IN SENATE.
FRIDAY, January 25, 1861.Mr. DICKINSON presented a petition from ninety odd citizens of Cass county, praying for the passage of a law to protect sheep from dogs; which was read and referred to the Committee on Agriculture.
Mr. ROBINSON presented a series of resolutions, adopted by a Union meeting, held at Vevay, Switzerland county, on the 8th inst. He stated that he only obtained them through the columns of the paper published in that place, but took pleasure in presenting them. The meeting was attended by about a thousand voters. The resolutions were read and referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
ABOLISHING GRAND JURIES.
Mr. CONLEY offered a resolution, which was adopted, instructing the Committee on Organization of Courts to inquire into the expediency of abolishing the Grand Jury system, &c.
MARRIAGE LICENSES.
Mr. STONE offered a resolution, which was adopted, directing the Committee on County and Township Business to inquire into the expediency of so changing the law in reference to the issuing of marriage licenses, as to make it part of the duties of the recorder.
QUALIFICATION OF VOTERS FOR SCHOOL
DIRECT
ORS.
Mr. SHOULDERS offered a resolution, which was adopted, requesting the Committee on Education to inquire into the expediency of amending the school law, so as to prevent persons from voting for school directors who have no children to send to school.
SURETIES.
Mr. WILSON offered a resolution, which was adopted by consent, instructing the Judiciary Committee to inquire into the expediency of making reconnoisance for surety a lien upon surety, &c.
SALARIES OF COUNTY OFFICERS.
Mr. GRUBB offered a resolution, which was adopted by consent, directing the Committee on County and Township Business to inquire into the expediency of fixing by law the salaries of county auditors, treasurers, clerks and sheriffs, according to population.
ADVANCE OPINIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT.
Mr. NEWCOMB offered a resolution that the Judges of the Supreme Court be requested to examine any bills designed to prevent frauds in elections, which may be submitted to them by the Senate or the Committee on Elections, &c.
Mr. MILLER offered an amendment, including bills relative to the Common School law, referred to the Committee on Education.
Mr. CONNER desired to change the reference of the resolution to the Attorney General.
Mr. RAY objected to the resolution; he would prefer referring these matters to the Attorney General.
Mr. BEESON proposed an amendment to the amendment, so as to include the question whether specific tax on dogs is in accordance with the Constitution; which he subsequently withdrew.
Mr. MARCH was opposed to the principle endeavored to be inaugurated by the resolution, because it would confound one department of the government with another.
Mr. JOHNSON was in favor of keeping the governmental departments separate.
Mr. MILLER. It is immaterial whether the resolution prevails or not. But here are constitutional questions raised, and it is not so much what the constitution is as to what the page: 104[View Page 104] Supreme Court may declare it to be. It seemed to him much time and trouble might be saved by getting an advance opinion.
Mr. NEWCOMB. It is a simple request; if the judges do not see proper to accede that is the end of it. It is no new thing under the sun. No question can come up on the school law which has not already been decided.
After short remarks by Messrs. Claypool, Landers and Shields-
Mr. LANDERS moved to amend by including all other bills before the Senate.
On motion by Mr. JOHNSON the resolution and amendments were laid on the table.
EXTRA EXPENSES OF THE AGRICULTURAL BOARD.
Mr. ROBINSON offered a resolution which was adopted, instructing the Committee on Agriculture to ascertain the amount of moneys paid by the State Board of Agriculture for extra services, c.
HOUSE OF REFUGE FOR JUVENILES.
Mr. DICKINSON, offered a resolution which was adopted authorizing the appointment of a select committee of five to which so much of the Governor's Massage as relates to a House of Refuge for juvenile offenders shall be referred.
NEW PROPOSITIONS.
The following bills were introduced and passed to the second reading without objection :
By Mr. JOHNSON: [81] To amend section 51 of the misdemeanor act so as to prevent prosecution for taking ten per cent, interest.
By Mr. JOHNSON: [82] To repeal the act amending section 143 of the assessment act.
By Mr. WAGNER: [83] Assessing tax for common school purposes, &c.
By Mr. WAGNER : [84] To amend section 2 of the new county act of '57; so that all citizens of a county proposed to be changed shall vote upon the question.
By Mr. O'BRIEN : [85] To legalize the assessment and appraisement of property in the cities of this State and the making out and deliveries of tax duplicates in the cities of this State, in certain cases.
WORK FOR COMMITTEES.
The following Senate bills, described in yesterday's proceedings, were read and severally referred:
Mr. Newcomb's [70] to a select committee consisting of Senators Steele, Newcomb and Craven.
Messrs. Wagner's [71] and O'Brien's [76] to the Committee on Corporations.
Messrs. Lomax's [73] and Conley's [80] to the Committee on Agriculture.
Mr. Wilson's [75] to the Committee on Education.
Messrs. Jones's [77] and March's [78] to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Turner's [79] ordered to be engrossed.
ABOLISHING THE COMMON PLEAS COURT
Mr. CONLEY offered a resolution directing the Committee on Organization of Courts to inquire into the expediency of abolishing courts of common pleas ; establishing gate system for the settlement of estates, &c.
Mr. RAY moved to amend by providing for transferring the civil jurisdiction of the common pleas court to the circuit court; re-districting the State for that purpose, &c.
Mr. CONLEY accepted the amendment.
The resolution was adopted.
