The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-01-26

cause for divorce and repeating the III
vorce law Of 1895. Senator Wilson's bill
limits causes for divorce to adultery, Inn
potency, cruelty, sentence to state prison,
habitual drunkenness for one year and
wilful desertion for three years. The law
OF 95 allowed q divorce for one years de-
sertion. The proposed law, II 1t becomes
an act, will not be as popular as the old
one owing to its more stringent features
The first bill to be killed was one for
bidding stealing rides on railroad trains
Apparently the Senate ID tenderly In
clined towards tramps. '''
The House INDUCED in a war episode
and gave its members q chance to indulge
In some patriotic talk by considering some
resolutions urging the United States Sem
ate to rattfy the peace treaty. The resolu-
lions were passed with only four negative
votes. An effort was made to put
through the bill appropriating s245Oo for
the expense of Minnesota's display at
the Omaha Exposition, but the effort
tailed. This money was raised by our citi-
zens because the legislature of 1897 re-
fused to make an appropriation and this
bill Is designed to reimburse the citizens
A bill amending the tax laws of 1873
was killed after a sharp debate. It is
| claimed that the present law compels
both the owner and giver of mortgage
to pay taxes on the amount and the
amendment proposed to limit the taxation
to the owner of the mortgage. Appar-
emily the majority Of the House have no
mortgages outstanding.
The sessions Of both branches were
brief, owing to the joint session for the
senatorial election, but now that that in
cident Is entirely out of the way both
branches will doubtless settle down to
regular business hours.
st. Paul, MIMI, Jan. N-Thirteen new
bills were introduced in the Senate yes
terday and one of minor Importance pass
ed. One of the bills appropriates five
thousand dollars for education in butter
making. 1t Is very doubtful whether
such bill can run the gauntlet of both
houses. as it opens the door for many
expenditures in behalf of private inter-
ests, but it will test the strength of the
farmers, at least.
There was a long debate In committee
of the whole concerning the bill allow
ing children's home societies to take
charge of homeless waits, but no results
were reached. The possibility of abuses
growing up owing to the abandoning Of
children and their being relegated to the
tender mercies of irresponsible societies
where they would not receive proper
treatment or training was exploited to
the disadvantage of the bill.
The House is not keeping up its record
in the introduction of bills, but six being
offered yesterday, the whole session last
ing but an hour. It should not be under
stood, however, that short sessions
necessarily indicate that the legislature
is not Industrious, for, as a matter of
fact, the real deliberate work of the legis-
lature is done in the committees and Of
the thousand bills that are liable to be Of
fered before the session closes perhaps
| not more than half a dozen will be fought
out at any length in the open session.
In the committee of the whole the chief
! measure considered was a bill to reduce
| the interest on land bought from the
state. School lands are now sold on long
| time, the deferred payments drawing five
per cent interest and the pending bill pro-
poses to reduce this interest four per
cent. One of the members argued that
five per cent compelled the purchasers to
| pay faster than they should, thus putting
more money in the school fund than could
be used to advantage and: That. the state
| officers could not find safe investment for
the surplus money at a higher rate than
three per cent, and it was better for our
own people to keep the money in their
pocket and pay four per cent on deferred
payments. It is a novelty to have to
'egislate to keep people from paying their
debts in order to save interest.
st. Paul, Jan. H.-National affairs were
| prominent in the Senate yesterday. It
did not take great while for that body
| to vote down Senator Stockwelrs anti
| expansion resolutions, but when it came
to passing the joint resolution sent in
from the House urging the United States
| Senate to promptly ratify the peace
treaty there was good deal Of Republic
! can opposition manifested. Not that they
were opposed to the treaty, but they were
opposed to thrusting national affairs into
the legislature and giving their advice to
the United States Senate. The resolu-
tions passed IS to 16, but a good many
who voted for them did so with the ex-
PLANTATION that they did not want to be
|
simply supported them to avoid being put
! in false position.
A bill was offered creating one more
office, that Of custodian of documents in
the Secretary of States office, with a
salary attachment of $1,000. This really
Is not bad idea, for as at present, after
the first call for a new document is over
the surplus copies are shunted into a
| 9oR T. tn hoe
scarcely possible to find them again when
wanted. 1t would be we'll to either prin,
! fewer documents or else have some one
take care of them.
There were couple of interesting bills
presented in the House one by Mr.
Wheaton making the value of human life
it stands now, it is cheaper for a railroad
J or other corporation to kill a man out
right than it is to MAIN him, for if he is
dead only five thousand dollars can be
collected, but If he has his leg cut of
he may get a much larger sum.
The other bill was also aimed at rail.
roads. as it forbids black listing of EN-.
ployes, the minimum penalty for doing
so being fine of five hundred dollars.
Two years ago an effort was made tc
l
according to bill offered yesterday the
attempt is to be renewed this year. II
the majority of the legislature lives in 8
prairie country the bill may pass, blu,
those who inhabit woods are pretty likel,
to oppose it.
A large portion of the House wanted tt
adjourn until Monday or Tuesday, but
Jacobson said no and the noes carried
so there will be a session today.
I st Panl Ian 23-Considerinp- +hat tn.