Michigan Legislature

The Legislature has come and gone, and the special session of 1882 is a thing of the past. Both Ilouses, in accordance with a concurrent resolu tion, quit doing any business save to close up that on hand, on Saturday, yet theoretically the session did not close until neon of ïuesday (14th.) Before the session was called it was supposed that the cali would include only three subjects, the relief f or fire sufferers, the tax bill and the congressional re-apportionment, yet when the session was called the governor gave the legislature ten instead of three subjects upon which to act. Of these the flre relief bill was the flrst to pass both Ilouses, several days ago, as heretofore published in these letters. The next, the tax bill had passed the House and was fairly under discussion in the Senate at the time of our last. ïhis consideration the Senate completed on the 9th, after about hree days of solid work, and after havng made 40 amendments to the bill. iuite a large proportion of these the ax commission approved and then the ill reached the vote on its final pasage on that day (9th), several amendments being then proposed by senators who desired to have them rejected if at all by yeas and nays, thus putting liose who opposed them, on record, ome legislators are very fond of makng a record that they can mail to their admiring constituents, "the dear peole," and so they wanted this record. Iowever, all the amendments at that ime proposed were voted down, and ;he bill passed by a vote of yeas 30, nays 2, Senators Ambler and Brown oting no. The House then concurred i all the amendments made by the Senate to the bill. The governor bas ince affixed hls sign manual and so Michigan has a new andentirely differnt system of assessing and collecting axes, and it is hoped it may prove a mueh better, more effectual as well as ust law to all, the poor as well as the ich. The third important bill, the división f the state into eleven congressional istricts, which passed the Senate, was mended by the House. The Senate efused to concur in the amendments nd a committee of conference was orered on the 9th. This committee reorted on the lOth, recommending a light yielding on both sides. Both louses concurred in the adoption of ihe report and the bill was passed. Vhile there is (as therealways willbe) ome complaints, the bill is doubtless as satisfactory as any that could have een devised, and will please most of :hose who do not happen to be would)e-eongressmen. As flnally passed the bill is as follows: Sec. 1. The People of the State of íichigan enact, That this State shall be divided into eleven congrebsional istriets pursuant to a ratio of repreentation üxed by an act of Congress 'or the year eighteen hundred and eighty-two (1882) for the apportioning anew the representatives among the everal counties, and eack district shall e entitled to elect one representa ti ve, he districts to be constituted of the everal counties, an:l numbered as folows, to wit: First district, eounty of Wayne. Second district, counties of Monroe, enawee, Hillsdale, and Washtenaw. Third district, counties of Jackson, Calhoun, Branch, Barry, and Eaton. Fourth district, counties of Berrien, 3ass, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and Van iuren. Fifth district, counties of Allegan, Cent, Ottawa, and Ionia. Sixth district, counties of Clinton, jigham, Livingston, Genesee, and Oakand. Seventh district.counties of Macomb, St. Clair, Lapeer, Sanilac, and Hurón. Eighth district, counties of Shiawassee, Saginaw, Gratiot, Montcalm, Isabella, and Midland. Ninth district, counties of Muske{on, Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosts, Oseeola, Lake, Masón, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Kalkaska, Antrim, and Charlevoix. Tenth district, counties of Tuscola, Bay, Gladwin, Clare, líoscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Crawford, Oscoda, Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Ocsego, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, and Emmet. Eleventh district, counties of Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanaw, Manitou, Mackinac, Chippewa.Schoolcraf t, Delta, Meneminee, Marquette, Hougliton, Baraga, Keweenaw, Isle Boyal, and Ontonagon. The appropriations of the session, though it was a short one, foot up to the snug sum of $375,600, divided as follows: For relief of sufferers by the great flre, $265,000, for rebuilding and repairing at the reform school, $75,000, for addition to an appropriatian made last session for building additional shopa at state prison, $17,000; for building additional workshops at house of correction at Ionia, $10,000; for re pairs and iniprovements at blind schoo in this city, $8,600. Bills had been passed upon most of the ten original subjects and on Fridaj afturnoon (lOth) the governor yieldec to the strong pressure from many parta of the state and sent to the two Houses a message in which, while he did noi "recommend" any legislation as in the former case, lie "let the bars down" and gave them thirty-seven subjects on which they might legislate if they saw Qt. Notwithstanding both houses had by this time decided to do no more bus iness after Saturday, the flood-gates were opened and within an hourK bilis were introduced in the Senate and 23 in the House, not one of ther whole lot having ever been heard of before All rules were suspended and the bilis went through on the "hop, skip aw jump" plan, not only receiving the firs and secoud, but their third reading at once, so that within the next few hours all but one or two passed both houses, work having been done in those few houra that should have had at least three weeks of careful consideration. If any "hasty legislation" was ever done in the history of Michigan, surely that was some of it. Most of that lo' were of a local nature, yet we suspec sonie of them will need amending w repealing by the next session. Of the 50 bilis and joint resolutions passed by the two houses, Governor Jerome has approved all but one joint resolution, and that one authorizing him to issue a patent for certain school laws. The governor on Saturday nominated and the Senate in executive session conürmed a largo batch of additional state ofdcers (uotaries public). As the list comprised several from almost every county in the state, it is much too long for publication herewith, but the lucky ones will soon be notifled by postal card to cali at the office of the clerk of their county, pay their little $2 and lug off their commission, with a big red seal of the state attached. The annual meeting of the State Press Association, in sessioü in the Senate chamber to-day was not very largely attended, but quite an amount of important business was transacted. Obituary papers were read on the life and death of W. S. George, John N. Ingersoll and G. W. Fitch. The offlcera elected were: President, J. E. Scripps, Evening News; Presidenta, J. TV. lline, Lowell Journal; H. B. Kowlson, Ilillsdale Standard and D. C. Ilenderson, Allegan Journal; Secretary Edwin S. Horkins, St. Louis Leader, (re-elected); Treasurer, E. F. Grabill, Greenville Independent (re-elected). The next session will probably be held in Detroit.