HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
FRIDAY, January 16, 1863.Petitions were presented and referred to the Committee on Federal Relations, to-wit:
By Mr. WOOLLEN, from certain citizens of Johnson county, praying tor the enforcement, of the 13th article of the Constitution.
By Mr. BURTON, from sundry citizens of Sullivan county, against voting one dollar or one man for the prosecution of the present war, characterized as "an infernal Abolition war."
LEGISLATIVE EXPENSES.
Mr. NIBLACK, from the Committee on Ways and Means reported back the bill [S. 1] appropriating $25.000 for Legislative expenses--recommending its passage with amendments.
$75.000 are appropriated, if necessary, instead of $25,000. The money not used, as Mr. Niblack explained, would remain in the Treasury.
The report was concurred in.
STATE PRINTING OFFICE.
Mr. WOOLLEN from the Committee on Benevolent Institutions reported adversely on a resolution proposing to establish a pointing office at the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb.
The report was concurred in.
SALARIES OF COUNTY AUDITORS AND CLERKS.
Mr. BYERLE offered a resolution, which was rejected, instructing the Committee on Fees and Salaries to report as to the reduction of fees of County Auditors and Clerks.
SECRET POLITICAL SOCIETIES.
Mr. CASON offered the following:
WHEREAS, It has been asserted by that arch-fiend and traitor, Jeff. Davis, in a speech lately made by him at Richmond, Va., that the Great West is preparing for secession from the East;
AND WHEREAS, The Grand Jury of one of the United States Courts finds that there exists in this State a secret political organization, held together by the most horrible and wicked oaths, and having for its purpose and objects, among other things, the assistance and encouragement of the Southern Confederacy, and the formation of a Northwestern Confederacy, with its ultimate annexation to the Southern Confederacy; therefore, be it
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, with power to send for persons and papers, to investigate and inquire whether any such political organization does exist in this State, with any such designs, or having for its objects the resistance of the due and, legal enforcement of any of the laws of this State or of the United States, or for the overthrow of the. legally constituted authorities of this State or of the United States, and to further report to this House what, if any, legislation is necessary to protect the government from the unlawful acts of these treasonable associations.
Mr. BROWN moved to lay the resolution on the table.
The yeas and nays were demanded by Messrs. Griffith and Moorman, and being ordered and taken resulted--yeas 57, nays 35--as follows :
YEAS--Messrs. Abbett, Atkison, Bird, Blocher, Bregan, Brown, Burton, Collins, Cook, Donaldson, Ferris, Garvin, Hall, Hanna, Harden, of Washington; Hardin, of Perry; Harney, Hetfield, Hon, Howard, Howell, Howk, Humphreys, Kemp of Dubois; Kemp, of Vigo; Lake, Lasselle, Lee, Lemmon, of Harrison; Lemmon of Spencer; Mason, McGauchey, Miller, Milroy, Mutz, Niblack, O'Brien, of Martin; Osborn, Packard, Pendleton, Priest, Puett, Reitz, Richardson, Rippey, Roberts, Ryan, Shaffer, Shoaff, of Allen; Shoaff, of Jay; Spencer, Veach, Waterman, Williams, Wolfe, Woollen,and Mr. Speaker--57.
NAYS--Messrs. Abbett, Anderson, Baker, Budd, Byerle, Cason, Chambers, Davis, DeBruler, Forester, Gregg, Gregory, Griffith, Hershey, Higgins, Hostetter, Hutchins, James, Johnson, Jones, Kendrick, Kilgore, Lamb, Leeds. Marshall, Moorman, Newman, Noyes, Perry, Pettibone, Robinson, Stone, Tarkington, Van Buskirk, and Woodruff--85.
Pending the roll call--
Mr. ATKISON stated that he believed the investigation would be fruitless, and consequently he should vote "aye."
Mr. ROBERTS said that if he really thought there was such a secret organization in existence in the State, he would vote for the resolution and the committee to investigate. But the thing was so ridiculous, that he should vote to lay it on the table.
Mr. KENDRICK said he should vote in favor of the resolution, as to do otherwise would be to impeach a grand jury of our country, which he was not prepared to do.
Mr. PACKARD. I, as a member of this House, prefer to impeach a biased and political grand jury, rather than to impeach the patriotism [ ] people: I vote "aye."
So the resolution was laid on the table.
WRITTEN BALLOTS.
Mr. PRIEST offered a resolution in- page: 54[View Page 54] strutting the proper committee to inquire into the expediency of amending the election law so as to require each voter to write his name on each ballot.
On motion by Mr. DONALDSON it was laid on the table.
RESOLUTIONS OF INQUIRY
Addressed to appropriate Committees were offered, read and severally adopted, to-wit:
By Mr. WATERMAN, relative to abolishing the office of Township Assessor.
By Mr. HUMPHREYS, as to the expediency of transferring civil and criminal business from the Common Pleas to the Circuit Court, and establishing Probate Courts.
By Mr. VAN BUSKIRK, opposing the separation of the New England States from the Union.
By Mr. GREGORY, a resolution on the state of the country.
