The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-04-19
Legislative Correspondence.

LANSING, April II, '95
Liquor interests not only got black eye
last Thursday but suffered complete
Knockout in the House. The Aplin bill
was amended making the uniform tax $500
instead of $500 as proposed 10y which the
state would have lost nearly O0,000) and
all the remainder of the bill was stricken
out, it containing many provisions tending
to strew with roses the path of the saloon
keepers-such little bouquets as open house
on certain holidays and greater ease in
securing bonds were withered in the blast
of the eager ''noes' by which such provis-
ions we're expunged from the bill In the
committee of the whole. After the COM
mittee rose an effort was made by the liquor
people to have other matters occupy the
time, but with firm determination to win
the anti-liquors had the rules suspended and
the bill was placed on its immediate pas
sage, passing by vote of ~ yeas to %
nays, Representative Westcott voting for
$500.
This victory is gratifying not so much for
its individual self and the thing it attains,
as for the fact that it shows an advancing
sentiment in favor of temperance. 1t shows
that the people yet haye the mastery, and
the prophecy of Chamberlin, the Tall Pine,
that it would be a bad move for the Repub-
lican party to make is in the light of the
opinion of the better classes untrue. On
the following day the bill thus amended by |
the house went to the Senate where friends |
of the bill tried to have it referred to the |
liquor traffic and judiciary committees joint |
ly, but this failed by a vote of II to 10 |
finally and twas referred to the liquor
traffic alone which is composed of Senators |
Thompson, Barnard and Fitzpatrick. The |
first two are $500 men and the latter one an |
anti-liquor man. Tis feared that the COM
mistee will try to hang the bill up until it is |
too late to pass it so as to affect the May |
payment of liquor taxes. Senator Kilpat-
rick, however, says the committee will have
a meeting tomorrow morning and he thinks
''the bill will be reported out all right but |
If committee refuses.to report bill out Senate
will discharge committee from further con-
sideration of it and pass the bill without a
dissenting vote"
Two of Senator Kilpatrick's bills passed
the house yesterday. They are Senate Bills
"a and 95 The first amends circuit court
practice relative to requiring security in
order to stay proceedings upon verdicts and
Judgment in circuit courts by adding new
section to be known as Section 4. The
second amends Section S679 Howells.
The Senator says that his liquor bill pro-
posing 5000 uniform tax and recurring
brewers to pay higher tax than they now
do, still hangs in the hands of the COM
mittee. He says he expects to get it out
soon and will let the 5000 matter drop if the
other bill passes but will endeavor to get
brewers tax increased as they only pay
$65 now.
The third class cities bill is being ham,
mered on in committee of the whole this
afternoon. 1t will probably pass as it leaves
It optional with the individual cities to be
determined by majority vote whether they
shall adopt the general charter or not.
The special order for this afternoon was
Barnum's Bill, allowing the people of EN-
met county to vote whether they shall have
county seat at Harbor (where it now is) or
at Petoskey. Vote was tie, SO to SO. Vote
reconsidered and bill laid on table.
Yesterday the Kempf bill, fixing salaries
Of employees of subsequent legislatures,
was a special order, and after long discus
sion all of bill was cut off except head,
which insures its death, of course.
Bill amending game law occupied most of
remainder of time yesterday afternoon and
Dill finally passed. Allowing migratory
ducks 10 be shot in the spring and protect
Ing robins and other song birds from de-