The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-13
CLOSE TO ONE THOUSAND
NUMBER OF BILLS PRESENTED TO
THE LEGISLATURE.
Many Measures OF Importance Yet to
Be Acted On-COnditiOn of the
Reform Bills.

But three weeks of this session of the
Legislature yet remain, and in that time a
vast amount of work is to be done. num-
Der of the important measures have not thus
far been generally considered. 1t was ex-
pected that decisive action would be taken
on the subject of lynching, but the only ac-
ton taken was to defeat the bill prepared
by the attorney general. There are now two
bills pending in the House on the same ques-
ton, but no action has as yet been taken on
them The reform bills, which were deemed
about the most important measures to come
before the General Assembly, will be finally
disposed of before the end of this week.
No action has been taken on the subject
of primary elections, although bill on this
question is pending in the House. One bill
has been passed, to punish by disfranchise-
ment the seller of a vote, and that bill is the
sole action taken on the subject of cleo
tons or looking to the publication of them.
The decided disposition has been to nip all
plans for the forming Of special boards for
licensing different professions or trades, and
those measures looking to an expenditure of
money have not been favorably received.
In addition to the bills on the questions
above mentioned the appropriation bill must
be passed between now and the end of the
session. The disposition of the finance and
the ways and means committees is to be as
liberal as possible with the benevolent and
penal institutions of the State. Indiana has
far outgrown the capacity of the present
institutions, and this Legislature will I'M
doubtedly be more liberal than the past
Legislatures have been, so as to remedy the
existing evil as far as possible.
Antitrust bills have been introduced, but
none of them has come up for consideration
as yet. There probably will be no legsla-
ton on the two-cell--fare question, and but
little, if any, temperance legislation, the
feeling being that the laws on this subject
are sufficient.
NUMBER OF BILLS INTRODUCED.
In both branches 955 bills have been in
troduced. Many of these bills in each branch
are exactly alike. so this number does not
indicate as many different subjects and
questions as there are bills. OF this num-
Der 54S have been introduced in the House
and 4O7 in the Senate OF the 548 bills pre-
scented to the House by the members there
of 100 have been passed and Isl have been
indefinitely postponed by the committees, in
which recommendations the House has con-
@AtNAANAS ~
House committees 100 House bills which
have not been reported. The House has
killed twelve of its own bills by striking
out the enacting clause and the same num-
Der have been defeated on passage. The
committees have favorably reported sixty
seven bills. which are now pending on second
reading, and nineteen bills have been or
dered engrossed and are pending on third
reading. Eight bills have been withdrawn
by consent and four have failed for want
of a constitutional majority. -Four bills are
set as special orders one has been read the
second time and ordered printed and one
has been reeommnded as a substitute.
The House has received and referred from
the Senate siXty-seven bills, of which TWEEN
ty-three have been passed and fifteen are
in the hands of the committees. Fourteen
have been passed to third reading and ten
have been faVorably reported by the COM
mittees The House has defeated one Sem
ate bill and four have been indefinitely post
bills which have been presented to the
House for action to Sis. OF this number 132
have been passed, l55 have been indefinitely
postponed, 175 are in the hands of the com
mittees twelve have been killed by striking
out the enacting clause four have failed
by want of a constitutional majority, eight
have been withdrawn, sevepty-seVen are
pending on second reading, four are set as
special orders, thirteen have been defeated,
thirty-three are pending on third reading
and final passage, one has been read and
ordered printed and one has been recon-
mended as a substitute.
THE SENATE'S WORK.
The Senate has received 4O7 bills from the
members and Of this number eighty have
been passed and seventy-one have been in
definitely postponed The Senate has killed
four of its own bills by striking out the en-
acting clause and has ordered to engross-
ment thirty-hve bills There are now pend
ing in the Senate sxty-four bills on
second reading and there are 143 yet in the
hands of the committees. Six have been
ordered printed, two have been concurred
in, one postponed and one substituted. The
Senate has received and referred eighty
seven bills from the House and has passed
seventeen Of these bills. Three have been in
definitely postponed and one is on third
reading. The committees are considering
forty-two and have favorably reported
twenty-five. One has been ordered printed
and one has been substituted. This brings
the total considered by the Senate to 494, of
which ninety-seYen have been passed and
seventy-four have been indefinitely post
poned. On the third reading thirty-six are
pending and on the second reading there
have 1S5 bills in their hands Seven have
been ordered printed, two substituted and
, the others are as above given.
Many other bills are under preparation
and it is probable that the total number of
bills introduced will reach 200. There are
many of these bills on the same subject,
and the action taken on one will dispose of
all others on the same subject This is par
ucularly the case as regards fish, thiStles
and road amendments and commercial fer
tiliZers.
Speaker Lttleton adjourned the House
over Saturday only after cautioning the
to work hard, and it is not expected that
any mercy will be shown by the speaker in