Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-03-04

The sugar beet bounty bill was
passed by the House after a hot fight
in committee of the whole, and il is
thought there are good prospects of its
becoming a law. The bill provides
that the state shall pay to Michigan
of beet sugar, made
from beets grown i'm Michigan, a
bounty of l cent per pound, provided
that the beets shall be bought from
Michigan farmers at the rate of 81 per
ton. The principal opposition TO the
measure was because the total amount
of bounty to be paid was not limited.
a special order for the consideration of
railroad Legislation on April 10 was re-
newed and Rep. Atkinson succeeded in
having IL passed. Two resolutions for
an adjournment of a week to take in
the inaugural ceremonies of President
Mckinley were presented to the House
and both were tabled. The only other
measures passed by the House, besides
a few of merely local Importance were
these: III. Il. 2s5) reviving the corpo-
rate existence of slack water companies
for improvement of navigable rivers;
Oh. Ii. 104 for the compensation of
county agents for visiting the children
of reformatorics who are farmed out.
In the Senate the principal event was
the passage by vote of % TO 3 of the
bill to prohibit the coloring of oleomar-
gerine and other limitations of butter
A concurrent resolution appropriating
81, 800 for Michigan exhibit at the
Tennessee exposition was left in the
air by first being passed and then re-
considered. Senator BostwiclI offered
a resolution condeming the murder of
DR.. Ruiz by the Spaniards in Cuba,
but ii was tabled. The following bills
were passed by the Senate: Is. b. 24)
for the equipment of laundry and elec-
tric lightning plant for the eastern
Michigan asylum at Pontiac: Is. Il. 1922
for the incorporation of national so
cieties of Colonial Danes of America in
Michigan; Is. b. So for the care and
use of the Abbott voting machines.
After spending Sunday at home
among their constituents the legisla-
tors returned to Lansing well con
the idea Of the legislature adiourniug
for a week To take "A iunket 20 Press
dent McKinley's Inauguration. Conse-
quently it was allowed To drop. Never
theleSs. arrangements having been
made for Gov. Pingree and his military
staff and a number of state officials TO
take the trip, about - or 20 members
of the House and several Senators de-
cided TO attend the inaugural with the
governors party. The Senate passed
two bills: Is. Il. l3D For the repeal of
the law for the collection of sociologi-
cal statistics; Is. Il. 1907 for the repeal
of the law for the collection of statisti-
cal information regarding the deaf,
dumb and blind In the House a reso-
luton was adopted providing for
committee to investigate the method
by which Dave WiXom. "a life prisonera at
Jackson, gained "A pardon, it having been
alleged that il was secured by false
representation on tn part of a prison
official. The House agreed to the fol-
lowing bills in committee of the whole:
Permitting corporations to be sued in
chancery in circuit courts, the same as
; in ,~.ions a Z law. nrovidino Co. = Eeat
county insane asylum and permitting
the state to pay for the incarceration
of patients therein; providing a fine of
from So to $40 for wearing high hats
at 4. the theater; for branding
of buckwheat -four when not pure.
An attempt was made to cut down
s., 600 appropriation for the pay of the
Agricultural college students who
work at eight cents an hour upon The
state farm, to IA total of 500 or $500.
No action taken.
The House committee on the Baird
Kerr election contest made majority
reports. The Republicans-the major
ity--favored the unseating of Rep.
Kerr and giving John Baird, of Sagi-
nav, the seat, claiming irregularities
and giving Baird a majority of one
vote. The silverites reported in favor
of Kerr retaining his seat