The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-09

harrisburg, March S.-When the sem
ate mot this morning Mr.. Washburn
asked that the committee on public
buildings and grounds be discharged
from the further consideration of the
house resolution asking for an Item
lied account of the moneys eXDen led
so far in the erection Of the state cap
itol He said that the committee had
been considering this resolution for
some time. However, i'm the absence
OF the chairman Of the committee, Mr..
Washburn said he would renew his
motion tomorrow morning.
\ resolution introduced by Mr.. Magec
and which passed unanimously, re-
quests the president to appoint Sena-
tor Hawkins, colonel of the Tenth leg
iment, n. q. p, now stationed at Ma
nila, a brigadicr general
In the house, the senate bill pro-
Niding for the adjustment of Ii ms If
the commonwealth against unpatentnd
lands and for the granting of ra-crts
Tor such lands to the present owners
was amended on motion Of Mr.. PeU-
pl"S, of Lancaster, and passed on Soc
ond reading. The bill as Amended pro-
NidoS that lit shall be the duty Of the
secretary Of internal affairs before
asking any settlement for unpatented
land to clearly establish the claims Ct
The state without any extra cost to
the state or any expense to the owner
Of the land on which the patent lc-
mains unpaid"
Mr. Sr"des, Of Allegheny, offered a
resolution which was adopted that a
tpp nf h1 int
pare resolutions on the death If ex-
Representative Tilbrook, of Allegheny,
Mr. Srod"S. Of Allegheny, introduced
bill apprOpriating 81 900 for the prep
aratlOn and publication of the names
ana records of Pennsylvania yolun-
tecrs in the Spanish American war,
\ bill was introduced by Mr.. Bare, of
Huntington, appropriatng $94O. 600 for
the support of the National Guard for
the next two years. The vote by which
the bill extending the duration of the
lien Of the debts of a decedent upon
real estate for five years. which was
defeated yesterday on third reading,
was reconsidered and the bill passed
finally.
Mr.. HOsack, ot Allegheny, introduced
bill repeating the local option law in
the Tenth ward of McKeesport. A bill
was presented by Mr.. Palm, of Craw-
ford, to empower married women to
sell, convey or mortgage their real es-
tate without their husbands joining in
such conveyance or mortgage in all
cases where the husband has been
regularly declared lunatic in accord
ance with the laws of the common
wealth.
The Keator ballot reform bill passed
second reading. The measure provides
absolute secrecy in voting. Under the
proposed law no voter shall have a
helper unless he is physically incapaci-
tatel or unable to read. His helper
must first declare underneath, sub
scrihed to, that he will not attempt to
influence the voter. but will give him
the help he desires and that he will not
disclose the contents OF the ballot eX-
cept in a legal proceeding.
The bill does away with the circle and
the name of the candidate shall be
printed but once on the ballot for the
same office.
The bill also reduces the ballot TO
one-siXth it's present size ard enables
the voter to avoid risk of mistake N
voting, There is only one way to mark
a ballot according to this bill by put
ting mark opposite the name of each
candidate, the candidates being in
groups, within party names aud ap-
relations following them. The bill
was drawn to remedy the defects in
the ballot laws Of 1891 and 1893 so as
to make it conform to the Australian
system.
The Fow personal registration bill
also passed second reading. The house
adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow.