A message was received from the Senate returning House Bill No. 282 (file No. 272)— A bill to amend Act No. 314, Public Acts of 1915-Judicature Act-to provide that weather reports may be received as evidence in criminal cases. The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill. The bill was referred to the Clerk for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor. A message was received from the Senate returning A bill to amend Act No. 142, Public Acts of 1913-an act to provide for a specific tax upon certain secured debts. The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill. The bill was referred to the Clerk for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor. A message was received from the Senate returning House Bill No. 325 (file No. 270)— A bill to amend section 24, chapter 152, Revised Statutes of 1846-punishment of escaped prisoners. The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill, and had ordered that it take immediatę effect. The bill was referred to the Clerk for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor. A message was received from the Senate returning with certain amendments House Bill No. 375 (file No. 227)— A bill to amend Act No. 85, Public Acts of 1921-corporation tax. The following are the amendments made to the bill by the Senate: (1) Section 10, line 2, after the word "act", strike out remainder of line 2, all of line 3 and to the word "shall" in line 4. (2) Section 10, line 4, after the word "any", insert "wilfully". The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill as thus amended, and had ordered that it take immediate effect. The Speaker pro tem announced that under Rule 58 the bill would lie over one day. A message was received from the Senate returning with an amendment A bill to provide for the construction, improvement and maintenance of township roads by boards of county road commissioners. The following is the amendment made to the bill by the Senate: 1. Amend section 2, line 9, after the word "valuation," by striking out the period and the word "One-fourth" and inserting in lieu thereof a colon and the following: "Provided, That the rate of tax for such purpose assessed upon property within the limits of incorporated villages shall be one-half the rate assessed upon property outside of the limits of incorporated villages. One-half". The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill as thus amended. The Speaker pro tem announced that under Rule 58 the bill would lie over one day. A message was received from the Senate returning with certain amendments House Bill No. 440 (file No. 244)— A bill to amend Act No. 316, Public Acts of 1923-to provide for cleaning county drains. The following are the amendments made to the bill by the Senate: (1) Amend section 1, line 25, after the word "cleaning", by striking out the words "or other improvement". (2) Amend section 1, line 27, after the word "done", by striking out the words "or other such improvement to be made." The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill as thus amended, and had ordered that it take immediate effect. The Speaker pro tem announced that under Rule 58 the bill would lie over one day. A message was received from the Senate returning A bill to restore to the Michigan Public Utilities Commission all rights, including those given to the Michigan Railroad Commission. The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill. The bill was referred to the Clerk for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor. A message was received from the Senate returning A bill to amend Act No. 17, Public Acts of 1921-to give the Commission of Conservation authority to buy, sell, exchange or condemn lands. The message informed the House of Representatives that the Senate had passed the bill. The bill was referred to the Clerk for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor. Mr. Espie entered the House and took his seat. By unanimous consent the House took up the order of Motions and Resolutions. Mr. Farrier moved that the Committee of the Whole be discharged from the consideration of Senate Bill No. 285 (file No. 290)-A bill to make an appropriation for purchase of site for and erection of Tuberculosis Sanitorium-and that the bill be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. The motion prevailed. Mr. Harris moved that House Bill No. 400 (file No. 234)-A bill to authorize the State Highway Commissioner to purchase or condemn property for the purpose of exchanging for railroad right-of-way-be recalled from the Clerk, to whom it had been referred for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor. The motion prevailed. Mr. Harris moved that the bill be given immediate effect. The motion prevailed, two-thirds of all the members-elect voting therefor. The bill was referred to the Clerk for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor. Mr. Darin moved that the Committee of the Whole be discharged from the consideration of Senate Bill No. 46 (file No. 33)-A bill to make appropriations for the Michigan Naval Militia-maintenance and operation-and that the bill be re-referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. The motion prevailed. Mr. Palmer moved that the Committee of the Whole be