The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-01
Call OF House Made to Muster
Necessary Votes.
BUT EVEN THAT FAILS.
Then Friends of Measure Give
Up the Fight.
educational Budgets Will Con-
form to Reports.

Just before the noon hour TODAY
there was call of the house over the
heene resolution providing for q
three-fourthS jury verdict There
were "A votes cast for the resolution.
just nine short of the necessary two
thirds majority to pass a concurrent
resolution. AS all the members had
voted but seven, the call of the house
was raised by the friends of the bill
at 1880. There has been a lot of dis
cussion over this measure, its friends
claiming that it is meritorious
amendment to the constitution In that
1t viii save money for every county in
the state on retrials of cases. 1t is
also claimed that the old system of re-
qulrlng every vote on jury to decide
case is obsolete in these modern
times. When the jury system was first
established fearful punishments were
provided by law for ordinary offenses
ana the common people needed this
protectlon, especially in England
where the system was established. But
with the passing of feudal days TO
the time of more nominal punish
ments the need of twelve men to con-
Vict has passed. say the lawyers who
have studied this question and favor
the new plan.
The enemies of the bill declare that
the citizen is entitled to the protection
OF ful jury verdict and that any
deviation from this old established
principle of liberty will tend to work
an injustice to litigants
The resolution had passed the SEN
| ate.
The house SI1r1mo riIv diSnoSad
| the resolution this morning by Davis
| or Bourbon petitioning the congress of
the United States to amend the con-
stTution in such fashion as will pre-
vent a governor from being elected
| United States senator until his term
OF office shall have fully expired, The
vote. and the explanation of many
members from both sides of the house
were In the nature of a rebuke against
the introduction of any more alleged
political resolutions to take up the
time of the house when bills of i'm
portance were on the calendar for dis
position. The vote against the reso-
| luton was 72 to table it and AZ
against.
Kelley of Shawnee had his resolu-
ton petitioning President Taft to call
special session of congress beaten
this morning in the house 63 to so on
/ a party vote, the Democrats support
| ing the measure Kelley wants a spe-
cial session for the reasons. that,
whereas, The prices Of the necessi-
ties of life have in the past few years
become almost prohibitive and have
advanced out of proportion to the ad-
vance in wages and incomes and the
prices of all other articles of COM
merce; and
whereas, The governors of thirteen
states have deemed it advisable to ask
the legislatures of their respective
states to petition the president and
congress to relieve this burden by re-
ducing the tariff on all the necessities
of life; therefore. be it
Resolved, That the house of repre-
sentatives of the state of Kansas, the
senate concurring therein, do hereby
petition the Honorable William H.
Taft, president of the United States,
to call a special session of congress
Immediately upon the adjournment of
the present congress for the purpose
of rem owing or reducing all tariff reve-
nues upon the necessities of life; and
be It
Further resolved, That upon the
adoption of this resolution copy of
! the same. with the result of the ac-
ton of the house of representatives
and the senate of the legislature of
the state of Kansas, be forwarded by
telegram to the president by the chief
} clerk of the house."
The budget for the educational in
stitutions occupied the house during
most of today's session. The agricul-
tural college appropriations bill. came
first on the list and the house spent
the morning killing amendments rails
e ing and lowering the items of the ways
and means committee bill.
A persistent effort was made to in
crease the items of $4,000 and $40,-
} 900 for the extension department of
the Farmers institute to $4,000 for
; each year, but 1t failed. Veatch want
t ed to cut out one of the forestry sta
tions either at Ogallah or Dodge city.
jackson of Comanche fought the
t Veateh amendment and it was voted
down.
The bill went through in its original
/ form. The items set forth in the COM
mittee bill have already been printed.
The university budget came next
and it also passed as recommended
! by the ways and means committee.
: Amendments designed to materially
e change the intention of the original
: budget were voted down with regular
!, ity.
Z Mercer of Chase county. chairman IF
= the ways and means committee, led
= the fight for the budgets in their orig
: ina1 form and was ably seconded by
other members of the committee.
An effort was made to get bac4 the
q fees diverted by the bill from the in
= stitution to the general fund of the
: state. The committee bill raised the
order to compensate for loss OF fees.
$ The State Normal budget carrying
k with it the proposition to divorce the
y Emporia and Pittsburg schools, will
d JileIv come before the house this af-
. ternoon. and also the bill consolidating
h the educational boards. There will be
e q hard fight over these measures.
N
-