AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr. FRAZER said--Plate Glass Insuance Companies insure nothing but plate glass in buildings; their losses are small, and risks are small; therefore, if $200,000 is enough for Fire Insurance Companies and Life Insurance Companies carrying the value of millions of dollars, then certainly $100,000 capital of a Company which insures nothing but glass, is sufficient capital. The second section declares that all Insurance Companies engaged in insuring plate glass, not incorporated under the laws of the State, shall be deemed a foreign Insurance Company, and any person transacting business for such Company shall be deemed an agent, etc. One object is that they may have agents in this State upon whom services may be had when sued in the State, so we are not obliged to follow them into some distant State. In order to avoid the law which is laid down for the government of insurance, Companies have formed partnerships. They come into the State, go into the insurance business; they make no statement, and so evade the law without paying taxes. They are amenable to no law of Indiana, because they claim that they are partners and our laws are weak. They can not be forced to pay a single loss that they sustain in this State, because they are residents of other States and we must go to the State where they reside.
If you defeat this bill, what is the result? You drive out of the State Insurance Companies, which seek to insure plate glass, and you open the door and let into Indiana these partnership Companies which are not governed by our law. There is no bugbear in this thing--there is no scare in it; therefore, Mr. Speaker, this bill should receive the vote of every member of this House.
The bill failed to pass--yeas, 44; nays, 47.
OFFICERS AND OFFICES.
The reading of the bill [S. 325] concerning officers and offices was resumed, commencing at Section 397.
Mr. THOMPSON moved to amend Section 231 by adding, "and such County Commissioner shall cause a complete and correct index to be made of all their books of record." He said: In going into a County Commissioner's office it is necessary to look over a number of books until you find what you want. By having them indexed a person can turn directly to what is wanted.
The amendment was adopted.
A majority of the Special Committee, appointed to consider the sections relative to the County Superintendents, recommended the adoption of Mr. Ryan's amendment, requiring County Superintendents to visit schools, not to exceed in days, half the number of the schools in the County.
The minority of the Committee recommended that the amendments relative to the County Superintendent lie on the table.
Mr. MORGAN--I think this amendment should not pass, because it is out of place in this bill, and our school law is regulated by a different bill. The present law for County Superintendents provides that they shall not be allowed to visit schools more the number of school days in each year. The codification of the school law was a compromise matter. I submit to every fair-minded member that this is a fair proposition--the compromise proviso allowing him to visit schools three-fourths the number of days of school in the year. The adoption of this amendment would strike out the very heart of the County Superintendency. My opinion is, if you want to adopt a measure like this, you had better bolish the office altogether and have a School Examiner. If there is anything desirable in an official visiting schools I submit to you that the Superintendents ought to be allowed to visit them so that they will benefit them, and find out the workings of the school. I know very well that no man can go into a school room, stay two or three hours, and tell anything about the real nature of the management.
The minority report was adopted--yeas, 40; nays, 30.
Mr. GILMAN moved to amend Section 428, printed bill, line 4, by inserting after the word "thereof" the following: "Or to have any unsurveyed tract of land surveyed." Also, insert in sixth line: "Or that such lands have not been surveyed." He said this amendment merely applies to land that has not been surveyed. The County Surveyor shall have the same authority where it has been surveyed as where it has not been surveyed. We have a large tract of land in our County which has never been surveyed and under the present statute we have no authority to survey it.
The amendment was adopted.
Mr. BAKER moved to amend Sectfion 77 by adding thereto: "In allcases where publication is required, by law to be made the party at whose instance the publication is to be made, shall have the right to determine in what newspaper it shall be so published, etc." He said : I claim that there is not a member upon the floor of this House who can give a good reason why this amendment should not be adopted. It is in the interest of the people from the Ohio River to the Michigan line, and from the State of Ohio--now the mother of Presidents--to the broad prairies of Illinois. It is in the interest of the people and should recive the support of every Democrrt, Republican and Greenbacker (Laughter) What does the amendment propose? It provides that the people shall control their publications as they deem proper; in other words, it allows them to conduct their domestic affairs in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States.
Mr. FRAZER made an ineffectual motion to lay the amendment on the table.
The amendment was adopted--yeas, 49; nays, 31.
WAR LOAN BONDS.
On motion by Mr. CAUTHORNE, the regular order was suspended and the bill [H. R. 405] to authorize and provide for the payment of the war loan bonds of the State was read the third time and passed--yeas, 85; nays 0.
The House adjourned till to-morrow.
