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Lansing

Lansing image
Parent Issue
Day
21
Month
March
Year
1879
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

IiANSiNG, March 14, 1879. The State Bepublican Convemtion Interrupted the work of legislation on Friday, and the legislators adjoumed over till Monday evening, and, of oourae, did nothing till Tuesday so that my week's record includes only the labor of four days. Ufthia labor, it may besaid, as of the old lady's soup, "it is good enoiigh, wliat there is of it, and plenty of it such as it is." There lias been a good deal of miseellaneous discussion, a night aession, some fun and a dozen or more laws ground out for the approval of the Governor some of them brand new, and others, old laws repaiml and made over so as to look as good as new. kfeFOBM SCHOOL FOR GIKLS. A large part of the time has been occupiedin discussions of the different plans for a State reform school for girls, the leading features of which were given in niy last letter. On Tuesday, the joint Committee on State Affairs to which had been referred tlie live bilis on the subject, heard a delegation of ladies prominently connected with similar charitable institutions and enterprlses and able to giye the committee some va,luable advice. It was substantially settled in the committee that the proposed institution should be penal in its character and that commitments to it should be made by sentence of the courts; that the age at which girls should be liable to apprehension upon charges of vicïousness and immorality should be placed at 21 years; that the instruction in the institution should be confined to household duties; that the Board of Trustees should consist of six persons, four women and two men chosen for six years, and so arranged in classes that two of the members should go out of office eacli year. The prospects of some bill which embodies these general features becoming a law are apparently improving. CIIANGE IN JUDICIAL CIRCUITS, The House, after discussing and amending and rearranging the judicial circuits for several weeks, finally agreed upon a new deal Wednesday, and should their programme meet the approval of the Senate and Governor, circuits will be formed as follows: Hillsdale and Lenawee, population, 78,050 ; Jackson and lngham, population, 07,181; Shiawassee, Livingston and Genesee, population, 70,070 ; Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Leelanaw, Antriru, Charlevoix, Emmet and Cheboygan, population, 21,5S1; Macomb and 8t. Clair, population, 08,904 ; Bay and Ogemaw, population, 24,832 ; Osceola, Lake, Mason, Manistee and Benzie,population, 24,524; Isabella, Midland, Glad win, Clare and Gratiot, population, 20,005. The population is given according to the State census of 1874, which does not include either of the counties of Gladwin or Ogemaw. The bill creates three new circuits as folio ws: Twenty-fourth, "Wastenaw and Monroe; Twentv-fifty, Sanilac, Huron and Tuscola; Twenty-sixth, Roscommon, Crawford, Otsego, Missaukee and Wexford. PROIIIBITION. The friends of probibition are active and ipparently conlident that the next few weeks will witness the passage of a otriiigoiit probibifcory U4 uöl lilW ailQ a consequent repeal of the liquor tax laws which the last two Legislaturas took sucli pains to construct. Mrs. Latlirop of Jackson, addresséd the House after adjournment Wednesday, in tlie interest of prohibition, and the cause has been reinforced by the aipearance of Dr. lïeynolds, the apostle of the lied Ribbon inovement, who appeals to the people to pour in petitions tor a prohibitory law, assuring them that the Legislature stands ready to grant anythlng they may ask in that line. In view of Dr. Reynolds' oft-expressed purpose to keep the reform movement entirelv indei)endent of all legislativa enactments tliis new departnre on his part is quite a surprise, lts effect upon the temperance people of the State remainsto be seen. KEROSENE. The lougest if not the most animated discussion of the season has been on the amendment to the law fixing the test on kerosene oil at 140 dt-grees Fahrenheit. This law was enaeted in 1875 mainly, I believe, at the instance of the State Board of Health, on the grounds that the burning of oil of a lower test endangered life and property. At least it has been most ably championed since then by Dr. Kedzie, President of the Board, wlio bas addressed the Legislature upon the subject two or three times. As noted in these letters it has been earnestly opposed by several members of the Legislature, who assert that it entails an enormous expense upon oil consuméis without securing them any greater safety than that enjoyed by people in neighboring States where the test is luwer and the light better. Alter several heated discussions, the House last evening reached a vote, and the opponents of a high test won a signal victory. The bill as finally agreed to, reduces the flash test to 120 degrees, Fahrenheit; abolishes the chili test; reduces the inspection fees to the same rate as in 1875, and makes it the duty of the prosecuting attomey to prosecute all violations. It is to take effect in 00 days after approval. A Threc Years Concealed. From the Staunton (Va.) Vindicator. On one of the excursions which left Staunton in October, 1870, for the centennial were two passengers, one a youug lady of Kockbridge, whose bright face, as well as her bright niind, had made her as popular in Staunton society as at hoA and another was a young gentlenPPf of Staunton, temporarily residing in Kockbridge, who contemplated shortly removing to the far West. They were devoted lovers, and, as the sequel will show, the gentleman took such a precaution against the lady changing her mind during his expected absence as was insurmountable. Stop ping in Baltimore a few hours, the lady and gentleman, after the latter had procured, a license, repaired to the residence of Kev. Mr. Murkland, the famous presbyterian minister, (the lady being a Presbyterian,) and were united in wedlock. They then returned to their respective homes, and there tUe secret was conflded to two of the groom's family and a relative in Richniond, the lady making a eonfident of one of her family and a devoted niarried lady friend. The groom went'Wewt to make his fortune, and will in a few days return to claim his wife, who bas all along retained her maiden name. Though the marriage took place nearly three years ago, and seven persons knew it, not a word has leaked out about it, until within the last week. The Chicago Tribune wants Edison to invent a new kind of sewer gas. '. There is certainly a magnilicent tunity for improvement on the variety ; in general circulation.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus