ites accruing in the several offices since the passage of the act of March 5, 1859 ; which were referred to the Committee on Finance.
PETITIONS, MEMORIALS, ETC.
By Mr. TEEGARDEN: From citizens of Laporte county, praying for the passage of a law authorizing county com-commissioners to hold plats of ground for the use of agricultural and horticultural societies; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture.
By Mr. DeHART: From 50 citizens of Howard county, praying for an act authorizing the establishment of five additional branches of the Bank of the State; which was referred to the Committee on Banks.
By Mr. WILLIAMS: From 55 citizens of Knox county, without respect to party, praying for an adjustment of our national troubles upon the basis of the Crittenden amendments, or some other basis equally fair and honorable; which was referred to the Committee on Federal Relations under the rules.
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES
Were made and concurred in, as follows:
- By Mr. HAMILTON: Finance-returning the bill H. R. 283-see page 269 of these Reports-recommending passage.
- By Mr. BLAIR: Finance-returning the bill S. 186-see page 232-recommending indefinite postponement as there is a House bill now on the files which can be amended, so as to accomplish its object.
- By Mr. HULL: Roads-returning the bill S. 246, recommending passage
- By Mr. MELLETT: Claims-returning the bill S. 267, recommending that it lie on the table, as the committee have heretofore reported a bill upon the same subject and recommended its passage.
- By Mr. FERGUSON: Select Committee-returning the bill H. R. 328, changing the time of holding the Common Pleas Court in his district, recommending passage.
- By Mr. JOHNSON: Select Committee-returning the bill S. 266, changing the time of holding courts in Owen county, recommending passage.
- By Mr. MILLER: Education-returning the bill H. R. 100-see page 100 of these Reports-recommending passage.
- By Mr. CONNER: Select Committee-returning his levee and drain bill S. 252, recommending passage.
- By Mr. STEELE: Banks-returning the bill H. R. 140-see page 136 of these Reports-recommending passage.
- By Mr. JOHNSON: Finance-returning the bill H. R. 13-see page 29-recommending indefinite postponement.
- By Mr. JOHNSON: Corporationsreturning Senator Slack's bill 180-see page 226-without recommendation.
NEW PROPOSITIONS.
Mr. MARCH introduced a bill [273] to give judgment defendents the right to redeem land within 12 months when sold on execution without benefit of valuation and appraisement laws.
Mr. NEWCOMB introduced a bill [274] to provide for the appointment of; a temporary judge of the Court of Common Pleas by said court, in the absence of, or in case of interest or relationship of the judge; and for an extension of the time of holding said court.
Which were passed to the second reading.
WORK FOR COMMITTEES.
The following bills were read the second time, and referred to the appropriate committees:
- Judiciary-H. R. 115, 129, and Senator Wagner's 172.
- Finance-The bill H. R. 135.
- Rights and Privileges-The bill H. R. 139.
- Organization of Courts-Senator Wagner's 270.
- Senator Wagner's 269 was laid on the table and 200 copies ordered printed, on Mr. MILLER'S motion.
- The bills H. R. 77, 114, 124, 296, and Senator Landers' 271 were ordered engrossed.
On motion by Mr. MILLER the common School bill S. 217 was taken up for consideration; when, on motion by Mr. BLAIR, it was made the special order for Monday at 2 o'clock.
On motion by Mr. TURNER, the bill H. R. 3-see page 28 of these Reports-was read the third time, amended so as the courts shall be held in Newton county before those in Jasper county, and finally passed by yeas 35, nays 0.
On motion by Mr. JOHNSON, his bill 264, fixing and extending the time of holding common pleas courts in Putnam county, was read the third time, and finally passed by yeas 35 nays 0.
On motion by Mr. MELLETT, his bill [45] providing for a speedy publication of decisions of the Supreme Court, excluding argument of counsel-see pages 69 and 170-was read the third time, and finally passed by yeas 35, nays 0.
