The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-03-17
THROWN DOWN.
Senate Rejects Two More of Gov.
Pingree's Appointments.
PInns to Defeat Another-The Biii 10
Repeal the Mortgage Tax Almost
Certain to become Lnw-Gos-
SIP from Lansing.
[snecial Correspondence.l

Lansing. March 15.-Gov. Pingree
met with defeat at the hands OF
the senate Thursday. Ii came in eX-
ecutive session, when the nomination
at ex-Gov. Luce for the place on the
Ionia prison board and Rev. L. Morgan
Wood. of Detroit, as a member of the
state board of corrections and charities
were considered. After u somewhat
protracted session both nominations
were rejected by a vote of "A to 6. The
rejection of eX-Gov. Luce was due to the
fact that he wrote several strong silver
letters on the eve of the November cleo
ton, and this, il is claimed. lost the
Third congressional district, wherein
The opposition to Woods was based on
his alleged sensationalism, some of the
senators designating him as mounte-
bank.
The senators had a spirited engage
ment Thursday over a bill providing
that in case vacancies in appointivc Of
fees are not filled by the governor dur
ing the Legislative session the officials
whose terms have expired shall hold
over until the next senate convenes.
The object of the bill is TO head off
Gov. Pingree's plan to make Prof.
Bemis. of Chicago. state labor commits
sioner. The bill was taken from COM
mittee composed wholly of Pingree
men, despite their emphatic protests.
and placed on the general order. The
Pingree men denounced the action on
Of ha 10 nd a6 in
suit to the governor.
The governor sent to the senate
Thursday the nomination of Milo d.
Campbell, of CoIdwater, formerly pri-
vate secretary to Gov. Luce, for COM
missioner of insurance, vice Theron F.
Giddings. whose term will expire July l..
The senate had protracted fight over
the bill repeating the law for the taxa
ton of real estate mortgages. The
plea that under the existing law the
borrower. instead of the loaner, as in
tended. pays the tax, succeeded in win
ming a victory for the bill in spite of de-
termined opposition. The measure
makes seven per cent. the maximum in
tcrest that may be contracted in real
estate mortgages. and restricts the eX-
emption to mortgages on Michigan real
estate. The bill has been reported fla
vorably to the house, and a careful cam
vass shows that it will pass. and as it
was recommended by Gov. Pingrce in
his inaugural message it will become
law.
The house committee on public health
has agreed to favorably report a most
sweeping anti-cigarette bill. The meas
are provides a penalty not only for the
manufacture or sale of cigarettes in the
state. but also for their use. They can
not. under this bill. be brought into the
state.
The house passed a bill fixing extra
compensation of members from the up
per peninsula at two dollars per day.
in addition to three dollars under the
constitutional provision, but it met with
strong opposition and was pulled
through by mere scratch.
The senate finance and appropriation
committee made favorable report upon
the Dudley bill, providing a bounty of
one per cent. per pound to encourage
the manufacture of beet sugar. The
measure was agreed to in committee of
the whole.
The senate after considerable discus
sion finally passed bill providing the
office of state statistician shall be abol-
ished after July l. 1897
Gov. Pingree has issued a proclama-
tion urging the voters of the state to
vote for the constitutional amendment
increasing the salary of the attorney
general from $500 to $4,000. He says it
costs the state now more than the latter
sum for legal assistance.
Recent holdings OF the supreme court
have increased the value of tax titles
materially in this state. In an opinion
filed recently in the case OF Mersereau
rs Miller ct al. the court holds the
fax law constitutional and gives the
holder Of a tax title possession of the
property. The decision is an important
one. us il sustans the validity in nu-
merous particulars of many tax titles
held by spectators.
The house judiciary committee will
recommend for repeal all laws which
have outlived their usefulness so that
the statutes may he cleared of lot OF
refuse matter that does nobody any
good.
EMMETT.