AFTERNOON SESSION.
FEES AND SALARIES.
Mr. GRAHAM called up the special order, being the fee and salary bill [S. 369].
DRAINAGE OF WET LANDS.
On motion by Mr. KRAMER, the bill [H. R. 147--see page 124 of this volume] to enable owners of wet lands to drain and reclaim them. when the same can not be done without affecting the lands of others, was read the second time by title only, under a dispensation of the constitutional restriction, with a report of a Senate Committee proposing amendments, which were adopted.
Mr. HOSTETTER offered an amendment that will require the County Surveyor to go out and inspect the work instead of the three provided for in the bill, who would have to employ a regular surveyor to do the work anyhow. He said the House Committee consent to this amendment, and he hoped it would prevail.
The amendment was agreed to.
The Senate amendments were ordered engrossed.
INSPECTOR OF ELECTIONS.
On motion by Mr. MENZIES, the bill [H. R. 457--see page 133 of this volume] to amend Section 14 of the bill for the incorporation of towns was read the second time by title only under a dispensation of the constitutional rule, and passed to the final vote. It passed the Senate by yeas, 37; nays, 0.
COMMON SCHOOLS--COUNTY SEATS.
Mr. OWEN said the bill [H. R. 322-see pages 47 and 52 of this volume] concerning Common Schools was referred to the Committee before it was read, and it would be better to have the new matter pointed out by a Committee, and he would be willing to wait an hour to have that done. He moved to suspend the constitutional rule that the school bill [H. R. 322] may be taken up and read the first and second times by title.
Mr. BROWN moved to substitute the bill [S. 298] concerning the re-location of County Seats, and as a speech in support of this motion sent to the Clerk's desk and had read a petition signed he said, by many prominent citizens of Seymour, praying for the passage of this bill.
The substitute was rejected, as was also the motion to suspend the constitutional rule.
FEES AND SALARIES.
On motion by Mr. SAYRE, under the operations of the previous question, the bill [S. 369] to provide fees and salaries for County officers, was made the special order for to-morrow at 9:30 o'clock.
ELECTIONS AND ELECTION CONTESTS
On motion by Mr. CHAPMAN, the constitutional rule was suspended and the bill [H. R. 225--see page 39 of this volume] concerning elections and the contest thereof, being a compilation and revision of existing laws on subject, was read the second time by title only.
The Committee substitute for Section 1, changing the day of the general election to conform with the recently ratified Constitutional Amendments, was adopted.
The Committee amendment to Section 17 being read--
Mr. CHAPMAN stated, in case any authorities see fit to adopt such a box as is referred to in the bill, the Committee amendment provides that no ballot should be counted except such as is stamped, and strikes out all else in reference to the patent ballot-box.
Mr. TRAYLOR did not think the section ought to be adopted as it is. He moved the section be referred to a Select Committee of three, which he named.
The motion was rejected.
Mr. MARVIN moved to strike out all in reference to a ballot-box.
The motion was agreed to.
Ten or a dozen Committee amendments were adopted.
Mr. LANGDON moved to reconsider the vote by which the Committee report was concurred in, making the voting Precincts to consist of 500 instead of 350 voters. He was satisfied one of the greatest safeties of the ballot-box is in making Precincts so small that respectable citizens may know every one entitled to vote in the Precincts. The greatest frauds are perpetrated in Precicts where there are so many voters it is impossible to know them all. There will be no need of devices in patent ballot-boxes where the Precints are small.
Mr. GRUBBS thought substantially the same guards can be thrown around Precincts of 500 as around Precincts of 350.
Mr. BELL--While it may be contended that it is more trouble and more expense, yet he hoped the motion would prevail.
The motion to reconsider was agreed to.
The question occuring on the Committe report making voting Precincts to consist of "500" instead of "350" voters--
The report was rejected by yeas, 15; nays, 21.
Some seventeen other Committee amendments were adopted.
Only such sections of the bill as are proposed to be amended by the Committee report were read.
The amendments were ordered engrossed.
SHERIFF'S FEES.
Mr. SAYRE, from the Committee thereon, returned the bill [R. R. 311] cutting off constructive mileage fees by Sheriffs, with a favorable report thereon.
The report was concurred in and the bill was read the second time.
page: 163[View Page 163]Mr. HENRY moved to amend by cutting off a constructive fee by the Clerks.
The amendment was adopted.
On motion by Mr. HENRY, the constitutional rule was dispensed with, the Senate amendments engrossed, the bill read the third time and passed the Senate.
SHORT-HAND REPORTERS.
On motion by Mr. RISTINE, the bill [H. R. 134] to amend Section 1 of the act for the appointment of short-hand reporters, so as to render females eligible to appointment, was read the third time and passed.
REVISED STATUTES OF 1881.
On motion by Mr. LANGDON, the constitutional rule was dispensed with, and the bill [H. R. 437] concerning the publication of the Revised Statutes of 1881, was read the first and second times by title only, with a Senate Committee substitute therefor.
Mr.MENZIES moved to increase the number of Commissioners to be appointed by the Governor to perform the duties prescribed in the bill, from two to all of the Members of the Board of Revision of the Laws.
Mr. COMSTOCK thought the work of a character that could not well be divided. He moved a substitute to reduce the number to one.
Mr. BELL opposed the substitute. This sort of work can properly be subdivided--let one Commissioner take one portion of the code and another Commissioner another. It should be done speedily. No one or two men can do the work properly in eight months. These persons can go on with this work rapidly now.
Mr. GRUBBS should stand by the report of the Committee believing two sufficient to do the work. The work can be better done by two than by three.
The substitute was rejected.
Mr. RROWN would favor the reduction did he suppose it could be done more economically; but there is just so much work to be done, and it is important this publication should be made as soon as possible. Court Judges will doubt and hesitate to decide cases, awaiting for the revision to be published. He favored the amendment rather than the report of the Committee.
Mr. LANGDON also favored the amendnment, beliveing this labor will require all three of the Board of Revision, and three gentlemen are better prepared to do this work that two. The bill provides the work shall be completed in six months, and the three Commissioners should be retained, an odd number being desirable in case of a difference of opinion.
The amendment was agreed to.
On motion by Mr. CHAPMAN, the words "and such Commissioners shall hold the position until the 1st day of November,1881" were added to Section 1.
Mr. BUNDY made an ineffectual to have the advertisement for bids for the publication of the Revised Statutes of 1881 in "three" papers in Indianapolis instead of "two" as the bill provides.
Mr. WILSON made an ineffectual motion to reduce the number of papers to "one."
The the Senate took a recess till 7:30 o'cl ck p. m. for the sole purpose of reading the bill [H. R. 393] concerning public offenses.
