Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-02-18
STATE LEGISLATURE.

should be selected without going
through the partisan strife of an cleo
ton, and Rep. Gustin, of Alpena, has
introduced bill in this line, TO make
the offices of the members of the state
supreme court and all circuit judges
appointive by the governor, the terms
of the Office To be for 10 years. This
would give the governor about three
score of judicial appointments. Rep.
Bryan offers bill To repeal the state
salt inspection law. Rep. Sawyer
would exempt non taxpayers from vot-
ing on village bonding measures.
Rep. Adams bill prevents insolvent
corporations from having preferred
creditors Other important bills in
the House: Appropriating $4,000 for
a state normal school at Benton Har
Dor: appropriating $4,000 for farmers
institutes; appropriating $4,000 for
the removal of distractions from Kali
amazoo river. The House received a
petition from the w. c. T. L. of Battle
Creek for a law to prohibit the liquor
traffic. The House passed the bill
making $50, 900 emergency appropria-
ton for the Michigan Mining school.
Speaker Gordon has appointed "A com
mittee to investigate the Detroit
house of correction, but failed to ap-
point Rep Eikhof. of Wayne, who has
been urging the investigation. The
Senate condescended to confirm two of
Gov. Pingree's appointments--T. f.
Marston as member of the board of
control of the Agricultural college,
and +. NJ. Stewart as member of the
board of control of the Coldwater state
public school. Several bills were
passed by the Senate. Among them
those repeating the laws for the collec-
ton of farm and aparian statistics.
New bills in the Senate: For the in
corporation of mutual integrity com
panies for the purpose of insuring to
employers the integrity of their Off
GERS, agents and employees; providing
that everybody paying for first-class
| passage shall be given seat in the
parlor car, free, whenever he can get
no seat in the regular coaches; to eX-
empt musical and educational associa-
tons from taxation the same as char
| liable associations Gov. Pingree has
nominated Rev. Morgan Wood, of De-
troit, as a member of the state board
of correction and charities, and ex-
Gov. Cyrus G.. Luce as a member of the
board of control of the Ionia reforma-
| tory.
The Senate judiciary committee has
taken the first serious jab at one of
Gov. Pingree's pet bills and has killed
l.; ,.,hs that oil n
roads in the state shall furnish free
| transportation To the railroad commits
| soners office Commissioner Wes-
selius is said to be very wroth over the
action of the committee and declares
| that the railroads shall be brought to
strict account if the Senate fails to
| take favorable action for his office. On
| top of the committees action on this
dill comes a measure from Senator Co
veil to restrict the powers of the rail
road commissioner Another import
ant measure was killed by the Senate
providing that two women shall be
placed on every board of control of
state institutions-the vote standing
% to 4. Senator Moore, of Wayne,
offers a bill to remove the homeopathic
school from Ann Arbor to Detroit, and
appropriating SIS, 900 for that purpose,
and $4,000 annually for its mainte
nance. Other new Senate bills: TO
do away with the Office of commissioner
of mineral statistics; providing for an
educational forestry commission to
work for the preservation of the for
ests; providing a maximum penalty of
$500 for the manufacture, sale or use
of cigarettes: providing for penalties
where females over Is years of age de-
prave the morality of boys under that
age The Senate committee on public
buildings reported favorably the bill
appropriating 500 600 for an executive
mansion and il was then referred to
the committee on appropriations. The
| House acted on several measures in
committee of the whole, rejecting the
tin-horn gambler bill, but agreeing to
bills to permit the spearing of
fish in inland waters during Deem
Der, January and February; providing
that vote of the majority of mem
| bers-elect of boards of supervisors shall
be required to allow claims; to amend
| the constitution by raising the attor-
ney-general's salary. The Pingree
measure to bring the special charter
railroads-the Lake Shore and the
! Michigan Central-under the two-cent
fare bill was presented by Rep. Atlxin-
son, of Wayne. 1t prohibits any road
discriminating in rates of, fare,
that is, they must give all passengers
the rates that they give any one, on
mileage or otherwise. Rep. Foote has
a bill, backed by the G. A. r., for the
organization of the American Guard
| by enrolling every school boy in the
state above IL years of age. Com
panies shall consist OF % TO Sc mem
bers, have regular military organiza-
tons and officers, shall be inspected by
the nspector-general OF the M. n. G.. i.
the governor shall be commanderin-
chief, and school districts shall bear
the expenses. Other new measures in
the House: To prevent contractors
from paying their laborers in saloons;
for state lighting plant at Lansing;
to prevent telegraph and telephone
companies from destroying shade trees
| in the public highways; to combine