At The Capital

Lansing, April 15, 1881. Less wark haa been acconiplished by the legislatura this week than in any week of the session, when they have pretended to be in sessiou. The house held a session on Monday, running however, with a Yery thin house (thin as to number), but the senate attempted to hold no session until even ing, aml then the president announced iminediately after roll cali that a telegram had just been received, announcing the dearh of SenatorJLewis Durkee, of the Fifteenth district, at his home in Nashville, Barry county. The senate imniediately adjourned out of respect to the memory of the dead senator. Xext morning the senate met at the usual time, appointed a committee to draft resolutions regarding the death of Senator Durkee, adopted a resolution to atteiid the funeral in a body on Wednesday afternoon, ordered the vacant desk and chati draped in mourningand provided for a supply of appropriate badges for the members and oflicers of tlie senate, lowered the tlng over tiie senate chamber at half m;ust, invited the state otficers and representatives to particípate in the funeral services, and then adjourned until after the funeral (Thursday inorning). A special train was secured and at 9 a. m. on Wednesday about 90 menibeis and oflicers of the two houses (the liouse also adjourned for the day) and a few citizens of Lansing left fot "Nashville via Kivers.Junction, reached there at noon, participated in paying the last sad rites to tlieir fellow legislutor, and returning reached the capital city at 7 o'clock. Governor Jeroine has called a special election to elect a successor to Senator Durkee, to be held on Monday, April 25. This is done not so much for what the new senator can do during the remaining days of tke session after he can reach here, but in anticipation of the special session that is sure to be held iu 1882, and that there may then be no vacant seats. While the house is still in session at this writing (4 p.m. Friday), much of its time for the whole week has been taken up with the old, old story, the reconipilation of the laws. The Howell bilí, so-oalled, so often referred to by correspondent and newspapers during the past montli, and whieh passed the senate with hardly a dissenting vote some weeks ago, has been under consideration iu committee of the whole, and those of the hundred members who have not as yet spoken one or more times (some have spoken several times) upon the subject, will doubtless do so before the battle ends. No bill has been so thoroughly contested duj ing the session, and none so thoroughly discussed in the house, tliat body having already spent several whole sessions upon it.s consideration, has final 1 ordered it to ït-s third reading, with th understanding that tlie vote shall no be taken uutil next Wednesday, when an effort is to be made to have a fu' house present. The only question in volved is simply whether the stat shall purchase compiled laws, eompilw by Andrew Howell (a recently electe judge at Adrián), and printed by hi pulilishers at Chicago, or whether th legislature sliall elect a compiler i joint convention and have the print ing done by contract as herelof ore. one can predict whether the house wil pass the bill or not. Governor Jerorne has transmitted t both branches of the legislature a long communication trom the members o the supreme court, Messrs. Marston Campbell, Graves aad Cooley, in whic tliey decline to comply with the requirements of a bill recently passet making it their duty to file with every opinión rendered a syllabus of the same, on the ground that the bill pioposed would entirely do away with the duties of the reporter of the supreme court, and is therefore in direct confiict with the constitution which created the office of reporter and defined his duties. The bill regarding the coinmon schools of the state, rnentioned in omlast as having been made a special order for Tuesday, but which wan not so considered as the senate was not in session, was considered on Thursday evening, but owing to its great length was only partly gone tlirough with and was left for some other time. Botli house have accepted the portrait of Gen Dwight May, presented hy his wife and family, with thanks, and ordered it hung in the room of the at torney general. The tirst installment of the Michigan manual for 1881 was distributed this morning. It is a fine book of 550 pages; wa compiled in aecordance with a law passed two years ago by the secretary of state; is bound in red morocco like those of foriner years; is in three parts, the first containing the constitution of the United States, cohstitution of Michigan, and rules, customs and precedents while the second is historical and contains more practical information than can be found in moat $100 libraries. The senate has set aside the evening of Friday next for the presentation of resolutions by the committee, on the death of the late Senator Durkee, and eulogies bv the senators in response.