The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-02-17
THE LEGISLATURE
Both Bodies Are in Good Working
Order.
Cosby letters Giving In Detail the More
Important Work of tho Senate
and House of Repre-
sentatives.


dun day in both branches of the legis-
latare. A good many members went
home over Sunday and the attendance
was light In the senate a bill was in
troduced limiting fire insurance COM
panies to one line of business; also
bill relieving the receiver of the Bank
of New England, of Minneapolis, from
paying interest on the funds belonging
to the state, the bank had when 1T
failed. The bank had over S61, ZOO
when its doors closed and the amount
has been paid in full. AS there is not
money enough to pay other creditors in
full the bill proposes to relieve the re-
ceiver from paying interest which ac-
crued between the time of the failure
and time of the final payment to the
state.
In the honsc the business was even
of less Importance than it was in the
senate. Only seven bills were intro
duced andafive of those were for roads
and bridges. The only episode of in
terest was squabble over bill or
ganizing the unorganized counties in
the northern part of the state. Such
bill was introduced and referred to the
committee on towns and counties. That
committee reported back substitute.
Mr. Feig wanted the bill again referred
to the committee on towns and coun-
ties, of which he is chairman, claiming
that there were several parties who
wanted to be heard. The argument
against the reference was that the
owners of pine timber are always in
venting schemes for delay in order to
prevent the organization of counties,
because such organization increased
their taxes. This argument carried the
day and the bill was sent to the COM
mIttee of the whole, instead of to the
committee on towns and counties.
St. Paul, Feb. 1O.-Though there have
been COZ bills introduced in the legis-
lature up to date, the visitor at the
sessions yesterday would have scarcely
imagined that there was anything to
do. The fact is, nearly all the bills are
in the hands of committees, and some
of the committees are absolutely buried
with proposed legislation. In the SEN
ate yesterday FIVE bills were passed
and eleven introduced. Among those
passed was the bill putting the grain
inspection department under civil serv-
ice, and also the travelling library bill.
One of the measures introduced was
the constitutional amendment author
izing the legislature to call on the SUI
preme court for an opinion as to the
constitutionality of bills pending, in
order to avoid passing unconstitutional
measures. There was the usual drive
at corporations by bill infiicting
penalty on railroads for failing or re-
fusing to furnish cars for shippers.
Another, similarly aimed, proposes to
tax express, telephone and telegraph
companies. A compulsory education
bill was presented, which requires
every child between and 16 years old
to be sent by parent or guardian to
school for twenty weeks each year in
cities of over 10000 people, and in
smaller places twelve weeks annually.
The house was treated to the novel
spectacle of the speaker apologizing
for misconduct. 1t seems that on Mon
day, in his zeal in favor of bill, the
speaker advocated it from the chair,
when he should have called some one
else to the chair and spoken from the
floor. He announced that he had made
a mistake and wished to apologize.
There is constant fear being ex-
pressed that the unseating of Senator
Frank A. Day invalidates the Ander-
son bill taxing railroad lands. A bill
renewing the Anderson bill has been
introduced in both houses, but the one
in the house was killed yesterday by
vote of SO to ii. There was quite
long debate before the bill was post
poned and the opinion was freely ex-
pressed that the Anderson bill would
no longer hold. Mr.. Anderson himself.
who is again a member of the house,
does not share that opinion, and he
urged the members yesterday not to
cast cloud on his bill by re-enacting
it. In this request he was accommo-
dated No bills were passed in Che
house and but few introduced, the
greater portion of the time being spent
in debating the bill proposing to abol-
ish capital punishment.
St Paul, Feb. 11.-At last the reap
portionment committee has been COM
pleted. Lieut.. Gov. Gibbs appointed
on Yesterday the IA members to which
the senate is entitled and the house
having appointed its committee three
weeks ago, nothing now remains but
for the committee to get together and
formulate bill to be defeated by dis
agreement between the two houses.
This is on the theory that history will
repeat itself. Reapportionment is six
years past due. and at each of the pre-
ceding sessions of the legislature an
Intellectual effort has been made to
pass a reapportionment bill. Mean
time the newer portions of the state
are deprived of proper representation
while the older portions have more
than their share.
OF course it was expected that the
state would pay the expenses of ex-
Senator Dav and his successful COM