The Yale expositor., 1900-01-05
SPECIAL SESSION DolNos.

will be thrown down. However, that
body has third substitute measure.
The substitute was simply reported to
the senate with the recommendation
that it be referred to the committee of
the whole.
The senate does not propose to as
sumo any responsibility for the com
mencement of suits TO recover the
S40,0 900 lost by the state on the
military deal. The vote by which
it passed the joint resolution asked
for by Gov. Pingree was recon
sidered on motion of Senator Lyon, it
being claimed that the attorney-gen-
eral has ample authority in the prem
Uses under existing laws, and in sup
port of this the fact is cited that spec
ial authority to commence suits was
never before asked for, although scores
of actions have been instituted by the
encouragement and carried to a sue
cessful issue.
The senate committee to whom the
house resolution was submitted, on the
27th reported the following resolution
as third substitute to the tax amend
ment:
"Sec. TO- The state may continue TO
collect all specific taxes accruing TO the
treasury under existing laws. The
legislature may provide for the collec-
tion of specific taxes from corporations.
The legislature may provide for the as
sessmnt of the property of the railroads
and other corporations at it's true cash
value, and for the levying of taxes
thereon, by state board of assessors,
or such other person or persons, as the
Legislature may direct, in such manner
as the legislature shall by general law
direct, which laws shall be uniform.
"All taxes hereafter levied on the
property of railroads and railway com
panies, telegraph companies, Telephone
companies, express companies. plank
road companies, river improvement
companies, and insurance companies,
shall be applied as provided in section
one of this article.
'Sec. IL. The legislature shall pro-
vide a uniform rule of taxation, cX
cept on property paying specific taxes,
and taxes shall be levied on such
property as shnli be prescribed by law.
Provided the legislature may classify
corporations for the purpose of assess.
ment for taxation, and the property in
each class shall be assessed, subject to
review in such manner as the legisla-
ture shall provide by law. and the taxes
thereon uniformly levied in such man
ner as the legislature may direct. Pro
vidcd, further, that corporate property
upon which taxes are assessed and
levied by the provisions of section 10 of
this constitution, shall be assessed and
pay a tax equal TO and not excess of
the average aggregate rate of taxation
for state, county, municipal and school
taxes on other property for the previous
year"
Rep Burch precipitated a long dis
cussion in the house on the eth by of
fering n resolution providing for the
appointment of special committee of
five TO investigate charges of corrup-
ton in connection with the passage of
the Nc Leod bill. Chamberlain moved
to amend the resolution by substitute
ing the grand jury for the special com
mittee Burch accepted the amend
ment. Mccall thought the house was
belittling itself in this matter, and
said that 1.-THE grand jury knows what
it wants to investigate and will do it
without any request or instructions
from US. The judge and prosecutor
know their business, and so does the
jury. Let each body attend to its own
business and the people will be better
off. " Carton roasted the proceedings
as undignificd, saying that the legisla-
ture was convened for special pur-
pose and should attend to that bust
ness and go home. Cheever Endorsed
Cartons sentiments. IIeITig spoke of
the nearly unanimous demand for its
passage. and on his motion the resolu-
ton was tabled. The house than adj
iourned.
The senate on the 2sth by n vote of
16 to 10 decided TO kill the Pingree
joint resolution providing for an
amendment to the constitution to be
submitted TO the electors. The result
was surprise to many, as it was adj
mitted that the proposition would be
defeated, but few were prepared for
the large majority against it. Only
nine votes were necessary TO defeat the
resolution, but there were seven to
spare.
Gov. Pingrce on the Goth sent three
more messages TO the Legislature. In
these messages he advocates the pas
sage of joint resolution providing for
an amendment TO the constitution to
permit cities to own and operate street
railways and other public utilities; to
raise the specific taxes of the railroads
of the state from 81 ,O3G, 77G.0G to ST.
500, 900; and to raise by specific tax
81, 800. 900 from the iron and copper
mining companies of Michigan Bills
accomplishing these ideas were intro
duced in the house, and referred to the
proper committee, tremedous amount
of work being mapped out. Then the
house adopted a joint resolution to adj
journ until Tuesday night, Jan. ., and
rushed it over to the senate. where it
was also finally adopted. AS the time
limit of the present special session eX-
pires Jan. 8 it will be impossible to dis
pose of these measures before that
time. hence another special session will
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