The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-09
STATE
LEGISLATIVE
TOPICS.

/ OPIOO.
Senator Miller, of Berks, has a bin
which, if It shall become a law VIII make
II reform In the matter of costs in petty
criminal cases brought before aldermen
and justices of the peace. The bill pro-
Nides that "thc costs of prosecution ac-
crung in misdemeanor and surety of the
peace cases instituted before u justice OF
the peace, alderman or other committing
magistrate, shall, upon the discharge o.
the defendant or defendants, be imposed
upon the prosecutor by the said magis-
tratc and the said magistrate Shall there
upon sentence the person or persons on
whom such costs nave been imposed TO
pay the said costs Of prosecution or give |
security to pay the same within i've days,
and in default thereof to imprisonment |
in the county Jail for period of not less |
than ten nor more than sixty days in the |
discretion of the said magistrate. In all |
cases of misdemeanor. where the costs OF |
prosecution have been imposed upon any |
| person by the grand jury on an ignored |
| bill of indictment, or where such costs are |
| directed to be paid by any person or per- |
! sons by n verdict of a petit jury In any !
| of the courts Of quarter sessions of the |
| peace the court shall sentence such person |
| or persons on whom such costs have been |
| imposed to pay the said costs, or give |
| security to pay the same within ten days, |
om,nert tn No on,,rtr tail enr a nerind of
| not less than ten nor more than 60 days, at
| the discretion of the court. In surety of
| the peace cases the court of quarter ses-
mon tbe nroseouto, ,rd ,lefnnront- or do
| fendonts or MO-, attba, o,, any, op tho,n
! or mon tho rourtr or rn,v aivide tha
| costs in such way as justice may require,
! and shall sentence the person or persons
I on whom tha coete have been innosed 20
nav the costs Of nroserntion decreed to be
noid hv sunb nnreon or nnrsone TO Give
| sacnritv IN uov the same within ten daVs
or. in default tbereor to undergo impris-
| on,ncnt i'm tho county ioil for NOT less than
fen nor more than siytv days. i'm the dis
| cretion or tho rourt ,The costs of nrosa-
| cutior occruinp In evarv case of ,nisde-
n,oanor ana surety of tbe neace where the
nartics or either of them shall have been
committed to iail under the provisions of
this act shall ten days after said sem
tence. he charpeable to and paid by the
proper county" At the meeting of the
county commissioners, state convention.
i'm Reading last November the FOREGOING
idea was presented to them and received
| their endorsements At q meeting of the
executive committee of that organization
| in Harrisbllrs last week IT was decided
unanimously that the bin should be SUP
norted nv the Legislative committee having
| the ,nattnr in charpe This committee was
authorized TO anpear before the legislature
and urge its massage.
I.lI.-
The next noht I'm nrosoact at HARRIS
huru is over tha snlertion Of n nresident
nro tom Of tho senate a+ the close of fine
nresent session to succeed senator McCar-
roll There are two candidates now in the
de1d Sanntor II & walton who renra-
eent. the Creene-Favatta district and
, | senator Arthur J<ennedv nf Allegheny
civ The nosition of nresident pro tenn
; is much sought after each session bv am
= bitious senator's The election takes place
at the end of the session, and if the in
, cumbent is not kent at home by his con-
;, stituents. or the party in control of the
, senate is not found in the minority when
that BODY assemblies two years later, he
10 ra-oleCted to divide tho honor with
, tho lieutenant Governor of nresidinp over n
, eession No nrnsident nro fem however
! is elected for two terms that office being
c circulatad among the senators as far as
= nossihIe The nresident nro fem. of the
+ eenate is tha third officer in the state in
=, | roin+ of ranl, and should a vacancy occur
,, in the office of lieutenant governor the
= nreeident nro. fem. of the senate becomes
q lieutenant governor for the rest of the
. lo+ter'e ter,n He likewise becomes gov
= ernor Of the commonwealth in the event
!, | of +ha offices of chief eyecutiye and lier-
9 | tenant poverror hecomine. vacant and
f would serve the remainder of the term for
4 | which the governor had been elected as
| Gnpci1l election
q vacancy in any state office II can
| tberefora bn eosiiv understood WHY there
| ie an active rivalrv amonp ambitions sen.
a | ators from, the time the session opens nm.
h | IN tbe question Is settled TO secure pledges
/ f,;or, thei,. colleagues to eyalt them to the
II third ofTice in the commonwealth As
~ cano+or Onov controls thirfv-four Of the
a rortv-four Renuhlican votes of the senate
u he viii have the selection of the success
l. cor to nrnsiden+ nro tom McCarreI Botl
Senators Wo1ton and Kennedy are friend,
Of senator Ouay. and the Philadelphil
Ta5oaySs in+elIi"snt Harrisburg corre
20 snondant Mr. Bohan. fears that the sen
20 otor viii bo eonov,hat en- barrassed to de
's cide which one to favor.
;s -:II;-
"a, T. is o,roupced tbot n hill nroviding fo
,s the establishment of a state prison depart
l. mont and the abolition of the variou!
bno,,1s of rri,on insnactors will he intro
Incad In mo lagisla tit,a mis- veel, ShouL
~ the IagisIoture mass the bill. Penusylya
is Mas nrisons will ha conducted as are tn
Ia hir nenoI insiituions of New York. Tn
~ Dt1,,to ohiant Of tho hin is to nut M
If fSo"te,~n ana Western nnnitentiaries unde
tio diract s,,re,1,isfon Of tho state If /
oioi,,',1 +bat tbe n,,ieore are NOT nronerl,
bnndi,J. tbet ,ronar attention is not mai
10 Tho baoltb Of tho inmates and that IN
Gy,,oas nf +ba institutions arc NOT In
ar n,,irad into os tbav rnipht he The No,
ad IN ,ro,,i1as that tho stote eunarintand
of ,,t a. ,,ositio,, creoted hv tho act shoI
lie lat,a cdrn,,rata end ontirS controI oP TN
to gnorcos thot tho rrisonare shall bn Give
H. - sti,,,II,toT oroo,int of work each day
If O. =" ttt ,t' i0ctit,tio,, ebou ha NO,
re I "riI ,d r,tI,, ,,,vsstiaata1 once q ,,iont
er CIV ,tn',,naiStsn,iant In ire vnr
~ - '.''f>''