The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-06

Nyquist's desk, amid a roar Of applause
and laughter Nyquist did not finch an
inch from his position as champion of
the rights of the "doggies" He picked
the forlorn, little. dirty white creature up
In his arms and made a characteristic
speech, in his own ininitable English,
acknowledging the gift and the high COM
pliment to himself inferred by it.
Mr.. Nyquist pretended to be a bit ner-
Vous about the manner in which the dog
was secured by the donors. He was fear
ful, he said, that they had stolen the
little creature which in view of the fact
that dogs are personal property, might
make him trouble. If the dog had not
been stolen he would be very glad to keep
it.
Immediately following the presentation
OF the dog Speaker Bowling announced
the receipt Of an opinion from Attorney
General Douglas on the present dog tax
law. The attorney general in unquali-
fed terms said the Armstrong law is
unconstitutional, and that the Morley
proposed amendment would not make it
constitutional. He suggested that a con-
stitutional law might be secured through
the enactment of a dog license law, but
that the courts would not sustain SyS-
tenn of double taxation, even on dogs.
The laugh seemed to be on the other
side of the house.
Nyquist called up the repeal bill, passed
in the senate by Senator Sivright. II
had previously had it's third reading and
under the rules amendments were not in
order
The call Of the house materialized only
ninety-five members present and voting.
Some of the twenty-three recorded as
absent managed to dodge the sergeant-at-
arms, and thereby escaped going on rec
ord either for or against the bill OF
the ninety-five votes cast Nyquist secured
seventy, and the passage of his bill with
a margin of ten votes.
The law repealed was passed at the
regular session. 1t was introduced by
j. A. Armstrong. and provides for an
arbitrary annual tax of 81 on male dogs
and So on female dogs. The revenue de-
rived constitutes a county fund, from
which indemnities are to be paid persons
losing domestic animals through the dep
relations of dogs,
Exposition Bill Defeated.
Mr. Haugland's committee on the re-
ception of bills reported the Noyes bill
for an appropriation of $4,000 for the
Minnesota exhibit at the Louisiana pur-
chase exposition, for indefinite postpone
ment. The committee held that the bill
was general in its nature, and that I'M
der the joint rules of the special session
it could not be received. Under the same
rules a two-thirds vote of the house was
required to reverse the decision of the
committee The bill was excepted from
the committees report, but the attempt
to reverse the report failed utterly, devel-
cping an affirmative vote of considerably
less than a majority.
Capt Allen came to the front again
with another resolution fixing the date
for adjournment sine -ie. The cold re-
ception accorded his resolution liking sat
urday as the last day made him little
more cautious, and yesterday he attempt
ed to fix Tuesday, March II, as the date
upon which the legislature must loosen
it's grip on the public purse strings. Ills
later date met with as little comfort as
the first resolution, and if Hickey mad
not given notice of debate. the 1ndlca-
tons were that a clean majority OF the
house members had each a different and
valid excuse for not fixing date for let
ting go their per diem.
The one argument, beside that Offered
by Capt Allen, which took into consid-
Grafton the taxpayers, was that offered
by Mr. Kelly, and even he was opposed
to the resolution. His remarks were re-
ceived by the minority as well meTited
rebuke to the house, which has irittereo
away time and money ''monkeying' with
alleged tax legislation and accomplish
ed nothing.
Representative Hickey played the part
of the Good Samaritan for the taxpayers
by giving notice of debate, which under
the rules sent the resolution over for
twenty-four hours. TIE Morris game and
fish bill was called up by Mr.. Kelly, il
the absence of Morris, and passed. The
bill cCrrects an error in the fish bill pass
fErnry
penalty clause which was inadvertently
left out in the haste of the last days
of the session of 1901.
The bill authorizing a $500 increase il
the salary of the recording clerk of the
secretary of states office was passed
The clerk at present receives 81 coo pei
annum, which it is claimed is inadequate
for the duties imposed upon him.
Wide Open Policy adopted.
The house late yesterday afternoon
after spending half Of the morn ng anC
all of the afternoon in tiresome debate
committed itself to the Wde-open policy
of the tax commission on constitutions
amendments to be submitted to the PEG
pie at the next general election. Tht
wide-open policy was adopted by VOC
of 63 to As.
At the morning session S. D. Peterson
set the ball rolling for the wide-open pol
icy by advocating in a long and vehe-
mently personal speech the Alley amend
ments to the majority judiciary commit
tee bill, drafted along the lines proposed
by Mr.. Dunn, Ramsey. w. B. Anderson
Winona, occupied the remainder Of The
morning session with an appeal to the
restricted policy Of Mr. Dunn and thu
majority of the judiciary committee.
In the afternoon Roberts, Armstrong
Peterson, Jacobson and Alley pleaded fo
the wide-open policy, and Messrs. Jack
son, Rich, Dunn and Dobbin for the re
stricted constitution. The debate bad'
fair to consume another day. when i
was suddenly brought to a close by
motion for the previous question on The
Alley amendments. Mr.. Dunn secured
a division of the question. He had ex
cepted from the balance of the tax com
mission plan the amendment proposing
special municipal tax legislation. Thc
majority of the country members voted
for the Alley amendments as first submit
ted, but bolted when the second question
which apparently gave the cities a chance
to play even in the legislature, and vote
down the proposition by an Overwhelming
majority. The vote on the Alley amend
ment proper was 48 noes to 63 ayes.
STORM OF WIDE EXTENT.