Provided, A majority tion in the construction of railroads: of the tax-paying electors so determine: That such aid shall not exceed five per cent. of the equalized valuation of such municipalities, and shall be raised and paid by annual tax within five years after the road is completed through such municipality. The aforesaid amendment shall be and is hereby submitted to the people of this State at the next general election to be holden on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, 1870, as provided in section one, article twenty of the Constitution; and the Secretary of State is hereby required to give notice of the same to the Sheriffs of the several counties of this State in the same manner that he is now by law required to do in the case of an election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor; and the inspectors of election in the several townships and cities of this State shall prepare a suitable box for the reception of ballots cast for and against such amendment. Each person voting for said amendment shall have written or printed on his ballot the words: "Amendment anthorizing future aid to railroads-Yes;" and each person voting against it, the words: "Amendment authorizing future aid to railroads-No." The ballots shall in all respects be canvassed, and returns made as in elections of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced the Private Secretary of the Governor, who transmitted to the House a message from his Excellency the Governor, in writing. MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR. The Speaker announced the following: To the House of Representatives: EXECUTIVE OFFICE, I have this day approved, signed, and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State: An act to legalize the return of taxes for the county of Isa bella for the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine; Also, An act to legalize the return of taxes for the county of Midland for the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine; Also, An act to legalize the return of taxes for the county of Saginaw for the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine. HENRY P. BALDWIN. The message was laid on the table. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, To the House of Representatives: } In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives requesting the Governor to report to the House "the respective towns and municipalities that have voted aid, issued and negotiated their bonds, for the benefit of what railroad company said bonds have been issued, according to the enabling acts of 1863, 1864, 1865, 1867 and 1869, as per statement in his last message," I would respectfully inform your Honorable body that the information in my possession is not sufficiently full to enable me to furnish the names of each town and municipality in detail that have "voted aid, issued and negotiated their bonds" under the enabling acts of 1863 to 1867, both inclusive. For those years I can only refer you in detail to the particular acts under which bonds were issued, and present the gross amount now outstanding under each of those enabling acts. While the amounts reported for those years, in some cases, may not be precisely accurate, they are as nearly so as could be obtained after careful inquiry, and sufficiently so for all practical purposes. The total amount reported for the years 1863 and 1864, is less in the sum of $22,000 than named for the same years in my message, that amount having been subsequently represented to me as paid. Act No. 190 of 1863, as amended by No. 167 of 1865, anthorized the city of Saginaw to issue its bonds in aid of the Amboy and Lansing railroad for $50,000; now outstanding $20,000. Act No. 190 of 1863, as amended by No. 4 of 1864, for the benefit of the railroad from Jackson to Lansing; now outstanding $119,000. Act No. 2 of 1864, Bay City and East Saginaw railroad, Bay county bonds, $75,000. Act No. 26 of 1864, Paw Paw and Lawton railroad, $28,100. Act No. 44 of 1864, Schoolcraft and Three Rivers railroad, $88,000. Act No. 49 of 1864, Detroit and Howell railroad, $48,505 45. Act No. 63 of 1864, Muskegon to Detroit and Milwaukee raliroad, $50,000. Act No. 67 of 1864, as amended by No. 208 of 1865, Jackson to Grand Rapids, $188,000. Act No. 69 of 1864, Grand Rapids and Indiana railroad, $220,000. Act No. 193 of 1865, Ridgeway to Lansing and St. Joseph, and the Indiana State Line, (now the Michigan Air Line railroad,) $85,500. Act No. 276 of 1865, Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw, $26,000. Act No. 306 of 1865, Schoolcraft to Allegan and Grand River, $95,000. Act No. 311 of 1865, Lansing to Battle Creek, $106,200. Act No. 281 of 1867, Kalamazoo and Schoolcraft, $28,000. Act No. 45 of 1869, city of Port Huron, for Port Huron and Lake Michigan railroad, $42,000. City of Battle Creek, for Peninsular railroad, $50,000. Kalamazoo, for Kalamazoo and South Haven railroad, $26,000. Township of Alamo, for Kalamazoo and South Haven railroad, $10,000. Township of Pine Grove, for Kalamazoo and South Haven railroad, $12,400. Township of Fayette, for Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw railroad, $10,000. Township of Reading, for Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw railroad, $15,000. City of Jackson, for Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw railroad, $23,500. Township of St. Joseph, for Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore railroad, $46,000. Township of Lincoln, for Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore railroad, $13,500. Township of Lake, for Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore railroad, $13,500. Township of New Buffalo, for Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore railroad, $13,000. Township of Chickaming, for Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore railroad, $11,500. Township of Bruce, for Michigan Air Line railroad, $25,000. City of Ypsilanti, for Detroit, Hillsdale and Ypsilanti railroad, $50,000. Act 179 of 1869, amending No. 324 of 1865, city of Lansing for Ionia and Lansing railroad, $32,600. Act 327 of 1869, city of Grand Haven for the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad, $53,000. HENRY P. BALDWIN. The message was laid on the table. MOTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS. Mr. Sanford moved to reconsider the vote by which the House ordered printed 500 copies of the opinions of the Judges of the Supreme Court of this State, in the case of the People ex rel. the Detroit & Howell Railroad Company, vs. The Township Board of the township of Salem. Mr. Miles moved to lay the motion on the table; Which motion prevailed. On motion of Mr. Harris, The House adjourned until Monday morning at 10 o'clock. Lansing, Monday, August 1, 1870. The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was called to order by the Speaker. Prayer by Rev. Mr. Straub. Roll called: quoruin present. Absent without leave: Messrs. Beall, Bostwick, Crane, Grant, Hubbard, Jewell, Lane, Mandigo, Purcell, Ward, H. G. Williams, Yawkey. Mr. Shaw asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Crane for the forenoon. Mr. F. G. Kendrick asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Lane for the forenoon. Mr. Walton asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Jewell until to-morrow morning. Mr. G. G. Briggs asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Grant until to-morrow morning. Mr. Millington asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Mandigo for the forenoon. Mr. Romeyn asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Ward for the forenoon. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS. By Mr. Wagner: resolution of the common council of the city of Battle Creek, asking for the submission to the people of amendments to the constitution making valid aid voted to railroads, and also for future aid to railroads. On motion of Mr. Wagner, The resolutions were referred to the committees on judiciary and internal improvement jointly, and ordered printed in the journal. The following are the resolutions: At a special meeting of the common council of the city of Battle Creek, held on Saturday, July 30th, 1870, at 8 o'clock P. M., the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: Whereas, The city of Battle Creek have, by virtue of a special act of 1865 and by the general law of 1869, voted to |