St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-15

| qualiucu oO dS lO eQudIlZe Lne dppr0prl-
ations. 10 cover his ideas, he offered an
amendment forbldding the state auditor
from drawing his warrant upon the
fund provided in the bill In favor of anv
county in excess of II cents an acre
pro ratio for the acres of railroad lands
located in such counties: but this was
not in order, and the chair so ruled.
The Gross Earnings System.
Senator McHaIe. in stirring speech,
| urged that the lands had paid their
taxes through the gross earnings sys-
TEN, and it is only fair that the state
| pay them back from the gross earnings
revenue. He said the amount proposed
to pay back is only S72,500, that is lie
favored paying N cents tax an acre for
the 100000 acres of railway lands in
the state. Comparing this with the
$l.200,000. 1t is small return. Mr.. Nc
Hale argued that the increase in the
| gross earnings the coming year will
more than cover the sum he proposed to
return to the counties on account of
| which the gross earnings are paid by
| the railroads. Senator Davis drew a
| substitute for the section in the bill
| covering Senator NcHale's idea, and
this was debated at some length.
Senator Day here took the floor ands
| threw wet blanket on the bill.
II do not think there is any reason(
| why we should disguise our motives in
| loading down this bill with amendments.
| We are doing it for the purpose of kill
| ing it. We think it is an imposition
and fraud. The idea of taking the
money that belongs to Martin county
and giving it to Cottonwood, is an out
rage. We have gone over this before.
know there are votes enough to kill 1t,
and it is folly to waste any more time
discussing and fiIibustering. Put it to
the test and we will kill it."
Senator Eaton followed in the same
strain. He said the question had been
tested i'll the courts, and he pronounced
1t the
Most Absurd Proposition
that he had ever met during his entire
career as a senator.
Senator Davis substitute was then
read, but it did not meet with the views
of Senator McHale, for the very reasons
he had urged with so much vehemence
in discussing the Markham taxation bill.
He said the substitute would be null
and void as WOrded, and he reiterated in
strong phrase that the railroad lands
are actually taxed under the present
law. The gross earnings is tax upon
the lands. and there are no lands lex
empt' from taxation. And as the de-
bate progressed he repeatedly corrected
senators upon this hypothesis.
Senator Dean favored the substitute,
and Senator SanbOrn amended this by
striking out the words untaXed lands
and inserting taxed by substitute
method. This was to conform to Sena-
tor McHale's theories of the gross earn
ingS system.
Eravnn ouaiD raic nd q O0iDf
of order, and, moreover, he sincerely
hoped the substitute would not be
adopted. He thought it dangerous
proposition, and Senator Tawney did
not believe In a permanent law of the
kind.
Senator Geissel reviewed the condi-
ton in his county. He said there are
40, coo acres owned by railroad compa-
nies that they refuse to sell, and it has
been untaxed for thirty years. He ar
gued that the counties Ill which the
largest number of acres of railroad lands
are located are sparcely settled. and
that there is little need of public I'M
provementS. The system provided in
equal taxation.
Senator Donneily spoke of the same
idea. In Pine county, he said, there is
a vast acreage of railway lands and the
money would go to the lumbermen, who
are nOn-residents and who are not pay
ing taxes, and they could use it 10 build
private roads. Senator j. ID. Smith car
ried the thought further and cited
Itasca county, and pronounced the the
ory as positively ridiculous. The roll
was called upon the Sanborn amend
ment and it was buried under vote of
Is ayes to 30 noes, and the Davis sub
stitute was lost by a vote of II ayes to
81 noes.
Senator OBrien moved to reconsider
the vote whereby Jackson and Cotton
wood counties were given a gratulty in
the section, and the proposition pro-
voked Senator SevatSon'S ire and he
combatted the motion heatedly. 1t re-
suited in Senator O'Brien withdrawing
his motion and presenting substitute
to strike out the section.
The question now REQUIRED upon
Senator Hompe'S motion TO give Otter
Tail county $4,000. and it prevailed.
Every senator Oh the floor had sent up
amendments to include his counties,
but to gain time they were withdrawn.
This was one of the funniest incidents
of the day.
Sarcastic Senator Leavitt.
Senator Leavitt's disgust is concen-
trated in the following sarcastic amend
ment he offered:
For the erection of q monument in
Itasca state park in cOmmemOrallon OF
the hardihood. raShneSS and folly Of
the present legislature, 80 cents.
Senator O'Brien moved to strike out
the section, and this was substituted by
Senator Lommen, who moved to strike
out provided, that in case the legisla-
ture shall make an appropriation for GER
tain named counties for drainage pur-
poses, which i'll amount shall be equal
to or greater than the amount herein
for said counties, then the
made in this section for
such named counties shall be null and
void" This prevailed, and Senator
Craven moved to provide an appropria-
ton of $500 for each county for roads
and bridges fund. aud this also pre-
vailed Senator O'Brien's motion was
lost, % to 26.
Senator Donnelly regarded the system
of giving each county largeSS as
wrong and dangerous precedent. Sub
SeQuent legislatures Will take advantage
of 1t, and there will be perfect Scram-
BILE for distribution of the money of
the state among the counties.
The Rights of Counties.
Senator Craven made powerful
speech in favor of recognizing the rights
of the older counties, and Senator }. d.
Smith amended so as to provide that, in
stead of giving tie moneys to counties
for untaXed railroad lands, it should be
given for road and bridge purposes.
Senator Craven suggested that this is
a good proposition, and when the roads
and bridges bill comes in it can be killed
and this be accepted in lieu of it. The
previous question was moved by Senator
Leavitt on all pending motions, and the
bill itself, and this prevailed. The roll
was called upon the Smith substitute,
which is simply return to the original
bill, and the substitute was adopted.
This was followed by a parliamentary
wrangle, and motion by Mr..
Donnelly to strike out the sec
ton was carried, but before the
announcement was made MIR.
the point of order that
substitute for the section had been
adopted, and that this vote was upon
the same proposition. The chair said
fofy IN