The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1891-03-19
Wednesday, March. II.
SENATE

SENATE
So FAR as progress on the Hsury bill was
concerned but little was accomplished. One
additional section of No. | was finally
adopted, but the temper of the senate is 50
uncertain that it may be changed by to-
days proceedings.
At 1920 o'clock the senate resumed con-
sideration of the usury bill. Senator Don
nelly read list of alliances which had Pc
titioned for the retention of the usury laws.
Senator Dean considered that both bills,
No, ! and No, 375, were departures from
the correct system of finance, and argued
that it would be a great calamity to make
the laws relating to interest and usury more
stringent at this time. .
Senator Keller spoke in favor of 6 and
per cent interest, with simply the forfeiture
of interest for usury.
A vote was finally reached upon Senator
Donnelly's amendment to Senator Tawney' s
amendment to section g. OF S. F. No. l..
Senator TaWney's proposition was to strike
out the clause providing Ter forfeiture of
principal .or usury and insert a penal
clause, and Senator Donnelly's amend ment
was to strike out that portion striking out
the forfeiture clause. This amendment to
the amendment was carried by vote Of %
to o.
Senator March then presented an amend
ment to section 3, which again brought up
the question ofsHbstltHting the penal clause
for the forfeiture, it being exactly the same
as that of Senator Towney, except that the
limit OF the fine was fixed at $500 instead OF
$500.
Senator Donnelly moved to amend Sena-
tor MARGINS amendment by striking out so
much as repeals'the forfeiture of principal
clause This was the second time during
the day that the senate had voted on this
question. This time the amendment oil
Senator Donnelly was lost by vote of % to
%. a
As soon as the president declared the
amendment lost, Senator Donnelly arose
and said he presumed the senate was about
| which would repeal the present usury law
| and replace 1t with a law making the taking
| ofusury penal offense.
"I'have," he continued, been holding some
! thing in my breast for several days, and think
! the time has come to disclose it. member o.
this senate who is a banker, said to me that
| the banks of this state had raised $4,000 tc
beat the bill now pending before this body.
| do not charge that any Of this money has beer
! Eiveh'to buy senators. But / do charge that
money has been raised to defeat the question
| upon this floor ="
After order was restored Senator Leav
| lit said he pTesnmed-the senator from Da
kota had kept his charge of corruption fo
the last shot, but it was blank shot, al
| there was nothing in the charge. He thel
| presented the following resolution:
| AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED.
Resolved, That a committee of five shall b,
| appointed, OF which the senator from Dakott
! shall be chairman, to investigate the charge tina
| the bankers of this state have raised $4,000
| to defeat s. +. No. 1.
The resolution was adopted without di
vision, onlytwo or three voices being agains
it, and thesenate adjourned until 10 O'Clock
this morning.
! HOUSE.
j After the house had assembled and tn
! opening ceremonies had been gone through
Mr.. Reeve called up his resolution memo
rializing congress against free coinage ant
had its discussion made a special order TO
4 Friday at Q p. M.
Al motion by Mr.. Ringwald providing
i that each member of the legislature be al
! lowed five additional copies of the new leg
islatiye manual went over on notice OF de
| bate.
4 The new bills introduced were not yer.
npnerous, but seven or eight of them pos
i sessed points of generalirtcrest.
A bill by Mr.. French relates to the meth
cd of procedure by heirs to real estate, Il
cases where person dies intestate.
Mr.. Smith introduced bill providinj
for the creation OF new lumber district 4,
be known as Lumber District No. 81 whiel
shall comprise st. Louis, Lake Itasca an,
Beltrami counties and tributary torritor.