The Saint Paul globe., 1897-04-19
LEGISLATURE OF 1897 is NEARLY
THROUGH WITH MAKING OF
HISTORY,
NEXT WEDNESDAY AT NOON
THEIR WASTE BASKETS AND
STATIONERY,
In the Proud Consciousness and SAT-
isfaction of Full Duty Faith
fully co Performed.

| There remain but two or three more
legislative working days of the thir-
! tleth session and even a cursory glance
at the docket of the two houses shows
| that, unless unusual conditions prevail
| during the balance of the session. some
good bills and a quantity of others
will be buried in the confusion incident
/ to the closing hours. 1t is probable,
| however, that no such unseemly exhibit
ton as that which marked the end of
/ the last session will be repeated, owing
to the fact that enough of the members
| Of two years ago have constantly re-
minded the members of the two houses
of the urgent necessity for early action
on important matters, which were sure
the two houses are called to order this
morning, it may be said that there are
! but few important bills to be passed,
| and with some discrimination the
needed legislation may be accomplished
| before the end comes.
| Perhaps the most important bit of
legislation, in some respects, which the
house took up during the past week,
was the passage, on Wednesday, of
| the Jacobson bill providing for the ap-
! pClntment of special committee Of
the legislature to prosecute the various
| claims to land held adversely by par
| ties, in which the state is believed to
have an interest. The bill provides
! for committee of five-three senators
and two epresentatives-who will ad-
| wise with the governor and attorney
| general to inquire into the justice Of
such claims and base their actions ac-
cordingly. The bill provides an ap-
preparation of $4,000 for legal and other
| assistance that may be found neces-
sary. In spite of some opposition, dur
| ing which efforts were made to sub
| stltute radical amendments, the bill was
| passed by an overwhelming vote, and
| it now remains for the legislature to
! name committee, which, armed with
legal talent and equipped with stenog-
| raphers, sergeants- alarms and clerks
/ shall proceed, after adjournment, to
| prosecute the claim of the state to
something over a million acres of land,
including the fabulously wealthy Noun
tain Iron property, lands granted the
Duluth & Iron Range road and certain
| other properties. The report must be
made not later than Jan. /, 1885,
|
| The Sperry bill, to amend the state
! printing law, dotted all over with
! amendments suggested by Mr. Dare
| Of the house, has occupied the close
/ attention of those who are interested
| in this very important branch Of the
| states affairs and the end is not yet
| The senate preferred the Sperry bill to
| the Yale bill, and killed the latter,
| which is duplicate of the Dare bill
| When the Sperry bill reached the house
! Mr.. Dare had his own bill indefinitely
postponed and tackled it's provisions to
! the senate file. Without these amend
ments, the Sperry bill, it is claimed.
will accomplish very little in the way
of reforming the present loose admins
tration of the states printing by the
/ secretary of state and the printing
| commission. The senate does not take
kindly to the Dare amendments, with
| the result that the measure has been
made the subject for conference.
1
The new state game and fish law.
! in the careful preparation of which the
! joint committee of the house and sem
ate has spent many hours, has been
! threading its weary way back and
forth between the house and senate,
! tabled S. F. 475 by Mr.. Hanson. the
H. F. S43-its counterpart-being in
! definitely postponed. The lower body
! gave an entire evening Thursday to
/ the senate file, when it was developed
! that the farmers are quite as much
/ srortsmen as the members Of the city
hunting clubs, who hunt in special cars
| and with negro servants. Indeed.
! they monopolized the discussion. The
! principal change made in the present
! law is that ducks may be shot as late
/ as April %, instead of not later than
! Jan. l, as heretofore.
| The farmers were divided on this last
! point, and it proved the chief bone Of
| contention. Some members thought
| that the man who would shoot ducks
| in the spring, when they were nesting
I and were unable to fly higher than the
| sedge grass, was not a real sportsman,
! while on the other hand the point was
made that the city chaps had monop-
! Ollzed the matter of chicken shooting
while the farmers sons were harvest
ing, and that but little remained for
| them to enjoy in the way of shooting
| save duck hunting in the spring AS
q mark of the earnestness of debate
it may be stated that two Of the lead
ing members of the house engaged in
a semi-friendly, semi-serious contro-
versy as to which was the better
marksman. No blood was shed, and
the bill, with amendments, was pass
ed and sent back to the senate. which
! body has asked for a conference.
Perhaps the most refreshing exhibit
ton of childish stupidity was that
which marked the action of the house
in the matter of the Dyer bill, to tax
express companies, when the lower
house concurred in the senate amend
ments, the real significance of which
they seemed either not to understand
or to completely ignore. The senate
amended the bill which proposed a
5 per cent tax on business done in this
state, so as to read per cent and only
upon business done between points in
Minnesota, and majority of the hous.
failed to understand that the amend
ment exempted business originating in
and leaving the state or vice versa
The reduction from to per cent
was accepted, it being considered the
best which could be done at this late
day.
Mr.. Dyer, the author Of the bill.
while not approving the amendment,
himself moved concurrence, rather
than take the alternative of putting
the house in control Of its part of the
committee on conference, which he be-
lieved would have for its object the
defeat of the bill.
The bill is passed, and the author be-
lieVes that a. SteD in the right direction