NIGHT SESSION.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR said: The question is, shall the bill [H. R. 91] to authorize aliens to hold real estate in this State?
Mr. HEFRON didn't believe it right to allow this bill to pass without entering his protest against it. Since this bill was up the other day he had been reliably informed it had its origin in a real estate firm in this city, whose agent visited Scotland, and who lend the money of Scottish chiefs or corporations; and it is to permit these foreign capitalists to invest their money in Indiana land and hold the same till surrounding improvements enhance the value. It is for speculative purposes, and for no other. It is wrong page: 179[View Page 179] policy and detrimental to the people of Indiana.
Mr. COMSTOCK said there were large bodies of lands in this State which should be reclaimed, but individual effort is not equal to the task of making them productive. Whether the means for such reclamation comes from within the States or from foreign countries makes not so much difference, as it is supposed all the real estate of the country changes hands every thirty years on average. We can control corporations, whether foreign or domestic. The question presented is: Whether a foreging corporation is greate than the citizens of Indiana or the Legislature of the State? He had confidence in the abilities of the Legislature to cope with any corporation, whether foreign or domestic. One result of this bill becomes a law and will induce a desirable class of people to come to Indiana.
Mr. BRISCOE said he voted agains this bill when on its passage before, and now, not attempting to discuss the bill, he would content himself with saygin that he believed it best to defeat the bill, but being willing to bow humbly to the sentiment and will of the people who have intrusted him to vote for this measure in the event of its reconsideration by the Senate, he would now cast his vote in favor of its passage.
Mr. Menzies supposed this bill applied to alien individuals, and now hears for the first time it applies to foreign corporations and permits them to buy large tracts of lands. As individuals, natural persons, this bill could do no harm, for they can not tie up large tracts of lands for generations; but it is different with foreign corporations, for they can hold lands in perpetuity--can enact a law entail in Indiana. He had been voting for this bill under a different apprehension.
Mr. BELL thought a more dangerous measure has not been before this Assembly. We have prohibited the law of entail. We want no landed aristocracy such as would be inaugurated by this bill. We allow our own corporations to hold no more land than is necessary for their business purposes. How jealous have our law-makers been of this kind of thing? He was opposed to allowing aliens, individuals or corporations from holding lands in this State, for we may bring unwittingly upon us the evils that afflict Ireland. He ventured the assertion every one voting for this bill would regret the day and hour, if permitted to live many years.
On motion by Mr. MENZIES, the bill was referred to a Special Committee with instructions to amend so as to make it apply only to individuals, which the Committee subsequently reprted as instructed.
The bill then passed--yeas, 30; nays, 13.
On motion by Mr. SHAFFER, the bill [H. R. 140] to authorize the election of women to school offices, was passed--yeas, 33; nays, 9.
On motion by Mr. Compton, the bill [H. R. 520] to amend the act of March 4, 1873, for the assessment and collection of taxes on bank stock for municipal purposes, was read the third time.
Mr. COMPTON explained it amends the tax law passed by this General Assembly.
It passed the Senate--yeas, 42; nays 2.
On motion by Mr. MENZIES, the bill [H. R. 487] concerning the Supreme Court, was read the second time, the constitutional rule dispensed with, read the third time--with many dilatory motions and votes intervening--and passed by yeas, 34; nays, 12.
On motion by Mr. Bundy, the bill [H. R. 439] making specific appropriations was taken up, after 11:00 o'clock p. m., and read the first and second time by title only, under a dispensation of the constitutional rule, on motion by Mr. Brown.
On motion by Mr. YANCY, the appropriation of $1,924.12 for provisions furnished the Southern Prison, was stricken out.
The town-clock struck 12--midnight at this point in the proceedings.
On motion by Mr. LANGDON, the bill [H. R. 531] to fix the meetings of the County Board of Equalization after the present year, was read the first, second and third times, and passed under a dispensation of the constitutional restriction. He said it was to correct a fatal omission in the tax act.
On motion by Mr. FOSTER, the bill [H. R. 421] to relieve Grand Jurors in certain cases, (a bill much needed in Allen County) was pressed through the three readings and passed.
On motion by Mr. KEIZER the bill [H. R. 474] to prevent the pollution of streams from which water is drawn to supply cities with water for drinking purposes was read the third time and passed.
And then, at 12:20 o'clock a. m., the Senate adjourned till 10:30 o'clock.
