HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tuesday, April 7, 1885.The House was opened with prayer by Hon. Erasmus H. Staley, a Representative from Clinton County.
The SPEAKER announced the consideration of messages from the Senate.
FOREIGN PAUPER LABOR.
The bill [S. 314] to prohibit the importation or emigration of foreigners and others, under contract or agreement to perform labor within Indiana, was taken up, the constitutional rules suspended by a yea and nay vote, and the bill pressed through the three readings and the question being "shall the bill pass?"
Mr. SWICH, of Tippecanoe, said: No man can exceed me in efforts to protect the laboring man of this country, or in endeavor to elevate or protect them.
The previous question was demanded, and the House seconded the demand. Under its operations the bill passed by yeas 77, nays 6
Pending the roll call -
Mr. BARNEY, in explanation of his vote, said: For the reason that the previous question cut off a chance for debate, I will state I am decidedly in favor of the bill. I am not willing to favor any measure that may cause my son to be sent to put down a sentiment that this bill is intended to prevent.
Mr. GORDON, in explanation of his vote, said: I wish to call attention to the second petition of this bill. [Reads] The object of the bill is a good one, but I do not think the object will be accomplished by it. But giving the bill the benefit of the doubt I will vote "aye."
Mr. HARRELL when his name was called, said: I am decidedly opposed to this hasty manner of legislation This bill has not been read before in the House I do not understand its provisions and believe it my duty to vote against it. I vote "no."
Mr. HAWORTH: From the fact this is probably one of the most important bills that has come before the House, and as it has not been printed, I shall have to vote against it I vote "no."
Mr. HOBAN: I am opposed to corporations taking the advantage of labor in the way proposed in this bill, but being in favor of honest labor. I will vote "aye."
Mr. LOOP: I have confidence that the bill is right and I shall vote "aye."
Mr. MOCK: I am as much opposed to contract labor as any man in the House. There are some provisions that it is doubtful if they can be conferred. I want to be on the side of the laborer, so I vote "aye."
Mr. PATTEN: I am in favor of the first section, but there are some defects in the bill which at most destroys its usefulness. I suppose it will be a cold day when corporations will be convicted of a misdemeanor under this bill were it to become a law. I will not support any bill that will permit the pig tail Chinese to come here and compete with native labor in this country. I will support the first part of the bill but not the latter part.
The vote was announced as above.
So the bill passed.
BLUFFTON GRAVEL ROAD.
Mr. Mock' bill [H. R. - ] to legalize certain acts of the Board of Commissioners of Wells County in relation to the Bluffton and Rockport Gravel Road Company was read the third time and passed by yeas -, nays -.
LIENS CANCELLATION
Mr. McClelland's bill [H. R. - ] to provide for the proper recording of assignments and cancellation of mortgages and mechanics' liens was read the third time and passed by yeas -, - nays.
TENTH DISTRICT COURT.
Mr. Williams' bill [H. R. 204] to fix the time for holding court in the Tenth Judicial Circuit was read the third time and passed by yeas -, nays -.
STATE LINE GRAVEL ROADS.
Mr. Harrell's bill [H. R 292] to authorize the Board of County Commissioners to construct free gravel roads on boundary lines between States, each to defray one half of the expense, was read the third time and passed by yeas -, nays -
INSANE HOSPITAL GROUNDS.
Mr. French's blil [H. R. 562] authorizing the Trustees of the Hospital for the Insane to use certain lands for the benefit of the institution was read the third time.
[The ground in question is known as the McCaslin farm, and is composed of 100 acres, situated two miles west of the hostpital. It ws bought by the State originally for the purpose of establishing a House of Refuge there, and in 1867 was sold to McCaslin, who failed to pay for it. After long continued litigation it reverted to the State, and it is now proposed to add it to the Insane Hospital farm.]
The bill passed by yeas -, nays -.
CLINTON INDIANA.
Mr. SEAR'S bill [H. R. 550] providing for the distribution of certain money and funds in the treasury of the incorporated town of page: 154[View Page 154] Clinton, Vermilion County, was read the third time, and passed by yeas - , nays - .
Mr. GORDON'S bill [H R. -] to establish the Indiana volunteer weather service at DePauw University, failed to pass for want of a constitutional majority. Yeas 48, nays 29.