discharged from the consideration of Senate Bill No. 150 (file No. 123)-A bill to provide an appropriation to assist in the equipping, maintaining, operation and expansion of the home for dependents of former service men-and that the bill be re-referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. The motion prevailed. Mr. David F. Morrison moved that a respectful message be sent to the Senate requesting the re-return to the House of House Bill No. 390 (file No. 300)— A bill to amend Act No. 43, Public Acts of 1921-increasing salaries of commissioners of Department of Labor and Industry and providing for an additional commissioner, etc. The motion prevailed. Mr. Roxburgh introduced House Bill No. 497, entitled Introduction of Bills. A bill to amend section 11 of Article 4 of Act No. 198 of the Public Acts of 1873, entitled "An act to revise the laws providing for the incorporation of the railroad bridge and tunnel companies and to regulate the running and management and to fix the duties and liabilities of all railroad, bridge, tunnel and other corporation owning or operating any railroad, bridge or tunnel within this State," same being section 8300 of the Compiled Laws of 1915. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Transportation. Mr. Sink introduced House Bill No. 498, entitled A bill to authorize the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Michigan to determine whether certain lands owned by the State of Michigan in the county of Washtenaw will be benefited by certain proposed drains, and to authorize such lands to be assessed for benefits and making an appropriation therefor. The bill was read a first and second time by its title. Mr. Rauchholz moved that the rules be suspended, and that the bill be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. The motion prevailed, and the bill was so referred. Third Reading of Bills. Senate Bill No. 64 (file No. 161), entitled A bill to make appropriations for the State Library for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1926, and June 30, 1927, for maintenance and operation, Was read a third time and passed, a majority of all the members-elect voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows: NAYS Campbell, J. L. Preston 2 The House agreed to the title of the bill. Mr. David F. Morrison moved that the bill be given immediate effect. The motion did not prevail, two-thirds of all the members-elect not voting therefor. Mr. Farrier moved to reconsider the vote by which the House did not give the bill immediate effect. The motion prevailed. The question then being on the motion made by Mr. David F. Morrison that the bill be given immediate effect, The motion prevailed, two-thirds of all the members-elect voting therefor. Mr. Preston, having reserved the right to explain his vote, made the following statement: "My vote on this bill is 'no'. It is 'no', not because of any great opposition to this particular bill, but because there are sixteen appropriation bills on the calendar for today. The sum total of these sixteen bills is $3,477,725.00, and I am not altogether satisfied with them as a whole, and further, a 'yes' vote on all of them would show my absolute approval of them. I voted 'no' too, because the Metropolitan and out-state newspapers are now placing great stress upon the appropriations that are being made here. They tell the people of the State that the appropriations of this legislature will exceed the ones made by the 1923 legislature by $10,000,000.00 I presume that the newspapers have this right. They usually are right, and therefore, I refuse to give my vote of 'yes', and as 'yes' to have it thrown into the general hotch-pod. I am answerable to 75,000 good people in Berrien county and I intend to keep my faith with them." Senate Bill No. 63 (file No. 160), entitled A bill to make appropriations for the Michigan Historical Commission for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1926, and June 30, 1927, for maintenance and operation, Was read a third time and passed, a majority of all the members-elect voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows: Campbell, J. L. NAYS 1 The House agreed to the title of the bill. Mr. Look moved that the bill be given immediate effect. The motion did not prevail, two-thirds of all the members-elect not voting therefor. Mr. Farrier moved to reconsider the vote by which the House did not give the bill immediate effect. The motion prevailed. The question then being on the motion made by Mr. Look that the bill be given immediate effect, The motion prevailed, two-thirds of all the members-elect voting therefor. Senate Bill No. 71 (file No. 129), entitled A bill to make appropriations for the Department of Public Instruction for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1926, and June 30, 1927, for maintenance and operation, Was read a third time and passed, a majority of all the members-elect voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows: The House agreed to the title of the bill. Mr. Farrier moved that the bill be given immediate effect. Mr. Palmer demanded the yeas and nays. The demand was seconded. The motion made by Mr. Farrier then prevailed, two-thirds of all the memberselect voting therefor by yeas and nays as follows: |