House bill No. 76, An act to repeal chapter 48 of the Statutes of 1872. Referred to Committee on Judiciary. House bill No. 77, An act regulating the salary of county officers. Referred to Committee on Fees and Salaries. House bill No. 78, An act changing the name of Nellie Chapman, and declaring her an heir-at-law. Referred to Committee on Judiciary. House bill No. 79, An act changing and defining the boundaries of the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Representative Districts. Referred to Committee on County Seats and County Lines. House bill No. 80, An act repealing section 14, chapter 14, of the Laws of 1868, relating to bonds, notes and bills of exchange. Referred to Committee on Banks and Currency. House bill No. 81, An act amending section 13 of chapter 87 of the Laws of 1870, relating to the code of civil procedure. Referred to Committee on Judiciary. By request of Mr. J. N. Foster, House bill No. 20 was recalled from the Committee on County Seats and County Lines, and referred to a special committee, consisting of Messrs. Foster and Elder, Representatives from Franklin county. Mr. Beegle moved to take up and consider the resolution offered by Mr. Palmer yesterday, authorizing the members of this House to subscribe for newspapers, which motion prevailed. Mr. Martin moved to lay the resolution on the table, which motion prevailed. Mr. Haskell moved that the motion to lay on the table be reconsidered, and that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, which motions prevailed. Mr. Legate, by unanimous consent, offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Committees on Judiciary, Ways and Means, Railroads, State Affairs, and Assessment and Taxation, be authorized to appoint clerks for their respective committees, which was laid over under the rules. Mr. Martin, by unanimous consent, offered the following resolution: Resolved, That it is the judgment of this House that special legislation is contrary to the letter and spirit of the constitution, and to public policy, and that the vacation of streets, alleys and highways, and conferring the rights of majority on minors, and the changing of names by legislative action, are not legitimate subjects of legislation. And be it further resolved, That this House will not entertain any legislation of the character above named in any case where the legislation sought can be accomplished by general legislation. Which were laid over under the rules. Mr. Legate moved that the rules be suspended, and the resolution offered by himself, in regard to appointing clerks for committees, be taken under immediate consideration, which motion prevailed. Mr. Foster moved to amend by adding, "and no others." Mr. Carter offered the following amendment to the amendment: "Provided, however, That said clerks shall serve without pay." Pending discussion, the amendments of Mr. Foster and Mr. Carter were withdrawn, and, on demand of Mr. Carter, a vote was taken on each committee embraced in the resolution of Mr. Legate, and the resolution was passed, so as to read as follows: Resolved, That the Committees on Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Assessment and Taxation, be authorized to appoint clerks for their respective committees. On motion, the House adjourned. HENRY BOOTH, Chief Clerk. MORNING SESSION. TOPEKA, KANSAS, January 16, 1875. House called to order; Speaker in the chair. } Roll called. Quorum present. The following gentlemen answered to their names: Messrs. Aldrich, Allen, Angell, Atwood, Babcock, Bates, Barnes, Baldwin, Beegle, Bell, Blair, Bradford, Briggs, Brinkman, C. J. Brown, G. W. Brown (Nemaha), G. W. Brown (Crawford), Bryan, Buchan, Campbell, Carter, Codding, Cornell, Cowan, Cox, Donnelly, Doud, Duncan, Edmonds, Elder, Fain, Farwell, Ferguson, F. R. Foster, J. N. Foster, Gibson, Goff, Goucher, Haff, Hooton, Hubbs, Hulett, Huston, Jewett, Johnston, Kingsbury, Landon, Legate, Lockwood, Loy, Mann, Martin, Marvell, McNulty, Meredith, Merriweather, Miller, Mitchell, Mobley, C. Moore, Morse, Motter, Morphy, Pickett, Pilkenton, Raney, Reppert, Robinson, Root, Scott, A. W. Smith, T. E. Smith, Spurlock, Squires, Stauber, Stevenson, Tabor, Taylor, Tomlinson, Tuttle, Vance, Vantrees, Vaughan, Walker, Wells, Williams, Willis, Wirt, Wood, Woods, and Mr. Speaker. Prayer by Rev. Mr. Thompson. Journal of yesterday was read and approved. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS. The petition presented by Mr. Motter, January 14th, from the citizens of Palermo, asking that the town site be vacated, was read, and referred to the Committee on Corporations. The petition of A. M. Peck and fifty-two others, citizens of Franklin county, Kansas, praying for a change in the law fixing the width of public highways, presented by Mr. Elder, January 14th, was read, and referred to the Committee on Roads and Highways. