The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-25
SESSION OF THE SENATE.
Discussion of a County Council BILL
Federal Building Resolution.


The Senate held another prolonged ses-
sion yesterday. it being nearly l o'clock
when it finally adjourned. The Session
was opened with prayer by Rev. Martin
Luther, pastor of the First Pres
byterian Church, Of Valparaiso. Aft
er the reading of the minutes had
been dispensed with. the president
called for committee reports. and. as at
Wednesdays session, there was a pro-
longed discussion over the adoption Of a
report, which lasted nearly two hours.
The discussion arose on a divided report
on the bill introduced by Senator Parks
(No. 3S) providing that county councils
shall be bipartisan, and shall be appointed
by circuit judges instead of being elected
by the people. A majority of the commit
tee on county and township business, to
whom the bill had been referred, recon-
mended that the bill be indefinitely post
poned, and Senator Parks made a report
recommending its passage.
On the question of the adoption of the
minority report, Senator Lambert obtained
recognition from the chair and made a
telling speech against the bill, saying that
IL was directly opposed to the theory of
popular government. 1t took away from
the people the sovereign power of choos-
ing the men who should have hand in
the government of their affairs. Senator
Lambert was followed by Senator Keyes,
who directed his first speech Of the ses-
sion against the passage of the bill.
OPPOSED BY INMAN.
Another who opposed the passage of the
bill was Senator Inman, the leader of the
minority in the Senate. He protested that
it was not fair to the people to give the
circuit judges the appointment of county
councilmen, and insisted that the people
would elect just as good men the circuit
judges would appoint.
Senator Woods spoke In favor Of the
adoption of the minority report. He said
the county councilmen appointed by he
circuit judges before the enactment, of the
present law had given perfect satisfaction.
The office of county councilman. he said
was purely an honorary one, and should
also favored by Senators Winfield and
Stillwell. The discussion lasted until IL
o clock and was then necessarily postponed
in order to take up the discussion of Sena-
ter Brooks's resolution, made a special
order of business yesterday, instructing
the Indiana representatives in Congress 70
vote against any increased appropriation
for the construction Of the federal building
In indianapolis. BY permission, Senator
Brooks substituted another resolution in
place of the one offered yesterday, which.
however, is of much the same character.
1t asks the Indiana representatives in Con-
gress to exert their best efforts to have the
federal building constructed of no other
material except Indiana limestone, and
that they vote against any additional APP
preparation looking toward the pur-
port of his resolution Senator Brooks
said that he had received kilograms
from every quarryman in his district ask
ing him to have the Legislature take
action looking to the use of Indiana stone
in the Indianapolis federal building. He
spoke of the excellent qualities of the In
diana limestone and told OF innumerable
great buildings that had been constructed
would place a stigma on the stone industry
of the State to erect building OF the mag
n;tude of the proposed federal building at
the capital of the State out of any other
stone than that taken from Indiana quar-
res.
UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED.
Senator Burns also spoke in favor Of the
resolution and it was thereupon adopted
unanimously.
The Senate then took up the further dis
cussion of Senator Parks's bill, at the con-
clusion of which the majority report OF
the committee, recommending the indefinite
postponement of the bill. was adopted by
vote of % TO IL.
providing for the payment of s265 to Chas.
F.. Shively, for expenses incurred as men,
Der of the o. p. Morton Statue Commission,
was adopted Senator Agnew then offered
a resolution TO concur In the report of the
special committee on Vfncennes University,
and that it be spread of record, and it
was adopted.
a petition was introduced by Senator
I,ayman from the George III. Thomas Post.
of this city, asking that the statue OF Oliver
p. Morton be not removed from Monument
Place TO the Statehouse yard. The petit
tion was referred TO the committee on
Soldiers Monument
An Invitation EXTENDED to the Senate to
visit a special meeting of Geo. III. Thomas
post on the evening Of Jan. % was accepted
THE Senate then passed to bills on second
reading. Among the bills passed TO the
third reading was that Of Senator Harrison
making electrocution the legal mode of
execution in the State, which was advanced
without amendment. The bill OF Senator
burns removing the cities OF Terre Haute
and south Bend from the Fort Wayne char
ter and the bill OF Senator Parks, EXEMPT
mo real estate owned by county agricul-
tural societies. We're also advanced.
After the introduction of several new
bills the Senate adjourned. on motion Of