Warren sheaf., 1897-01-28
MINNESOTA SOLONS.
The Legislative Proceedings from
.t Day to Day.
Everything Running In Smooth Manner
and There Is an Evident Desire on
the Part of Members to Make
aPurely Business Session.

st. Paul, Jan. 2O.-There seems to be
generous, or some other kind of RI
valry between the senate and the
house. as to which branch will capture
the honors of securing important legis-
lation. Nearly every bill of Importance
has been introduced in both houses,
sometimes simultaneously. Both houses
have bills putting the grain commission
under the civil service rules; also Civ.
ing state banks the right to demand 60
days notice of their depositors, the
same as savings banks; also regulating
the state deposits; changing the tax
and election laws, and so on. Mon
day in the house of representatives,
Johns, of st. Paul, stole march on a
Minneapolis member by introducing a
copy of the Georgia antitrust bill.
This bill imposes fines and imprison-
ment in the penitentiary. for those who
engage in trusts in Minnesota. Senator
Sheeh AN, of St. Paul, was planning to
Introduce the same bill in the senate,
but there being no session of the SEN
ate Monday he could not do so. and
SO Johns stole a march on him as we'll
Sheehan did the best he could and in
troduced his bill today.
Senator Greer also emulated the
house, by introducing the same bill
which was presented Tuesday in the
other branch, providing for a state
library commission and a system of
travelling libraries. Another bill was
for the repeal of the corrupt prac-
tees" act, on the theory that honest
men obey it, while dishonest men gain
an advantage by ignoring it. Hence it
is better to permit all the candidates
for office to be corrupt rather than to
compel portion to be decent. Sena-
tor Theden is still regulating elections
and offered his tenth bill on that sub
ject today. The real item of interest in
the senate, however, yesterday was the
executive session, to consider the gov
ernor's appointments, especially that
of DR.. Reynolds for the health board,
in place of DR.. Hewitt. There" was an
animated debate but Reynolds was con-
irmed. The only appointment held up
was that of ]. H. Block, of St. Peter,
who was appointed member of the
board of managers for the insane hos
pital
Editors are always strong on moral
reforms, and Representative Manches-
ter, editor of the Lake Benton. News.
introduced a bill making fine of $25
to 500, Imprisonment for 80 days and
forfeiture of license for theatrical man
ayers who give Sunday entertainments.
Manchester will have no passes to the
theater this winter. Mr.. Feig had a
bill abolishing the IS. 900 limit of dam
ages when railroads and other corpora
tions kill their employees. Another bill
of some interest provides state board
of which the state treasurer is not a
member, to determine in what banks
state deposits shall be placed and what
bonds shall be required. The commit
tee on legislation reported favora bly,
on the constitutional amendment max
ing governor or governor-electi ineIigi
BILE for the q. S. senate during his guber-
material term, but the bill was rescued
from passage by reference to the ju-
dietary committee.
st. Paul, Jan. 21.-It is almost a
pleasure to be able to record measure
upon which the two houses of the leg
islature are not in accord. Tuesday,
for instance, bill was introduced in
the house prohibiting Sunday theaters.
Yesterday the same bill was intro-
duced in the senate. Tuesday a bill
was introduced in the senate making
the railroad commissioners elective in
stead of appointed by the governor.
Yesterday similar bill was introduced
in the house. If this thing keeps on,
the last 80 days of the session will be
devoted to the work of conference
committees appointed to determine
whether it shall be house bill or a
senate bill which becomes a law, both
measures being exactly alike. That is
why it was refreshing yesterday to
have Senator Wyman, of Minneapolis,
advocating the arbitration treaty now
before the United States senate, and
comparing Grover Cleveland to Abra-
ham Lincoln, while Representative
Donnelly, populist and semi-demo-
crat was offering resolutions against
the treaty. and denouncing Cleveland.
Both resolutions went over for the day,
the senate one going to committee
and that of the house being made a
special order for today, when Judge
Hicks favoring peace and Donneuy ia
voring war, will again cross words.
While the United States expels its
clerks to conceal the fact that
the senators tell the reporters
what is done in executive session, the
Minnesota senate voted to have their
executive sessions open, like the regu-
lar business sessions. Now if the gov
ernor has any more horse doctors to
appoint on the board of health, he can