New Ulm review., 1901-03-27
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.


call of the senate at s O'clock last night
only thirty senators responded, but
five minutes later Senators Snyder
and e. j. Jones put in an appearance,
thereby making just a quorum. and
business was proceeded with
There were no committee reports
and only one bin was introduced, and
after the first reading of batch of
house bills and the second reading of
senate measures. the senate went into
conn mittee of the whole, with Senator
Underleak in the chair.
Fifty bills were awaiting action.
Nine of them were recommended to
pass, and progress was reported on
the others.
The house worked all day yesterday
Few bills were introduced at the morn
ing session and the calendar was taken
up and cleared before recess. At the
afternoon session the house went into
general orders and advanced or killed
off the twenty odd bills that had been
accommodating for the past six days.
The wine room bill was the most inn
portant bill on the calendar. The
measure passed the house by vote of
Is to 5. This bill provides for the re-
moval of all booths and screens other
than the front screens from saloons.
The Fust bill to do away with barber
schools and colleges was passed.
The three memb bers of the state rail
road and warehouse commission will
have to worry along, for the next two
years at least. on their paltry So, 600
per year salaries.
St. Paul March 20. Each branch of
the legislature is devoting its energies
to passing its own bills, without Civ
ing much attention to the bills from
the other house. This is really wise
move. as it gives each house a chance.
during the latter days of the session.
to actually make some laws by having
its own decks cleared and taking up
bills which have passed one branch.
The present result is, however. that
there are not many laws being abso-
lntely enacted, but more than the usual
NUM- ber are in process.
The senate passed the house drain
age bill, appropriating $50, for
drainage of swamp lands.
Four bills were introduced in the
senate yesterday, overhauling the
health nissioners of the state and
making more stringent provision
against the spread of contagious dis
eases.
Per contra the senate killed the bill
forbidding the interrnarriage of feeble
minded and Extensively diseased per-
sons.
Among the bills passed by the house
were the two which appropriated some
$1,000 for the expenses of the election
contest from I.e Sueur county. An
other bill passed prohibits attorneys
from advertising to secure divorce
cases.
The governor has signed the bill ap-
propriating S2O,O for the state ex-
hibit at the Pan American exposition
at Buffalo, and has appointed H. P.
Hall of St. Paul, O. ID. Kinney of Du-
luth and John Morton of Steele
county as the three coulmis ssioners to
have the matter in charge. He has
also signed the bills providing for loans
to farmers who suffered by storm or
drought to purchase seed grain.
The house has killed the bill In
creasing the salaries OF the railroad
commissioners.
The senate spent two or three hours
considering the board OF control bill
which has passed the house. They
decided to bring the state university
under the supervision of the board and
adjourned with the rest of the bill in
the air.
ST. Paul, March 2n The only bill
presented in the house yesterday was
a substitute for the meat inspection
bill, which it was claimed would de-
stroy the meat industry of the state.
The only bill of Importance passed
by the senate was one preventing easy
divorce
teresting session in the afternoon but
the death of Rev w w Lewis, the
senate chaplain, was announced, aud
the senate immediately adjourned.
The house was the storm center
over the bill increasing the gross
earnings tax from to 4 per cent
Representatives Jacobson and j. A.
Peterson championed the bill, and
Lay bourn of Duluth opposed it. The
debate was So protracted that al after
noon session was held, when. by a vote
of 62 to 81. the house refused to send
the bill to the committee of the whole.
This virtually defeats the bill. An ef-
fort was then made to send the bill to
the tax commission, but the speaker
ruled that while the subject matter
could he sent to the tax commission.
the bill itself could not 1t was then
made special order for today
During the debate Mr. Jacobson al
legged there had been bribery, and Of
fered resolution for an investigating
committee, which was adopted.
The anti cigaret bill was sent to the
calendar, after :. hard fight.
The resolution to adjourn April S
was postponed until Saturday.
st. Paul. Mimi. March 22--The house
was still excited yesterday over the
gross earnings bill and the charges of
corruption made by Jacobson and