The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-04
IN THE SENATE.
A Short Session in Which Routine
Work Is Taken In.

Work Is Taken Up.
The Senate held short and generally un-
interesting session yesterday. During the
morning nothing but routine work was
done, while during the afternoon session
most of the senators wanted to get home
so badly that by o'clock so many had
stolen away that when vote was taken to
suspend the regular order of business it
was found that there was not quorum
present. In view of this fact Lieutenant
Governor Haggard announced that under
the Constitution no business could be trans
acted and the Senate adjourned until Mon
day morning, while several senators stood
up holding aloft bills which they wished to
introduce Among them was one by Sem
ator Gill to do away with truant officers al
together and put that work on the township
trustees. In cities it is proposed to make
the secretary of the school board do the
work.
Senator Ball had a bill which provides
that when city councils or town boards an
mex farm land to their corporations, and it
is sure that the owner suffers thereby, the
latter may petition the council to disannex
the land, and on it's refusal to do so may
appeal to the Circuit Court
Senator Gochenour's bill is one to make
county commissioners turnpike directors
and placing the repair of free gravel roads
under the direction of township trustees.
Senator Hawknss bill is probably the most
important of those it was designed to in
troduce yesterday. 1t takes the power of
appointing the state oil inspector and his
deputies away from the state geologist and
places it in the hands of the Governor. The
bill was drafted because experience has
cbov,t, that thaca o6icerc ara afi1iatad with
that of the state geologist in form only.
and that in reality the geologist has little
control over them. The effect of the bill, if
passed, will probably be to cause the re-
moval of the present oil inspector and his
deputies.
A FEATURE OF THE SESSION.
One of the pleasant features of the morn
ing session was a visit to the Senate cham
Der by ex-Lieutenant Governor Mortimer
Nye. He sat with the president for several
minutes chatting about personal matters,
and during Il temporary lull in the debate
was introduced to the senator's, who vgor-
ously applauded the neat speech. The fol-
lowing bills were advanced on second read
ing:
No 1872 BY Senator Agnew: To provide
facilities for keeping records of the Appel
late and Supreme courts.
No. 258. BY Senator Newly: To amend
the tax laws.
No. 245. BY Senator Agnew: Authorizing
the appointment of stenographers in courts
at the discretion of the parties to suits.
Senator Brooks moved TO amend the bill so
as TO leave the appointment of a stenog-
rapher to the judge in the case, but his
amendment was defeated. Another amend
ment by the same senator, making 1t a
criminal offense to charge more than the
legal rate for shorthand court reporting
was adopted.
No. 227. BY Senator Hugg: Prohibiting
the recording of mortgages by trustees
without filing with the mortgage full list
of the benehciaries
time when the terms of county auditors
No. PSI. BY Senator Horner:, Providing
for the gratutous and honorable burial Of
any Indiana soldier of the civil war. Sena-
tor Horner offered an amendment so as to
include the members OF the family OF
No. 173. BY Senator Lambert: EXempting
from city taxation all unplatted and unim-
proved tracts over five acres in size within
the limits of cities. Senator Newly moved
to strike out the enacting clause. saying that
the bill would allow people to own vast
tracts of pasture land in the hearts of cities
without paying taxes He urged that there
was a remedy which any such property
owner had, if he deserved it, by having his
lands disannexed Senator Hawkins took
the other side of the argument. while Sen
ator Binkey in favoring the bill, said that
he was one of the victims of the present
law inasmuch as ne owns farm OF forty
acres within the city limits of Richmond.
Senator Brooks, in advocating the passage
of the bill, said he was in favor of taxing
everything in sight and also all that was
hidden if 1t could be found After consider
able argument on both sides the enacting
clause was stricken out and the bill killed.
No 113. BY Senator Johnson of Madi-
son: Abolishing the Office of factory in
spector and establishing state board of
| inspection
No 19i BY Senator Agnew: Providing
for the sale of reclaimed swamp lands tie
title TO which rests in the State.
No "a. BY Senator keyes: Providing for
| the examination and licensing OF embalmers.
No. 243 BY Senator Hogate: Making a
| call for a convention to revise the Constitu-
| ton of the State.
No. 10 By Senator Lambert: For the
| erection Of an asylum for the ncurable in
| sane. Senator Johnson. of Madison. after
| falling to have the discussion of the bill
! made a special order of business offered
| an amendment 20 strike out the section
| specifying that the institution shall be To-
| Gated within three miles of Columbus. say
! ing that II would be bad policy 10 bind the
| State to locate the institution in any par
| tieular place. Senator Lambert said that
! ton because all the state institutions. with
! the exception of the Reformatory at JEFF
/ fersOnvilie and the asylum at Evansville,
/ were located in indianapolis and the belt
north of this city. while the southeastern
/ part Of the State has not a single one IN
1 1t. During the discussion II developed that
/ Senator Sohnson's opposition 20 the Sscti0n
/ was prompted by the desire Of Madison
/ county people 80 have the aSvluY~ bsiit II
their county. One OF the citizens OF An