The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-03-15
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP
Our Special Correspondent Tells of
the Solons' Doings.
Bills are Being Rapidly introduced and
Sent on Their Way by the Commit
tee of the Whole. But Few
Have Become Laws.

Have Become Laws.
ST. Paul, March 4-The committee
of the whole unanimously recommend
ed the passage of the bill providing
81, 600, 600 more for the new capitol.
There seems nc reasonable doubt of
its passage by both houses. The orig
inal bill for the new capitol provided
for raising $500, 600 a year for 10 years.
The new bill extends this plan for five
years longer, which secures the addi-
tional million.
A new divorce bill was offered in the
senate. 1t provides hat no n shall
be able to secure a divorce in Mime
sofa for reasons which would not Sc
cure a divorce in the state where the
parties formerly lived. This applies
to acts occurring before the parties
cam to the state. 1t also requires
personal service upon the defendants.
Another bill offered forbids the sale
of liquor in ''blind pigs" ''cold storage
plants or club rooms" and still an
other provides for counties voting on
local option, as the towns already do.
The house killed the bill allowing
fve-sixths of a jury to bring in a YER
dict against the other two men. The
friends of the bill said the corpora
tions were opposing it, and opponents
of the measur argued that it was
changing the jury principle which
had been in use for centuries.
Representative Peterson is after the
telegraph companies again. He Of
fara6 q Hill Sofprdnu Hnnifinr fho
charge for a ten-word message In this
state to 90 cents, and l cen for each
additional word.
An effort will be made this week to
hatch the reapportionment chicken,
which carves out nine congressional
districts. Then there will be music,
as there are a good many ambitious
members of the legislature who have
the congressional bee in their bonnets
and want a district which will give
them a sure thing.
st. Paul, Mimi, March 5.-The con
~gressional reapportionmenJ bill,
agreed upon by the committee, was
introduced in both houses and made
the special order in each house for Fri
day morning. A combination has been
formed which may prove strong
enough to carry it through without
change, as reported by the committee,
though there will be some strong OPP
position.
Senator Miller renewed his effort to
tax the express companies with a bill
providing for a 5 per cen tax on their
net earnings.
The house was ever duller than the
senate. The most important bill Of
fered was one making it a misde-
meanor to run a theater on Sunday.
The same kind of a bill was offered
two years ago. but after the legisla-
and see for themselves, the bill was
not heard of any more Possibly his
tory will repeat itself.
A bill was passed requiring six
months school to be kept in country
districts where the property valuation
amounts to $35, 600.
The effort to cut off twenty days
from the session will eliminate in a
caucus. The movement comes from
the senate and is based upon the de-
sire of the senators to act upon the
report of the tax commission at an eX-
ira session next winter. If there is
no extra session next winter a new
senate will have been elected before
the tax question comes up, and many
of the present members may fail to
come again. The house seems to be
more DESTROYS of securing a full term
nov as that is a more ephemeral body
and to them a bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush. If l was to
guess a prediction 1 would guess that
there would be no fraction of time
that is paid for being cut off from the
present session. Agood test would be
to offer a resolution pledging the
members to serve this session through
for full pay and agreeing to come to
an extra session next winter to revise
the tax laws without compensation.
When this is done the millennium will
begin doing business at the same time.
st. Paul. March GA portion of the
legislature visited Owatonna yester-
day to inspect the school for depend
ent children, and another crowd went
to Saltwater to inspect the state
prison, so that while there was a SEEM
ing air of industry in the legislature
nothing was settled concerning which
there is any controversy. The senate
bill providing for public meetings in
school, districts to discuss political
questions was killed. Senator Knat-
void offered a bill extending the pri-
mary election law all over the state.
A bill to amend the Grindeiand law
was introduced, requiring all shippers
of produce or grain to make complaints
within sixty days or be forever barred
from doing SO.
The senate committee on illuminat-
ing oils voted to report the bill for the
relief of the Standard Oil company
without recommendation, and the fl
nance committee reported a recon-
mendation for its passage. The bill
cuts off the fees for inspecting oil.
The house passed all the bills on the
calendar, because they happened to be
of minor Importance and uncontested.
The bill to increase the pay of jury
men from 81 to 81. so was indefinitely
postponed.
The action of the republican caucus