Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-05-09
THE LEGISLATURE.
Senate.

over till next day at Senator Baxters sug-
gestion. Senator Bakers telegraph taxa
ton bill was stopped in it's career by a mo-
ton by its author to reconsider the vote by
which it was passed by the Senate The
purpose was to secure some agreement with
the leaders of the Assembly on the tele-
both. The motion was laid over till next
day. The Senate tackled the question of
receding from its amendments to Assembly
bill introduced by the Assembly committee
on assessment and collection of taxes. Sen
atOr Welton wanted the motion laid over
but Senator Whitehead wanted immediate
action. Senator Green said he would not
oppose the request to lay over, but he want
ed it understood that he protested against
would bring into the Milwaukee city treas
ury about $4,000 more a year in taxes from
the Milwaukee Street Car company, and he
favored it. The bill was then ordered laid
over. The Senate amendments reduced the
taxes on the smaller roads from 21a to ~
per cent. The bill providing that in the
terial produced in Wisconsin could be used,
was killed by vote of Z to IL against
Senator Devos called the attention of the
Senate to the fact that Portland cement
public buildings, and that it was not made
in Wisconsin. Fire brick he said, was also
often a necessity. and 1t was not produced
in the state. The bill was then put to a
vote and on division died. The bill relat-
Ing to the sale of state lands was advanced
to engrOSSn,ent.
Nnen the steam railroad taxation measure
was taken up in the Senate on the I'd it
Occasioned considerable discussion. Sen
ator Devos moved to lay it over till the next
session. Senator Jones objected. He said
that the Senate had discussed the matter
fully and had taken decided stand on the
question of increasing the taxes of railroads
HI was in favor of acting on the resolution
at once. Senator McGillivray likewise OBJ
jected to delay and Senator bennett ex-
planned his position. He said he was still
in favor of increasing the taxes of the rail
dc hlJt ha ylnr, hn ni,.Ix, 4
feated, and there was no use trying to do
anything against the opposition shown in
the Senate. After some further discussion
the ayes and nays were demanded and or
dered on the question of laying it over and
the motion was defeated by q vote of to
49, On another roll call the resolution was
defeated by the following vote: Ayes, o.;
noes, II; absent, Z. The first bill under
discussion in the Senate was that intro
duced by the Assembly committee on assess
ment and collection of taxes taxing all
street railroads at Il - per cent. rate The
bill was amended by the Senate leaving the
rate for small roads at ~ per cent, as it
now is, and increasing only the taxation of
the Milwaukee Street railway. The Assem-
bly, killed We amendment. but the Senate
refused TO recede and Senators Thayer,
Welton and Arson were appointed on Il com
mittee of conference. Senator Green's joint
resolution fixing 1920 Il. IN. Wednesday as
the hour for final adjournment was laid over
until evening. Senator WeltonS bill relat-
ing to letting bids for printing election no
tees III cities of third class was passed. a
bill introduced by the committee on state
affairs of the Assembly providing for sale
of state lands was ordered to third reading
Mr.. Williams bill to prohibit reinsurance
except through local agents was concurred
in under suspension of rule. Senator Rior
dams bill taking the adjustment of fire in
surance out of hands of appraisers and put
ting it into the courts at the discretion of
the company was passed last week by 4
small majority. In the morning the vote
was reconsidered and the bill was killed.
The Senate then took a recess until p. M
at the afternoon session the Senate did
nothing except to confirm Judge ellison as
tax commissioner and pass an unimportant
bill. 1t took up the adjournment resolution,
but did not act upon 1t. A recess was taken
until evening
The Hall Bin taxing legacies. after being
amended by the Senate On the night of the
I'd passed the Assembly again and, if signed
will in a few days be a law. The Senate
amendments make the bill apply only to
personal property on which the owner had
not paid taxes for the year previous TO the
time it is given or descends to heirs. 1t
furthermore applies only TO estates which
are found to be worth more than $4,000.
When the property goes to direct heirs the
tax is only 1 per cent. of the value and
when it goes to lateral heirs the tax is )
per cent.
The senator's on the Sd indulged in a sea
son of speech making. Senator Roehr ad-
dressed a speech of appreciation to Lieut.
Gov. Stone, who responded briefly. Sena-
tors Jones, McGillivray, Thayer, Baxter,
Whitman and Weed lauded the work Of the
association with each other and with their
presiding officers Senator Whitehead moved
vote of thanks to President Stone, which
was carried unanimously. Senator Wood,
worth, chairman of the committee on en-
rolled bills, reported the complete enroll.
ment of the pass bill.
Assembly.
The Assembly session on the evening Of
the list was opened with prayer by the Rev.
e. 6. Updike. A resolution by Mr.. Holland
w q
Sergeant-at-ArmS Agen for the tasty decOra-
ton Of the chamber in honor of Dewey day.
The first bill on the calendar caused dis
cussion. 1t to prohibit villages which
are independent municipalities from holding
| caucuses Jointly with towns. The vote was
| SO to 26 for concurrence. Mr.. McGrath
| changed his vote from no to aye in order TO
move q reconsideration. Judge Orton got
| ahead Of the Brown county legislator and
moved reconsideration at once. On motion
Of Mr.. McGrath this motion for reconsider
| alton was laid over till next day: There
! was a fight on the bill having for it's 6Oject
the prohibition of proxies in political con,
| ventions and the recognition of alternates.
| The bill also provided for viva yoce votes
| in the nomination of candidates except for
state officers. The Democratic legislators;
under the leadership of Mr.. Lange. Joined
i with Messrs. McGrath, Mcleod, Wander
| cook and Overlook in opposing the bill.
Messrs Hall, Mcdonald and Keene favored
concurrence. The bill was refused concur
| renee. After Il somewhat extended dls-
| cussion, in which Ju1ge Orton and Mr..
wheeler were the pr1nclpal speakers, the
| Assembly concurred in the bill to authorize
! cities to issue bonds to acquire waterworkS.
! After adopting a resolution by Mr.. Minch,
| to limit speeches to five minutes, adjourn
| ment till $50 o'clock next day was taken.
! An attempt was made on the I'd to intro.
| duce new railroad taxation measure, but
| it failed. The bill proposed to be intro
| duced was practically copy of the Den
nett bill and would have increased the
taxes of the railroads about $3.50, 900 year.
At the opening Of the ASsembly's session
| Mr.. Holland introduced a resolution to per
nit Mr.. Frost to introduce the bill. The
resolution was unusual in that it outlined
| the bill instead Of simply quoting the title.
1t was adopted practically. without oppo-
! sition in the Assembly and at once mes
saged oyer to the Senate; The Assembly
| killed the forestry bill The bill was on
| the calendar for third reading and came up
on an amendment by Mr. Germer, striking
| out the clause withdrawing the state lands
| from sale. Mr.. Germer withdrew his
| amendment. Mr. McGrath offered an
amendment changing the manner of with
| drawing state lands, and it was adopted.
| An amendment by Mr. True reducing the
salary Of the Superintendent of forests
| amendment by Mr.. LANCE reducing the sal
| airy to $500 was defeated Mr.. Evans OPP
| posed the bill and aye and no vote