Mr. Redfern moved to reconsider the vote by which the House refused to pass the bill; Which motion prevailed. The question being on the passage of the bill. On motion of Mr. Redfern, The bill was laid on the table. MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR. The Speaker also announced the following: To the House of Representatives: Lansing, January 19, 1895. I have this day approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State, House bill No. 52 (manuscript), entitled An act to amend an act entitled "An act relative to justices' courts in the city of Grand Rapids, to reduce the number thereof, and to fix the compensation of such justices, and provide a clerk and offices therefor, being act No. 306 of the local acts of 1893," approved March 22, 1893, by adding thereto a new section. SIR-I am instructed by the Senate to transmit to the House the fol lowing concurrent resolution: Resolved (the House concurring), That a special committee of six, three from the Senate and three from the House, be appointed to investigate and report as to the advisability of the State purchasing or building an executive home in the city of Lansing at a cost not to exceed thirty thousand dollars; Which has been adopted by the Senate, and in which the concurrence of the House is respectfully asked. Very respectfully, DENNIS E. ALWARD, Secretary of the Senate. The question being on concurring in the adoption of the resolution, The resolution was adopted. On motion of Mr. G. M. Curtis, The House adjourned. Lansing, Wednesday, January 30, 1895. The House met pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by the Speaker. Roll called: quorum present. Absent without leave: Messrs. Covell, Ferguson, Hoyt and Robertson. On motion of Mr. Marsilje, Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Hoyt until Friday next. On motion of Mr. Foote, Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Robertson for the day. On motion of Mr. Hicks, Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Covell until Monday next. The Speaker announced as the special committee of three to act with a like committee from the Senate to investigate and report as to the advisability of the State purchasing or building an executive home in the city of Lansing at a cost not to exceed $30,000, Messrs. Place, Sherwood, Kempf. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS. No. 46. By Mr. Kempf: Memorial of the Michigan Academy of Science to the Legislature, asking that an efficient law for the registration of births and deaths in Michigan be enacted. On demand of Mr. Kempf, The memorial was read at length and spread at large on the Journal, as follows: WHEREAS, The Michigan Academy of Science recognizes that the results obtained from an efficient system of vital statistics are of the highest scientific interest, as well as of great practical importance to the people of the State in affording indispensable information as to sanitary and social conditions: and WHEREAS, The present system of registration of births and deaths, which was enacted in 1867, and last amended in 1869, has long been known to be defective in furnishing reliable results and in furnishing any data in time to be of public interest and immediate sanitary value; therefore be it Resolved, That the Michigan Academy of Science respectfully urge that a modern system of registration for births and deaths be established in this State, which shall provide for the complete report of all births and deaths that occur in the State, prompt returns to the central registration office and timely publication of results, thereby adding to their reliability, popular interest and sanitary value. The foregoing resolution was prepared by the Council under the direction of the Academy in its meeting at Lansing, December 26 and 27, 1894. FREDERICK C. NEWCOMB, Secretary pro tem. of the Council of the Michigan Academy of Science. Ann Arbor, Mich., Jan. 16, 1895. Referred to the committee on Public Health. No. 47. By Mr. J. T. Campbell: Resolution of board of supervisors of Ingham county relative to justice's fee bills. On demand of Mr. J. T. Campbell, The resolution was read at length and spread at large on the Journal, as follows: By Supervisor Wheaton Resolved, By the board of supervisors of Ingham county, that the Honorable J. T. Campbell be and is hereby requested to introduce a bill in the Legislature and use all honorable means to secure its passage, amending justice's fee bills in criminal cases so that they shall receive the same trial fee in criminal cases as they now receive in civil cases; Which resolution was unanimously adopted. Referred to the committee on Judiciary. No. 48. By Mr. J. T. Campbell: Resolution of the board of supervisors of Ingham county, relative to amendments to the drain law. On demand of Mr. J. T. Campbell, The resolution was read at length, and spread at large on the Journal, as follows: By Supervisor Lathrop WHEREAS, Under the present drain law an application for the location or establishing a drain must be signed by not less than five freeholders of the township or townships in which such drain or the lands to be drained thereby and to be assessed therefor may be situated, one or more of whom shall be owners of land liable to be assessed for benefits. In many cases the application is signed by only one such owner thus affected while the remaining signers are not very much interested in the matter of taxation; therefore, be it Resolved, By the board of supervisors of Ingham county, that our Representatives in the State Legislature use their influence to so amend the drain laws that before the drain commissioner takes any action toward the locating or establishing any drain that a majority of the land owners along the right of