Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-06-20
The Late Legislature.

The session was Ono Vi sAo iOhseS1 e'N-
held; the Apportionment bills were not
passed-in fact were not even gwen
respectful hearing, while the list OF private
j obs rushed through is long one. Re-
Qardless of the reduced income ofthe State,
bill after bill was introduced and pushed
through appropristing money for THIS
that and the other thing. New officers
were created by the wholesale with iat
salaries attached, while the charitable m
stitutions which rely on the State to keep
them going, either wholly or in part, are
left to suffer from this extraordinary and
unnecessary drain on the Treasury.
1t is true the bosses got all they wanted
at this session-something they could not
do at the session of 1898, owing TO the
courageous and determined stand taken by
that old war-horse John Cessna and few
other bold spirits. The peculiar legisla-
ton demanded by Finn and Aagee was
passed without q murmur by their sub
servient followers, while the man from
Beaver had but to ring up his satellites
on the long-distance telephone to secure
anything which might tend to increase
his hold on the party or to defeat any
thing that could weaken him. All in all,
the record of the Legislature is bad one,
and the people of the State will rejoice
that the session is thing of the past,
During the closing week some meas
ures of considerable interest were acted
on. Among these was the Woods Water
bill, which was fixed up in conference
committee and then agreed on by both
House and Senate. The bill is now in the
hands of the Governor.
Probably the most important bit OF
legislation was the passage by the Senate OF
the Superior Court bill. When it was
taken up several important amendments
were made. The number of Judges was
increased from five to seven. Though
Senator Green appealed for fair play claim
ing that the minority party was certainly
entitled to at least two Judges out of seven,
to the mind of Senator Grady, however, it
was clear that the Democrats should ouly
have one. 1t was also clear to the same
mind that it really did not make much
difference whether the Court was compos-
ed of Democrats or Republicans, but to be
on the safe side he preferred to have most
of them republicans. AS the bill came
from the House the Court was required to
hold all its sessions in Harrisburg; but
this was changed so as to allow the Court
to meet at least once year in PhiIa-
delphia, Pittsburg, Williamsport, Scranton
and Harrisburg. The power to enforce an
order of restitution by execution was
stricken out, and the bill was then passed.
The revenue bill which has been the
subject of 30 much debate both in the
House and before the Senate Finance
committee, was killed by the latter body,
the bill being reported to the Senate with
a negative recommendation on Thursday
evening. On Wednesday the Committee
made bluff of having the bill recoDmit-
ted in order to give those who wanted to
be heard on it last chance to appear, but
the truth of the matter wss that the COM
mittee had already made up its mind to
negative the bill.
The Smith bill for the distribution of the
school fund was smothered in the Senate
Committee on Education. The bill passed
the house, bnt struck q snag in the INNER
branch. Several meetings Of the Commit
tee were held, but the friends of the meas
ure were unable to muster enough
votes to get the bill out. The bill creating
the Office of Deputy Auditor-General pass
cd the House by an overwhelmingly large
vote, and the Governor signed it. Auditor
General Mylin will at once re-organize his
force. Col. John A. Glenn will be appoint
cd Deputy, Captain Bricker, of Jersey
Shore, will be retained as Corporation
Clerk, and Sam Matt Friday, of Lancaster,
will succeed Fred Shober as Chief Clerk.
The Finn Road bill was one of the
bosses measures that was passed finally
by the house during the week. This bill
gives counties the right to construct coun-
ty roads and levy tax for their main
tenance. The measure provides that the
recommendation of the County Commis
sioners shall be first passed upon bv the
grand jury and approved by the Court
before the roads can be improved. This
was the first of a score or more road bills
introduced at this session, to pass finally.
All other measures OF this character were
either defeated or killed in committee.
Senator Kennedy presented in the Sen
ate on Tuesday resolution for the ap-
pointment of a committee consisting of
the President pro tenn. and six Senators
to investigate the public schools of the
State. The resolution was adopted, and
the committee appointed consists of Sen
ators Kennedy, Brown, Fruit, Snyder,
Walton, Green and Thomas. A stir was
caused in the Senate ON Thursday after
noon by the presentation by Senator
Wood of similar resolution for the sp-
pointment of a committee of FIVE to in
gestigste the State Normal schools. This
was loudly objected to by Senators Pen
rose and Grady, the former claiming
that the resolutions, passage would make
the Senate appear ridiculous in the eye
of the people, inasmuch as another COM
mittee has just been appointed which in
tended TO make such az inquiry as the
Woods resolution contemplated part of
their investigation. The resolution wa 8
clearly passed by viva voce vote, but
President pro tenn. Kaufman declared it
lost and then adjourned the Senate with
out paying any attention to the repeated
calls for the yeas and nays demanded by
Mr.. Woods.
The Senate on Monday defeated the
bill to preserve the purity and prevent the
pollution of streams and waters, which
came up on final passage, the measure
only receiving Is votes, or less than
enough to pass it.
The Joint Legislative Committee ap-
pointed under the provisions of a resolu-
tion approved by the Governor in Feb
ruary, to investigate the management of
the hospital for the insane at Norristown,
on Tuesday, through its chairman, Gen.
eral Goblin, made its report to the Senate.
The report is voluminous one and
denounced the loose business methods en-
ployed in conducting the affairs of the in
stitution. The committee reviews in detail |
the management, condemning in the first |
place the system which delegates to the
executive committee the powers of the
Trustees, as tending to create confusion
and an Objectionable division of RESPONSE |