Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-03-30
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Our Special Correspondent Tells Of
the Solons' Doings.
The Members are Busily Engaged, as the
Session Draws Towards Close, in the
Discussion and Passage of Va
rious Measures.
st. Paul, March 22.-Yesterday morning
| the senators were very busy talking to
each other in odd corners on the hospital
| question, consideration of which occupied
the entire afternoon; but they managed
to hear many new bills read and to do
much toward clearing up the calendar.
| Fifteen new bills made their debut. A
primary election act applying to Henne-
pin, Ramsey and st. Louis counties only,
was introduced by Senator E. E. Smith.
The bill fixes the following primary days:
The state primary day, the third Tuesday
| in June; the county primary day on the
| last Tuesday in August, and the city
| primary day, the eighth Tuesday preced-
| ing each city election. This measure
practically places around primaries the
same restrictions as are placed around
| elections.
The house is now in a rather better
| position than is the senate to catch up
| with it's work. In the upper house the
| Introduction Of new bills goes merrily
on, while but very few have been intro
| duced by the representatives during the
| past week. According to the almanac
| spring should be here, and a majority Of
| the statesmen in the house are farmers,
who would like to go home and COM
| mence with nature and rub the rust off
their broadcast seeders. ..sg -
| Governor Lind feels himself in a posi-
| ton where he may advise a deficiency
| appropriation for one of the important
items of the educational budget. There
Is no money on hand for, the summer
| schools, and in a communication ad-
dressed to the house the chief executive
takes the stand that some should be
| provided, that work in this important
department may suffer no detriment.
He sent a message to the house making
| the suggestion.
st. Paul, March 23.-There was quite a.
surprise in the senate yesterday when the
| bill paroling prisoners serving a life SEN
tence after 20 years imprisonment came
up for passage. This is the so-called
Younger Bros. bill. It had been recon-
mended to pass by 80 votes, or one more
| than necessary to pass it. Still it was
known that two Of the 80 were opposed
| to its passage. There were IL 3absentees
from whom it was necessary to secure
one vote to carry it. Even the opponents
| OF the bill considered its passage assured
when it was reached and both friends
and foes were surprised when it only
| mustered % votes, or four less than the
required number to pass. An attempt
will be made to reconsider it.
| The bill which passed the house in
creasing the tax on railroads from to 4
per cent of their gross earnings and CIV
ing the railroads the alternative of ac-
cepting the 4 per cent or having their
property assessed like other taxable prop
erty, was reported by the senate judiciary
committee with the recommendation that
it be indefinitely postponed. A lengthy
argument was made in the report show
ing the reason for the position, the chief
point being that the legislature did not
have the power to make this charge and
give the railroads the alternative choice
of methods of taxation, and if it had, the
best interests Of the state would not be
served by such legislation. The commit
tee asked to have the report printed be-
fore action is taken on its adoption. The
senate resumed consideration, in the
afternoon, of the bill establishing insane
asylums at Anoka and Hastings. The
principal speakers were Senator Johnson
of st. Peter against the bill, and Senator
Schaller, of Hastings, in favor. Senator
Schaller had not completed his argument
when the senate adjourned.
| The temperance people failed to score
in the house. A bill was introduced some
| time ago to allow county option. This
was designed to reach towns in county
where it would be impossible to carry
local option, but where the majority in
the whole county would favor it. The
temperance committee reported in favor
of indefinite postponement. A determined
effort, led by Mr.. Jacobson, was made
to have the bill sent to committee of the
whole for discussion. in spite of this re-
port but the effort failed by GO to As, so
the bill is dead. For the first time this
| week the house took up the calendar for
the passage of bills. The bill allowing
fivesixths of a jury to return a verdict
in civil cases, after IL hours spent in an
| One of the bills passed was an exemption
| bill. It exempts one watch and safe
| not above SIS in value. This enables a
man, after the law is through with him,
| to have a place to put what money he
has left. The bill providing for travelling
| libraries was passed, and the one provid-
| ing to have the state print school books
| was. lost.
st. Paul. March 24.-The Younger BROTH
ers parole bill was reconsidered, amended
and passed the senate yesterday by 48 to
| s.. The amendment was one offered by
| Senator Stockton early in the fight, and
refused by Senator Wilson, the author of
the bill. It provides that after the board
of managers of the state prison shall
have voted to parole a life prisoner, the
| parole cannot be effective until the board
of pardons have given their consent in
| writing.
Senator Stockton was opposed to his
| amendment because he preferred to kill
the bill absolutely. In it's present shape
it is quite likely to pass the house as