Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-02-08
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP
Our Special Correspondent Tells of
the Solons' Doings.
The Work of Introducing Bills, Both Pub
lie and Private Goes Merrily On.H As
Yet but Few Measures Have
Received Final Action.

st. Paul, Mimi, Jan. N.-The senate
spent good deal Of time yesterday in
endeavoring to kill the house bill appro-
priating $24,500 to re-emburse the citizens
who advanced that sum to the Omaha
exposition. While it will probably pass,
it was laid over for another debate.
| Ten bills were introduced in the sem
| ate, among them one appropriating $4,000
| for making roads in the Interstate park.
It costs something to investigate, was
| shown by the presentation of a bill ap-
propriating $1,000 to pay the expenses of
| the binding Irvine investigating commit
| tee.
| The judiciary committee evidently ia
vors keeping the divorce laws as they
are as they have recommended both of
Senator Wilson's bills for indefinite post
ponement.
| The prominent feature in the house was
the discussion of the bill abolishing the
payment of taxes on mortgages by the
parties giving the mortgage. The COM
! mittee had reported in favor of indefin-
| lite postponement, but after a vigorous
speech by Mr.. Foss the bill was sent to
committee of the whole for further con-
sideration. A little later in the session,
after having refused to turn down the
railroad committee report, some one
moved to reconsider the action whereby
Mr.. F'oss' bill was sent to committee of
the whole. The mover said he had been
so carried away by Mr.. Foss' eloquence
that he voted against his more sober
convictions. The result was that the
motion was re-considered and the COM
| mittee report Indefinitely postponing
adopted.
| An attempt was made to repudiate the
report of the railroad committee on the
bill regulating railroad fares and for
bidding public officials from receiving
railroad passes. The committee recon-
mended it's indefinite postponment and
after a lively debate the committee re-
port was adopted and the bill goes to the
bone yard.
One of the bills offered in the House
appropriates $19,975 to the Minnesota
Sugar Co. in payment of beet sugar
bounties.
| A good deal of interest is being taken
In the bill pending in the Senate regulat-
Ing commission merchants, and at a
public hearing in the Senate chamber
| this afternoon large delegations of COM
mission men were present from the Twin
| Cities to protest against it. Judging
|
will not pass.
ST. Paul, Jan. Ex-senator Miller Of
fered the most important bill of the day
| In the form of an antitrust measure
which makes it a felony, punishable by
! a tine of not less than 500 nor more than
| $1,000, to issue or own a stock certificate
In trust. 1t also provides that debtor,
If sued by trust can set that fact up
In defense and the plaintiff cannot COL
lect. This is a pretty vigorous measure
but Is similar to a law which has been
adopted in several states.
The bone Of contention of the session
was Senator Snyder's bill allowing the
children's homes societies to take charge
of children up to the age of fourteen
years. 1t was almost defeated several
times but finally got place on the
calendar and If it can obtain as many
votes as it did yesterday will pass.
| The agricultural committee having the
commission bill in charge sent the bill
back to its author. Mr.. Grindeland to
be amended to eliminate the objections
raised by the commission men, If this
bill Is pushed it will develop one of the
liveliest contests of the winter.
The Senate adhered to the custom
which it has so far followed this session
and adjourned until ten o'clock Tuesday.
! The House passed the bill yesterday for
| the collection of the Railroad and Ware
house Commission by the people, the in
cumbents to hold office for four wears.
; There was quite a contest as to whether
! the term should be two or six years, and
four was finally agreed upon as a COM
J ho will
the Senate, and while this result might
have been accomplished anyway, it seems
to have been accelerated by the fact that
the governor, who now does the appoint
ing, is not of the same political per-
suasion as the legislature.
A few months ago the newspapers
| forced an investigation into the conduct
of Deputy Warden Lemon of the state
prison. and now bill is offered to re-
1mburse him for his expenses. Perhaps,
as he was acquitted, this is fair, but the
result would have been the same II he
had been convicted, for in the end, when
the state investigates a man it pays it's
own and his expenses as well.
| Mr.. Jackobson concluded to let the
House follow the example of the Senate
this week and an adjournment was taken
until ten o'clock Tuesday,
| st. Paul, Feb. 1.-The legislature recon-
vened yesterday after their three days.
vacation, but did not seem to be in a
working mood. These little vacations do
not aid committee work, but when the
members visit their homes a lot of bills
are generally incubated. Only twelve
| came In at the senate session, so that the
rule was not proven this time. Perhaps
their constituents want to be let alone
and do not desire as much legislation as
i usual.
None of the bills offered were of gen.
! eral Importance unless it was one offered
making the working day eight hours.
Perhaps this bill was offered to keep the
farmers from putting in too much time.
The governor sent in the appointment
Of David Bronson, of Saltwater, as men,
Der of the state prison board vice j. S,
OBrien removed. This created no ex-
element, as some politicians imagined it
would. The governor ) removed Mr..
i O'Brien because he proposed Gas the gov
! ernor says) that If he (O'Brien) was ap-
pointed surveyor of logs and lumber, he
(O'Brien) would run the board of man
ayers as the governor directed. Mr..
OBrien denies this and claims he was
removed because he would not vote for
S1~I~ &c.