SEVENTEENTH DAY. Lansing, Monday, January 29. The House was called to order by the Speaker. 8:45 o'clock p. m. Religious exercises were conducted by Rev. E. E. Mieras, of the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, of Lansing. The roll of the House was called by the Clerk, who announced that a quorum was present. Messrs. Brower, Cowan, Crawford, Diehl, Sheridan Ford, Gayde, Gettel, Glaspie, Hallett, Hassenger, McGillivray, Nelson, Olmsted, Petermann, Ross, Stearns, Vine and Weissert were absent with leave. Messrs. Bosch, Evans, Farrier, Galloway, Griggs, Houghton, Lamphere, Martz, Moore, C. J. Reed, Sours, Toepel, Ward, Welsh and Woodruff were absent without leave. Mr. Chapin asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Sours from tonight's session. Mr. Thomas Read asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Foote from tonight's session. Mr. Ivory asked and obtained an indefinite leave of absence for Mr. Toepel. Mr. Wagner asked and obtained an indefinite leave of absence for Mr. Fox. Mr. Deuel asked and obtained a leave of absence for the members of the Committee on State Industrial Home for Girls from tomorrow's session. Mr. Jones moved that the other absentees without leave be excused from today's session. The motion prevailed. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS. Mr. Leveque presented Petition No. 24. Petition of Gilbert Haun and 14 other residents of Houghton county, favoring the present deer hunting law. The petition was referred to the Committee on Game Laws. Mr. Lemire presented Petition No. 25. Petition of Frank W. Aronson and 608 other residents of the Upper Peninsula, protesting against the passage of the so-called "one buck law." The petition was referred to the Committee on Game Laws. ANNOUNCEMENT BY CLERK OF PRINTING OF BILLS. The Clerk announced that the following named bills and joint resolution had been printed and placed upon the files of the members January 27: Senate joint resolution No. 4 (file No. 9), entitled A joint resolution proposing an amendment to section 21 article VI of the Constitution of this State, relative to the salaries of State officers. Senate bill No. 19 (file No. 10), entitled A bill making appropriations for the Kalamazoo State Hospital at Kalamazoo, for building and special purposes, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1918, and June 30, 1919, and to provide a tax to meet the same. Senate bill No. 20 (file No. 11), entitled A bill to make an appropriation for the Industrial School for Boys for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1918, and June 30, 1919, for current expenses and for certain special purposes, and to provide a tax to meet the same. Senate bill No. 21 (file No. 12), entitled A bill making appropriations for the Newberry State Hospital, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, for building and special purposes, and to provide a tax to meet the same. Senate bill No. 22 (file No. 13), entitled A bill to provide a tax to meet the amounts disbursed by the State for the several State Hospitals, the Michigan Home and Training School, Michigan Farm Colony for Epileptics, and the Eloise Hospital, for the support of patients under the several laws relating thereto. Senate bill No. 23 (file No. 14), entitled A bill to amend section 17 of chapter II of Act No. 164 of the Public Acts of 1881, the same being "An act to revise and consolidate the laws relating to public instruction and primary schools and to repeal all statutes and acts contravening the provisions of this act," the same be ing section 4662 of the Compiled Laws of 1897, as last amended by Act No. 300 of the Public Acts of 1915. Senate bill No. 24 (file No. 15), entitled A bill to amend section 4 of chapter XXII of Act No. 215 of the Public Acts of 1895, being "An act to provide for the incorporation of cities of the fourth class," as amended by Act No. 110 of the Public Acts of 1907, and Act No. 221 of the Public Acts of 1911, the same being section 3341 of the Compiled Laws of 1897, and section 3265 of the Compiled Laws of 1915. Senate bill No. 15 (file No. 16), entitled A bill to amend amended sections 2 and 4 of Act No. 142 of the Public Acts of 1913, entitled "An act to provide for the assessment and the collection of a specific tax upon secured debts other than debts secured or evidenced by mortgages and liens upon real property, and which mortgages and liens are recorded in Michigan, and to repeal all acts and parts of acts in contravention thereto." Senate bill No. 16 (file No. 17), entitled A bill defining legal real estate mortgages and land contracts, and to provide for the exemption of all taxes upon such instruments in this State. Senate bill No. 26 (file No. 18), entitled A bill making an appropriation for the Michigan Reformatory for special purposes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, and to provide a tax to meet the same. Senate bill No. 27 (file No. 19), entitled A bill to amend sections 4, 5, 18, 21 and 25 of Act No. 279 of the Public Acts of 1909, as amended, entitled "An act to provide for the incorporation of cities and for revising and amending their charters." Senate bill No. 32 (file No. 20), entitled A bill making appropriation for special purposes for the Michigan Home and Training School at Lapeer, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1918, and June 30, 1919, and to provide a tax to meet the same. Senate bill No. 33 (file No. 21), entitled A bill to provide for the registration of electors. The Clerk announced that the following named bills had been printed and placed upon the files of the members Monday, January 29: Senate bill No. 34 (file No. 22), entitled A bill to provide for the holding of elections, to prescribe the manner of conducting and to regulate elections, to prevent fraud and deception in the conducting of elections and to guard against abuses of the elective franchise. Senate bill No. 35 (file No. 23), entitled A bill making appropriations for the Michigan State Normal College for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1918, and June 30, 1919, and to provide a tax to meet the same. Senate bill No. 36 (file No. 24), entitled A bill authorizing organized townships in the State of Michigan to borrow money and to issue bonds therefor for the purpose of establishing free public libraries, purchasing site and constructing building thereon. Senate bill No. 37 (file No. 25), entitled A bill to provide for writs of error in criminal cases on behalf of the people of the State of Michigan in certain instances. Senate bill No. 39 (file No. 26), entitled A bill to provide an appropriation for the purpose of making and extending a tuberculosis survey of the State; lessen the existence and spread of said disease and to direct the matter of expenditure of the moneys hereby appropriated. Senate bill No. 42 (file No. 27), entitled A bill to provide for the taxation of real estate and personal property. MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR. The following message from the Governor was received and read: State of Michigan, Executive Chamber, Lansing, January 26, 1917. To the Honorable Speaker, House of Representatives, State of Michigan: Sir: I am in receipt of a letter under date of January 24, 1917, from Honorable A. J. Groesbeck, Attorney General of Michigan, relative to the litigation between the State of Michigan and the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway. Attached herewith, and made a part of this message is a copy of this letter, which is self-explanatory. I deem the information in this letter of great importance. The day is past for any property to have special taxation privileges in this State and I recommend the Attorney General's advice be given most serious consideration by the members of the House of Representatives. Respectfully, Governor. The following is the letter from the Attorney General: State of Michigan, Attorney General's Department, Hon. A. E. Sleeper, Governor, Lansing: Lansing, January 24, 1917. My Dear Governor:-For a number of years there has been considerable litigation between the State and the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway. The decisions of the courts have been to the effect that there is a perpetual contract existing between the State and the railroad company by virtue of a number of acts that have been passed by the Legislature since 1834. It is the claim of the State at the present time, in a case pending in Kent Circuit Court, that the railroad company has for years, and is now, evading the payment of a just tax, under its franchise or contract. In 1834 the territorial Legislature passed an act authorizing the incor |