Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1905-03-25
The State Legislature.
lansing, March 20, 1905.

against the prosecuting attorney OF
That county for neglect Of duty in
Failure 10 prosecute violal ions of the
local option law. and asking his dis
missal from. office. The governor
promptly referred the case TO Attorney
General Bird for investigation, and
upon his report the governor VIII act.
! Governor Warner has shown a ready
responsiveness tOall demands or the
duty he has assumed of eXecuting the
laws, and requiring that all Officers IN
subordi ate positions shall llKewise
observe he obligations rest Ing upon
them. 1he case of Mr.. butcher, or
the board Of coitrol for tn" asylum
at Newberfy, was good illustration
OF this. There Was no hesitation or
delay in requiring him to vacate his
Office. as sOou as the investIgati0n
showed that he had , olated the law
in protiLng by contracting FOR sup
% es. though il was not shown that the
state had suffered any financial loss
thereby. Mr.. Dutch r made the plea
that he had con mitted no moral
wrong. but only n technical vloIal ion
of the law sirce be ont, charged the
state the market price or the wood ne
sold. But Cover or Warner believed
that no officer could violate the law
which he had taken an obligation to
obey without committing moral
wrong. and showing himself unfit for
the trust that had been rep"scd in
INN.
The general primary bill that was
TO formulate the seuate's view upon
that subject was not completed for
introduction last week, as had been
expected and probably Will uoi be be-
fore Wednesday of this week, on
which day the Stune bill which has
been favUr4biy reported from he house
elections commit &c, will come up as
the special ordor in the house, and Will
hold the boards as the central at ract
ION in committee Of The wrole, probab
IL, through the week.
One of the seventeen joint resOlut-
ions that have been introduced al
= this session of the legislature propos-
f ing su mission Of amendments TO the
constitution. ii Que in the house. by
y Alr. Lord of Detroit. providing for
] general Incorporation Jaw FOR cities
and villages. 1t canuot be acted up
q on in time to be submitted 10 the vot-
e ers at the pproaching splil q election
I but it is highly desirable that some
thing should be done along that lio
q 10 relieve the legislature of the CO
q stautly increasing flood Of special leg
n islation, noI only IN charters of incuI
o. poration but in many other classes
. The state OF llIino put into her con
o. Stitution thirty yeas ago prehihitio
+. OF special and local legislation OF man
RI classes, and provided general laws ia
:. stead and if Mr.. Lords resolution doe
d not include such prohibition,
y should. The man who shall prepar
a for our state practicable scheme
is wide application for such purpose
will do great service.
= IL is felt to he absurd that nor
than third OF all the bills offered ft
, consideration should be Of a priyat
=. and local cha acter, for purp' ses tha
could in large part be as well attane
10y the operation OF general laws a
ready existing or that might exis
and which not only involve great g,
pense in their enactment into law
, but which afterward for all time lun
!. Der MP the law books with countle
=, statues, and burden the courts at
80 the people In their administrator
- or seven hundred and nineteen bill
80 introduced in the first two months
this session, two hundred aud fifty OF
= are private aud local bills. OF thes
~ seventy eight are TO provide or amer
municipal charters, and for erectil
, or changing wards, townships, pr
~ cipcts and school districts. Th
thirty nine more are TO anthorl
various municipalities TO bond thel
selves for local purposes; and fort
eight others provide for various coun
aud municipal officers. or presrri
duties and compensation for su
officers. Add to these thirty more
Incorporation OF religious, fraterr
and business associations, and
have one hundred and ninety.fiye bi
OF these classes. almost all OF them |
necessary If we only had the gene
laws urder which these local intere
could be regulated, with constitute
al prohibition of the needless was
Dns We have now much Of the provision
general laws, but not the prohibit
of the eternal duplication and vari
OF ion apd modification of such provs