Michigan Law Makers

The house has resumed its morning sesgions, which were digcontinued a short time since to permit of more time for committee work, and it is likely the grist wil] be poured into ihe legislative hopper steadily and ince.-santly 'for some time to come. It Ls possible, moreover, that the Saturday adjoumments will soon be diapensed with, as the railroads have notifled the Periandere that their passes will be recalled early n April, and they Will prolably find work preferable to lounging about or to paying their fares to and from their homes. The abolition of the pass gyetem, while it may be inconvenient to members who like to spend Sunday ai home and those who are on visiting oommitteea to public mstitutbns, will most assuredly save money to the people of Michigan. The bill relating to graveyard and speculative insurance, to which I referred last week, has been eugaging a good part of the attention of tbe hou-e for almost a fortnight, the result being the appointment of an invetigating couimittee consisting of Senators Westgate and Goraaan and Represen tati ves Cross, Goodrich and Douglass. About all the representaties who had wiy eloquence with them took part in the debate on the concurrent resolution, and some of the best speeches of the session were made. The resolution was first voted down, but Mr. Cross, the concoctor of the bill aimed against theM institutions, moved a reconsideraron. Then occurred the crowning sensation of the debate. Speaker Markey called Mr. Bates to the chair, came off the perch, and stepping to the floor delivered an addrtae in favor of the passage of the resolution that proved him to be the leader of that body in every sense of the word. His arguments were not without effect, for the ree olution, aftër being amended to include any life insurance company, passed by a vote of 62 to 3. A strong loby endeavored to impede the passage of the resolution. The bill providing for the location, establishment and organization of a state prison of infamy has been made a special order for coneideration in the senate April 13. It was reported back to the senate by the committee on appropriations and finance without amendment or recommendation, further than that it be made special order for the abogo mentioned date. The bill amending the general law relating to gambling has passed the house and will probably soon be favorably reported by the judiciary committee of the senate. It provldes that all laws on gaming nhall apply to buoket shops and all busiresg and transacüons of the kind now carried on by bucket shops, under whatever name the same ehall be transacted, and to all business agreements and tranaactions in the nature of bets or wagers upon the future variation in the price of grain, stocks or any other property, article or commodity. The board of control of the reform school, in a bill introduced for that purpose, aks for the following amounts: Current expenses 1887 8, $104,000; for sidewalks, $500 per year; laundry, $500; kitchen furniture, $200 ; tunnel for steam pipe, $1,000; ice-cream and meat room, $500; green house and fix tures, $3,000; aewerage, $2,500; elootrio light plant, $5,000; a total of $13,700 for special expenses. They a?k for $7,500 instead of $2,500 in case they eau arrange to conBBct the school sewerg with the city gewer. The bill has been favorably considered by the committee on the school and will soon be reported. An important bill has passed the house to prevent certain prefere-ces by insolvent corporaticog. It provides, inier alia, that any mort gage, pledge, security or preference of any kind given by a Corporation which is insolvent, or in contempialion of insolvency, for the purpose of jecuring, directly or indirectly, its directer, officers or stockholders, or any of them, for any liability from the Corporation to them, or tor any liabilify which they may have incurred for the benefit ol the Corporation, ghall be void as against creditors of the oorporation who were such at the time suoh preferenoe was given. The bill providingthat romen may vote t town. village, city or other municipal electioiis was reported without recommendation by the committeo and placed on the general order. A good deal of opposition is shown to the measure, the claim being made that it would tend to break down the respeot in which women ara now held and would give o power f or evil to the vioious and depraved of the sex, while the better class of women would not accept the privilege if offered them. It is tuy private opinión publiely expressed, that those who are looking forwar bolishment of the state board of corrections and charities are doomed to (iisappointment. There are no ihdications that the legislature has the slightegt iutention of dispensing with that institutiou. In addition to the test measure, to which I made references a fortnight since, the senate has pa3sed a bill providing that no county jaü shall be ereoted until it is first approved by the board. It further provides, by the way, that Mich jails shall coctainBeparatewards for men, boyg, women and girl?, which wards shall be so arranged as to be so entirely separate from each other as to previ-nt geeing or hearing the oocupanta of other wanl-. The feeling seems I aeral among the members that the prohmitory amendment will tio', bc il and they are therefore thinking more or less of what meaus may be provided for the better regulation ol the traffic. In all there are forty-five bilis introduced in both houseg relating to the sale of liquor. Many of them are duplicaten, however and will not be reported. Among tbem 8 the -ld " Mosher bill " of 1879, reintroduced in its eniirety, bat it 8 not likely to kick up the ame amount of dnst it did wben tirst ntroduced. And yet the troubles of Alma are not terminated. Another bilí to divide the village has been favorably reportad, and when it comes up people will naturally expect the wine oask to be tepped and the "bnr'l" unheaded as on the previous memorable occasion. This bill is bout the 8ame in purport as thai Sred into the legislative rag bag a few days ago, and udIpsr something unforseen happens will {.robably meet a like (ate. An acquaintance of mine says he saw a sight for sore eyes the other night. There ■was an exciting cock fight in a barn on Grand street, and he positively avers there were in attendance at the brutal sport fourteen representatives and three senators. Were I addited to betting I'd wager a tnfle that every blessed one of them would howl like a dervish were his name publicly mentioned in connection with the affair. A bill introduced by Senator Seymour, which will be favorably repored, provides that on and after Nov. 1, Í887, every railroad operatiDg in the state shall either heat their cars by heat generated outside of the coaches or else shall encloBO the heater in an absolutely fire-proof ron ctaaet. No stove or heater with ac open door, or other opening, throuth which flre could escape in case ot accident, can then be used, exceptin such iron compartmcnt. Lansiho, March 2', 1887.