The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-02-24
THE LEGISLATURE.
Both Bodies Are in Good Working
Order.
Cosby Letters Giving In Detail the Moro
Important Work of the senate
and House of Repre-
sentatiyes.

~ o0ls ~ SQdllN "nCh thC
legislature takes two days vacation
and goes home over Sunday, the mem-
bers return full of business. When the
solons resumed business yesterday,
after the Lincoln birthday vacation,
there was an exception to the rule.
The senate session was even briefer
than usual Twelve bills were intro
duced, the only one of Importance
being one to repeal the libel law of
1887. This bill will prove of especial
interest to the newspapers and the
proposed repeal is a step backwards.
The Minnesota libel law has been re-
garded as almost model, as it gives
newspapers an opportunity to make
amends where errors have been made
and no malice is shown. A number of
states have enacted the same law and
a similar measure Is pending this win
ter in several legislatures.
In the house the event of the day
was the repeal of the struck jury law,
which passed without a dissenting
vote. The house had a bill repeating
this act but as the senate got the start
of them and passed their repeal bill
first, the house laid its bill aside
and passed the senate bill This
much-talked of measure now only
awaits the usual formalities and the
Governors signature to become law.
Out of the twelve new bills intro
duced the important one was presented
by Mr.. Jacobson. 1t proposes to tax the
railroads four per cent on their gross
earning instead of three per cent as at
present
Because the legislature took short
vacation it should not be supposed
that they were idle. Several of the
state institutions were visited and the
committee appointed to investigate
the selection of the site for the fourth
insane hospital were also industrious.
Nevertheless, unless something now
not visible breaks loose, the session
this winter will be productive of less
legislation than usual.
st. Paul, Feb 17.-Yesterday might
be termed financial day in the senate.
A resolution was introduced and
adopted calling for an investigation
into state printing expenses, with a
view of reducing them. There is de-
fciency in the printing fund and this
investigation is proposed prior to pass
ing the deficiency appropriation. There
was in addition an absolute deficiency
bill offered which appropriates 500, 900
for deficiency IN expenses of the SUI
preme and district courts. This bill
also provides for $40, 600 deficiency in
the printing fund. The courts have
grown to such an extent that the stand
ing appropriation lacks $33. 900 per an
mum of paying expenses, and conse-
quently still another bill was offered
appropriatlng that sum in order to
avoid deficiency the ensuing year.
Senator Wyman wants the Office of
coroner abolished and medical exam
liners appointed instead. He intro
duced bill to that effect.
The event IN the house yesterday
was the passage of the bill designed to
secure freedom of trade in food prod
ucts- There was no serious opposition
to the bill, there being but seven mega
tive votes cast, but it was one of those
measures which give the orators an OPP
portunity to announce that they stand
by the people, and this was embraced
to such an extent as to occupy large
portion of the forenoon. In spite of
the jibes it has created, Mr.. Foss' bill
forbidding the sending of flowers to
murderers was passed, after it had
been amended allowing ministers and
nearest relatives to strew floral fra
GRANGE on their pathway to the grave.
These two measures created so much
debate that aside from the introduction
Of As1ht Kills ohioAu local nfhor
business was transacted at the morn
ing session. The entire afternoon was
occupied in considering bill which
entirely revises the foreclosing of
chattel mortgages, and makes it
county matter instead of city and town.
St. Paul, Feb. 1s.-Yesterday was
fairly busy day in the legislature with
ont very much being accomplished af-
ter all. Thirteen bills were introduced
in the senate and thirty-three in the
house. bringing the grand total of bills
introduced up to date of SOC.
One of the important measures in the
senate was the normal school appro-
priation bill, which carries $116,o
with it No bill is really important
these times which does not carry
handsome appropriation. Anothersen-
ate bill abolishes the game commits
sion and provides for three commits
siopers with salaries of ST, 500 and ST.
200 respectively. Next to bill with
an APPROXIMATION attached, one with
salary appended ranks next in import
ance. Senator Yale got his resolution
through forbidding smoking in the SEN
ate chamber and the committee rooms.
As there is state law forbidding any
thing stronger than tobacco in the cap
itol, the only recreation now left for
the senators is attending to business.
The special event in the house was
consideration of the bill increasing the
appropriation for the state university.
After lengthy debate it was referred