The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-04-12
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP
Our Special Correspondent Tells Of
the SolonS' DOingS.
The Time Having Passed for Introduction
Of Bills, without Consent of the
Governor, Both Houses Have
Settled to Work.

Governor, Both Houses Have
Settled to Work.
St Paul. April Though there are
only eleven more working days of the
Legislative session, there was bare
quorum present Saturday in either SEN
ate or house, and by common consent
no attempt was made to pass bills.
Senator Stockton introduced a bill
appropriating $3s4,OOO for new build
ings for the deaf, dumb and blind, and
their maintenance, at Faribault He
took a large delegation to Faribault
yesterday Sunday to show them what
he wants with the money.
In the house a bill was introduced re-
pealing the law just passed creating a
tax commission. The bill was not
taken seriously The house is getting
FESTIVE over the delay of the committee
appointed to investigate the corruption
alleged to have taken place in connec-
ton with the gross earnings tax bill
and ordered a report on Tuesday. The
committee has not held meeting as
yet.
st. Pail, April 2.-The senate did not
meet yesterday until in the afternoon,
and the entire session was occupied by
the introduction and first reading of
bills. Only 25 bills were introduced,
though it was the last day for the in
PRODUCTION of bills without the request
of the governor. Two years ago So
bills were introduced in the senate on
the last day.
In the house only 35 new bills were
introduced, which is much below the
usual number on the last day. As all
of these bills have to be read at length,
a very considerable portion of the ses-
sion was thus occupied.
Strange as it may seem, there was
not bill of great Importance offered
in either house, with the possible ex-
ception of one fixing the maximum
railroad rates for transporting grain of
any kind, potatoes and coal from any
point in the state to st. Paul, Mime
apolis or Duluth.
Governor Van SAINT sent in a message
vetoing the bill which provides for a
uniform system of accounting at the
various state institutions.
All interest now centers in the omni-
bus appropriation bill, which calls for
$4,000, 900. The committee meets every
afternoon to consider the bill and avert
if possible the increase of the tax levy.
st. Paul, April 3.-The senate spent
an hour passing two bills and killing
several others. The bills passed were
to amend the general laws of 1889 re-
1ating to state and county tax levy, and
to reimburse Mobiles county in the sum
of So 200 for expenses incurred in
stamping out infectious disease. One
of the bills killed was for allowing
teachers to be pensioned.
The senate then took up the primary
election law and worked on it until 6
p. N. There were multitude of
amendments offered, most of which
were voted down. The bill was con-
sidered section by section, and the SEN
ate was working on the fourth section
when it adjourned.
An evening session was held to hear
railroad attorneys argue against the
gross earnings bill raising the tax from
3 to per cent. 1t is the popular i'm
preston that the bill will pass.
The house INDUCED in a general
slaughter of bills, and in the aggregate
$25O,0O0 of appropriations were killed.
Among the bills killed was one fixing
the salary of members of the legisla-
ture at $500 per year. Among the few
bills passed was one allowing the sol
diers at the soldiers home to retain IS
per month out of ther pension money,
instead of 81 as at present.
ST. Paul, April AFTER devoting the
greater part of yesterday the senate
passed the house primary election bill
by vote of As to IL. The act goes into
effect Sept. 1, 1901. "a
Jepsons county option bill was killed.
Gov Van SAINT asked for the intro
duction of beet sugar bounty bill in
the senate, the house having killed a
measure of that sort on Tuesday. SEN
ator Wilson presented the bill.
Senator Sweningsen's. now famous
opteometry bill has passed the senate.
The committee on taxation recon-
mends the passage of the gross earn
ings bill. '- 81
The bill authorizing boards of county
commissioners to employ persons to dis
cover property withheld from taxation,
and known as the ferret law, was killed
in the house. The bill to do away with
the three days of grace met the same
fate. 500
The Haugland blind pig measure was
reconsidered by the house and passed.
ST. Paul, April 5-After two hours
debate yesterday the senate passed the
bill raising the gross earning tax to
per cent by vote of So to 8. The
senate itself did not expect this result,
but a motion to pass the bill under sus-
pension of the rules prevailed. The
house will unquestionably concur with
the senate amendments, so that the
bill is as good as finally passed. The
three great measures of the session,
namely: establishing a board of control
for the public institutions, the primary
election law and the gross earnings
bill have now passed both houses The
house could not quite agree with all of
the senate amendments to the primary