Evening journal., 1893-03-17
MANY CURIOUS BILLS.
Text Of Some Of the Measures
at Dover.
AN OYSTER EXPERIMENT FAILS

The Money for the Purchase OF Oyster
Shells TO Replenish the longing Grounds
Might just as Wei Have been Dumped
Into the Bay-LegisIative Doings.
STAFF Correspondence Evening Journal.
DOVER, March 17-If there is any bill
that has gone through the mill II is
Representative Cams bill providing
forty lashes and term Of Imprisonment,
not exceeding one year, for any man who
shall beat his Wife IL went through the
House under its fathers auspices; was
introduced In the Senate. read and re-
ferred under suspension Of the rules and
passed on Tuesday. Senators Records
and Williams were the only two mem
bers who voted against It. After the
vote was taken one of the legislators
was heard to characterize it as dam
phool bill"
Representative Gam was happy for
few hours, but this happiness was
destined to be rudely broken.
Some one told two senators that the
bill was gotten up In spite and to apply
to an individual case.
The members Of the Senate must have
taken It for granted that it was, for, at
the first opportunity and without con
sulting Mr.. Gam, Senator Ross moved re-
consideration of the vote by which the
bill was passed. BY way of explanation
he said that he had learned certain
things which prompted him In the move
ment
Il doubt very much" said Senator
McMullin, "if the wives Of Delaware are
asking for such protection"
II was not present when the bill was
finally passed" said Senator Pilling.
There are certain things which have
come to light as TO the motives which
prompted this bill which compel me to
state that l sm going TO vote against IL.
do not think It is right TO deceive US in
this matter and get us to vote for bill
to ft in for just one case. don't like
it,"
The vote was reconsidered, and the
bill was killed by the unanimous vote Of
the Senators present-Messrs. McMullin,
Piling, Lacey, Records Ross, Pyle and
Speaker Houston.
When Representative Gam heard OF
this onslaught he was astounded. To
your correspondent he emphatically de-
MED tina the bill was drawn TO apply to
any particular case. He repudiated the
whole thing, went to the Senators, ex-
planned the matter to them and urged
them to reconsider the vote by which
the bill was killed. He succeeded so
we'll that Senator Ross moved reconsider.
alton and the bill was recommitted.
Senator Ross Is Against IL.
The House Joint resolution offered
several days ago giving the state insur
ance company 81 600 for experimenting
the printing Of his report and preparing
certain tabulated statements has beer
very unfortunate. IL was referred tC
the House committee on appropriations
and was reported back with an amend
ment making the amount $1,000 II
that shape it went through the House
IL was referred in the Senate and yester.
day Senator Pilling reported it with an
amendment reducing the amount To
$500, and moved that the Senate con
cur Senator Ross attacked the resolu
tion fercely, and said that the commits
sioner should not be allowed anything fol
It as il was part of his duty and did not
take him long to do IT, After a lively
debate between him and Senator Pillinf
the further consideration Of the matter
was postponed.
McGonIgal's Oyster Shells.
A Little Creek man, in speaking Of thl
shells bought By the state two years
ago and spread on the touging grounds
between Leipsic and Slmons creek In th,
Delaware bay, said
''The money itself might Just as vel
have been dumDed into the bay. Severa
months age Joshua McGonigal, the fathe
of the scheme, went TO Captain JOIN
Muncey and asked him to dredge for thi
shells TO see how the spawn had caugh
to them. He sailed to the place, threw
his dredge and made two hauls across
the place. Examination showed that II
the eight bushels Of shell and mu,
brought up by the dredge there was onl,
one live spawn aud several dead ones
The mistake made by Mr.. McGonlgal wa
in selecting a mud bottom. In whicl
spawn cannot live, instead of hard bot
, tom, where the festive bivalve thrives
The oyster can live on hard mud bot
tom, but these shells were dumped II
soft mud deposited there by the tw
creeks. The currents keep the mud de
, posits moving and consequently thu
, shells were covered up. An oyster cal
stand certain amount of mud provided
IL can have fresh water to wash 1t out o
the shell at pleasure but it cannot thriv
on a straight mud diet. II the she'll
bad been placed by a practical oyster
man instead of by a farmer the resul
, would have justified the expenditure, a
it is well established fact that shell
will hold spawn and protect and foster il
= The Report Delayed.
The state tax commissioners met her
/. yesterday for the purpose Of presentin
\ its printed report TO the General As
sembly. They discovered that tn
3 printer had not completed the work and
. as consequence. had to defer the pre-
2 sentation until to day, to which time the
l adjourned. IL will be a very bulk
9 document, requiring hours Of patier
reading to understand it II reviews th
= tax laws of other states at length and
g drawn more for the information Of tl
General Assembly than to prescribe
recommend any particular method {
equalizing taxation. The commissioner
: are guarding it very carefully, as the
e want to keep it out of the papers until
h is presented.
To Head on Jerseymen.