A $600,000 LOAN.
The bill [S. 196] authorizing a temporary loan by the State officers, coming up on the second reading -
Mr. WILLIAMS moved the further consideration of the bill be postponed until 2 o'clock next Wednesday.
Mr. SMITH: The suggestion of this gentleman is a good deal like a Jay county promise to pay - there is no time fixed. This session is rapidly running away. I don't wish to throw any reflection upon anybody; but why make this dilatory motion? We are about to construct insane asylums, and we are in need of funds. I believe, to facilitate and hasten matters, we ought to consider this bill now. We probably would not reach the regular order next Wednesday. I am oppressed to the motion.
Mr. BROWNLEE: It seems to me the consideration of this bill ought not to be postponed. We ought to go right ahead with this business in the regular order.
Mr. GOODING: There seems to be a disposition on the part of this House to postpone this measure until next Wednesday.
page: 182[View Page 182]The friends of this measure to seem to want to pay no attention to the committee, no matter what the report may be, but want this bill to go through without any amendment. My vote shall depend very largely upon the report of the committee. It is certainly a matter of no small importance, and this House can well afford to wait for the report of the committee before acting upon this bill. This bill has come from the Senate. It has passed the Senate, and we have four or five weeks yet. If this bill is right it ought to pass, and if it is not right it ought not to pass. this House appointed a committee to report upon the passage of such bills. The probabilities are that the committee would be able to report by next Wednesday. There is ample time to pass this bill. It ought not to pass with out our knowing something about it It only involves about $600 000. We ought to wait and see whether we ought to vote for that much money or not. For some purpose the gentleman from Tippecanoe desires to rush it through without consideration and without deliberation. Let them do it if they have the power. I want this House to have some time to understand something about the contract between the commissioners and the contractors fro the insane asylums. It has been shown to this House that the law has been violated that the contract is not where the law requires it to be. There are reasons why we should hesitate and deliberate - why we should know what we are going. If the friends of the measure can not wait it is the best evidence that something is wrong.
Mr. BROWNING: Does the gentleman understand this bill votes away a single dollar?
Mr. GOODING: I so understand it. It authorizes the State offices to make a temporary loan of $600 000. Now, what would be the rise of borrowing this $600 000 if it is not intended for these three new asylums? Why borrow it if is not to be appropriated for that purpose? For what purpose is it to be borrowed if it is not to be appropriated? It certainly is not to be borrowed to lie in the Treasury. That is not the purpose. Now, i want to know before you borrow it what are you going to borrow the money for? I know there are gentlemen on this floor, when a member rises in his place and speaks against running the State in debt, they call in buncombe I will stand against the appropriation of $600,000 or the borrowing of $600 000 unless the specified purpose for which it is borrowed is know. I trust you will postpone the consideration of this measure until next Wednesday at two o'clock.
Mr. TAYLOR: This bill I think is for the purpose of raising revenue for the support of the Government Now I do not pretend to be a constitutional lawyer, but it occurs to me there is one thing in the way of this bill. The Constitution of the State of Indiana says, "Bills may originate in either House except bills for raising revenue, which shall originate in the House of Representatives." What is this bill unless it is to raise revenue? It is to borrow money. if that is not to raise revenue what is it? I think the bill should originate in this House, therefore I interpose this constitutional proviso as against this bill. That question has recently created a great deal of discussion in congress, and Congress has well adhered to the prerogative of the Lower House. It is raising evenue. I care not whether you do it by taxation or by borrowing it. It seems to me to be an encroachment upon the province of the House. If the House should enact a law creating a tax for the purpose of extinguishing a debt. It occurs to me that this would be for the purpose of rasing revenue. It has no right to come from the Senate.
Mr HARREL: I would like to know whether it is absolutely necessary to give the Governor and State offices such unlimited power. I believe every person here who paid any attention to the provisions of the bill would like to have more light upon the subject. Now, if you vote for the bill you will be giving tot he State officers unlimited power without knowing whether it is necessary. I will not say whether I am going to vote for or against the appropriation for the new insane Asylums, or what position I will take upon it. I want to know first if it is necessary to pass such a bill or not.
Mr. WILLIAMS: The purpose of my motion seems to be misunderstood at this time I agree with a good many of the gentlemen who spoke upon this question. We have not sufficient information before us to enable us to vote intelligently upon the passage of the bill. For that reason and that reason alone I made the motion that the further consideration of this bill be postponed until next Wednesday, and in the mean time the report of the special committee might enable us to vote intelligently upon this important measure. For the purpose of preventing further discussion I move the previous question.
The demand was seconded by the House, and under its operation the motion was agreed to
