The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-05-12
OUR LITTER FROM HARRISBURG.
What Has Been Done In the Legislature
Othsr News from the Capital.


HAnnIsBURo, May 10.
Getting ready for final adjournmen
seems to occupy the mind Of every lcgsla
or these times and the way business Is he
ng rushed through both branches lead,
,ne to believe that when the lawmaker
meet on Juno I, for the last time this scs
sion, there will be nothing left for them Il
As but adjourn In accordance with a reso
luton adopted In the senate and hous
yesterday.
Senator Lloyd has amended the hous
anti Pinkerton bill on second reading 80 q,
TO reduce the bond required by special po
licenen or detectivesfrom SIC, 900 to 81, 900.
Among the bills that have passed secont
reading are the house bill repeating the aci
requiring the Philadelphia and Delawar
River railroad to maintain gates at III
intersection With the Philadelphia and
Reading railroad, and also the hous,
bill for establishment Of boards Of arbitra
tion to settle all questions of wages and
other matters of variance between capital
and labor. The bill requiring contractor
TO cover the joists Of each floor above the
third OF building in process Of construc,
tion with rough boards, for the better pro,
lection Of workmen, has passed finally ip
the senate. The governor sent to the sen,
ate the name of Thomas Potter, jr., OF
Philadelphia TO be director Of the Phila,
deiphia Nautical school for six years from
May 3.
The senate has passed finally the Far,
free text book bill. The vote on tn. meas.
ure was almost q unanimous one in its
favor, there being but two votes against its
passage.
In the house the appropriations commit
tee has reported another batch of bills pro.
viding for appropriations amounting to
u, 086, 1881, all but $040, 900 Of which goes
10 charitable institutions. Mr.. Cessna has
reported the senate judicial apportionmen,
bill with number Of changes. The house
has received message from the governor
vetoing the bill introduced by Mr.. Clar-
'ency, entitled "An act to empower all mu.
'nicipal corporations Of this commonwealth
to appropriate money for the payment OF
firemen In service and of firemen not In
service disabled in the performance of their
duties as firemen." The veto was sus.
tanned.
On motion of Mr. Stewart the bill for
the revision Of the wharf lines on the Della
ware river, Philadelphia, was postponed for
the present. The amendment to the cleo
tion law requiring assessors to sit at their
residences to perform their duties has
passed finally. The Talbot bill, prohibit
ing persons by sale, gift or otherwise from
furnishing cigarettes or cigarette papers 70
minors passed third reading A bill au-
tnorislng street passenger railway and
traction companies to consolidate and
granting them numerous other privileges,
passed second reading. The bill amend
ing the high license law 30 as to provide
that ownership Of stock in brewry or dis
tliiery shall not prevent person from OBJ
tanning retail license was defeated.
On motion Of Mr.. Crawford, the vote By
which the bill permitting the holders of re-
tail liquor licenses to own stock in brew
erles or distilleries was defeated i'm the !
house on Thfrsday last has been re-consid- |
.red and the bill placed on the postponed |
calendar. This bill was defeated in the |
absence Of its author, Mr.. Bliss, of Della !
ware, and the re, consideration was for the |
purpose of allowing him to be heard in its |
1efense. The senate bill to prevent the |
spread of tuberculosis among cattle was |,
reported favorably.
In the house the Niles tax bill has been |
defeated by vote of l20 to SO. The rapid |
transit bill has suffered defeat by vote of
30 to 95.
HARRISBURG, May 9.-In four opinions |,
handed down yesterday by Judge Simonton
at the opening Of court he again sustained |
the constitntionality of the Boyer revenue
law Of 1891. At the beginning of the pres
ent year the state was flooded with circu-
lars issued by the smaller trust companies
In Philadelphia, setting forth that as the
act of 1891 taxed the capital stock of cor
porations at mills while other property
was only taxed 4, the extra mill was un-
and stating that it had
been asked to act as the custodian Of
by the courts. Nearly every
eular and was asked to join In the move
ment. Some Of the circulars also fell into
the hands OF State officials here. r"d
Anunbsr Of companies accepted the In.
vitAtiGN 81 ths trust company and appeals
wsrs accsrdinely entered, the companies
paying four mills tax and appealing from
the oda nliil. The esmpanies against
which judgmsnts VEN entered were tho
Buffalo, Rochestss snA Nttsbura Railroad
Company, Jehnsenburg and Bradford Rail,
road Cembahy, Bristol WatsY Company,
and MN Csssk Aalread Company, which
wers srgusd shsrt tins ego 81 Mr.. New
m, Of Philadelphia Judge Simenton
makes very short work Il the constitutional
holding that, under the prinoi-
pies laia Aswn h numerous decisions 0f his
oeurt and q the supreme court, classihca-
oloA nay b carried to . much greater
Length than necsssasy for the purpose Of
ststaiaing the tax In question In this case.
The taxation Of the capital stock of these
at different rate from tho
taxation Of he persopal property of indi-
Ividuals does not result In want OF uni
formity forbidden by the constitution.
While II II true that the capital stock of
Io0rPorstisns represent their property 1t Is
mot identical With Il and cannot in any
real sense be said TO belong to the same
class Of subjects ~ the personal property
LOT individuals.
He holds also that the act of 1891 does
mot conflict with any of tho provisions of
the constitution Of the United States.
Judgments are therefore directed to be
entered against the four companies above
named for the balance of taxes claimed by
the state, with interest at 10 per cent. per
n N nUYIpSn and aft Ne