Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-02-16
LEGISLATIVE 6 { i. ! j, GOSSIP
Our Special Correspondent Tells Of
J s the Solons, Doings.
Tao Work of Introducing Bills, Both Pub
- lie and Private Goes Merrily On. As
i Yet but Few Measures Have
Received Final Action.

st. Paul. Feb. I'm order to make it
+ certain thats the, house. did; mot put in
Fnes most days the senate adjourned over
from Saturday to Tuesday, SO that the
mouse was the only branch In session
yesterday as IAN Offset to the senate be-
ing the only body in session on Saturday.
Three bills were passed and eight in
PRODUCED. One of them passed, appro-
pr1ating $19,S7S Ito pay. the sugar beet
bounty of one cent per pound. Only three
OF the bills introduced were OF a general
character. One appropriates, $4,000 for
the Soldiers Home and another provides
Tor :. forest preserves by setting apart
tracts OF land from state school lands.
another bill was introduced for a board
or sosteopathics examiners. The osteo-
paths are much in evidence this winter
Inc usual resolution to cut. off two or
tnree weeks from. sthe length of the
session was offered and will meet with
the usual fate of being defeated. The
Day was in reality dull and su,iinteresting.
st. Paul, Feb. S.-Yesterday was a solid
working Legislative day. swith morning
ana afternoon sessions for both branch
es. Senator Grindeland returned his
amended commission bill He first de-
Vised his bill to- apply to commission men
VINO deal In wheat, and then he tried to
include the produce commission men I'M
der the same head .-., p
Inc produce commission men rose up in
force and smote the bill hip and thigh.
IN order to save something out of the
wreck the Senator changed the bill so
that 1t applied, as originally intended, to
the grain commission men and is much
more mild towards the produce men.
BetWeen the two stools, however, the
passage of the bill is doubtful :.....
so many Senate bills are still in the
hands of committees that there was
little opportunity to complete any legis-
lation today. Only two bills were intro
duced. The afternoon session was spent
in committee of the whole and every bill.
which had reached that stage, was acted
upon. IT,, Ser f. ,.....l. .,.,i'. .;.:n,.'
The House was the storm center and
the chief topic was Mr.. Jacobson's bill
increasing the tax on railroads from
/ three to four per cent. on their gross
earnings. Mr.. jacobson was loaded and
LED the debate with statistics showing
what Is done in other states, and among
other things said that unless the bill
passed, the rate Of taxation would have
10 be increased in order to carry on the
state government. Representative Whea-
ION declared it was a party measure and
should be supported by every Republi-
IAN. The. Democrats and Populists OBJ
lected to this, saying it was business
and not a partisan proposition.
The forenoon session was not long
enough to conclude the debate and it was
continued at the afternoon session, final
ly resulting in being recommended to
pass with only four dissenting votes,
thus disproving Mr.. Wheaton's argu-
ment. This ensures it's passage in the
house, and it is altogether probable it
will prove nearly equally strong in the
| senate.
After this was out of the way. twenty
new bills were introduced. Numerous
committees held meetings last night at
the hotels and the capitol, and legisla-
ton is being rapidly shaped.
The senate bill providing for the cleo
Ion of the railroad and warehouse COM
mission by the people has been made the
special order in the senate for next Tues
lay.
st. Paul. Feb. 9.-The senate had live
~ debate yesterday over the bill offered
oy Senator Greer, providing for a COM
mission to prepare new tax law which
will be supposed to cover all the defects
which have been developed by actual ex-
perience with the present tax laws.
Every senator seemed to agree that the
present laws are defective, the only point
Of controversy being whether new tax
law should not be passed this winter and
not delay for the report of a tax COM
commission two years hence. 1t seems
probable that the tax commission bill
and delay will win, though no decisive
action was taken today beyond the
PRONUNCIATION of mind. 49,
The BILL granting telephone companies
right of way privileges along railroads
was passed. as was also. the bill taxing
foreign corpora lions the same fees as are
required of home corporations, The bill
is retroactive and compels all insurance
companies who, have come into the state
since 1889 to pay. the fees. It. will. net a
very handsome revenue. to the state and
cause many tgroans from the corpora
lions. Ia sss8a 45
The osteopathists are getting to be
chronic, and another bill in their behalf
was introduced in the senate yesterday,
While the senate has been turning down
bill making three years. desertion the
time required to secure a divorce, the
house has been splitting the difference
and passed, by decisive vote, "a bill
making the period two years instead of
one, as at present. The temper of the
senate, as far as shown is in favor of
adhering to the present law, but it may
accept the house compromise measure.
The bill for the taxing of express COM
panies per cent on their gross earn
ings was recommended to pass The
senate has a similar bill pending, but not
so radical. Between the two houses the
express companies will undoubtedly be
hit fairly heavily.
If legislation can prevent it, the bind
ing Irvine trust will not have an oppor-
tunity to buy any of the state prison out
put this year. Another bill has been in
me- Lin fxuo 70