way shall first sign such application; Which preamble and resolution was unanimously adopted. No. 49. By Mr. Rogner: Petition of E. H. Dimond and 80 other citizens of Tuscola county asking for the passage of a law to prohibit the shipment and sale of game birds. Referred to the committee on Fish and Game. No. 50. By Mr. Rogner: Petition of D. H. Hinkley and 39 others for the incorporation of the village of Fairgrove. Referred to the committee on Village Corporations. No. 51. By Mr. Graham: Petition of the members of Alpine grange and others, relative to the game law. On demand of Mr. Graham, The petition was read at length and spread at large on the Journal, as follows: WHEREAS, We, the undersigned, members of the Alpine Grange, and farmers in the vicinity, have received information, through the columns of the press and otherwise, that a certain society organized under the name of the "Michigan State Fish and Game Protection League," are about to present bills before the present Legislature, which, if passed, will prohibit the shooting of, or in any manner killing, rabbits, except in the month of October; and WHEREAS, We know by personal experience that rabbits are a great dam-age to farmers and horticulturists, inasmuch as they destroy certain grain crops and gnaw the bark from fruit trees, shrubbery, etc.; and WHEREAS, Under such a law, the farms would soon be overrun by such pests, and we believe twelve months in the year would be none too great a time in which to get rid of them; now, therefore, be it Resolved, By Alpine Grange, in regular session, this 19th day of January, 1895, that we are opposed to the enactment of any law which imposes such injustice upon the farmers of this State; and be it further Resolved, That it is our earnest desire that all members of the present Legislature who are in any manner in sympathy with agriculture, will use their influence and their votes in an effort to defeat any such bills which have been, or may be presented. CORA WHEELER, Secretary. Referred to the committee on Fish and Game. T. W. GIBBS, Master. No. 52. By Mr. Graham: Resolution of the board of supervisors of Kent county, relative to prison labor. On demand of Mr. Graham, The resolution was read at length and spread at large on the journal, as follows: Extract from proceedings of board of supervisors, Kent county, Michigan. Thursday, January 17, 1895. Your committee on road legislation offered the following, which on motion of Mr. Gill was made a part of former report of said committee. To the Honorable Board of Supervisors of Kent Co.: GENTLEMEN-Your committee on road legislation hereby offer the following resolution as supplemental to their report of yesterday: Resolved, That the board of supervisors of Kent Co. respectfully ask the Legislature, now in session, to make provision by law, whereby a certain portion of prison labor shall be employed in making tile to be used for tile drainage of the highways of the State where needed, and for constructing sluiceways for conveying away the water. Such tile to be distributed to the several counties as may be needed and redistributed to the several townships under the direction of the proper authorities. We are decidedly of the opinion that a certain portion of prison labor can be employed in gravel pits in running stone crushers, loading gravel and broken stone to be transported where most needed for the highways. We believe the prisoners can be taken out under guard in box cars ten or twenty miles in the morning and returned at night and be worked during the day. They might also be worked, when not too far removed from prison, in digging ditches for drainage and for grading hills. We believe the railroads would freight the gravel and other road material, as well as the prisoners, at a very low cost. Box cars could be constructed with reference to a continuation of the employment of prison labor in this manner. We further ask that the Legislature take action without delay and ascertain what terms can be made with the railroads for the transportation of prisoners and road material in order that the necessary legislation may be had by the Legislature at the present session. Signed by the committee. FREEMAN LATHROP. Friday, January 18, 1895. The supplementary report of the committee on road legislation, offered yesterday in form of a resolution relative to convict labor, was then considered. The motion to adopt prevailed by following vote: A true copy. Grand Rapids, Mich., January 23, 1895. T. D. EDDY, County Clerk. No. 53. By Mr. Amidon: Petition of A. O. Barnes, S. D. Holland and 116 others, relative to damage done to any public drain by cattle running at large. Referred to the committee on Drainage. No. 54. By Mr. Amidon: Petition of Fletcher Nolf, A. D. Vincent and 128 others to abolish the office of township drain commissioner and otherwise amend the drain laws. Referred to the committee on Drainage. No. 55. By Mr. Cathro: Petition of M. L. Leach and 45 others asking the incorporation of union school district of Briley, in Montmorency county. Referred to the committee on Education. No. 56. By Mr. Foote: Petition of Harrison Soule, Peter N. Cook, James H. Wade, of Ann Arbor, and 40 others, asking the passage of House bill No. 2, relating to the killing of deer. Referred to the committee on Fish and Game. No. 57. By Mr. Lonsbury: Petition from the board of supervisors of Oscoda county asking the passage of a law requiring probate judges to give bonds. Referred to the committee on Judiciary. No. 58. By Mr. Fuller: Petition of Ed. Erickson, Erickson & Bissell,. Rathfon Bros. and 40 others in favor of the passage of House bill No. 82,. relative to the reduction of railroad fares in the Upper Peninsula. Referred to the committee on Railroads. |