SPECIFIC APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole for the consideration of the bill [H. R. -] making specific appropriations for the year 1885, the question being on the item appropriating $32 000 for a new stone wall around the Southern Prison.
A motion to strike this item out of the bill was agreed to by yeas 40 nays 14
The item appropriating $6,680 to the Perin & Gaff Manufacturing Company, of Jeffersonville, for building workshops at the Southern Prison being read -
Before a vote was reached a recess was taken until 2 o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The item was agreed to. Mr. HANLON offered as an additional item to the bill a claim by Reuben P. Main for furnishing goods and provisions to the Southern Prison while L. S. Shuler was Warden, the amount being $1 974 12.
Mr CORY said that the claim came up in the Specific Appropriation bill six years ago, and it was at the time shown that the debt had been paid in notes on the Jeffersonville Car Company, which subsequently became bankrupt.
The claim was rejected.
Mr SAYRE moved to add an item giving $360 to Calvin Cowgill and John U. Petit for services as Special Judges in 1878 in Wabash County.
The item was adopted by a vote of 27 to 20
On motion by Mr. SMITH, of Tippecanoe, to add to the bill an allowance of $750 for building an iron railing around the Tippecanoe battleground was agreed to.
Mr. DITTEMORE proposed an extra allowance of $400 for the last two years to Ed Price, Clerk of the Land Office, who had received only $1,000 a year, while he was entitled to $1,200 which was the amount allowed in the general appropriation bill that failed to pass.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. PENDLETON offered an item, which was adopted, allowing Baker, Smith & Co., for steam heating apparatus at the Insane Hospital, $4,636 18, to Seat R Greene, for fire house $452 and to Griffith & Williams, for plastering, $264.
Mr. RIVERS moved the adoption of an additional item, giving Mr R Slater $1,254 on account of the destruction of the printing material of the Democrat-Herald, a newspaper at Franklin, by Union soldiers during the late war.
Mr. BROWNLEE said he had hoped that no member would have the gall to propose the allowance of this claim The newspaper was destroyed because it was abusing Union soldiers, and was advocating disloyalty. It was a Democratic newspaper, and for that reason the claim might be allowed by the majority.
Mr. PATTEN opposed the allowance.
Mr. DITTEMORE said that property honestly acquired should be protected by the Government, and if destroyed by drunken soldiers he thought that the public ought to pay for the damages.
Mr. HOLMES thought the claim was entitled to no consideration. The printing press which was thrown from the window of the Franklin Democrat Herald he himself had owned and sold. It is now, he said, in use in Bloomington
The claim was rejected.
A motion by Mr. STALEY to incorporate in the bill the claim of Matthew M. Campbell for $1,300, as a teacher in the State University at Bloomington from 1839 to 1854, was rejected.
Mr. McMULLEN moved to add an item allowing W. B Burford the sum of $2,801.78, as interest on the State's indebtedness to him for public printing, which was adopted.
Isaac Taylor was allowed $250 50 for repairs on the Soldiers' Orphans' Home and the Asylum for Feeble-minded Children at Knightstown.
On the motion by Mr. WILLIAMS the Committee of the Whole arose, and was discharged from further consideration of the bill. The bill, as amended by the Committee of the Whole, was ordered engrossed.
The bill [S -] allowing County Commissioners to pay interest on bonds either annually or semi-annually, at their discretion, was read the third time and passed by yeas 66, nays 4.
Mr Mock's bill [H. R. -] amending Section 8 of the act concerning trusts and powers, the object of the measure being to prevent fraud by secret agreements in transferring real estate, was read the third time and passed by yeas 66 nays 6
Mr. Deem's bill [H R - ] giving incorporated library associations permission to change their names was read the third time and passed - yeas, 57; nays, 16
The House then adjourned until 7:30 o'clock in the evening.
At the night session the House adopted a concurrent resolution, offered by Mr. Mock, that 1,000 copies of the ditch and gravel road laws be printed in pamphlet form for distribution by members
Mr. Kellison's bill to authorize aid in the construction of railroads, by a two-thirds vote was read the third time and passed by yeas 55, nays 12.
Mr. Taylor's bill to provide for the redemption of personal property in thirty days, as was the law in 1875, was read the third time and passed by yeas 63, nays 4.
