Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1897-02-25

CATIONS c6ItiaIass Ehisiir: ,ovsfhaulinG 81
the various branches Of the state gov
eminent. All things considered the
stage Of legislative business il high and
the continuance Of similar energetic
methods will bring results. whose bon
Gifts can only be learned from actual
later experience. IF
Reapp0rtionment 10 one Of the topics
OF most general interest and this has
been made general order for Wednes-
day afternoon in tho senate. It must
not be supposed, however, that the
actual reapportionment bill will then
be considered, for an expression of
opinion is all that is sought ut this
time. Having heard from both house
and senate the committee having the
matter III charge will know how to
formulate its bill. In tho house Mr..
Staples introduced a resolution favor
ing not to exceed rs senators and ia
representatives. He did this to draw
out opinions and he got them, ranging
from 80 to IS for the senate and from
10 to 100 for the house, the resolution
finally favoring.65 and 100 as the maxi
inum size for the two houses. This
otme before the senate, where the
e:nendment to decrease the senate and
tf crease the house by five was made,
bat before vote was tl.kon the whole
9lb3ect was made = special order fol
Wednesday afternoon. The chief
trouble is the feeling that q larger
senate is necessary in order to get that
branch to agree to any reapportion-
ment, although there is general feel
ing that the senate hereafter should
not exceed the present figures 81,
and if possible should 70
much below that. If the senate
agrees to the house resolution, 65 and
120 will be the mem bership in the sem
ate and house respectively. However,
any amendments that may be adopted
by the senate favorlng smaller bodies
will be promptly agreed to in the house,
where the sentiment is strongest in
favor Of reapportionment. The only
reason for larger legislature is that
most Southern Minnesota members do
not want to reduce their present rep
resentation but are willing to enlarge
the aggregate membership in order to
increase the representation from the
newer sections OF the state.
The travelling library bill, which
would give to the country districts the
benefits of the best literature, such as
are now enjoyed by patrons of the big
public libraries in the cities, has been
killed, temporarily ut least. It got
through the senate, but was defeated
by the country members, for whose
constituents its benefits were intended,
when taken up in the house. Later
Mr.. Staples. in charge Of the
house bill, secured 4 reconsideration
and the senate bill will be discussed
once more BY the house. The bill
called for an appropriation Of 5000,
but Mr.. Donnelly cried out against this
as the entering wedge to great extrav-
agance and that word settled the mat.
ter. 1t is thought probable that by re-.
ducing the appropriation the bill may
be passed finally, although some good
friends of the measure are 50 confident
Of its merits that they assert the ooun.
try districts will soon be heard from in
SO pronounced q manner AZ to make the
passage of the present bill certain.
Semi.annual payment of taxes 10
now assured, ,thsscnate&having favor
ably acted on its bill, whose duplicate
in the house il already in high favor
there. There was much discussion
about it in the senate and some show
OF opposition, but no one voted against
it At the end OF the debate.
The usual resolution for an early
final adjournment was presented in the
senate the other day BY Senator Knat.
void with the usual adverse result,
aud the legislature will continue 1t
work until April 81, that being the
statutory Limitation. This is q subject
Of much interest with varied and vary.
ing opinions. Some members advo-
cate . much shorter session, maintain.
ing that the work could all be done in
sixty days and insisting that bad laws
are impossible when tho legislature is
cot in session. Mr.. Donnelly goes to
the other extreme and asserts his belief
in continuous sessions Of the law
makers, giving 20 his reason that the
corporations are at work all the time
and the Legislature should be ever
ready to check them. His position is
about the same Is that of those who
oppose church vacations on the ground