The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-15
HOUSE FAV0RS
A TAX ON BEER
Adopts a Resolution Introduced by Mr..
Wilson, Of Lycomirg.
BICYCLE BILL AGAIN DISCUSSED
All Amendments Voted Down Except
That Exempting Bicycles Not
Equipped with Pneumatic Tires.
The Amended Direct Inheritance
Tax Was Not Reached.

Harrisburg, Pa, June 14.-The house
put itself on record tonight in favor Of
a tax on beer by adopting a resolu-
tion introduced by Mr.. Wilson, of
Lycoming, urging the speedy passage
of the Bliss bills. The resolution fol-
lows:
Whereas, AS the annual expenditures Of
our state for the past five years have ex-
ceeded the receipts by about $5O0,OOo
causing a deficit of $2,S50000, and provis-
ion made to cover the expense of build
ing of the new capitol, and
Whereas, Our worthy charitable insti-
tuti0ns during the next two years Will
have increased expenses by reason OF
greater patronage resulting from the
present hard times and increased popu-
lation and that deserving institutions OF
charity ought not to be scaled down in
their appropriations, and
Whereas, This house has passed several
revenue bills and forwarded to the sem
ate, among which are the Bliss beer bills
sent to the senate May q; be it
Resolved, That the members Of this
house favor the immediate enactment
into a law of the Ellis taxing brewers and
respectfully request that honorable body,
the senate to give tie bills preference
over other revenue bills now pending in
the senate thereby sparing the people of
this commonwealth from paying tax
upon the necessities of life and the prod
uct of their industry.
Mr.. Nesbitt, of Northumberland, Of
fered the following resolution, which
lies over one day:
That the commission of public build
ings and grounds be and Is hereby re-
quested to lay before the house the
bills, or copies of the bills, that have
been rendered and approved by the
commission or under it's direction COW
ering claims for personal service, labor,
materials or furnishings of any kind
used in the fitting up of Grace church
for the use of the legislature.
MIR. Bliss, of Delaware, reported from
the rules committee the order of busi-
ness for the next two days. Tomor-
row will be given up to the considera-
tion of senate bills on third reading
and final passage. The order for the
following day will be senate and house
bills on third reading and final pas
sage.
MP. BOGER EXPLAINS.
Mr.. Boyer, of Philadelphia, rose to
a question of privilege and stated that
he was reported by the Legislative Rec
ord as having voted in the negative
last Thursday against his bill increas-
ing the penalty for election repeating
from three months Imprisonment to
five years He explained that he was
unavoidably absent from Harrisburg
at the time, and that If he had been
here he would have voted for the bill
Mr.. Storr, Of Philadelphia, moved to
reconsider the vote by which the bill
was defeated The motion prevailed
by vote of 1873 to IA and the bill pass
ed finally by 130 yeas to 81 nays.
When the bill to tax bicycles, pleas
ure carriages and traction engines was
reached several attempts were made to
amend it, The most important was
that proposition of Mr.. Baldwin, of
Delaware, to exempt bicycles and tri-
cycles owned by children under four
teen years. All the amendments were
defeated but a motion to go into the
committee of the whole carried by a
vote of 72 to 45. The motions to amend
were renewed and all were voted down,
except that eXempting bicycles and
tricycles not equipped with pneumatic
tires. The report of the committee
was adopted and the bill passed third
reading and was laid aside for print
ing.
The remainder of the session was
given up to the reading of the reports
of the committee to ascertain the
number of aliens quartered upon the
state and the committee to investigate
the condition of the miners in the an
thracite regions. The amended direct
inheritance tax bill, which was on the
calendar for third reading and final
aSenc ha
taken up tomorrow. Adjourned at
i0.45 until 10 tomorrow morning.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
In the senate this evening, Mr.. Finn
introduced a resolution asking that
the finance committee be discharged
from the further consideration of one
of the Bliss beer bills, which taxes beer
brewed in this state one and one-half
cents a gallon, and that the bill be
placed on the calendar In support of
the resolution Mr.. Finn said that the
state was at it's wits ends to raise
sufficient revenue. and that the bill
ought to be placed on the calendar so
that it could be considered. The res
olution, however, was defeated by a
vote of to II.
By unanimous vote. the defeat of
the Clarency building society bill, upon
motion Of Mr.. Osbourn, was reconsid-
cred and it was then agreed to post
pone the further consideration of the
measure for the present. The commit
tee on forestry reported to the senate
that 1t had negatived the bill providing
for the repeal of forestry reservations
| act.
The senate concurred in the house
resolution that provides for extending
the time to inquire into the oleomar-
garine scandal until the next session
of the legislature.
After passing batch of bills on
| first and second reading, the senate