Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-02-11
HARRISBURG.


its buildings near Capitol Hill, and Gov.
Hastings notified the Legislature that
the buildings would be ready for use by
Monday evening of this week.
In the Senate, that day, in session in
one of the court rooms there was a hot
debate over resolution calling for
plans for new State Capitol building
The last strokes of the hatchet and
the first raps of the gavel fell simul-
taneously Monday evening. Until the
moment when the Legislature was call
ed to order, the carpenters and mechan-
les of all descriptions We're at work in
every nook and corner of the House and
Senate. The interior of Grace church
has been completely changed in four
days. under the personal direction of
Gov. Hastings.
There is complete electric light sys-
tenn. supplementing the gas which was
in use in the church The entire build
ing is now heated by steam, in addition
to hot air, not only in the main halls,
but in every one of the score of com
mittee and record rooms which have
been made Ventilation is now by the
fan system, with hot and cold air. The
greatest changes possibly, have been
below ground. Last Wednesday there
were two long, dark dirt-foored cellars,
of no use to anybody. Now this space
is occupied by 90 hoored rooms, with
light, heat and ventilation complete
The Senate has its postofice, its cloak
room, its wash room and shaving par
lors quarters for the sergeant-at-arms
and his staff of assistants a rail about
its floor TO keep the spectators off the
carpets; gallery-in fact anything
and everything that the most exacting
persons could want in such an emer
gency. New desks and old chairs are
on hand for the Senate
In but one particular of any impor
tance was Gov. Hastings disappointed,
and that was beyond his control The
desks ordered from Boston and Chicago
for the house of Representatives failed
to arrive, and so the members sat be-
hind temporary pine tables which were
hastily made Monday. No attempt
will be made to arrange the places of
the members in their proper order until
the desks are received. Most OF the
furniture of Speaker Boyer's room was
rescued from the flames, and his apart
ment in the church presents much the
same appearance it did on Capitol hill.
The extensive church galleries were
crowded early with an audience that
remained throughout the proceedings.
The members of the congregation were
there in force, and there was a large
party of women, including Mrs. Hast
ings, Mrs. Reeder ard others of official
circles
The new capitol project, in its various
phases was practically the only topic
considered by either branch that day
During the evening session number
of bills were introduced, and among
them ones by Mr.. Mitchell of Jefferson,
authorizing the Governor to appoint
commission to adopt or edit and com
pile uniform series of text books to be
used in the common schools of this
Commonwealth, and providing the
method of acquiring the right to issue
and sell the same and the manner and
time of introducing the same in said
schools, and regulating the printing
and publishing thereof
Mr.. Hertzler, directing county com
missloners to assume control of town
ship bridges over 80 feet in length pro
viding for the rebuilding of any bridges
which may be destroyed, and. the build
ing of new bridges.
Mr.. Tilbrook, Allegheny, appropriat
ing S25, 900 to the McKeesport hospital.
Mr.. Moore, Butler, to provide for
that part of physical direction which
pertains to the systematic development
and discipline of the body through di
rected exercises in public schools and
in all educational institutions support
ed wholly or in part by public money.
No bill yet presented to the Legisla
ture has attracted so mueh attention as
the revenue measure introduced by
Ward r. Bliss, of Delaware. The pre-
amDle recltes that the report of the State
treasurer show that the State revenues
are insufficient to pay the ordinary eX
penses OF the State government, includ
ing the appropriations for the support
OF the public schools and the State char
liable institutions: that the destruction
OF the capitol and the necessity of the
immediate erection of the new building
makes it imperative that additional
revenue shall be provided for the com
monwealth during the next three years
and 1T IS ineXpedient that this addition
al revenue should be obtained at the ex-
pense of the local school districts or the
unfortunate victims of accident or dis
ease who are cared for by the charita-
bic institutions. The bill imposes these
additional taxes, all of which shall be
retained in the State treasury for use
of Commonwealth:
One million on personal property, ex-
cept public loans liable TO taxation un-
der the act of 1SS9-91; one million on
the actual value of all capital stock and
gross receipts subject to taxation under
these acts; two per cent on the gross
receipts of every charter and descrip-
ton received from. business done within
the Commonwealth during the next
three years by insurance companies of
other States and foreign governments
subject to the act of 1899; one million
ON the par value or actual value of the
shares of all banks, savings institutions
and national banks subject to the acts
or lSS9-9l; one per cent, on all annual
net earnings or incomes subject to the
act OF 1889: 81 on every 800 of the
clear value of every estate subject to
the act of 1887 The proposed acts
shall continue in force until January
l, 1900 and no longer, except as to those
taxes which shall become due before
that time, but shall not have been col
lected up to that time, as to which it
shall continue in force until all of such
taxes have been collected and paid into
the State treasury. All the taxes men
toned in the proposed law shall be in
addition to any and all taxes now i'm
possed by act of Assembly, and nothing
contained in the bill shall alter amend
or in any manner affect any existing
law, except by increasing the amount
of the taxes to be assessed and collect
ed for the use of the Commonwealth.
Mr. Bliss S estimates of receipts under
the proposed tax law based on the taxes
realized in 1895 following
Personal property, 1861 9S4; corpora
tions loans S2O5, 595; capital stock,
ss0I, 56S; premiums on foreign fire in
surance companies, S513, GIG; bank stock
sl00, ,OO0 gross receipts Of transporta-
ton companies, $14,S ,SlS collateral in
heritances, $200 Geo; total 81, 391 27f.
BOTH houses at Washington counted
the Presidential note yesterday, and de
clared the result as follows For Presi-
dent Mckinley 211, Bryan 176. For
Vice President, Hobart 271, Sewall 149,
Watson 81 The South Carolina vote
was counted for Bryan and Sewall, and
Murray did not protest