Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-10-09
AN ILLEGAL SESSION,
MOriarty Raises Unique Question
With Respect to Senate.
ANOTHER MESSAGE COMING,
Governor Has Il on Tap-Senate Box
ers Believe They Can Block Primary
Bill-New Scheme Is Injected Into
the Measure.

-
l.l
Lansing, Mich. Oct. 9.-Senator
Noriarty has raised a neat question,
which involves the right Of the
present senate to sit The last ieg.s 5.
lature reappointed the senatorial dis.
tricts and that law took effect Sept
2S, so that the districts as now rep.
resented by the senators no longer
exist.
With that as a basis, the question
arises whether the senators have any
right to act and whether it would not
be necessary to have an election in
order to secure proper representation
for the new districts, as practically all
OF them were changed.
On the other h.nd the constitution
provides that senaOs shall be elected
for two years.
Bird Is Silent.
The matter has been referred to At.
torney-General Bird, who did not care
to give an opinion until he could look
into it very carefully.
1t looks as though there would be
no primary bill passed in the senate.
Very little else will get through aside
from the Mt Pleasant appropriation
and the military bill.
The senate boxers held a long eau
Gus last night with fifteen present, the
only absentee being Senator Mckay
OF Caro- who is too III TO came until
his presence is really necessary. They
take the view that Governor Warner
is trying to use the primary bill TO
play politics, and they don't propose
to let him
y When the bill comes up the boxers
will debate II section by section, and
then vote against It, which spells de-
feat, as the administration can muster
but sixteen votes.
Not only does the special session OF
the legislature promise to become in
teresting, for, Governor Warner is go
ing to keep the pot boiling at all haz-
ards, but its Original scope is going
TO be greatly wiaened The governor
has changed his mind about several
matters and in consequence will give
the solons plenty to do.
Tuesday afternoon he finished the
draft OF another message which he
will send to the legislature Thursday.
would refer only to the necessity OF
amending the military bill and enact
ing a new Juvenile court act, which a
committee OF probate judges are draft
ing
AS a matter OF fact the message goes
way beyond this. the governor recon-
mendlng that a bill be passed placing
the telegraph and telephone com
panies of the state on an adj valorum
for the purpose OF taxation: that ocean
mileage be eliminated In determining
the value OF express companies. and
that the state railroad commission ne
given authority over the issuance OF
stocks and bonds of railroad CON-
panies In order to prevent over CAPT
talization
Revamp Primary Bill.
The administration played its star
card Tuesday by revamping the pri-
mary bill so as not to disturb the 40
per cent provision and at the same
time keeping the state convention from
making nominations in case the can
didates failed to receive the required
percentage
This is accomplished by providing
for two primaries for the nomination
OF governor and lieutenant-governor.
The schedule. as outlined. provides a
primary on the first Monday in April
for the nomination OF the candidates
for governor, lieutenant governor. dele.
fates-at-iarge and district delegates to
the national conventions. It is then
stipulated that il no candidates re-
ceive the required 40 per cent of the
votes cast the two highest candidates
for governor and lieutenant. governor
shall be placed upon a primary ballot
without petition and voted for at the
general primaries TO be held on the
third Tuesday in August.
Under this plan nomination is as
sured and ali chances Of the posi-
bility Of the nominations being thrown
into the state convention are avoided
The administration senators caucused
all morning and part OF the afternoon
before the provisions were whipped
into shape A meeting OF the commit
tee on elections was then called and
the bill was reported out and made
g special order for this afternoon
Some OF the boxers declare that the
bill Is full Of legal defects and will
submit It 70 the encouragement foi
his opinion.
Both houses were practically idle
Tuesday so far as doing any work wa:
concerned. The members amused
themselves by singing, 1--WE are here
because we are here"
The house elections committee de
cided TO hold up the primary bill unit
the senate takes some action or fail.
70 take any. so there was nothins
doing along that line.
Ionia, Mich. Oct. 9.-iInknowI