Michigan's Legislators

Muoh to ihe surprise of ererybody last Saturday morning both houees yoted down propotition to djoura OTer from noon till Mondsy and held two eassioua Saturday, then adjourned till 2 r. u., Mondy. Since the legislatura resumed business the ntroduction of billa ba been the principal order in both housi, and the man ot Iegi8ltion proposed largely exoeed that of iormer years. The memben have been determined to reach the 800 hmit before the expirtion o( the 50 dys in which bilis cn be introducid. A good many of them are simply skeleton bilis which will be rounded out in the future. Of course with the Taltnche of bilis which have been pouring in, breaking all previous records, it is absolutely rapossible to ttempt any enameration. Therefore I will simply mention a few of the more important of them, and hope to be ble to refer to them more fully as they come up for coneideration. It g quite evident that not all the members of the legislature expect the tory amendment te be carried at tbe polls, therefore Representatives Rumsey aDd Henry Watson have introduced bilis to more gtringently regúlate the traffic. A bilí has been introduced to make only practitioners in the supreme court eligible to the office of judge of probate, which the pranger memberg seem inclined to sit down upon as a form of class legislation. Representative Robingon, of Monrcalm, has iDtroduced a bilí to provide for the covering of machinery in milis and factoríes. Represen tative Rumsey's Bohemian oat bilí has passed the house, but is lik1y to be pretty thoroughly overhauled in the senate. The bilí creating a new institute for the feeble minded has m effect been consigned to oblivion. Representative Henry Eurr has introduced a bilí prohibiting railroad companies from employing men adicted to the use of liquor. The joint resolution appropriating $4,000 to the Lyons sufferers passed the senate by a unanimou8 vote. A bilí was introduced for the accumulation plan ot electing members of the legislature. The bilí introduced in the house pro hibiting the use of stoveg in railroad passenger coaches is one of the most timely mensures of the session, and will undoubtedly receive favorable consideraron. Unquestionably the bill is the outgrowth of the feeling of horror inspired by the recent railroad holocaust, and ït should be pushed through as rapidly as possibly, because it 8 pretty evident railroad men will take no steps toward dispensing with the deadly stove until compelled to do go. Representative Ogg, one ot the active, wide-awake labor members, has intro duced a bill that he thit.ka will settle the troubled question of prison contract, which has obtruded itself like a terrible nightmare on the visión of the knights of labor for lol these many month. The bill provides that no further contract for priaon labor shall be made, but that the ternas of those already in exisfence shall not be violated; also, that hand and foot machinery alone shall be employed Representative Hosford's bill for the completion of the decoration of the state capítol appropriates $35,000 for the work. It specified the frescoing and decorating shall be eompleted upon the entire first, floor, the offices of the governor, the library, the legislative post office, the rooms occupied by the judgpg and the clerk of the eupreme court, and the'corridor and pioneers' room. The amount originally fixed in the bill was $50,000. Contractor Wright, of Detroit, who has done the work of decorating, gpent aevreal dnys in the city looking after the bill. Among the important railroad legislaticn of the session the bill of Manager Ashley, of the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern Michigan, is receiving its share of attention. It is the intent of this bill ti ffiodify the inter-state commerce act of congres. It seems that 'those railroads which are exclusively within the state are not effected by the new law. These &re the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette, the Detroit, Lansing & Northern and the Port Huron & Northwestern railway9. These roads have an advantage over those gwverned by the act of congress, aud can make rates which the act prohibits other roads from making. Mr. Ashley does not believe this is altogether just to those lines traversing beyond the boundaries of Michigan, or that a part of the people should havo to pay nter-state traffic rates while others escape. The resolution asking Michigan senators and representatives in congress to aid in passing the dependent pension bill over the president' veto met with considerable opposition, on the grounds that the present pension laws or speeial act could cover 11 deserving cases, and that it was pot the province of this legislature to instruct the members in congress. After being pretty thoroughly discussed the resolution finally passed, 77 to 15, and a similar resolution passed the senate, 22 to 8. The members of the "third house" have been having a good deal of fun lately. Last week the regu'ar biennial meeting was held, at which time Capt. Joe Nicholson presented that body a magnifleent easy chair for ita speaker. It is such a chair as one would expect to find a David Davis using, elaborately finished in green, gold and brown. On the panel of the back is a ful] length oil portrait of Tim Nester with hia fur coat on and a blackthorn shillalah in his hand, guarding a partly open door. Above the portrait is the personal motto of Speaker Nester: "Faugh au Ballaugh" - clear the way- vividly reminding one of the old Irish song: An' I wint vrid bim down to the Shannon, Au' I rowed htm acroet Id me boat Thin I Utbered him vrid me shlllal&h, For he thrid on the tail ov me coat. Under the ponrait is the motto of the "third house:" "Let no Ouilty Kan Escape." The chair will be used during this session only and then disposed of and the proceeds applied to charitable purposes. "Linie Jake" Seligman was elected a life member and asaeased $100 with an annual aasessment of $25. A. W. Wright, Alma's millionain, was made a member and assessed $10, and a number of other new members were reoeived. The most sensible thing they did was to end $50 to the Lyons sufferers. The senators, representatives and reporters have each had a miniaturr nugget of native copper, fashioned into a papar weight, placed upon their deska by Senator lubbell. It is needless to gay they i hihly prized by the recipiente. The senate joint reaolution proposing n amcodment to the constitution of the state extending the term of office of state naton to four nstead of two years u a present, has puaed, and the question will be submitted to the people at the coming tprmg election. The gecond bill of the session for tbe organization of new county hu passed the house. Th western prt of the northern península gives us the new county of öogebic, the bill creidng which was signed by the governor during recess. Now the governor will have an opportuni ty to sign a bill creating a county named after himself n the eastern part of the upper peninsula. The new county is taken from the western part of Chippewa and the northwestern part of Mackinac, with the county seat at Newberry. I.AHsiNO, Fkb. 22, 1887.