On motion by Mr. CRAVENS (Mr. Wagner in the chair), Senator Hamilton's bill 31-see pages 45, 227, 244, 257 of these Reports-was taken up and the House amendments thereto were read.
Mr. CRAVEN. I am unable to apprehend why it is that a bill of such great importance is to be pressed through before we have time to examine it. I find upon hearing the amendments read that the proposition put in the bill by the Senate in regard to those creditors furnishing wood, labor, &c., has been cut out, so that it now wipes out all debts; and for what reason I am unable to apprehend. If this bill is a fair and honest proposition, I ask why this hot haste? Why refuse a Senator upon this floor the privilege of examining this bill, which will not take more than half an page: 324[View Page 324]hour? An honest proposition, sir, requires no such extraordinary management. For one I cannot concur in the amendments.
Mr. HAMILTON. I disclaim any dishonesty of purpose in this matter. This bill was discussed fully in the Senate. I am as incapable of presenting anything to this Senate that would be unjust or unfair as any Senator upon this floor. If the Senator cannot comprehend this bill it is not my fault. If these amendments are not concurred in the bill will have to go back to the House, and a committee of conference called for, and it is too near the close of the session for that.
Mr. MARCH. The Senator from Madison (Mr. Craven), is chairman of the Committee on Corporations, and I think it is no more than courtesy that he should have an opportunity to examine the bill. I agree with him that this is an important bill, and there is no necessity for running it through in hot haste. I do not intend to make a factious opposition to it, but it is due to every Senator that he should have an opportunity to examine the bill and amendments. I do not discover any objectionable feature in them, but in a long bill of that kind the change or addition to the phraseology may be of great importance.
Mr. STEELE. This seems to me to be an unusual course in legislation. By the number of that bill we see it is one of the first introduced in the legislature, and I don't think there has a bill been as much discussed as this one. It is growing late in the session, and it is known to every Senator that if this bill goes to a committee now it is uncertain about its passage. I know there is justice in the bill-it contemplates nothing but justice, and it is due to those who have passed upon it and heard it discussed to put it upon the concurrent vote at once. I hope for the sake of the tens of thousands interested in the passage of this bill that it will be passed, and that we will act upon it at once.
Mr. CRAVEN. Bills of importance, which a number of Senators desire should come up now, have to be throttled at once for this mammoth railroad bill, because of the railroad influences here. There are certain propositions in that bill as I now understand them, that I am against,and ever expect to be against. I simply ask the privilege of examining it fairly, and that is but the common right of a Senator here. I move to refer the bill to a Select Committee of Three.
Mr. CRAVENS. The Senator from Madison [Mr. Craven] has the right to examine the bill, as we have all that right. This bill was introduced early in the session; it has now passed both Houses, and the .question is, shall it be postponed, and its passage endangered, and that, too, for one Senator, who says he shall ever be opposed to it? I trust the bill may be put upon its passage, that we may now concur or refuse to concur, for the simple reason that the railroads running through this State constitute a great interest-commercial agricultural and otherwise; a great many of these railroads are not worth a dollar to the stockholders, and nothing to the community and this bill simply enables them to get upon their legs again, that they may be useful, become fertilizers to the soil, and furnish to every man a market at his door.
The motion to refer was rejected.
The House amendments were concurred in.
On motion by Mr. CLAYPOOL, his bill 209-see page 244 of these Reports-providing for the distribution of estates, taking into consideration the advancements thereof, was read the third time, and finally passed by yeas 34, nays 0.
Mr. CRAVENS, from the Committee on Finance, returned the bill H. R. 161-see page 146 of these Reports-recommending passage. The report was concurred in.
Mr. CRAVENS. If it is the pleasure of the Senate, I would like to have that bill put upon its passage. It is a bill simply providing an amendment to the llth section of the act providing a treasury system, approved March 1 1859. It provides that whenever the Treasurer of State knows there is any money in a county treasury belonging to the State, he shall have power to call it up to the capital, and if, upon this requisition, the county treasurer shall refuse, then action shall be commenced upon the county treasurer's bonds. The object of this bill is to avoid hereafter the difficulties we have been in this winter.
