The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-28
THE CRIME OF 1901.
House Hears Report and Passes a Lee
EalfzinE Bill.


The House yesterday morning legalized
the fee and salary act of 1891, as it was be-
fore false sheet was inserted i'm the body
of the act by some designing person. This
action was taken after the special investi-
eating committee had made its report with
communications the report of Messrs.
Robinson, Willis, Cardwiil and Hanna A
bill introduced by the committee fixing a
penalty for tampering with legislative meas
ures was referred to the committee on
judiciary.
The committee stated in it's report that
it was unable to fix the responsibility for
changing the bill, adding that lit is diff
cult TO concede that such a copy could have
been made by intelligent man desiring
honestly to perform his work" The change,
according to the committee, was evidently
made after the act had been signed by the
presiding officers of both houses, after a
passage over the Governors Veto The COM
mittee showed that it was not the inten-
ton of the clerical force to have the bill
go to the Governor within the constitutional
period The name of the man who carried
the bill from the General Assembly to the
Secretary of States office could not be as
certained. The report of the committee con-
tinues:
Without reporting who was actually
md and report that, after the bill had
been properly enrolled and signed in
the presence of the House, by the
Speaker of the House and President of the
Senate, and it's delivery to the Governor,
and return by him to the General Assem-
bly,, with his objections thereto, and at
some time between this passage and It's de-
livery TO the Secretary of State, the sheet
covering Section s, which made provision
reptitously taken out and a false sheet,
which omitted to make provision for the
nra6 ns.nr rle,v. 81,
county, was substituted in its stead and
in this form the bill was turned over to
the Secretary of State @
In concluding the committee SAYS: sIn
view of the imminent danger to past and
future legislation the committee therefore
Il. That bill be passed correcting the
enrolment of House bill No. 275, of the
session of 1891, so that the enrolled bill as
passed will conform in all respects to the
Dill that has passed.
. That a, law shall be passed making
it a misdeineanor for any officer of the
General Assembly or outsider to attempt to
tamper with any bill pending before the
tempt should be- unsuccesfni s9d ,ns ns
it a felony for any person connected there
with in the event that the attempt is con-
1.-The strongest preventive to such affairs
is TO let it be known that although they
shall apparently succeed Temporarily. sue
protected and enforced. for if the effort
cannot succeed there will be no inducement
to make the effort.
Unless bill shall be passed by this
General Assembly correcting the enrolled
bill, the fraud attempted in 1891 will have
attained its full fruition, and no law
that can be passed by, this Assembly pro-
of county officials will In any wise affect
that which was attempted TO be accom-
plished by the General Assembly of 1891 dur
ing the period, elapsing between the time
that law became operative and the time the
law which may at this session of the AS
sembly be passed will go. into operation
Mr.. Robinson explained the purpose of the
two bills intro1ucea by the committee 1t
the law as 10 treasurers. recorders and
auditors was imperative. and the corrective
to snese officers The bill. he insisted
would have no bearing whatever on any fee