HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MONDAY, Feb. 9, 1885 - 2 p.m.JOINT CONVENTION.
The Senate and House of Representatives met in joint convention at 2:30 o'clock, the President pro tem [Senator Magee] presiding in the absence of Lieutenant-Governor Manson. The object of the convention was to elect officers for the several positions for which nominations have been made. The following were elected: State Librarian, Miss Lizzie O. Callis; Chief of Bureau of Statistics, W. A. Peelle; Director State Prison North, George Major; Director State Prison South, John Horn; Trustee Insane Hospital, B H Burrell; Trustee Deaf and Dumb Institute, J B Green; Trustee for Blind Asylum, Calvin Stogdill.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Mr. Krueger's joint resolution [H. R. 4] proposing an amendment to section one (1) article (6) of the Constitution so that the Secretary Auditor and Treasurer of State shall be elected for the term of four years, and shall not be eligible for a second term, coming up on a second reading -
Mr. SMITH, of Tippecanoe, moved to amend so as to include the Superintendent of Public Instruction. He said: I see no propriety in making an exception to the office of State Superintendent.
Mr. KRUEGER: It seems to me it would require a separate amendment to the Constitution to change that office.
Mr. SMITH, of Tippecanoe: I understand it to be a constitutional office because the Constitution provides that this officer shall be elected biennially. I see no reason why there should be an exception to this office.
The joint resolution was ordered engrossed.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Mr. Moody's bill [H. R. 211] for the regulation of weights and measures, coming up on the second reading, with a committee report recommending its indefinite postponement -
Mr MOODY: I trust the report of the committee will not be concurred in by the House. I feel that the committee have not carefully considered the change sought by this bill or they would have recommended its passage. The Legislature of 1881 changed the standard weight of a bushel of oats in the State of Indiana from thirty two or thirty-three pounds. The bill originated in the Senate, and as many supposed the only change the bill of 1881 made in the law was fixing the standard weight of a gallon of sorghum molasses, the bill crept through both branches of the Legislature, aided s it was by the grain dealers of the State.
This may seem to gentlemen a small matter, but I want to say in all candor no law enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana in the last fifty years has caused so much dissatisfaction as the enactment of the law of 1881, changing the weight of a bushel of oats. All the great grain-growing states of the North and the West give and take 32 pounds to the bushel. Vermont, 32; Massachusetts, 32; New York, 32; Oh, 32; Michigan, 32; Illinois, 32; Wisconsin, 32; Minnesota, 32; Missouri, 32; Kansas, 32; California, 32; and Indiana standing alone, by reason of the acts of the Legislature of 1881, compelling her farmers to sell 33 pounds of their oats for a bushel.
Mr. PENDLETON: I have nothing to say on this subject except in confirmation of what the gentleman from DeKalb (Mr. Moody) has said. Why, the whole State, more or less, asks for the repeal of that law. Ever since the passage of the law in 1881 it has been continual source of annoyance to farmers and shippers.
The House refused to concur in the report of the committee, and the bill was ordered engrossed.
CONSOLIDATION OF VOTING PRECINCTS
Mr. Hopkins' bill [H. R. 270] coming up on the second reading with a committee amendmendment to make the voting district to be composed of 500 instead of 750 voters -
Mr. SAYRE said: I hope this amendment of the committee will not be adopted. Where there are more than 300 voters this bill provides that a consolidation may take place, so that a precinct may contain 750 voters. It is not imperative. The County Commissioners may consolidates as they deem best. It simply permits them to consolidate so that there may be 750 voters in a precinct, and to amend it and change it to 500 would hardly better the condition of things, while 750 would. Now in the county I live we have 25 precincts, and we have 500 electors in each precinct, and there are no large towns. Election comes late in the fall - in Novem page: 172[View Page 172] ber - and the weather is liable to be inclement There is no place for the people to assemble on election day to keep comfortable. There is no provision made by anybody by which they can obtain refreshments and the result is that persons come and vote and go away. If there were 750 voters in a precinct, it would greatly lessen the expense and furnish additional security I think the amendment ought not to be adopted.