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. Mr. Willis, chairman of the Committee on Roads and Highways, submitted the following report: MR. SPEAKER: The Committee on Roads and Highways, to whom was referred House bill No. 33, An act to repeal an act entitled "An act for opening private roads or highways," approved March 7, 1874, have had the same under consideration, and instruct me to report the bill back to the House with the recommendation that it be rejected. M. C. WILLIS, Chairman. The message received yesterday from the Governor, relating to the United States military reservations of Forts Hays and Leavenworth, together with the accompanying papers, was referred to the Committee on Judiciary. COMMUNICATION FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE. HON. E. H. FUNSTON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SIR: In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives this day received, I have the honor to transmit here with a list of those members of the House, who were elected from counties having a total vote of less than two hundred and fifty. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, THOS. H. CAVANAUGH, Secretary of State. Which communication, together with the accompanying documents, was referred to the Committee on Elections. MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE. The following message was received from the Senate: MR. SPEAKER: I am directed to inform your honorable body that the Senate has adopted Senate concurrent resolution No. 7, asking Congress to make an appropriation for the improvement of Galveston harbor. Also, Senate concurrent resolution No. 9, in relation to the amount of State Treasurer's bond. Also, Senate concurrent resolution No. 12, in relation to the adoption of joint rules. And to respectfully request your concurrence therein. JOHN H. FOLKS, Secretary. Mr. Buchan moved to suspend the rules, for the purpose of considering Senate concurrent resolution No. 7, which motion prevailed, and on motion the resolution was concurred in. Mr. Stevenson moved to suspend the rules, so as to consider Senate concurrent resolution No. 12 now, which motion prevailed, and on motion the resolution was concurred in. ORIGINAL MOTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS. Mr. Motter offered the following resolution, and moved its adoption: Resolved, That when any member is speaking, the stating of a motion by the Speaker, the reading of any paper by the Clerk, or the taking of a vote, this House will not receive any message, but if he wishes may leave them with the Clerk of the House. The Chief Clerk is also requested to carry out the foregoing resolution in his dealings with the Senate. On motion, the resolution was laid on the table. Mr. Elder offered the following resolution, and moved its adoption: Resolved, That the Committee on Judiciary be directed to examine into the subject of judicial districts in this State, and report by bill or otherwise upon the propriety and necessity of reducing the number from fifteen to a less number. Which resolution was adopted. Mr. Stevenson introduced House concurrent resolution No. 11, in reference to electing a State Printer, which was laid over under the rules. . Mr. Kingsbury introduced the following resolution: Resolved, That the Judiciary Committee be instructed to report a bill making certified copies of patents, duly recorded in the office of the register of deeds, evidence of title. Which was laid over under the rules. Mr. R. W. Wright introduced House concurrent resolution No. 12, relating to newspapers containing proceedings of the Legislature, which was laid over under the rules. Mr. Burgess introduced the following resolution: Whereas, Some of the members have been left off of committees: therefore, be it Resolved, That the Speaker be empowered to increase the number of the several committees, so as to place the members who have been overlooked on such committees respectively. Which was laid over under the rules. Mr. Palmer, at his own request, was excused from serving on the Committee on State Library. Mr. Buchan introduced the following resolution, and moved its adoption: Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby instructed to furnish the chairmen of all standing committees a copy of the General Statutes and each session law, and that if he has not a sufficient number on hand, that he be required to withdraw from members of the House enough to comply with this order. Mr. Elder moved to amend by inserting "that the chairmen of committees be required to receipt for the statutes, and return them," which amendment was adopted, and on motion the resolution as amended was adopted. Mr. J. N. Foster introduced the following resolution: Resolved, That the hour of meeting of the morning session of this House shall be 9 o'clock A. M. Mr. Buchan moved that the rules be suspended and the resolution considered now, which motion prevailed. |