The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-25
PUTS DEATH PENALTY
IN HANDS OF JURY
Senator Alleys Bill Takes the
Sentence From the
Judge

The death penalty will be removed
from the judge and placed in the hands
of the jury if the bill introduced yes
terday in the. senate by Senator Alley
becomes a law The bill specifically
gives the jury the power of imposing
the supreme penalty in case a person
is found guilty of murder in the first
degree. In the event that the jury does
not impose the death penalty, when it
returns the verdict, the Judge is re-
quired to pass a sentence of life i'm
prisonment.
The bill further provides that the
punishment for murder in the second
degree shall be Imprisonment for pc
riod of not less than thirty nor more
than fifty years. The bill does not ap-
ply to crimes committed before it's pas
sage. The bill was referred to the ju
dietary committee.
Senator Peterson offered railroad
bill even more radical than that intro
duced in the house by Representative
Ware. 1t limits the amount to be
charged for railroad fare within the
state of Minnesota to 2 cents mile,
and forbidS the issuing of passes. The
bill went to the railroads committee.
A bill by Senator Stephens author
ICES the establishment of state drain
age commission. comprising the gov
ernor, secretary of state and the state
auditor. 1t provides for the drainage
of the swamps and marshy lands of the
state and appropriates $4,000 for the
current year, and an equal amount for
the year 1906 to carry out the pro-
visions of the act. 1t was referred to
the drainage committee.
Rieke Is Fairly Busy
Senator Rieke is the author of three
of the nine bills introduced at yester-
days session. The first one authorizes
boards of county commissioners in
counties having less than $4,000 in
ahabitants to have tract indexes tran
scfibed, compared with original records
and checked back and to provide pay
ment therefor. The second measure
appropriates $1,000 to build a bridge
across Long lake, and the third fixes
the minimum price of school lands at
SO an acre, the sales to be held In the
county in which the land Is located, and
provides that pine lands shall not be
sold until the timber has been esti-
mated, appraised and sold.
A bill introduced by Senator Dale
legalizes Acknowledgements of instru-
ments taken after the notary's term of
troduced a bill amending the law of
1894 relating to notaries puolic, by re-
quiring every notary to write, stamp or
print on any document containing the
notary'S seal the date of the expiration
of his commission.
Senator Brewer introduced his bill
authorizing the taking of the fifth de-
cennial state census. The bill appro-
PIRATES $65, 200, and provides that the
or. oh oi,
June 1, under the direction of the SUI
perintendent Of the census, who will
be the secretary of state. The bill was
referred to the census committee.
House Bill Passed
On motion of Senator Fitzpatrick. the
rules were suspended and House File
No. so was given all it's readings and
passed. The bill allows the incorpora-
tion of grand and subordinate lodges of
the Degree of Honor, A. o. U. w.
Senator George w. Somerville, who
has been engaged in the Koch murder
trial at New Ulm during the past four
weeks, maze his first appearance in
the senate yesterday. President Jones
chair, and he did SO, amid the applause
of his fellow senator's.
Senate Bills
tablish a state drainage commission and
appropriate money for the work. Drain
age committee.
S. F. No. Al: Dale-Bil to legalize
Acknowledgements of Instruments taken
after expiration of notarys term of office.
Judiciary.
ST. No. As: BY Alley-Bill empower
ing jury to infiict death penalty for mur-
der in first degree and abolishing life i'm
prisonment for murder in second degree
Judiciary
S. F. No. 40: By Brower-Bill authoriz-
ing state census to be taken in year 1905
Census committee
s. F. No. so: BY Stone-Bill amending
law of 1894 relating to notaries public
Judiciary.
S. F. No. 81: BY Peterson-Bin fixing
railroad fares in state at cents a mile
and forbidding issuance of passes Com
mittee on railroads.
S. F. No 81: BY Riel1e-Bin authoriz-
ing boards of county commissioners ir
counties of less than $4,000 population te
have tract indexes transcribed Towns
and counties committee
s. f. No. 54: By Rieke-BiIl fixing the
ating $1,000 to build bridge across Long
lake. Roads and bridges committee
s. F. No. 8: By Rieke-Bill fixing the
minimum price of school lands at $40 ar
acre. judiciary.