The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1897-05-21

AS wa anticipated the Senate re.
fused to concur in the House amend.
ments to the Merrman bill for increas-
ing the specific taxes ON railroads.
The House has been officially notified
of this fact; has insisted upon its
amendments, and instructed Speaker
Gordon to appoint a conference com
mittee OF five TO enter into negotiations
with Senate conference committee for
the purpose OF effecting compromise.
The bill to close photograph galleries
on Sundays was made the butt of
good deal OF fun in the House and was
then knocked out. Rep. Stoneman's
bill to compel notaries TO keep record
of all Instruments they execute and to
have notary public seal was killed on
the ground that 1t involved needless
expense TO notaries. The House also
declined To pass the Bricker bill to-
prevent express companies from charg-
ing more for express over the lines of
two companies than the maximum
charge for the same distance over the
line OF one company. The Stoneman
bill for the local taxation of railroads
mittee on general taxation. The
House committee on liquor traffic has
reported out the bill for the taxation
of beer, recommending that it be cut
in two, making il 80 instead
of Ga cents on barrel of beer.
This rate, if the bill passes, it is,
estimated, will raise $500, 900 in taxes
Apparently the railroads have given
up the idea of opposing legislation in
the House and will depend upon the
Senate to defeat or cripple such bills
as meet the displeasure of the railroad
people. The House in committee of
the whole. with very little opposition.
agreed to bills for "a Scent passenger
fare in the upper peninsula; for an in
Interchangeable mileage book OF 500
miles good for any member of family
Or firm; for a 500 mile book, at cents
per mile in the lower peninsula and 3
cents in the upper. There was not an
objection To the Eikhof bill: giving
liquor dealers the right to keep their
saloons open on New Years, Labor
day and on July !. The bill also pro-
vided that township boards may per-
init liquor dealers to keep their saloons
open from o'clock in the morning I'M
til II o'clock p. IN. The Mason con.
stitutional amendment, providing that
ali electors must be able to read the
constitution of the state in English.
which has passed the Senate has also
been agreed to in the House commit
tee of the whole. The amendment to
the constitution if adopted will not de-
prive those who are physically disabled
from reading, nor those who had the
right to vote Jan. l, 1897, from their
electoral franchise. Rep. Colvin tried
to kill the bill appropriating s., 900 for
the state horticultural society urging
that it was a useless expense and one
only To keep people in offices. 1t was
agreed to however. The House failed
to pass the Dickinson bicycle path bill,
which provided that boards of super
visors should license bicycles for a sum
not less than 80 cents or more than 81,
and provided for the election of three
county bicycle sidepath commissioners
(to be bicyclists), to devote the license
moneys to the construction of bicycle
side paths in the county. The vote on
the bill was - Tor to IL against. Cy-
clists generally petitioned for the pass
age az the bill and 1t will be reconsid
cred. The Senate, in response to the
resolution of the House, asking for
conference committee on the Mer-
pialan railroad specific tax bill.
authorized the acknowledgements to
appoint committee of five to meet
the House committee. Senators Mer-
riam, Maitland. Preston. Teeple and
Houmans were named. The Zim.ner-
man bill for an appropriation of 5000
To keep the L. of NJ hospitals open
during the summer met some opposi-
ton, but it passed. as did the following
measures: Amending the plank road
law so that toll cannot be collected on
less than mile of road; amending the
tax law 50 that bondsmen shall sane
ton the appointment of a deputy 20.
township treasurers: appropriating
$4,000 for improvements at the Jack
son state prison; prohibiting the en-
ploymcnt of barnaidS.