THE
BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS.
VOLUME FOURTEEN.
INDIANA LEGISLATURE.
In Senate
SATURDAY, Jan. 11, 1873 - 10 o'clock A.M.The President in the chair. Pending the reading of the journal, a message from the House was received announcing the passage of a resolution for a joint convention of the two Houses a 12 o'clock in the afternoon for the purpose of electing the officers to be elected by the General Assembly at this session. The further reading of the journal was dispensed with, and
On motion. Senators repaired to the Hall of the House of Representatives, in pursuance of an order passed yesterday, to canvass the votes cast at the last October election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State.
When Senators returned, the Senate took a recess for dinner.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
NEWSPAPERS.
Mr. Neff from the Joint Special Committee, to which was referred a resolution of inquiry as to the number of newspapers to be taken for the use of the members thereof, to be paid for out of the State Treasury, reported as follows:
"At the last session of the General Assembly, a law was enacted increasing the pay of members of the Legislature from five to eight dollars per day with a prohibitory provision against the State furnishing stationery to members at the expense of the public treasury. Your committee would further state that by a strict construction of the law referred to, it embraces in the word 'stationery' newspapers. Therefore, they deem it not only unlawful but impolitic to contract for any number of newspapers to be paid for out of the public treasury as the per diem of members is now ample."
Mr. Brown moved that the word "strict" be stricken out and the word "liberal" inserted in lieu of it. He was inclined to think that if a strict construction of the law is to be had it would exclude the idea that a subscription for newspapers is prohibited by the terms of that wise and just law.
Mr. Neff accepted the amendment.
Mr. Gregg didn't think anything was lost by sending broadcast reports of legislative proceedings. He was in favor of letting the people know what is being done here, and inclined to the old system of taking newspapers and sending them out to the country. He believed this a class of legislation properly denominated "mock economy."
Mr. Glessner moved to amend the report by striking out commencing with the words, "your committee." and ending with the words, "any number of newspapers." He thought it would be a very liberal construction to include "newspapers" in the word "stationery." He didn't like such a construction of the law referred to as would exclude newspapers from the Senate, because it would in a great measure exclude a report of each day's proceedings from the desks of members. He was in favor of making it the duty of some officer of the body to provide Senators with copies of the daily newspapers printing reports of the proceedings, whether paid for out of the State Treasury or out of the pockets of members, is a matter of little importance.
On motion by Mr. Gooding the report and amendment were laid on the table that the House message may be considered. And thenOn his further motion, the House concurrant resolution for a joint convention at two o'clock this afternoon, for the purpose of electing a President of the Board of Commissioners for the Benevolent Institutions, a trustee each for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb, Soldiers' Home, Insane Asylum, and three directors each for the Northern and Southern Prisons, was taken up.
Mr. Williams moved to amend the resolution so as to provide that but two directors for the Southern Prison shall be elected.
Mr. Gooding moved to lay the amendment on the table.
The motion was agreed to, by yeas, 22; nays, 18,The resolution was then concurred in.
Mr. Dittemore offered a resolution, which was adopted, that the mileage for the present session be the same as it was at the special session.
Mr. Taylor, by consent, presented a petition from citizens of Tippecanoe county, praying for the enactment of a law forbidding the sale of or trafic in intoxicating liquors as a beverage, with such penalties as shall make it effective in suppressing such sale or trafic. It was laid on the table, there being no committees yet appointed-
page: 26[View Page 26]Representatives Cauthorn and Kimball appearing at the bar of the Senate, the latter addressing the President, said; "Mr. Cauthorn and myself have been appointed a committee to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives is ready to proceed to the election of officers and await the presence of Senators.
The President of the Senate thereupon directed that Senators proceed at once to the hall of the House of Representatives for the purpose indicated in the concurrent resolution of the two Houses adopted this day.
The Senators returned to their places and adjourned.
