Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-12-20
SPECIAL SESSION DOINos.

ton To indefinitely postpone further
discussion of the measure. The plans
were laid during the three days recess
and they worked TO a charm after the
bill had been juggled about in COM
mittee of the whole in order that the
move might be carried out. There is
| just one chance for the bill, but it is a
very remote one. When the bill came
| to the senate from the house il was not
| introduced in the accustomed manner,
and it was upon this slight oversight
from ultimate defeat. This accom-
plished the bill was quickly sent to the
| committee on state affairs, where it
will remain unless sufficient votes can
be secured to get it out on the floor
again, which is very doubtful. After
disposing of the taxation bill, Senator
| Atwood lost no time in introducing a
concurrent adjournment resolution
| providing for no further business after
IL o'clock on Dec. Is, and fixing Thurs
day, Dec. 20 as the date of final al
| journment.
Fully four-fifths of the members Of
the legislature were on hand at the
opening of the special session of the
legislature the final session of the
Pingree regime, which met at Lansing
at noon on the 12th, to take action
upon the re-enactment of the Akin
son bill. Large numbers of legislators
elect of the next legislature are in at
tendance and the greatest interest is
manifested in the problem of whether
any bill will be passed. The general
sentiment seems to be that the legisla-
ture will not pass any equal taxation
measure, but leave the matter to the
next legislature. There seems to be
no question that the house will pass
the bill, but there is serious question
as to what the senate will do.
Rep. Chas. c. Phillips, chairman of
the committee of the last legislature,
charged with an investigation of the
expenditure of the $500, 900 war fund,
will ask that the house pass res
olution addressed to Gov. Pingree ask
ing him to send special message to
the Legislature asking for final action
on the minority report of the commit
tee, which was tabled at the last regu-
lar session. This will put the matter
of covering up any further crookedness
of the military board strictly up to the
governor, and refusal to grant the
request will be construed as another
attempt to cover up the guilt of former
members of his military family.
Rep. elect Burns will go to the next
session of the legislature loaded with
proposed amendment to the constitu-
ton limiting the governors power to
pardon. 1t is his idea TO have a state
pardon Of three appointed, with an an
nual salary of 81, 500 each, and six
year term, no pardon to be issued with
out the sanction of this board. The
governor will have power to review
the action of the board, but not to
grant pardon of his own account.
1t is said that Gov. Pingree was
greeted with marked silence by the
joint session of the legislature on the
18th. In the first place he set the
time for meeting the joint session at 2
o'clock; the house adjourned until LAS
to conform. but the senate adjourned
until 2:45, causing the governor to wait
As minutes at the pleasure of that body,
breach of courtesy before unheard of.
Rep. Heinmanp on the 18th intro
duced the Oren equal tax measure in
the house. The bill, if made law,
will give the the state board of tax
commissioners power to make annual
assessments of the property of all rail
road companies in the state at its true
cash value, for the purpose of levying
and collecting taxes thereon.
1t is said the governor is thinking Of
sending in special message, calling
upon the legislature to pass law pro-
viding that-all courts and schools shall
be run on standard time, and by so
doing proposes to adjust the local and
standard time problem if he can find
sentiment enough to warrant a mes
sage on the subject.
BY a vote of 90 to ID the blanket bill
providing for the taxation of railroads,
union station and depot companies,
express, telegraph and telephone COM
panies, passed the house on the l4th
This puts the measure up to the senate
anu al SOIts W guessing Is DclHP QOue
as to its ultimate fate.
According to Rep. Dingley there was
movement started by house members
on the day after White and Marsh
were pardoned to have the present
special session adjourned instanter
upon converting, as rebuke to Gov
Pingree. However, the scheme is
wholly dead now.
The governors pardons have weak
ened his influence and given the OPP
ponents of the Atkinson bill a chance
to shout. They are discussed as much
among the members of the legislature
now as they were by the people on the
day and the day after the pardons
were granted.
A poll of the state senator's on the
equal taxation bill on the 18th showed
that ID members were openly opposed
to pass the measure now; 3 were non
committal, were unheard from, and
only 8 declared for immediate action
BY vote of II to the senate on the
night of the 18th refused to grant Gov.
Pingree the use of the senate for his