Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-01-09
fs+s*ss..s = 4. : .s.***.s.as-s..s
I DIGEST OF THE
|. YEARS LAWS.


~-----~---~-~-o--1>~-
The New York State Library has Is
sued its eleventh annual Comparative
Summary and Index Of Legislation by
States" covering the laws passed in 1900.
The bulletin is prepared by r ebert II.
whitten, Phi. o., sociology libIarian, and
it digests and organizes the large amount
of legislation enacted by State Legisia-
lures. An interesting feature of the bull
letin is its review of the most important
anu distinctive legislation of the year, in
dieating the trend Of legislation by refer
enee TO laws Of previous years.
-:-:-
Under the iicad of suffrage it is noted
that constitutional amendment in North
Carolina has been adopted by the people
and will go into effect in July, 1902. This
amendment has for it's purpose. lily con-
cealed, the disfranchisement OF the Hit
crate negroes Of the State. 1t is similar
Il chat adopted by Louisiana In 1898,
and makes ability to read and write a
section Of the constitution quali6catio..
for voting
Tie bulletin shows that voting ma
Gaines are steadily gaining in favor. The
first law permitting the use of voting
machines was passed in New York IL
1872 during the year Rhode Island has
created voting machine commission TO
examine machines and make provisions
for their use; in Iowa the use nf voting
machines has been authorized, and ! com
mission has been appointed to make in
vestigations as 10 the merits of the ma
chimes now on the market.
-
Iowa passed law providing for the
appointment of tax inquisitors 10 dis
cover personally omitted from the tax
lists. 1t is similar to the Ohio law ON
the same subject. Missouri has adopted
a constitutional amendment providing fol
the exemption of the amount of mort
gage in the taxation of incumbered prop
erty.. The nominal owner of the property
IS assessed for the amount ., the proper
ty less the mortgage, and the owner of
the mortgage is assessed the amount of
the mortgage. Virginia has provided for
tax of 81 on the seals of all courts and
notaries by means of an adhesive stamp
TO be affixed to the instrument requiring
the seal. So far as is known this is the
only instance Of State using stamps for
the collection of taxes. New Jersey has
adopted a franchise tax sim.,ar in some
respects to that adopted by New York in
1899. 1t taxes all persons and corpora
tons using highways, streets and public
places, except railroad and canal COM
panies.
Rhode Island has created State COM
mission to build and maintain sidepachs.
A license fee of so cents to 81 may be
imposed to form a sidepath fund. Mary
land also has sidepath commission.
-:
Mississippi, South Carolina and vir-
ginia have revised their laws providing
for pensions for indi&nt Confederate
veterans, and Louisiana has adopted
constitutional amendment increasing an
nual appropriations for pensions.
In Iowa the State board Of control has
been authorized to supervise county and
private institutions for the insane. Mas
sachusetts has followed the example Of
New York, Ohio and Wyoming in pro-
viding for State control and support Of
all insane persons committed to institu-
lions.
Louisiana will abolish the present sys-
TEN of leasing conyicts as soon as the
present lease expires, which will be
March 3, 1901. A number of States have
provided for the release on probation of
convicted juvenile offenders. Massachu-
sets, Vermont and New Jersey have ex-
tended this system to admit conyicts
Kentucky law provides that the board Of
prison commissioners may parole convicts
in the penitentiary for the first time. Pa
rolled prisoners are not required to re-
main in the State, but if they do remain
they are required to report their place Of
residence and conduct TO the board of
prison commissioners, through the county
Judge, at least every six months. North
Dakota has adopted a constitutional
amendment establishing a board of par
dons, consisting of the Governor, Attor-
ney General chief justice of the SUI
preme Court and two persons appointed
by the Governor.
South Carolina mas decided to make an
experiment in State Insurance. The
State will carry its own risks on all State
and county public bulldogs except school
houses. Beginning with Jan. /, 1901,
half the amount now paid for premiums
on city and county buildings will be paid
to the commissioners of the sinking fund
for an insurance fund. When the insur-
ance fund reaches 100000 no further
IN