The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1891-03-05
was f,Yed as the slris for IN. cop.Iaa,s.Ion

was fxed as the time for the consideration
OF Senate Files and $40, regulating rates OF
interest, as 4 special order Senator Leayitt
moved to take up No. 375, which is the sub
stitute bill presented by the COMMITTEES on
banks and banking. Senator Davis moved
an amendment that No. be considered at
the same time. The amendment was de-
Gated by vote of % to 25-a strict party
vote. The motion to take up No. 375 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 g 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
interest without contract should be lett
at per cent. He would be willing, how
ever, to reduce the contract rate to per
cent.
Senator Tawney moved to amend by
making the penalty Tor usury a forfeiture
OF the interest, and in addition to this
ment was de eated by vote off to "a.
Before vote could be reached on any
other proposition the senate adjourned.
The discussions of the same special order
will continue this morning at 10 o'clock.
HOUSE.
The house had lively session yesterday,
indulging in half dozen spirited debates
on bills on general orders, and also dis
cussed and hung up Mr. Bjorges bill for
the abolition OF capital punishment. The
West Duluth incorporation bill was also
discussed for a 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 il the re-
ormatory, and the only change it proposes
in the existing law is provision that not
more than twenty-five convicts shall be EN-
ploYed in the work OF quarrying cutting
and dressing granite, the object being to
limit the output oil prison-cut granite.
Mr.. Currier introduced a 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 of such sales. The license is fixed at
from so to $500.
When the house reassembled at 2 o'clock
1t took up, as special order, Mr.. Bjorge's
bill, house file 222, providing for the aboli-
ton OF cabital punishment Mr.. Kinney
was called to the chair, and Mr.. Bjorge
moved that the bill be recommended to
pass. Mr.. Feig moved that it be ndef-
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 i'm
prisonment was but farce.
Mr.. Bjorge in introducing the debate,
said he could not see in what way the state
was benefited by the execution of a muir
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 infiction.
The motion to indefinitely postpone the
bill was then put and carried by large
majority.