Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-06
THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE.


Constitional Conventions Defeated In the
Observation-Disclosures Railroad BIZ
Topeka. Kan. Jan. A-Three details
stand out conspicuously as the result
OF yesterdays session OF the legisla-
ture. They are these:
An attempt in the house Co give the people Q
chance to vote again on the prohibitcry amend
ment TO the constitution. d s., by resubmis.
sion direct. and. second by means OF q consti-
tutional convention Both OF these attempts
failed through the necessity for q two-shirds
majority
Inc passage of the most important supple
mental railroad bill, one forbidding compulsory
prepay ment OF freight and giving the court OF
visitation power to sit as court of arbitration.
It required call of the house. lasting ali the
afternoon, to rally enough votes TO the measure
to pass It It Afforded the popuiist majority It's
first scare since the extra session convened
The passage by the house Of oct placing
. rraternal beneficiary societies under the con.
troll OF the state department OF insurance and
knocking out wildcat" or bogus fraternaI
orders. r--rn
Upon motion of Weilep. Of Cherokee,
the house killed the bill to reduce pas
senger rates to 21S cents per mile.
By vote of 40 to 33 the house killed
the bill to prohibit the sale of prison
coal on the open market. Cassin, the
author. will make an effort to resur.
rect ii.
The house committee killed the bill
providing for compulsory capital pun.
ishment and for the immediate execu.
ton OF all convicts in the penitentiary
now under death sentence. Among
other important measures the house
passed bill amending the stats text.
book law and extending its scope so as
to cover all school supplies.
The senate spent almost its whole
time in committee of the whole. It
recommended for passage the Titus
bill from the committee on corpora
tious. reducing telegraph tolls in Kan.
sas to Is cents for the first ten words
and one cent for each additional word
and making the day rate for newspa.
pers one-third of cent per word and
one-sixth of a cent per word at night.
The bill places the telegraph lines UNI
der the control of the new court of
visitation. Failure to deliver mes
sages is punishable by fine of $50 to
$500 and imprisonment not less than
30 days or more than one year.
Senator Stones bill. providing that
persons occupying appointive Offices
under the state government shall be
removed only when convicted of NAL
feasance by jury in the civil courts,
was killed by the senate in committee
OF the whole, the enacting clause be-
ing stricken out, upon motion Of Mr..
Lewelling.
Senator Young's referendum bill was
killed in committee of the whole. The
bill sought to vest the right in the
voters in any city. town. village. school
district or other municipal su odivision
of the state of Kansas to propose or.
dinances, contracts, agreements or
measures and enact the same in to laws
for the govern ment by a direct vote of
the people who are qualified to vote in
such respective jurisdictions.
The senate committee of the whole
recommended for passage the Bush
corporation bill. It provides chat all
corporations hereafter organized un-
der the laws Of Kansas shall pay a tax
OF one-tenth of one per cent on each
dollar of capital stock.
The senate committee of the whole
advanced to third reading for passage
Senator Householder's bill placing the
state charita BILE institstions under con-
troll of civil service commission.
The senate committee of the whole
recommended for passage Senator
Kings bill last night reducing the
profits OF the state printer about
20 per cent @ o,.-r--
Senator Kings bill to repeal the law
creating the state board Of railroad
commissioners was also recommended
for passage by the senate committee of
the whole. W
The house bill repeating the law ere.
ating the present state board of rail.
road commissioners was passed by the
senate.
Senator Hanna's resolution propos-
Ing the amendment to the constitut ton
to provide for the election of the state
superin tendent Of insurance by di.
rect vote Of the people. was passed by
the senate. Senator Young, populist,
cast the one vote recorded against It