Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-03

action to obtain provisional remedy, an
examination of a witness, a stay OF proceed
ings or upon a motion or application, and
to prove a claim or demand OF any nature
whatever in a civil action in justice OF the
peace courts, county courts and district
courts wherein the defendant or defendants
are in default Of appearance or answer"
II. h. was passed by vote Of 20 to II.
The bill is by Evans to provide for the
submitting to the electors of the state in
the year 1900 the question of holding a
constitutional convention.
The house went into committee of the
whole with Smithberger in the chair II. r.
"a, the Zellers voting machine bill, was
first taken up This bill had been consd
cred once before and recommitted for
amendment. When taken up today the OBJ
lection was urged that the bill would compel
the counties to purchase some special make
of machine, and a motion to indefinitely
postpone the bill carried by a large ma
iority.
II. r. 2O5, by Jansen, providing that in
changes OF venue of criminal cases to an
other county the county attorney of the
original county shall prosecute in the new
county and shall be allowed necessary eN-
penses in addition to his salary in such
cases
In committee of the whole this afternoon
H. r. 1871, the Weaver insurance commission
bill, was taken up. There was little discus
sion on the provisions or the bill until the
taxation feature was reached. The original
bill provided a per cent tax against for
eign companies doing business In the state.
The committee reduced this to 3h per cent
When this was reached today Weaver moved
that the rate be fixed at per cent An
| amendment by Grosvenor making 1t 2h
| per cent was defeated and the Weaver
amendment was adopted.
Those who took the floor In opposition to
this discriminating tax were Olmsted, Bur-
man and Clark, while those who spoke in its
favor were Weaver, Fisher, Burns and Hal
| ler.
| The bill as adopted provides 2 per cent
| discriminating tax against insurance COM
panies of states other than Nebraska and
| 3 per cent against companies from foreign
countries. 1t was this latter tax that caused
the debate. The section as adopted relating
| to foreign companies is as follows:
Section 49, Foreign country companies of
any and every character whatever shall pay
| $500 for filing the legal papers needed to
| comply with this act, and the certificate of
the commissioner admitting them to transact
| business in this state. company conduct
| ing more than one line of business shall pay
5000; for filing copy of any amended charter,
! $500; for filing and examination of annual
statement OF the business done In this state
and nation, 500; for filing and examination
of the annual statement of business trans
acted in foreign countries, the previous
year, $50; for each agents certificate, 50;
two certificates of publication 81; company'a
! annual license or copy of same so; copies
of papers, 10 cents per folio, and SEAL 81.
The American manager or trustees of any
| foreign country company shall in January
| of each year certify to the insurance com
missioner, under oath, the amount of gross
premium receipts for the preceding calendar
| year upon insurance effected upon property
| located within this state, and without any
| deduction whatever shall pay to the state
| treasurer a tax of per cent on same. No
such company shall be re-licensed for the
year until the tax is paid. 1t shall be law
| full for any city or village, by ordinance, to
| impose reasonable occupation tax on any
| foreign country company having an agency
| in such city or village. Every city or vii
| lase having a paid or volunteer fire depart
ment shall in January Of each year collect
a 2 per cent tax on net premiums from every
foreign country company having an agency
| in such city or village. Such tax shall be
| for the benefit Of the fire department, and
| the net premiums shall be ascertained by
deducting the losses paid by the company in
the city or village the previous calendar
year from the premiums collected in such
| city or village. The insurance commits
soner shall be advised when fire depart
ment tax is not paid and shall refuse to re-
license companies that are delinquent; pro-
vided, nothing in this act shall be construed
, so as to excuse insurance companies from
paying tax on real estate owned by them
Upon reaching the forty second section the
committee arose and recommended that the
bill be made special order for tomorrow
| afternoon.
| At o'clock Flynn of Douglas raised a
| storm of laughter by moving that the house
take recess until 1880 this evening. The
| knowledge that the republican senatorial
caucus was to meet at that hour furnished
the point to the joke The motion failed to
| carry and tho house adjourned.