The Worthington advance., 1897-02-04
THE LEGISLATURE. :.
Both Bodies Are In Good Working
Order. ss.

ssoss'py Letters Giving in Detail tho Moro
Important Work Of tho Senate
and House of Repre-
sentatives.
st. Paul. Jan. 27.-Both branches of
the legislature resumed sessions yester-
day, after their brief vacation, but
neither branch was very Industrious
senator Dunn, who succeeds Senator
DAY, was sworn in and assigned to all
the committee positions heretofore held
oy Day. In accord with the demand
from his friends, which require him to
refuse any courtesles at the hands of
Lieut.. Gov. Gibbs, Senator Sheehan de-
cllned the Craftsmanship of the commit
tee appointed to investigate the state
LABOR bureau. This is more revenge
ON the lieutenant governor for not ap-
pointing Sheehan chairman of the ju-
dietary committee, Notwithstanding the
senate took it out of his hands. Sen
ator Dunn was promptly appointed to
the vacant craftsmanship. and the sun
sti1lrises and sets.
Only ten bills were offered in the
senate. the most important being the
one amending the struck jury law, pro-
viding that the judge, instead of the
sheriff, shall make the selection of the
jurors. The demand of the labor ele-
ment is for the absolute repeal Of the
law, and this measure is sort of COM
promise. Another bill, of considerable
interest to the farmers. appropriates
$12, 600 to be used tor premiums at
"county fairs and 50, 600 for the South
ern Minnesota fair.
If there was ever any real idea that
a war was to be inaugurated between
the senate and the governor over his
appointments, it was dissipated yester-
day by the confirmation of all the
names he has sent in so far, with the
exception of two of minor Importance,
who will also be confirmed in a day or
two.
There were 81 bills introduced in the
house, among them being one reducing
the fees for the formation of corpora
tions. This bill makes the fee $50 for
the first $4,000 of capital, and SIS for
each additional $4,000. Religious,
charitable, butter and cheese, cooper.
ative township mutual fire Insurance,
elevator and mercantile companies are
exempt from any fees. As the present
bill has always been regarded as
hardship for those wishing to form le-
gitimate corporations, and as it was
originally passed at the instance of cor
porations already existing, this bill
ought to have pretty smooth sailing.
AS there is q shortage in Offices, a
bill was introduced for state fire mar
shal, equipped with four deputies. The
chief marshal is to have his office at
the capitol. with a salary of $4, 500,
81 200 clerk, and 81, 500 for extras. The
deputies are to reside in the principal
cities of the state, and as recompense
for such enforced residence will be
given a salary of 81, 500 each. The OBJ
ject of the bill, outside of the salaries,
is to tighten the losses Of the insurance
companies by preventing incendiarism
and thus secure reduction of insur-
ance rates in the state,
Still another Office was proposed in
the nature Of state elevator inspector.
The governor will begin receiving ap-
plications for the proposed Offices to-
morrow.
Another battle monument is desired
by Representative Olds, who offered
bill appropriating $3.50 to purchase
ten acres of land in Yellow Medicine
county, to commemorate the battle of
September, 1862, between the late Gea.
Fl. II. Sibley and the Indians under
Little Crow.
No bills were passed, the greater por-
ton of the session being spent in COM
mittee of the whole considering the
merits and dement's of bills already in
troduced.
st. Paul, Jan. 2S.-The resolutions
offered by Senator Wyman last week
favoring the arbitration treaty were
adopted by the senate Yesterday and
sent to the house for concurrence. Per-
haps because y. s. Senator Hoar, of
Massachusetts, stated that the senate
ought not to be dragooned by sermons
and resolutions into adopting the
treaty, and perhaps owing to the latent
Fenian spirit, they were SO modified
before they passed a. to favor arbitra-
ton on general principles without COM
mitting the legislature to the particu-
lar treaty now. pending. This seems
to be an entirely safe position, being
based on the principle of the hunter
who fired IN such a way as to hit it if
it was a deer and miss it If it was q
calf.
Another matter which agitated the
senate was the motion of Senator Cole,
of Fergus Falls, who wants to recon
slider the vote whereby Frank Days
seat was declared vacant as Of date of
January 3ft1s95, and make it read in
stead April %, 1895. Mr.. Cole comes
from section which is interested in
the Anderson billtaxing railroad lands.
and as he went home over Sunday he
learned that his constituents feared the
unseating of Day would invalidats the
Anderson bill. This was argued back
and forth during the three days de-
bate, and whatever damage may re-
suit from the unseating Of Day, was
done with the full knowledge of the
senators. Mr.. Coles motion was laid
on the table, but will doubtless be
heard from later. .& s5-.. :.
-& Among the bills presented was one