St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-22

mines at ~ cents per ton. This was
lost. receiving only three votes. Then
Senator McHa!e moved to put the figure
at two cents lon for the first five years,
and not to exceed five cents ton there
after. Senator Leavitt's motion to
amend by making the figure four cents
was lost. and Senator March'S amend
ment to make the tax three cents ton
for the first five years, and not less than
three nor more than five cents ton
thereafter. The bill was further
amended by reducing the copper out
put tax from 81 to 10 cents
ton. The provision relating to
telephone, telegraph and sleeping car
company taxation was amended to read
that they should be taxed IN a sum
equal to per cent Of their gross earn
ings on business done in the state. This
Stevens, and to comply with the decision
of the United States supreme court that
taxes may be computed on the basis of
gross earnings, but may not be levied
directly upon gross earnings. The bill
was further excepted by eXempting the
amount necessarily paid by telephone
companies. The bill as thus amended
was recommended to pass.
The Markham Bill Killed.
The Markham bill for the taxation Of
railroad lands came next, and the OppO-
nents of the measure promptly opened
the fight against it. After a long dis
cussiOn it was voted to indefinitely post
pone the bill by a vote of to 5, Sena-
tors Eaton and Tawney not voting.
Those who voted aye were Messrs. j.
ID. Smith, Sanborn, Stevens, McHale,
Morse. Leavitt, Hompe and March.
Those who voted nay we're Messrs.
Davis, Donnelly, Keister, Day and
Sevatson.
The fight against the bill was opened
by Senator Leavitt, who moved that the
bill be reported back with recon-
mendatiOn that it be indefinitely post
poned. Senator TaWney said he had
serious doubts as to whether the bill
would affect the gross earnings law,
If it would not, he thought the bill
should be passed. He was not prepared
to vote on the bill, but if the motion
prevailed he would dissent from the
report.
Senator McHale moved to amend the
motion by adding for the reason that
in the opinion of the committee there Is
danger that it might destroy the gross
earnings law" This amendment was
accepted.
Senator Stevens said that since 1880,
the railroads had paid into the treasury,
as gross earnings taxes, S7,9OO,O0O as
against SO, 900, 900 from all other sources.
"As long as there is doubt about the ct.
feet on the gross earnings law tnlnK,
he said, ''that we should hesitate to pass
the law. There is no question about
the Injustice to the counties OF receiving
thnca lands hnt Sn0nlu
adopt a system of compensation to the
counties rather than risk endangerlng
the gross earnings law" Mr.. Stevens
was afraid that the railroads would fall
back upon the decision OF the supreme
court and Oh the ground that the state
had violated its contract, refuse to pay
the gross earnings tax.
Senator McHaie said there was con-
fusion of the power TO do a thing and
the legal right to do it. He said the
people could amend the constitution,
but held that if they did so it would
amount to a violation of the contract be-
tween the state and the railroad com
panies-a violation which an individual
would no more submit to than would
railroad company. He thought the rail-
road companies really opposed the gross
earnings tax, and that they were using
the northern counties to break up the
system.
Senator Donnelly said while it is de-
sirable to tax the railroad lands, he did
not want to inyalidate the gross-earn-
ingS law.
Senator Donnelly thought there could
be no contract as TO taxation. "IaXa-
tion," he said, sis fundamental thing,
and the state has no right to contract it
away" He proposed to amend the
proposition to be submitted so as to in
clude clause re-enacting the gross
earnings law, and providing that it shall
never be less than 3 per cent Oh the
earnings of business done in the state.
This opened up the whole discussion,
and the arguments pro and con were
rehashed. The amendment was lost,
Senator Donnelly being the only mem
Der voting aye.
A vote was then taken on the motion
to indefinitely postpone, and it prevailed
bv a vote of s to 5. Senator TaWney in
timated that he would present minor
ity report. Whether this is done or not,
it is certain that the fight will be re-
opened when the report is presented to
the senate,