees at present. A subcommittee
waited upon Clerk Hopkins and asked
him what he knew about IL. He mod
estly admitted that his knowledge was
superior upon that subject, and asked
TO see the authority upon which the de-
mand was made, and in reply the COM
mittee retired. No report has yet been
made.
There is a conflict between Repre-
sentatives Richardson and Dafoe over
the proprietorship Of the reform idea of
increasing the tax upon the gross re-
ceipts Of express companies. Dafoe
accuses Richardson of plagiarism. He
had his bill referred to the State Affairs
Committee, of which he Is Chairman, and
has reported the same favorably. Dafoe
had his go to the Committee on Rail-
roads. There Is little difference in the
construction of the bill, except that the
penalties for noncompliance are less Sc
we're.
A concurrent resolution has passed
both branches for printing 1000 copies
Of the Sherman-P Porter memorial exer-
cises, the members to have ten each,
twenty-five to each of the families of
General Sherman and Admiral Porter,
fifty to Ransom Post, G. A. R., st. Louis,
fifty to Lafayette Post, New York City,
one hundred to the Congressional Libra
ry, and ten to the Michigan State Library.
Representative w. B. Jackson has a
bill prohibiting the profit OF corporations
from being applied to an increase of
the capital without the unanimous con-
sent of the stockholders, without which,
when the accumulations shall exceed 10
per cent. upon the capital, the excess
shall be divided among the stockholders.
Representative Henze's bill to infict
the punishment of death by electricity
upon those convicted of murder in the
first degree is now fully drawn and is
receiving consideration from the Com
mittee on Judiciary. The sentence is to
be carried out in not less than four nor
more than eight weeks after it Is pro-
nounced by the court The week for the
execution is to be fixed by the judge,
but not the day; that is left to the
warden OF the State Prison at Jackson,
in which all the executions for murder
are to take place. In case of doubt as
to the condition of condemned, it is pro-
vided that inquests bV, nersnnS. -,s- =.
women, duly qualified shall be made for
insanity or pregnancy. The witnesses
to an execution are limited in number to
twelve official witnesses, two physicians,
Justice Of the Supreme Court, or the
judge who pronounced the sentence, the
prosecuting attorney and the sheriff OF
the county where the trial occurred.
The condemned is to be placed In soli-
tary confinement until the day of execu-
tion, the only persons who may see him
being members Of his family, his spirit
ual adviser, physician or counsel. To
restrain the morbid tendencies some
times exhibited when the perpetrators
of notorious crimes are doomed to pun
ishment, it is provided that no gifts of
any kind, including flowers, shall be
handed in. For the information of the
Governor, the judge pronouncing sem
tence is TO transmit to the executive
notes of the testimony taken upon the
trial. with his charge TO the jury. In
case application for pardon is made, the
Governor may require the opinion OF a
Justice Of the Supreme Court, or the
Attorney General, upon legal points
raised.
After execution a post mortem exam
ination Is to be made by the physicians,
and their written report Is to be placed
on file. The body after execution may
be claimed by relatives for burial, but IL
not it Is to be inferred in the State
Prison cemetery at jackson. A restric-
tion is placed upon newspapers, and the
publication of the details of the execu-
tion and anything but the bare announce
ment of the carrying out Of the sentence
of the law is made misdemeanor, and
punishable by fine and imprisonment.
The law is largely modelled after the
New York electrocution law. There is
a noticeable sentiment In favor Of its
passage.
Senator Wisner is relentless IN his de-
termination to consolidate the numerous
penal, charitable, and educational boards
into two or three general boards. He
has been collecting the amounts expen6-
ed by the boards, and finds that the
trustees of the Girls Industrial Home at
Adrian have received for mileage and
expenses for the last five years the sum
of S5, 591.97 the trustees of the Reform
School at Lansing have been paid dur
ing the same years the sum of SO, 257. 10;
the inspectors OF the Ionia prison
have taken in the same period S4,612 6s;
the inspectors Of the State prison at
jackson are only 81 behind their
Ionia collaborators, having been paid
"a, $40. 80; the inspectors of the Upper
Peninsula prison at Marquette go be-
yond all other boards In their charges Of
$7,s12.40 The total amount for these
five institution in five years is S2s, ss4. SO,
or an average of S1,O33.3 80 for each per
year. The amount is not thought to be
excessive by the friends of the present
system. Mr.. Wisner has more formid-
able figures in store, showing an alleged
extravaganza of the State Board of Cor
rections and Charities, which he says Is
something surprising. Judging by the
present temper of the Legislature IL
seems probable that both the Board of
Correction and Charities and the State
Board of Health will have To go.