HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
TUESDAY, March. 18,1879-- 9 a m.The reading of the journal was dispensed with.
The following bills were read the second time and referred to appropriate committees: Mr. Works' bill [H. R. 676] to amend sec. 8 of an act supplemental and amendatory of an act to provide for a uniform assessment of property; Mr. Stucker's bill [H. R. 677] to protect the purity of the ballot box; Mr. Osborne's of Elkhart bill [H. R. 678] to repeal the act dividing the state into congressional districts; Mr. Mardis' bill [H. R. 679] to amend sees. 9 and 11 of an act prescribing the duties of the attorney general; Mr. Major's bill [H. R. 680] regulating the running at large of hogs; Mr. Brown's of Jasper bill [H. R. 681] authorizing judges to give their opinion in writing; Mr. March's bill [H. R. 682] in relation to licensing the sale of intoxicating liquors; Mr. Shanks'bill [H. R. 683] to provide for the prompt publication of the acts of the General Assembly.
The bill [S. 53] for the uniform assessment of property; also the bill [S. 171] defining felonies; also the bill [S. 426] concerning voluntary associations, and their perpetuity, were read the second time and passed to the third reading.
The Senate concurrent resolution, looking to a final adjournment of the General Assembly on Monday, March 24, at 12 o'clock m., provided the general and specific appropriations, fee and salary bill and congressional apportionment bill shall have passed the Senate and House of Representatives, coming up--
Mr. SHANKS moved ineffectually--yeas 33, nays 49--to lay the resolution on the table.
Mr. WILLARD moved to amend by striking out the proviso.
Mr. SHANKS said he was opposed to the adoption of the resolution. Men never work well under restraints; work thus done is carelessly done for fear of the expiration of time, or not done at ail for fear of a want of time. So if you limit a man in the time in which to page: 38[View Page 38] make a speech, you simply compel him to make a fool of himself. Again, this House has passed a large number of bills that are now in the Senate not acted on, or even read the first time, and probably will not be if this resolution is passed, as they are not named in the resolution. These bills have been neglected in the Senate, and unnecessarily so. If the General Assembly adjourns, as proposed by this resolution, the acts when published will show that the only bills passed by the Legislature will be Senate bills passed by the House; while House bills lie on the Senate table lost by neglect. The bills passed by the House are many of them very valuable, at least the presumption is that they are all good bills. The State has paid the expense so far, and it is not just to now waste the work and lose the benefit of their passage and this on a resolution from the Senate where this neglect lies. He insisted the House remain here; to finish the work so well advanced.
Mr. SAINT was opposed to passing any resolution fixing a time to adjourn. He thought these resolutions were entered as buncomb. It would be time for this session to adjourn when the work for winch it was convened shall be finished. If we set next Monday to adjourn the time will be taken up between now and then with dilatory motions to defeat the passage of a fee and salary bill. "
Mr. WILLARD desired to fix a time to adjourn, and work to that end.
Mr. AD WINS said it was the county officers who were clamoring for the adjournment, lest their fees and salaries should be reduced, and he had pledged his people to vote for a reduction of fees and salaries and to redistrict the State for Congressional and legislative purposes, and when that was done he was ready to go Home.
Mr. WATSON said we were here to do the business of the State, and as soon as we dispose of that business it was then time to adjourn. If there is anything to do go to work at it like men, and not consume the time with posing buncomb resolutions.
Mr. Willard's amendment was adopted by yeas 48, nays 45.
Pending the roll-call--
Mr. BAKER when his name was called, in explanation of his vote said: that so long as members of the Senate would be indulged in pocketing House bills for the purpose of defeating them, as he verily believed, he was opposed to the final adjournment until the Senate treat the House bill with proper respect.
Mr. THOMPSON moved ineffectually--yeas 37, nay 57--to lay the resolution as amended on the table.
Mr. LEHMAN then moved the adoption of the resolution.
Mr. THOMPSON moved that the further consideration of the resolution be postponed until next Saturday at 2 o'clock p. m.
Mr. WILLARD moved ineffectually--yeas 37, nays 63--to lay the motion to postpone on the table.
Mr. Thompson's motion to postpone until 2 o'clock p. m., next Saturday, under the operations of the previous question, was agreed to by yeas 62, nays 31.
Mr. LEHMAN moved that the business at adjournment last evening--to increase the special committee to which was referred Mr. Johnson's temperance bill [H. R. 601] from three to five--be taken up and disposed of.
