The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-02-25


strongly to the accumulation of the
states money, and the having to hold
it for months until it is needed for use,
that the proposed reform seems to have
great impetus this session. The result
of the long debate yesterday was q
strong recommendation for it's passage,
and as similar measure is pending in
the house, and meeting with favor, it
seems fair to predict that the bill will
pass.
There was also a considerable de.
bate over a proposed new banking law,
which is designed to protect the pub
lie against reckless and dishonest bank
ing. As originally offered, it carried
no punishment with it, but during the
debate it was amended to make the
maximum penalty ten years in the
penitentiary for officers who improper
~ use the funds.
The bills introduced into. the senate
we're not numerous. One, which was
interesting, allows the wives and chill
dren of inmates of the soldiers home
to also be admitted to that institution.
While the house was windy yester-
day, it broke the record for the intro.
duction of bills, forty-eight being Of
fered. Nineteen of these were for
roads and bridges.
In committee of the whole there was
a lively debate over the law relative to
the custody of the state funds. One
member said that Mr., Block, of st. Pc
ter withdrew from the race for state
treasurer because it was demanded OF
him that he should pledge in advance to
give the state deposits to certain banks.
Nevertheless, the bill under consider
alton yesterday providing for state de-
positories, was qnite decisively defeat
ed. Tho free text book bill elected
much debate without decision. It
authorizes boards of education to Sc
lect such books as they wish, instead
of combining them to the present con-
tract limit. The much heralded trav-
cling library scheme received its quie-
tus in the house, tho senate bill being
indefinitely postponed by large ma
jority. Littleton's chattel mortgage
bill which was defeated Tsesday, was
given another chance for its life yes
terday and Mr.. Littleton will now I'M
dertake to remove its Objectionable
features and try it over again.
Four bills passed in the house but
none in the senate, was the summar-
lied record. The rest was air, some
times called wind.
St. Paul, Feb. 22.-Saturday was a
working legislative day. The first event
in the senate was the passage of a reso-
luton commenting the action of the
U. S. senate in passing a resolution
calling upon our government to pro-
tect and secure the release of Sylves-
ter Scoyel, correspondent of the New
York World, under arrest and in prison
in Cuba by order of the Spanish au-
thorities. The house concurred, and
within half an hour after it was intro
duced the joint resolution was ready
for transmission to Washington. This
arbitrary course of the Spanish au-
thorities has led large number of the
to take similar action.
Only three bills were passed BY the
senate, but that was all that were
ready for passage. One of these is de-
signed to solve the tramp problem by
compelling them to work on streets.
public highways and public buildings
when arrested as Migrants and COM
mitted to Jail. Another bill passed
was one requiring all the land grant
railroads of the state to file with the
state auditor list of their lands. The
railroads have been granted more, but
as yet have only obtained about ten
million acres. There is no record, save
upon the books of the respective COM
panies, showing the sales which have
been made and what remains. This
bill proposes to find out.
A bill proposing to give county COM
missioners the right to build bridges
and construct and repair roads, instead
of village and town officers, as at pres
ent, provoked a long debate, but was
finally killed. Another measure caus-
ing long debate was one requiring
peddlers to pay 500 license. The OBJ
ject of the measure is to prevent ped
dlers from roaming about the country
and interfering with the trade of local
No decision was reached
in spite of the long debate.
The usual move to cut the legislative
session short was made with the usual
result. Senator Knatvold endeavored
to pass a resolution providing for final
adjournmentM March 81. Senator Greer,
as the shrewdest way Of killing the
proposition, waited to make it March
IS, declaring that all the business could
be finished by that date. Every sena-
tor has one or more pet measures pend
ing, and he knew it would imperil it to
adjourn in two weeks. The result was
that both propositions were indefinitely
postponed, Knatvold being the only
one voting to shorten the session.
IT was ever thus.
Saturday was the last day for intro
ducing road and bridge bills, and out
of 80 introduced in the house, IA of
them were for roads and bridges. One
of the general bills introduced sets
apart 5000 of the grain inspection
fund to be used in supplying seed grain
to farmers who have not averaged four
bushels of wheat to the acre, seven
bushels of oats, six bushels of barley,
and three bushels of fax. Another
bill gives ten DAYS for redemption of