The Ely miner., 1907-02-01
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE

OU. Idul, mlQH., JAN. zt-CON' u.
A. Johnson today replied to the Gates
resolution passed in the house and
calling on him for special message
OF recommendation on the subject OF
county option and LIQUOR license.
Reading between the lines of polite,
parliamentary language the message
inforn med the house that the question
was up to the lawmakers as legisla-
tive proposition and not to the gov
ernor as the executive of the state 1;
that the question was their trouble and
not his, and he accordingly declined
to commit himself. The governor
quoted the section of his original
message on the initiative and refer
endum and thought the legislature
would do well to apply ito this special
sui ject. He held that county option
is not yet political question in this
state; it is purely a moral one and to
be settled by the representatives of
the people, involving the principle OF
local self-government.
''Thatit would be manifestly impro-
per" read the message, "and indeli-
cate for me to discuss this question in
detail at this time, is evident from the
fact that the resolution was not con-
current and was not joined in by the
senate, and that there is now pend
ing in that body bill covering this
very question, and for the further
reason that if such bill is passed, it
will become my duty to officially
review it," The whole drift of the
governors message was, its up to
you, not me-" and was absolutely
non-commital.
In the house today. w. A. Nolan
stirred up hornets nest by moving
reconsideration of the senate resolu-
ton authorizing legislative payment
of expenses of lawmakers on trips to
state institutions. The motion was
opposed by F. L. White, r. J. Wells,
and others and was lost by vote of
40 to 60. Nolan warned the members
the present legislative session prom
ised fair to be the most expensive in
the history of the state. Ambrose
Lighe endorsed this sentiment. J. g..
Lennon condemned the resolution in
that all members had railroad passes
and their other expenses were borne
by the board of control and reception
committees at the institution towns.
A flood of bills made their appear
ance in both houses today. In the
house o. N. Shundale introduced a
bill to prohibit issuance of any more
state mineral leases until further
authorized by the legislature. @. B.
Miller fathered a house-file duplicate
of the Fitzpatrick senate bill for the
Initiative and referendum" The
"big stick" for giant fire crackers is
offered in a bill by Elmer Adams to
prohibit their sale. Representative
vollmer introduced a bill providing
that a number, not to exceed 10 per
cent of men in any line of work in
the state can be used in the state
prison in like labor. @. M. Bendixen
requires in bill be presented that all
agricultural products excep5 such as
are sold by the dozen or bunch, shall
hereafter be sold by tLs svsrdupois
pound weight.
Thirty bills put in an appearance in
senate session today lasting less
than an hour. Senators Canestrop
and Works introduced new inherit
ance tax bills. The Canestorp bill
calls for per cent tax on inherit
ances of over $50, 200; the Works bill
for per cent on all inheritances over
100000 Senator Works also intro
duced a bill requiring the state rail-
road bill to establish distance tariff.
The senate today suspended the
rules to pass finance committee bill
appropriating $233, 600 for state insti-
tutions to make good standing appro-
priations which had been unknowing-
ly repealed by the passage of the
code two years ago.
st. Paul, Mimi, Jan. 26-Both sem
ate and house today took action to
endorse Edward T. Young, attorney
general, in his legal battle against
the railroads, both in the matter of
that officials attack on the legality Of
the Manitoba charter now held by
the Great Northern, and that of the
injunction brought against the state
by the ten railroads operating within
it to prevent the putting into effect
of the new lower rates ordered by the
state railroad commission.
In the house L. @. Spooner, chair
man of the railroad committee, today
introduced bill to grant the attor-,
ney general $25, 900 a year for the em-
ployment of additional counsel and
for entering into such expenses as are
necessary in important litigations.
Spooner gave notice that he would
ask next Tuesday for passage of the
bill under suspension of the rules
which usually tie a bill down to a
number of weeks before it is passed
fter its introduction. Spooner be-
4e,-es that no red tape should hamper
tt ate in legal defense ofthe rights
of eople at this time.
III enate, B. E. Sundbefg in
froduce nrthy resolution calling
for the mt of a committee of
five sen.. ke special inves-
tigation OF :, freight tonnage,
etc. in Minna he committee to