The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-09
BUSY DAY IN N
DOnham Telephone Bill Killed and
Appropriation DiII Passed.

When the Senate adjourned, last night, it
had practically completed it's work for the
session. The whole day was devoted to the
cleaning up of odds and ends and by 6
o'clock in the evening there were very few
bills remaining in the big safe, whose con-
tents has been SO rapidly depleted within
the last two or three days. Although no
regular order of business was pursued dur
ing yesterdays session, the general de-
corum preserved was much better than on
Wednesday and Thursday.
During the morning session and in the
carly part of the afternoon a large number
of House and Senate bills were called UP
for their last reading, and, in most in
stances, were passed without opposition or
debate. The sole fight of the whole day
arose over the Bonham telephone bill,
which was advanced to third reading in the
Senate Thursday afternoon. 1t was dis
covered, yesterday morning. tina a mistake
had occurred in engrossing the bill, where
it was amended to apply to cities of 10, 600
or less. The bill. as it was printed in the
Senate, raised the limit to 1900. When
Speaker Artman heard of the error, he sent
word over to the Senate requesting that
the bill be returned, in order to correct the
liAlSLdASs WHICH, NdS SUPPOSED 10 nave &C.
Cured in the engrossing department of the
House. Senator Wood, who has been look
ing after the bill ever since it came over to
the Senate, offered a motion to comply
with the request of the House, and sug-
gested that the bill be returned at once, in
order that IL might be acted upon at yes
terday's' session. There was some opposi-
ton on the part of q number of the sena-
tors who were favorable to the bill. as
they believed it to be a ruse tina would
result in the death of the measure.
MOTION ADOPTED.
After considerable debate the motion of
Senator Wood was carried and the bill
was sent over to the House by a messen-
ger. On motion of Senator Wood the Sem
ate then agreed to take the matter of the
passage OF the bill up as soon as 1t was
returned, and it was made a special order
of business for 4 o clock. AS soon as the
bill was called up for passage Senator
Parks took the floor against it. He said
the bill would mean the ruin of smaIle-
companies, and insisted that it had been
drawn in the interests of the Bell Com
pany. A number of other senators also
spoke against the bill, one or two of whom
expressed the opinion that the measure was
one of the most pernicious in character of
any that had been introduced during the
whole session.
Senator Wood and Senator Inman, who
led the debate i'm support of the bill, spoke
nearly in the same strain. They argued
that the charges that the bill had been
prepared in the interests of the Bell Com
pany were untrue. The bill would be TO the
advantage of the smaller companies. they
said, as it would allow them to get into
places from which they were now barred
by the larger companies.
After a long debate, which lasted for
nearly an hour, a motion was offered by
Senator Binkley, who was strongly OPP
nOSpd to the DaSS9g p of the bill. TO most
pone it's further consideration indefinitely,
and, the question being put, the motion
who supported Senator Binkley's motion
were: Binkley, Charles, Conlogue, Corr,
Crumpacker, Darby. Fleming, Fortune,
Gard. Gochenour, Goodwine. Guthrie,
Gwin. Harrison, Joss, Kittinger,' Lawler,
Layman. Legeman. Lindley, Matson,
Miller, Ogborn, Osborn, Parks, Purcell.
Thompson, Wampler, Whitcomb, Winfield
Those who opposed the motion to post
pone were: Agnew. Ball, Barlow, Bronx.
Burns. Cresor, Crumbaker, Dausman, Har-
rison, Heller, Inman, Johnson, Keeney,
Kell, Reyes. Lambert, Minor and Wood-17.
MORNING SESSION.
When the Senate convened in the morn
ing the first thing it did was to pass the
general appropriation bill. The bill was
called up on third reading by the president
Of the Senate and passed without discus
SION DE Il vote OF % 10 ". Il was lnen sent
over to the House, where a number OF
minor amendments were made which were
afterwards concurred in by the Senate.
Another important bill passed at the morn
ing session was the Stookey measure,
which requires the beneiciaries OF life in
surance policies to have an insurable in
terest in the life of the assured. The bill
OF Representative John a~ppropriating
$1,000 for the Nancy Hanks Lincoln Monu.
ment Association for making improve
ments around the grave Of Lincoln's
mother was defeated.
The Horsheld bill 10 prevent accidents ir
mines by providing a method of firing
shots In mines, and regulating the hours
when the shots shall be fired, was passed
after a brief discussion.
Senator Goodwine's bill providing for the
relocation and separation OF the Industrial
School for Girls and Women's Prison
which was afteIward. killed in the House
was passed by the Senate without opposi,
ton.
A resolution offered by Senator Bal
thanking President Gilbert for his uniform