Mr. TULLEY moved ineffectually--yeas 40, nays 50--to lay the motion on the table.
Mr. JOHNSON hoped the motion to increase, this committee would not prevail, as the committee were ready to report, and this was intended to delay.
Mr. LEHMAN thought this bill was not in consonance with the feeling of the people of the State, and thought it was due that the committee should be increased and that the subject have all the consideration it deserves.
Mr. DOOKE was satisfied that this committee should be increased. He wanted this bill duly considered.
Under the operations of the previous question the House agreed to increase the commitmittee by yeas 47, nays 44.
Subsequently the Speaker (Mr. English in the chair) named as the additional members of the committee Messrs. Taylor of Daviess and Briggs.
Mr. DAVIDSON called up his bill [H. R. 467] regulating descents, which was read the third time.
On the motion of Mr. WORKS the bill was recommitted with instructions to see that the bill was properly engrossed.
Mr. DRAKE called up his bill [H. R. 675] to amend the 14th section of an act defining felonies, which was read the third time and passed the House by yeas 60, nays 18.
Mr. DROVER (by request) called up the bill [S. 308] supplemental and amendatory of an act to provide for the uniform assessment of property, which was read the third time.
On the motion of Mr. WILLARD the bill was recommitted to the committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. EDWINS called up his bill [H. R. 419] to legalize the board of common council of the town of Elwood, Madison county, which was read the third time and passed the House by yeas 67, nays 13.
Mr. FAULKNER said that inasmuch as we have had a good deal of gas this morning and as he desired something more substantial he moved the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr. HUMPHREYS, from the committee on ways and means, returned the bill [S. 308] supplemental, and amendatory of act entitled an act for a uniform assessment of property,. with a recommendation that the bill do pass.
Mr. REED said: For the publication of the delinquent list there ought to be allowed a reasonable compensation. It was well known that printing offices had to keep on hand a certain amount of material in the way of brass rule, borders, quads, etc., which were costly, and were used in the country offices for nothing else. He thought 30 cents per description was little enough.
Mr. BRIGGS thought there was no doubt but certain material named by the gentleman from Miami (Mr. REED,) has to be kept on hand by the printer to be used in the publication of the delinquent tax list, but still he thought that 20 cents for each description was sufficient. In many counties where there was competition the publication had been made for even less than 20 cents, while in other counties the full amount allowed by law (50 cents for each description) had been charged and paid. In one instance he had seen a charge of $21.00 made for publishing 42 lots by number, where it only took four and a-half lines for the entire publication. Taking the description of factional tracts together with other descriptions, including the description of lots, which was very short, he thought the amount was enough, and that the bill should pass.
Mr. OWEN was willing that 25 cents should be allowed, but was not willing to allow any more
page: 39[View Page 39]Mr. KELLEY had published several of the delinquent lists, and he thought, as we must come down to bed-rock, that 20 cents per description was enough.
The bill then finally passed the House by yeas 82, nays 3.
Mr. DALTON called up Mr. Overmeyer's bill [H. R. 668] to create a board of pardons. The governor, secretary, auditor, treasurer and attorney general shall constitute the board of pardons. No pardons, reprieves or remission of fines shall be granted, except by unanimous agreement of the board. Before any pardon can be granted the applicant shall give notice to the prosecuting attorney of the court wherein judgment was rendered against such applicant, and shall also publish three successive weeks in a newspaper in such county, which was read the third time, and paased the House by--yeas 73, nays 16.
Mr. FANCHER called up his bill [H. R. 492] for the protection of shade trees, which was read the third time and passed the House by yeas 60, nays 18.
The House then took up the general appropriation bill [H. R. 592]. The Senate amendments being read--
Mr. OVERMEYER said there was so slight a difference for so large an appropriation of money, he would move to concur in the amendments, being content with his votes heretofore given and recorded on the subject.
Mr. WILLARD was in favor of the Senate amendments except the proviso added to the fifth section.
The House then concurred in the Senate amendments by yeas 60, nays 31.
Mr. FAULKNER called up his bill [H. R. 188] to regulate fire insurance companies, and to provide for the canceling of policies of insurance therein named, and terminating certain contracts for insurance, etc., which was read the third time and finally passed the House by yeas 75, nays 5.
The House adjourned.