Mr. CARNAHAN. It seems to me this bill can hardly bp carried out. For instance, if the treasurer of a county is told to transmit funds to the capital of the State, and they are lost in the mails, I am inclined to think, under the bill passed a few days ago, that treasurer would stand a good chance of getting into the State's prison. I shall have to vote against the bill upon its passage.
Mr. CRAVENS. This bill simply provides that the county treasurer shall remit the State funds to the capital upon the requisition of the Treasurer of State. The main object of the bill is to supply the State treasury with money belonging to the State and in the hands of county treasurers. The bill is supplementary to the other bill, and should be passed so as to avoid the necessity hereafter of making outside provision for money to supply deficits in the State treasury, as was the case this winter.
The bill finally passed : yeas 31, nays 3.
On motion by Mr. CONLEY, the bill S. 266, fixing the time of holding courts in Owen county, was read the third time and finally passed: yeas 34, nays 0.
On motion by Mr. STEELE, the bill H. R. 140-see page 136 of these Reports-was read the third time (he said the object of the bill was to rectify a mistake which cannot be done without a law upon the subject), and finally-yeas 34, nays 0.
On motion by Mr. CRAVEN, the bill [S.70] page: 325[View Page 325] for the relief of Lot Edwards, was read the third time, (Mr. NEWCOMB explained its provisions, and Mr. STEELE said "the bill is right,") and finally passed: yeas 34, nays 0.
On motion by Mr. RAY, his bill 185, to extend the time of holding the common pleas court in Shelby county, was read the third time.
Pending the vote on its passage-
Came the recess till 2 o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Reports from Committees were made, and concurred in as follows:
- By Mr. WAGNER : Finance-returning the bill [H. R. 325] to raise revenue for 1861-2, recommending passage.
- By Mr. MARCH :. Judiciary-returning the bill H. R. 62-see page 50 of these Reports-recommending passage.
- By Mr. CRAVEN: Education-returning a resolution of inquiry as to whether it is expedient to require by law that the interest heretofore received on loans of the sinking fund shall be annually distributed to the treasurers of the several counties for the use of common schools, &c., recommending that it lie on the table, as legislation upon the subject is unnecessary and inexpedient.
- By Mr. BLAIR : from the same Committee on the same subject, reporting that the interest is distributed, and that further legislation is inexpedient.
The House bills 322, 313, 72, 82, 89, 91, 122, and 159, were read, and severally passed to the second reading.
On motion by Mr. WAGNER, it was-
Ordered that a message be transmitted to the House requesting the return of the bill H. R. 161, passed by the Senate this morning, that an emergency clause may be added to it.
Mr. Conley appeared and voted for Mr. Ray's bill 185 [pending the vote on which came the recess for dinner], and so the bill finally passed by yeas 34, nays 0.
On motion by Mr. WAGNER, his bill 269 introduced yesterday morning was taken from the table and referred to the joint committee appointed to redistrict the State for Congressional purposes.
Mr. HAMILTON moved to amend the title as follows:
A bill making a Congressional race track for the Senators from Delaware, Fayette, Henry, Laporte, Warren, Parke, Jefferson, DeKalb, and Lawrence.
Which was referred with the bill.
A message from the House announced the return of the bill H. R. 161; on motion by Mr. WAGNER, the vote was reconsidered by which it was passed, an emergency clause was incorporated in the bill, and it was placed again on the files of the Senate.
Mr. WHITE. I move that the joint Committee, to which was referred the bill 269, re-districting the State for Congressional purposes, be instructed to strike out from the bill the counties of White and Jasper, where they occur, and insert Boone county. I will say that I really think there would be no harm in worshipping it, for there is nothing in the heavens above or in the earth beneath like unto it. I like to see politics carried out, but I do think the thing is a little too apparent in this bill. I like to see the fair thing done,and I want it done so the Republicans have the majority too, but not so that it will be too apparent.
Two or three other propositions, by way of instructions, were made in a humorous vein-
And then the Senate adjourned.
