The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-05-24
Especial Correspondence

scrgeant-at-Arms and His Deputies.
Especial Correspondence
HARRISBURG May so-There is moth.
ing left for the lawmakers to do but work
If they expect to got away by June g. The
house calendar Is crowded with bills,
many of which will be dropped to save
time and hasten tho final adjournment.
The senate continues to move along In
that leisurely manner which has charac-
terized its proceedings all through the ses-
sion. The calendar Is clear of senate bills
and crowded with house measures on final
passage. Tho latter number about 200,
and will have to be disposed OF before the
representatives will agree to adjourn.
The greatest interest centres In the house
proceedings. Aside from the affair Of
tonight, when members will be brought
up for contempt, there will be much busi
ness of general Importance to transact
Tomorrow will be the busiest day, the
first order being the consideration, on
third reading Of the congressional, legls
lative and senatorial apportionment bills.
Judging from the unanimity with which
these measures passed second reading they
will pass the final stage by n comfortable
majority. The representatives from coun-
npportionment will oppose the measure.
They are, however, in the minority, and
their only hope is in the senate or n con-
ference committee.
The apportionment bills out OF the way,
the house will turn its attention to tho
Smith school BILL which distributes the
appropriation by scattering ono third ac-
cording to the number of teachers actually
employed for n full term and tho balance
on the basis of the number of taxables.
Mr.. Smith has served notice that he will
call the bill up tomorrow morning The
opposition TO his proposition is too strong
to overcome and for this reason the mem
Der from Bedford will try to change the
bill to meet oil objections. This will not
be an easy task. What suits the rural
members does not satisfy the city chaps," "
and vice versa
Should there be full house on We'd
nesday, when the order of business will be
senate bills on third reading, the Quay
county bill will be called up for final pas
sage. The boomers of the new county
have more than enough pledges to assure
the passage of the bill Their only trouble
has been to get its friends here at one
time.
There will be trouble II the supporters
of the elections committee in the session
of 1893 endeavor to secure reconsidera-
tion of the bills making extravagant ap-
propriations to pay the expenses of the
members and officers of the committee in
the investigation of the election contests
decided by the last house. There are three
of these bills, and all of them have been
defeated
The bill creating an appellate court will
also be called during the week by Repre-
sentative Kunkel This measure has gone
through the senate and is on the house
calendar among the postponed bills for
third reading. Mr. Kunkel believes he can
pass it with full house, notwithstanding
the fierce opposition Of the rural mem.
bers.
The appropriation bills are being gotten
out of the way rs fast as they come from
committee. About forty have passed
finally, and there are seventy on the calen-
dar for second reading. These will all be
disposed of this week, so that the general
appropriation bill may have n clear track
Chairman Marshall is working on the bill
and hopes to have it in shape to bring out
this week. He stayed over in the city Sat
urday and Sunday to work on the bill
The various departments of state have
submitted their items for tho next two
years. Mr.. Marshall is not waiting on the
chief clerks of the senate and house to get
their figures In shape
The bill will be reported with the school
appropriation reduced to SO, 600 900. This
Is absolutely necessary il the state chari
ties are to be given show. Chairman
Marshall has figured very closely, and
secs no way out of the difficulty but to re
duce the school appropriation. The insti
tutions dependent entirely upon the state
will require So, 595, 593. This includes the
INDECENT insane, National Guard peniton.
tiaries and state hospitals. The institu
ton for the blind, deaf and dumb and feeble
minded must have SS47, 434 80, and the pri
vate institutions dependent partly upon
the state require S704, 500 to keep them go
ing the next two years. Bills making
these appropriations have been reported
out of committee, and many have passed
finally.
The sergeant at arms of the house and
his assistants on Friday night last were
travelling all over the state with warrants
for the arrest of seventy-four members
who must be brought before the bar of the
house this evening and purge themselve.
of contempt
The whole trouble arose over the ten
dency of the members to go home or
Thursday evenings and neglect the Friday
session, WlbnOuU ITbJ ODbitlnlnR inc neCeS
sary leave of absence from the house. With
the near approach OF the end Of the session
work must be pushed, and sharp lessor
was needed to make the members attend
to their duties. 1t was the first time since
the session of 1889 that the speaker wa.
compelled to send the sergeant-at-arm
after absent members; but even then Il
was not found necessary to issue war
rant for the absentees, as enough members
were found In Harrisburg to make up tn,
quorum. On Friday, however, the full
powers Of the house were exhausted with
out securing a quorum, and the speaker
was compelled to adjourn the house ant
issue his warrant for all those who wer,
absent without leave.
When the speaker raped the house t.
order there were not more than abou
seventy-flve members in their seats, anC
the session was not fifteen minutes oil,
when a call was narrowly averted Rep
resentative Martin offered q resolution
fixing special order for the Fritz bill +,
change the method of apportioning tn,
tinn tho nj M