The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-07-28

Journal on which the matter is record
ed follow with occasionally further OK.
planatory remarks:
Jan. 10. Cheever-Atkinson Bill,
House Bill No. 8, introduced. Motion
to refer to committee on railroads.
Voted yes. Motion lost by vote of 40
for and 43 against. Page 3s.
Same date. Motion to refer Same
bill TO a special committee to be APP.
pointed by the speaker. Voted yes.
Carried by vote of 10 to 0. Speaker
Adams then named Mr.. Cheever as
chairman of the committee which he
appointed.
Jan. 16. Resolution for extended in
vestigation to be conducted by above
special committee and to give it power
to subponea witnesses and call for
books and reports and authorizing it to
use its own discretion as to the expense
incurred. Voted no. Carried by vote
of so to 80. Page 81
Jan. %. Bill for the relief of sick
and disabled Michigan soldiers and
sailors of the Spanish-American war.
Voted yes. Carried. Page 90.
Jan. 25. Voted against house going
to upper peninsula at state expense.
Pages SO and o..
Same date Dudley equal taxation
bill introduced. Referred to committee
on general taxation. Page 80.
Feb. ID. Resolution to take all taxa
ton measures from whatever commit
tees might then be considering them
and refer them to joint committee con
sisting of committees or private cor.
porations, railroads and general taxa
ton. Mr.. Cheever was also made 9
member of the committee by tho terms
of the resolution. Did not vote
Motion carried by vote of SO to 43
Page 175. This was the only instance
during the session where Mr. Mason
allowed the appeals of even some of his
best informed and most valued consti
tuents to influence his better judgment
He had intended to vote for the resolu
ton but on being pleaded with by
some enthusiastic friends of the Cheever
Atkinson Bill from Shiawassee finally
compromised against his own better
judgment by not voting. His reason
for favoring the resolution was his
belief which afterwards was proved tc
be well founded-that the Cheever-
Atkinson Bill, if passed, would be held
unconstitutional and no good would be
done, while be believed that there was
at least chance for securing a con
stitutional measure which would carry
out the wishes of the people if the com
mittee should be given an opportunity
to agree on such a measure. Later
when the committee after failing to
agree reported out a substitute no bet
ter than the original he voted. as will
be seen below, against the substitute
and then voted for the passage of the
Cheever-Aikinson Bill itself as the best
thing obtainable under the circum
stances.
Feb. 81. House Bill No. 100 intro.
duced. Bill to enlarge the district boun
diaries of the public schools of Gaines
Page s35. This bill was designed tc
detach portion of Vernon and Burns
townships from the Shiawassee districts
to which they belonged and attach
them to the Gaines Genesee county dis
trict. Mr. Mason called it to the atten.
ton of his Vernon and Burns constitu
ents who would be affected by the
change, and after finding them opposed
to the matter, used his influence anC
killed the bill in committee.
Feb. 81. Report of above specia
committee on railway and taxation
measures Motion to lay on table
Voted no. Motion carried. Page $50
| Feb. %. Matter of concurring II
senate amendments and thereby passing
bill for sick and disabled Michigan
soldiers and sailors of the Spanish
American war. Voted yes. Carried
Page 1888.
Same date. Motion to take Cheever
Atkinson Bill from the table. Amend
ment to take substitute reported by 6
part of above special committee
Voted no on amendment. Amend
ment lost. Voted yes on first motion
Carried. Page 2s4.
Same date. Passage of Cheever
Atkinson Bill. Voted yes. Carried
Page 2S4.
March 2. Passage of military re
organization bill. Voted yes. Carried
Page 300
March 9. Matter of concurring In
senate amendments to Cheever- Atkin
son Bill and therefore passing it as
amended. Voted yes. Carried. Page 342
Mr.. Cheever and the other original sup
porters of the bill also voted to concur.
March 81. Bill to amend the act OF
1895 cutting off portion of Rush and
New Haven township school districts