Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1897-03-25
MINING TAX BILL

- y
THE REEVES MEASURE MIGHT HAVE
PASSED THE HOUSE
HUT For misunderstanding % to How
M. Mclean voted-Inauenoe Of Small
Matters on Large Onss-Courtssy and
j, Expedition. - Department Store Bill.
Civil Service Reform-Good Work by
ST. PAUL. March 2y.-One Of the
most closely contested measures before
the legislature for many day has been
on several times, coming up during
the afternoon for final action. This
was the Reeves mine tax bill which
was introduced early in the session in
sts original form and has been before
the house in various forms all winter.
Mr.. Reeves Of Pope county introduced
st, and soon after it had been consid-
cred by the committee on taxes and
tax laws q new bill; was presented as q
substitute. This second bill was dis
eussed for some days, and then Mr..
Reeves brought forth q third bill,
which is the measure over which rep
resentatives argued and voted Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday and resumed
during the day The details Of the
bill have been heretofore given, and all
phases of the question were gone over
sxhaustively during the debate. A few
changes were made in details of the
Bill, the tonnage bill was changed from
3 cents ton to cents a ton, and by
decisive vote the house announced it's
general policy of adherence to the gen.
sral policy of tonnage, tax. The
sriends of the bill held the house to-
gether until long after 2 O'Clock, but
when many members began to com.
plain at the lack of food and over the
prolonged session it was agreed that
they consent to an adjournment.
The Contest Resumed.
Friday morning the contest was re-
stunned and the house kept at it steadily
until late in the afternoon, a vote be-
ing finally taken a little before 5
o'clock. To pass any bill requires 81
votes, and roll-cau showed 56 in favor
Of this BILL But before the vote was
announced, Mr.. Staples changed his
vote in order to move a reconsideration
of'the vote later in the week. When
the house met on Saturday Mr.. Staples
moved to reconsider the vote whereby
,he Reeves bill was lost. tho course of
his speech stating that Ar. Mclean
was recorded a. voting against tho bill,
when he really voted for it. The bill
was then reoonsidered by q vote of ss68
10 18, and afterwards tho bill Was laid
sver until the afternoon, Ill agreeing
70 the postponement.* ~ ~
smsll Matters I,nus,o HE OAes.
Little matters influence large ones.
md since the fight over the Reeves bill
Hr. Staples realizes tho fact more
thoroughly. It had been the custom of
Reading Clerk Ryder to verify the vote
N all important measures BY reading
the names Of those voting in tho mi.
aority and even on most important
matters reading both sides. This struck
Mr.. Staples as occupying considerable
hme and 1t his request tho custom was
dropped. SO the vote on the Reeves
Hill on Friday was not verified and It
was not known until tho next day that
Mr.. McLean's failure to answer loudly
10 his name had resulted in his being
recorded wrongly on the bill. Had
this been known. Friday the bill could
have been passed at that time. Mr..
McLean's vote meant 81 votes, or one
hess than enough to pass. As the friends
at the bill were the majority of those
present reconsideration was easilv
possible whenever they wished. Mr..
Aalng was at his home sick, but was
ready to come to the capitol to vote for
The bill if needed. Mr.. Martin, another
friend OF the bill, was not far away, and
after reconsideration another call
9f the house would have brought
ahem in and the bill would have
teen passed with one vote to spare
But Mr.. Staples laudable desire to
avoid delaying business prevented the
verification of the vote and the discov.
ny about Mr.. McLean's vote, 60 that
apparently by trying to save minutes
ame great deal more time was neces.
nary before this bill could be finally
disposed of by the house. .ss.5 .,- E..
Courtesy aad Expedition. Eth
Courtesy to each other and the ex.
pediting Of business have often been
epposing influences in the two houses,
but the latter conquered in the house
Saturday when the order of business
was so changed as to take up third
nsading of house bills before the selne
action on senate bills. The senate has
always PASSED its own bills first, and