And then-
The Senate took a recess till 2 o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The New York and Ohio resolutions in relation to the troubles and dissentions afflicting the nation, transmitted to the Senate by the Governor, on the 21st inst., were read and referred to the Committee on Federal Relations. [The New York resolutions are identical with those introduced in the House by Mr. Roberts and printed on pages 46 and 47 of these Reports.]
The House resolution authorizing a joint committee on apportionment; and a House message asking the return of a paper hereto, fore transmitted to the Senate were taken up and concurred in.
The joint resolution [H. R. 23] authorizing the Auditor and Secretary of State to distribute to new counties their share of the journals, acts, statutes, reports, and other documents, was taken up and passed by yeas 34, nays 0.
RELIEF TO SOLDIERS OF 1812.
The joint resolution [H. R. 7]-described on page 37 of these Reports-requesting Congressmen to use their best endeavors to secure the passage of a law giving further aid to the soldiers of the war of 1812 or their widows, was taken up and passed by yeas 34, nays 0.
A HOMESTEAD FOR ACTUAL SETTLERS.
The joint resolution [H. R. 8]-described on page 37 of these Reports-requesting Congressmen to take such action as will tend to secure to actual settlers on the public lands a homestead of 160 acres, was taken up.
On motion by Mr. CONLEY the resolution was amended by adding the word " white" before the word " settler."
The resolution passed by yeas 34, nays 0.
NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
The joint resolution [H. R. 11]-described on page - of these Reports-referring to the navigation of the Mississippi river, was taken up, read, and referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
[Mr. CONLEY presented the proceedings of a Union meeting held at Gosport, Owen county, on the 19th inst., which were read and referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.]
page: 105[View Page 105]BASIS OF INDIANA BANKS.
Mr. CLAYPOOL introduced a bill [S. 86] to and sections 4, 6, and 7 of the general banking law, approved March 3, 1855; [amending section 4 so as to allow the Bank-to issue one fifth of her circulation in bills-under five dollars and amending sections 6 and 7 so as to make nothing but Indiana bonds as a basis for free banking, and requiring these banks now doing business on stock of other States to deposit Indiana bonds in lieu thereof on or before January 1, 1863] which was passed the first reading without objection.
Mr. CLAYPOOL explained the object of his bill as above recited, and moved to suspend the rules in order that the bill might be read the second time, by title only, and be referred to the appropriate committee.
Mr. STEELE. I hope the motion will prevail, for I look upon this bill as one of great importance. A change in our banking law is absolutely necessary. I introduced in the other branch of the Legislature, some four years ago, a bill with the same provisions as this one, but it was not thought important at that time. With banks predicated upon Indiana stocks there has been no difficulty, and there can be none, because each individual in the State is interested in. the payment of her stocks. For instance, when I was sent by the board of directors of the bank I have some connection with at home, to buy stocks several years ago, some of them were in favor of buying Virginia and other State stocks, while I took the ground that I would not buy any but Indiana. What are the results? I found gentlemen at that time buying Missouri's, and I argued with them in this way: Missouri is nineteen millions in debt, and they have passed an act authorizing a loan of ten millions; now if Indiana repudiated at sixteen millions, where does Missouri go, which is not worth half as much as Indiana?
Mr. WAGNER (interrupting.) Does the gentleman say Indiana has ever been repudiated?
Mr. STEELE. I say she refused to pay the interest on her debt for four years, and I call that repudiation. Missouri is now in debt over thirty millions. The great difficulty with Illinois money is that almost the entire banking circulation is predicated upon Missouri bonds. * * * The five per cent, bonds of Indiana to-day stand higher than any other six per cent, bonds any bank in the State is predicated upon.
The motion was agreed to-yeas 35, nays 0.The bill was read the second time by title only, and referred to the Committee on Banks.
SWAMP LAND DIFFICULTIES.
Mr. SHIELDS introduced a bill [S. 87] for the relief of certain citizens in Jackson and Washington counties, which was passed the first reading without objection.
THE STATE BORROWING MONEY.
A message from the House announced the passage by that body of a bill, [H. R. 104,] to provide for a deficiency in the State Treasury by a loan of $75,000 from the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund; and also Mr. Carnahan's bill [S. 14]-described on page 25 of these reports-amending section 14 of the decedent estate act.
On motion by Mr. WAGNER the bill [H. R. 104] was taken up, read the first time, rules suspended-yeas 34, nays 0-read the second time by title only, and referred to the Committee on Finance.
DECEDENTS' ESTATES.
Mr. MILLER introduced a bill [S. 88,] amending section 62 of the act approved June 17, 1852, so as to bar all claims not filed within three years from the date of the first appointment of executor or administrator, and notice thereof; and section 71, so as to regulate the disposition and sale of real estate bought in by administrators or executors upon sales under execution in favor of the estate, and providing for reperfecting claims of title in such cases; which was passed the first reading without objection.
REPLENISHMENT OF THE TREASURY.
Mr. CLAYPOOL, from the Finance Committee, returned yesterday's resolution, inquiring into the expediency of a bill requiring county treasurers to pay into the State Treasury what revenue they may have in their hands on the 15th of February, 1861, with an adverse report thereon.
The report was concurred in.
STATIONERY AND POSTAGE FOR MEMBERS, ETC.
Mr. WAGNER, from the Finance Committee, returned Mr. Conley's bill [S. 55]-described on page 69 of these reports-recommending passage.
On motion by Mr. CONLEY the report was concurred in, and the bill laid on the table.
And then-
On motion the Senate adjourned.
