Michigan Legislature

The tax bilí which had passed the House when I last wrote was taken up by the Senate and considered in committee of the whole. It occupied two days in consideration and passed by a vote of 30 to 2 nays. The Senate made forty. amendments to the bilt as it passed the House, about thirty of which were flnally adopted. The bill as it now stands is sure of the governor's approval. The state will then have a new syslem of assessing and collecting taxes, which no previous legislature with its other work bas been able to devise and pass. The congressional reapportionment bill elicited little discussion and after hurried consideration by the Senate in committee of the whole it passed by a vote of 23 to 5 nays. The title of the bill was changed so that it is now siinply a bill to divide the state into eleven congressional districts, each district being entitled to one representative, as follows: Firet, The First District shall ccnsist of the countjr of Wayne. Seeond, The Second DiBtrict shall consist of the counties of Momee, Leuawee, Hillsiiale and Washtenaw. Third, The Third District shall consist of the couuties of JacUsor, Calhoun, üraneh Barry and Eaton. Fourtb, The Fourlh District sliall conaist of the countieB of Berrien, Caes St. Joseph, Kalamazoo and Van Buren. Fifth, The Fiftb District shall coiisist of the counties of Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Ionia. Sixth, Tbe SixtU Dibtrict ehall consist of tho countiea of livingston, Ingham, Oakland Shiawassee and (Jenesee. Seventh, The Seventh District shall consist of the counties of Macomb. St. Clair, Sanüac, Lapeor, Tuscola and Huron. Eighth, The Eightb District shall cnnsiBt of the countieB of Montcalm, ratio1, Saginaw and Clinton. Nintb, TheNinth District shnll consist of the connties of Bay, Midland, Isabella, iMecosta, Oaceola, Clare, üladwin, Missaukce, Roconimon, Ogmaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oicod, Craw ford, Kalkask, Otsfgo, Montmorency, A'psna Presque Isle, Cheboygan and Emmet Tenth, Tho Tenth District shall coasist of the cocnties of Muskegon, Oceana, Newaygo, Lake, UaBon, Manistec, Wfxtord,Beczie,Gtand Traverse, Leelanaw, Antrim, Kalkaska, Charlevoix and Manitou. Eloventb, The Elerenth District ehall consist of the counties in the Upper Península, viz,, connties of Mackinac, Chippewa, Schoolcraft, Delta, Menominee, Marquette, Houghton, Baraga, Kewaenaw, Isle Royal and Ontonagon It was generally understood that the House would not pass the bill without several amendments, as the sequel proved. After several days of tinkering the distriets were voted upon with the following changos on the lastsix: Sixtfc, Th Sixth District ehall conBist of the counties of Clinton, Inghain, Livingston, öensee and Oakland. Seventb, The Seventh Distriet shall consist of the countiea of Maoomb, St. Clair, Lapeer, Sauilac and Huron. Eightb, The Eighth district shall consist of tho counties of ShiawasBee, Saginaw, Gratiot, Miintcalm, Isabella and Midland. Ninth, The Ninth District shall consist of the countieB of Muskegon, Osean, Newaygo, Mecosta, Oaceola, Lake, Maeon, Manistee.Wexford, Benzie and Missaukee. Tenth, The Tenth District shall consist of the counties of ,Tnsc!a, Bay, tíladwin, Clare, KoBCominon, Ogemaw, Iosco, CrawfoM, Oacoda, Alcona, Alpena, Montaiorency, Otsago, Presque Islo, Cheboygan and Emmet. Eleventb, The Eleventh District shall consist of the counties of Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Antrim, Leelanaw, Charlevoix, Manitou, Mackinac, Chippewa, Schoolcraft, Delta.Menoininee, Marquette, Houghton, Baraga, Keweenaw.lsle Boyal and Ontonagon. In these amendments the Senate did not concur and they are still wrestling with the re-districting problem. It is expected that there will be an entirely new arrangement as probably neither hsuse will be pleased with the arrangement of the other. The bill appropiïatiag $250,000 for the relief of fiie sufferers, and $15,000 .o be divided among the flfty districts whicb lost school houses, passed with the amendment which provided that the money ($300) should not be paid to school districts until the houses were built, The Senate has passed the House bill appropriating $100,000 for rebuilding a portion of the main building of the Refoim School, which time has completely demoralized. This appropriation was specially desired by the governor. Considerable time has been censumed in the Senate repealing laws which wore in conflict with the new laws contained in the main tax bilí. If the re-apportionment question is gotten out of the way the session will close within the 20 days (Friday 17tli.) There is an intiination that the governor vfill sendin extra work. 11' so, more anón. I. C.