The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-10-26
LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL
State Lawmakers Do What the
Governor Wants as to Rail.
way Taxation.
PRINCIPAL POINT OF DIFFERENCE
Between Senate and House Is Finally
and Satisfacto rily Settled,

Lansing, Mich, 1S.-After a cam.
paign that continued through FIVE ses-
siOns of the legislature, three of which
were extraordinary sessions convened
for the particular purpose OF consid-
ering them. the special charters of rail-
roads operating in Michigan have final
ly been absolutely repealed and con-
stitutional amendment, under which
can be enacted legislation tax
ing railroad and other corpora
tons on the cash value OF their
property, has been submitted to the
people. In addition to these measures
there was enacted the necessary CON-
plement of the charter repeal laws,
which is law prescribing the method
of legal procedure to be followed by
the companies whose special charters
have been taken away In proceeding
against the state to recover dam
ages for losses sustained by the re.
pea, Of these charters.
Governors Message 10 Bries
In view of the numerous messages
he had submitted to this legislature
and it's predecessor on the subject OF
special charter repeal and the submis.
sion Of so-called equal tax amend.
ment to the constitution. the message
which Governor Pingree submitted to
the legislature was rather brief, al
though he again went over these fami-
liar subjects in general way. Aft
er hearing the governors message the
legislature promptly got down to bust
ness, and the first thing done was the
Introduction In the house of a Joint
resolution proposing an amendment to
article IA Of the constitution in the
same form as proposed at the last spe-
clal session, when II was defeated in
the senate.
Point of Principal Discussion.
From the start there was every indi-
cation that the two houses would this
time agree on the form Of an amend
ment to be submitted. but there was
no hope OF the submission of the propo-
sition embodied In the joint resolu-
tion mentioned for the reason the sen.
ators still objected to the classification
feature, which, they claimed, was re-
spOnsible for the previous defeat. This
classification clause empowered the leg
islature to classify corporations for the
purposes Of taxation and to provide
q different rate Of taxation for differ
ent classes of corporations; providing
however, that the rate to be paid by
corporations Of the same class should
be uniform.
The point was the one principally
discussed during the session. and the
discussion was finally ended by the
adoption by both houses of section IL
as 1t appears In the published laws ap-
pended hereto.
Procedure In Damage Suits.
The bill prescribing the method to be
followed by the companies In proceed
Ing against the state for damages was
passed without dissenting vote, and
only seven votes were recorded against
the charter repeal bills in the house.
The governor submitted two other
matters to the legislature, neither of
which was acted favorably upon One
was for the submission of constitu-
tional amendment authorizing an inter.
mediate court to aid the supreme court
The other was a law to legalize the
action of the state tax commits
sion in arranging for the appraisement
Of the property Of railways, ETC., which
now pay specific tax.
Senate Takes q New Departure.
w hCli dii thC lCpCdi OAiS Huu OCCu
passed by the senate Governor Pin
gree, who was an interested observer
Of the proceedings, was formally in
vited to address that body. This was
Q decided departure from the course
Of the senate in the past. decided
feeling Of hostility between a majority
Of that body and the chief executive
having existed. The governor, how
ever, promptly accepted the invitation,
and was literally applauded when he
was escorted by committee Of SEN
ators to a place at the side Of Presi-
dent Robinson, where he briefly ad.
dressed the senate
Closing OF the Session.
After farewell speeches by Repre-.
sentatives Anderson. of Kent. and
Chamberlain, Of Gogebic, who are
about to retire after long years of serv.
Ice in the legislature. the entire com
pany, governor, legislators and specta-
tors, rose and sang michigan Ny
Michigan" under the leadership OF
Representative Lusk. Of Bay In or
der to give time for the enrolment OF
the bills for presentation to Governor
Pingree for his signature, dnal id.
journment was not reached until Mon.
day noon. when the two houses were
formally adjourned without ceremony
of any kind