The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-04-21
THE LEGISLATURE.
This Session is Rapidly Drawing
to a Close.
All Bills Have Been Presented. The Mem
hers Can Now Devote Their Time
to Committee Work and tho
Calender.

st. Paul, April 12-At last the re-
superintendent bill has passed both
houses and tardy act of justice has
been performed. 1t really had passed
Friday night, with the exception of the
portion pertaining to Ramsey county.
That was excepted, and the Ramsey
delegation was turned loose to fight it
put. 1t took them all day, but just as
Saturday night was approaching an
agreement was reached, the confer
ence committee reported and the re-
port was rushed through both houses.
The trouble in Ramsey county was a
desire to so divide the county that each
one of the four sitting senators could
have a repu bllcan district, and that at
least two of the representatives who
have senatorial aspirations could also
have republican senatorial districts.
1t was an effort to put six pegs in four
holes.
The senate had the new game and
fish law for a special order on Satur-
day, but the special order was suspend
ed from time to time to allow other
business to come, or else nothing
would have been accomplished. An
unsuccessful effort was made to cut the
salary of chief game warden from ST..
009 to $1,000. and adjournment was
reached without final action on the bill.
The local option bill was also dis
puted measure in the senate. The bill
provides that person convicted of SELL
ing liquor in a town which has voted
no license shall be punished by fine
.'or" imprisonment The present law
is fine land" Imprisonment. The ar
gument against the change was that
blind piggers would not object to pay
ing fines if there was no imprisonment,
as it would not cost so much as a
license. The bill passed without vote
to spare.
The house, on Saturday, had the
spirit of reform" and passed an i'm
portant senate bill 1t provides that
when there is to be a state or district
convention the primary meeting to Sc
lect delegates to the county conven-
ton, and the county convention to Sc
lect delegates to the state or district
conventions shall all be held on the
same day. This prevents candidates
IIOui WI lAOAi WILLS W SoAA-
ing early county conventions and Sc
curing delegates in their favor to in
fiuence the later conventions.
There was a little novelty in connec-
ton with the bill paying the expenses
of the Coates-Hall contested election.
The committee on legislative expenses
cut off $3.50 from the attorneys fees and
reported it back. The house took it
up on Saturday and restored the $3.50,
making an appropriation of 5000.
St. Paul, April 13.-The senate was
Industrious yesterday, but the entire
day, except an hour and half in the
morning, was spent in considering the
game and fish law. The bill was pro-
fusely amended, the leading amend
ment being one that entirely prohibits
spring shooting of ducks, geese, or any
kind of wild aquatic fowl. The argu-
ment for the amendment was that
spring shooting drove them away per-
manently at the nesting period. The
bill is now ready for passage.
Among the bills passed was Senator
Keller's beet sugar bill, which offers
a bounty by the state for raising sugar
beets, and also regulates freight rates
Other bills passed were ones abolish
ing the standing appropriation of S2O.-
600 for the soldiers home; for bidding
the use of tobacco by minors under Is
years old and by all minors in public
schools; abolishing the inebriate ward
at the Rochester asylum; to prevent
the adulteration of dairy products. The
bill forbidding the use of tobacco by
minors had previously passed the house
and the boys will have to look out as
soon as the governor signs the bill.
The house held three sessions yester-
day, morning, afternoon and evening,
but passed no bills. The whole time
was spent in committee of the whole,
and 90 bills were considered. Twelve
were indefinitely postponed and the
remainder recommended to pass. Mr..
Staples was in the chair large por-
ton of the time and the bills went
about as he directed. They were de-
clared to pass or to be postponed re-
CARELESS of the yea and nay vote, and
calls for division" were UNDECIDED.
The result was an immense number of
bills acted upon, but the house might
as well have taken a holiday and told
Staples to go ahead and fix the thing
up The cloak rooms were crowded
with members all day, talking and
smoking, while Staples and empty
chairs ran the business. He rode over
the house so rough shod that the mem
bers lost all interest in the proceedings.
When the bills which Staples acted on
yesterday come up for passage, and
the membe have chance to at least
be heard on roll call, the result may
be different. Among the bills recon-
mended were the ones increasing the
tax on railroads from 3 to per cent of
the gross earnings. and making the oil
inspectors salary SO, 500 instead of fees,
as at present. The bill to abolish mar
riage licenses was killed.