By Mr. HIGGINS, relative to the fees of Northern State Prison Directors.
By Mr. BARNEY, whether the State has any representative on the Board of Directors of the Bank of the State.
By Mr. MILROY, as to the passage of a bill punishing the drugging of liquors as a crime punishable with imprisonment for not less than ten years.
JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Were introduced, read the first time, and severally passed to the second reading, to-wit:
By Mr. HANNA, [H. R. No. 6] in the words following:
WHEREAS, by the late preliminary report on the eighth census of the United States, published under the authority of the Secretary at the Department of the Interior, it appears that the total population of the State of Indiana, in 1860, was 1,350,428, and the population of Massachusetts was 1,231,006; and,
WHEREAS, It appears that Indiana has furnished 102,700 soldiers under the various calls of the President for volunteers and by draft; and
WHEREAS, The State of Massachusetts, as appears by the annual message of his Excellency, Governor Andrews, has furnished but 60,000; and,
WHEREAS, The draft was rigidly and mercilessly enforced in Indiana, and is not yet completed in Massachusetts. Therefore,
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That our delegation in Congress be instructed to inquire into the causes of such discrimination in favor of Massachusetts.
By Mr. O'BRIEN, of Martin. [7] a resolution on the state of the country.
By Mr LASSELLE, [8] in favor of a cessation of hostilities; of a National Convention at Louisville on the 4th of July next; and of a convention of delegates, elected from each Congressional district of Indiana, looking toward the restoration of peace and the re-union of the States.
By Mr. CASON,[9] amending the second article of the Constitution, so as to allow soldiers to vote.
The House then adjourned till 2 o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The following bills were introduced, read the first time and severally passed to the second reading:
By Mr. HIGGINS, [32] amending 18th section of act relating to incorporated cities.
By Mr. ATKISON. [33] amending section 447 of the Practice Act.
By Mr. SPENCER, [34] prohibiting clerks of the Circuit Court and Common Pleas Courts from practicing law in the courts aforesaid.
By Mr. HOSTETTER.[35] amending the 5th section of the act of 1859 relative to township business.
By Mr. GREGG, [38] providing for the registry of voters and to punish frauds at the ballot-box.
By Mr. TARKINGTON, [37] amending the 22d section of the act relating to the Indiana University.
By My. GREGORY, [38] to protect: live stock along railroads, and for the punishment of certain persons therein named.
By Mr NOYES, [39] amending the acts defining misdemeanors, approved 1852.
By Mr. BROWN, [40] repealing section 2d of the act amending section 11 of the act establishing Courts of Common Pleas--taking jurisdiction in cases of felony from said Courts.
By Mr. BURTON,[41] providing for the more effectual enforcement of the article of the Constitution, making immigration negro immigration of the Constitution and a felony.
By Mr. ANDERSON, [42] to enforce the 13th article of the Constitution--hanging every negro, he or she, who came into the State, till he or she, be dead.
By Mr. PUETT,[43] to secure the rights of married women in real estate told upon execution.
By Mr. PERRY, [44] amending the 6th section of the Common Pleas Court act of March 5, 1859.
By Mr. GREGORY, [45] relative to the rights of landlords and tenants
On motion by Mr. HUTCHINGS, it was--
Resolved, That when the House adjourn it will be till Monday, at 2 o'clock p.m.
LEGISLATIVE EXPENSES.
The bill [S. 1] appropriating $75.000 for legislative expenses, coming up in order--
Mr. LASSELLE made an ineffectual motion to recommit the bill with instruction; to reduce the amount to $40.000.
The bill then passed the House by yeas 84, nays 8.
BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS.
Mr. ANDERSON submitted the following, and asked that it be tabled for the present:
page: 55[View Page 55]Resolved, By the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring,) that the Principal Secretary of the Senate, and the Principal Clerk of the House of Representatives, be authorized to contract with ARIEL & W. H. DRAPIER, reporters, for 1,500 copies of the continuation of their Brevier Legislative Reports, to contain verbatim reports of the proceedings and debates of the present session of the General Assembly, on all propositions and questions having relation to the state of the Union and the war; the said reports to be printed in the Daily State Sentinel,or the Daily Indianapolis Journal newspaper, and when so printed the said reports to be transferred from the columns of such newspaper into book form of double column pages-- said reports, so printed, to be paper-covered and sent to the office of the Secretary of State, and by him sent by mail to the several members of the General Assembly-- 10 copies to each member--as soon as possible after the adjournment of the session; Provided said reports shall not cost more than two thirds of one cent a page per copy for the writing and printing thereof.
Mr. Anderson's motion was agreed to.
WORK FOR COMMITTEES.
House bills were read the second time and referred to appropriate committees, unless otherwise designated, to-wit:
Mr. Waterman's [27] special meeting of County Commissioners.
Mr. Lamb's [28] amending the wild same act was ordered engrossed for the third reading.
Mr. Miller'.s [29] fining-disturbers of meeting, was ordered engrossed.
Mr. Wolfe's [30] amending the witness act.
Mr. Packard's [31] punishing violations of injunctions by attachment.