Mr. WILLIAMS: I am opposed to the amendment. I hope the amendment will be defeated as well as the bill. I think the law of 1881, in this respect, is the best law Indiana ever had. You can get a fairer and fuller vote, because under the present law there is less opportunity to tamper with the returns. If you have a precinct so large it takes twenty-four, thirty-sex or forty-eight hours to count the votes and the men will become weary and tired for want of refreshment and sleep, while it gives more opportunity to tamper with the votes. For that reason I think the law of 1881 is the best law we ever had on our statute books. I hope the bill will be amended if it becomes a law.
Mr. SMITH, of Tippecanoe: Now, since the law was enacted in 1881, we have changed the time of elections from the 1st of October to the 1st of November, making the time from sunrise to sunset, nearly forty minutes shorter. Some have proposed opening the polls at 6 o'clock in the morning I am opposed to that. I am in favor of opening the polls as soon as it is light - as soon as citizens can get together. I am in favor of giving the laboring men in large cities a chance to exercise the right of suffrage. Now if you would change the law so as to make 750 voters in a precinct, a great many perhaps would have to go away without exercising the right of suffrage. The right of suffrage is the dearest right a man can have I am in favor of protecting the people and giving them an opportunity to cast their votes and have them counted. I shall stand by the present election law in Indiana because I believe it is the best law. If we change it this session it will be an invitation to the next Legislature to make a change. I am opposed to the amendment and I am opposed tot he bill before us, and I shall vote against both of them.
The House refused to concur in the committee amendment and also refused to order the bill engrossed.
THE PATTEN APPORTIONMENT.
Mr. PATTEN, of Sullivan county, introduced Congressional and Legislative apportionment bills, which make some changes from the present apportionment. In the bill redistricting the State for Congressional purposes Crawford County is changed from the Third District to the Second, Sullivan from the Second to the Eighth, Warren from the Eighth to the Tenth, Rush from the Six to the Fourth, and Grant from the Eleventh to the Sixth.
In redistricting the State for Senatorial and Legislative purposes the Senatorial changes are as follows: Knox and Sullivan are changed to Knox and Pike, Green and Daviess to Sullivan and Greene; Pike and Warrick to Warrick and Spencer; Spencer and Perry to Dubois and Perry, and making a Senatorial District of Daviess and Martin; Harrison, Crawford and Orange are changed to Washington, Orange and Crawford; Floyd and Washington to Floyd and Harrison; Scott and Clark to Clark, Scott and Jennings; Jefferson to Clark and Jefferson (the Senatorial float is taken from Dubois, Martin and Lawrence); Ripley and Franklin to Ripley, Franklin and Union; Monroe, Brown and Bartholomew to Bartholomew and Johnson; Johnson and Morgan to Brown, Morgan and Monroe; Parke and Vermillion to Vigo, Parke and Vermillon; Henry and Delaware to Henry and Fayette; (Senatorial flat given to Madison, Tipton and Hamilton); Montgomery to Montgomery, Boone and Clinton; Carrol, White and Pulaski to Carroll and White; Cass to Cass and Miami; Howard and Miami to Cass, Miami and Howard; Newton, Jasper and Benton to Benton, Newton, Jasper and Pulaski; Lagrange and Noble to Lagrange and Steuben; Steuben and DeKalb, to Noble and DeKalb.
The Reprsentative changes are as follows: Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrich given a float; Pike and Dubois changed to Pike and Knox; Sullivan, Greene and Knox to Sullivan, Vigo and Vermilion; Lawrence to Lawrence, Orange and Dubois; Floyd, Clark and Scott to Floyd, Clark and Jefferson; Jennings to Scott and Jennings: Ripley, Decatur and Franklin to Dearborn, Franklin and Union; Monroe and Brown to Brown and Morgan; Morgan and Monroe, Morgan and Brown; Marion, Shelby and Bartholomew to Marion, Hancock and Shelby (taking away the float from Madison, Hancock and Henry); Hendricks, Putnam and Clay to Putnam, Boone and Montgomery (one Representative is taken away from Tippecanoe and made a joint with Clinton); White and Benton to White and Pulaski: Cass and Miami, a Joint Representative; Wells, Adams, and Jay to Adams, Jay and Blackford; Blackford and Wells to Wells; one Representative from Allen and joined with Whitley; Kosciusko and Wabash to Elkhart, Noble and DeKalb; St. Joseph one additional representative. The entire apportionment will give: Congress - 10 Democrats, 2 Republicans, and one, the Ninth District, doubtful Senators - 34 Democrats, 16 Republicans. Representatives - 66 Democrats, 34 Republicans.
And the House adjourned.
