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Lansing

Lansing image
Parent Issue
Day
23
Month
May
Year
1879
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Lansino, May 16, 1879. As your readers have seen ere this in the daily record of the Legislative proceedings the two Houses have at last agreed so far as to pass a joint resolution, fixing the final adjournment on the last day of this month. In the opinión of many good judges this is decidedly the most wise and beneficent bit of legislation turned out at the present session. Tax-payers and law-obeyers can but look with apprehension upon the rapid growth of legislative sessious in this rapidly growing commonwealth. The legislature of 1871 had a session of 104 days; of 1873, of 121 days; of 1875, of llOdays; of 1877, of 142 days. Should the joint resolution just passed be allowed to stand, the present session will be cut off at the löOth day of its usefulness, being an increase of 50 per cent in eijht years.though it would be difflcult to show why Michigan needs a day's more legislation now than then. Nor can an outsider see any good reason Why the sessions should not continue to grow in the future as in the past. At the present rate of increase it will only be about 25 years before the biennial sessions will each last two years, leavin the poor overworked law-makers not even a week's vacation to go home and vote. APl'ROPRIATIONS. The appropriations for the general expenses of the University, passed by the House yesterday, are as follows: General library, $4,000; General hospital, $6,000 ; Homeopathie College, expenses, $4,000; Homeopathie hospital, building, $0,500; Homeopathie hospital, expenses, $1,250; Dental College, expenses, $9,000; Dental Oollege.buildings, $3,200; Steam heating apparatus, $20,000 ; Matron's house,$i,000 : Total, $55,000. This is $5,250 less than the appropriations passed by the Senate. Of the total amount, $42,250 is to be levied in the taxes of 1879, and $12,750 in 1880. A motion to give the bill immediate effect was lost, 56 to 20. The appropriations for finishing and furnishing the Eastern Asylum far the Insane, passed by the House, amount to $23.209, orabout $6,000 less than the amount assked. The House also passed a bill appropriating $10,000 for deüciencies in the expenses of the institution for the year 1879. The appropriation bilis for the State institutions have all passed the House except that for the Asylum at Kalamazoo. THE LI(UOK PÓLICE BILL. Senator Bhepard's bilí to regúlate the liquor traftic, better known as the liquor pólice bilí, has been passed by the House aftera somewhat protrac ted and spirited discussion. Some of its r features were opposed by the Prohibitionists, and its passage was greatly endangered by amendments, obnoxious to one or other extreme wing of the temperance party. The clause which forbids the sale of liquors behind blinds, shutters, screens, curtains, fastened Windows, etc, was stricken out after a hard fight. The bill as passed requires that saloons shall close from 9 p. jr. to 6 a. m., except in cities and villages, where tliey may keep open till 10 p. m. with the consent of the city or yillage authorities. lt also requires that saloons shall be closed on legal holidays, as well as Sundays and election days, requiring druggists to give bonds not to sell except for medicinal, mechanical scientific and sacramental purposes ; re quires persons found intoxicnted to go into eourt and testify where they obtained their liquors, and requires that the bondsmen for dealers shall be residents of the township, village or city in which the business is proposed to be carried on THE TAX BILL. The House wrestled valiantly with the voluminous tax bill till Tuesday evening. It made few amendments of consequence to the bill as reported by the joint committee, and finally passed it by a vote of 57 to 21. The two mili tax was stricken out, it being the intention to regúlate the amount of this tax by another bill which is pending. The method of making delinquent tax sales through the circuit courts was also the subject of some discussion, but remains substantially as reported by the committee. The bill now awaits the indorsement of the Senate. CARE OF THE INSANE The House last evening passad a bill embodying the recommendatious of the joint committee which investgated the Kalamazoo Asylum, for the better protection of patients in such institutions. The first section provides that there shall be no censorship exercised over the correspondence of the inmates of insane asylums' but their post office rights shall be as free and unrestrained as are those of any other resident or citizen of the State, and be underthe protection of the same postal laws.and every iuniate shall be allowed to write when and wherever he or she chooses. It is further made the duty of the superintendent to furnish the inmates with writing materials, md to provide means for mailing letters ; also to deliver to the inmates, uu opened, all letters, newspapers and books received for them through the ■ mails. It also provides for coroner's inquests in all cases of suicide or sudden deaths in the asylum, and an amendment waa added requiring the luw to be printed on a card and posted in all the warda of the asylurn. The bil] seems to meet general approval and will no doubt pass the Senate In snbstantially its present shape.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus