electors, shall never be abridged, and every law passed taxing the traffic, shall contain the necessary provisions for wholly prohibiting the same in the respective localities, by a vote of a majority of the qualified electors as above stated. Such law, if enacted, shall confer upon boards of supervisors, township boards, city councils, or boards of village trustees, full po wer to increase and apportion the amount of tax to be paid, and, authority to re quire good and satisfactory security from every person or firm engaging in the business, that no liquors, spirituous or malt, will be sold to minors, persons under guardianship, insane, or idiotic persons, paupers, or common drunkards, and shall contain such other provisions as may be necessary for the enforcement of penalties and the maintenance of good order in every community wherein such traffic is taxed."

Mr. Hosner moved to amend the substitute by striking out in line 3, the word "two" and inserting in lieu thereof the word “five.”

Mr. Ferguson moved to amend the original Article by striking out all after the word "section," in 4th line from the bottom, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "The legislature may in any locality further regulate, restrict, and prohibit the sale and other disposition of intoxicating liquors, and may increase the annual tax on the same;"

Pending which,

On motion of Mr. Bottomley,

The committee rose and reported as follows:

REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

The committee of the whole have had under consideration the supplementary Article entitled, Taxation and Restriction of the Liquor Traffic; But not having gone through therewith, have directed their chairman tó report that fact to the House, and ask leave to sit again.

Report accepted.

Leave was granted the committee to sit again.

On motion of Mr. Buell,

The House took a recess until 2 o'clock this afternoon.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

2 o'clock P. M.

The House met and was called to order by the Speaker.
Roll called: quorum present.

The Speaker announced the receipt of intelligence of the death of the distinguished scholar and statesman, the Honorable Charles Sumner, United States Senator from Massachusetts, who died in the city of Washington at 11:45 o'clock this morning.

On motion of Mr. E. R. Miller,

The House resolved itself as into committee of the whole for the consideration of the proposed Constitution.

The Speaker in the chair.

PROCEEDINGS IN COMMITTEE.

The supplemental Article relative to Taxation and Restriction of the Liquor Traffic being under consideration, the following questions were pending when the committee rose:

1. A motion to strike out the Article.

2. A substitute for the original Article, as follows:

"The Legislature may enact laws taxing a traffic in spirituous or malt liquors, and such laws, if enacted, shall impose an annual tax of not less than two hundred dollars upon every person or firm who shall engage in the business of selling or disposing of the same. Every law passed for such purpose shall provide for the payment of such tax into the county treasury of the respective counties, to the credit of the poor fund; and if there be a surplus of a sum annually required for the support of the poor, such surplus shall be credited to any other fund designated by the board of supervisors. Druggists and chemists selling liquor for medicinal purposes, upon the prescriptions of practicing physicians, shall be exempt from the payment of such tax. The right of the people of every county, township, city, or village to wholly prohibit the traffic in spirituous or malt liquors, by a majority vote of the qualified electors, shall never be abridged, and every law passed taxing the traffic, shall contain the necessary provisions for wholly prohibiting the same in the respective localities, by a vote of a majority of the qualified electors as above stated. Such law, if enacted, shall confer upon boards of supervisors, township boards, city councils, or boards of village trustees, full power to increase and apportion the amount of tax to be paid, and authority to require good and satisfactory security from every person or firm engaging in the business, that no liquors, spirituous or malt, will be sold to minors, persons under guardianship, insane or idiotic persons, paupers, or common drunkards, and shal contain such other provisions as may be necessary for the enforcement of penalties and the maintenance of good order in every community wherein such traffic is taxed." 3. A motion to amend the substitute by striking out the word "two," in line 3, and inserting in lieu thereof the word "five."

66

4. A motion to amend the original Article by striking out all after the word "section," in 4th line from the last, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: The Legislature may, in any locality, further regulate, restrict and prohibit the sale and other disposition of intoxicating liquors, and may increase the annual tax on the same."

The question being taken on amending the original Article, the same was not agreed to.

The motion to amend the substitute by increasing the amount of tax, was withdrawn.

Mr. Buell moved to amend the substitute by inserting after the word "same" in line 4, the words "for each place where such liquors are offered for sale or disposal;"

Which motion prevailed.

Mr. Brunson moved to amend the substitute by striking out in line 3 the word "two" and inserting in lieu thereof the word "five;"

Mr. Fancher moved to amend the original Article by striking out, in line 18, the words “fine or imprisonment, or both, as may be prescribed by law," and inserting the following: "a fine of five hundred dollars, and in default of the payment thereof, imprisonment in the State Prison at hard labor for a term of five years, or until the fine is paid."

Which was agreed to.

The motion to amend the substitute by striking out the word "two," and inserting the word "five," prevailed.

Mr. Dovell moved to amend the substitute by inserting after the word "electors," the words "legally expressed, not oftener than once in two years." Which motion prevailed.

Mr. Bottomley moved to amend the substitute by striking out, in line 1, the word "may," and inserting in lieu thereof the word "shall."

Which motion did not prevail.

Mr. Fey moved to amend the substitute by striking out, in line 5, the word "county," and inserting in lieu thereof the words "town, village, or city.” Which motion did not prevail.

Mr. J. Walker moved to amend the substitute by striking out in line 6, the word "poor," and inserting in lieu thereof the word "drain ;"

Which motion did not prevail.

The substitute was then not agreed to.

The motion to strike out the original Article then prevailed.

On motion of Mr. Perry,

The committee rose and reported as follows:

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

The committee of the whole have had under consideration the supplemental Article relative to Taxation and Restriction of the Liquor Traffic;

Have stricken out the same, and have directed their chairman to report at fact to the House, asking concurrence therein.

th Report accepted and committee discharged.

Mr. E. R. Miller moved that the House concur in the action of the committee.

Mr. Caplis demanded the yeas and nays.

The demand was seconded, and the motion prevailed, by yeas and nays, as follows:

The Speaker announced the following:

STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE,
Lansing, March 11, 1874.

Hon. C. M. CROSWELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives:

DEAR SIR-In response to the resolution of the House of Representatives, passed March 10th, 1874, calling on this office for information in regard to Specific Taxes, I beg leave to report: First, the only classes of corporations upon which this office levies Specific taxes, are the Telegraph and Express Companies. The amount levied during the fiscal year of 1873 was as follows: On

Telegraph Companies...
Express Companies...

$2,236 43 2,016 54

Second: The amount of Specific Taxes received during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30th, 1873, and shown on pages 9 and 31 of the Report of this office, are as follows:

On

On page 4 of the report of this office it was stated on information that about $250,000 railroad taxes were unpaid; of this amount $211,808 46 has been received. together with $14,168 88 interest, and $354 04 penalty.

The Fire Insurance Companies have mostly made their reports for the year ending Dec. 31, 1873, paying into the treasury more than last year. The Life companies have not reported as fully. but it is estimated that their tax will fall off as much if not more than the Fire have increased. The Express companies have reported and paid into the treasury $2,230 79. Very respectfully,

H. D. BARTHOLOMEW,
Deputy State Treasurer.

The communication was laid on the table.

Mr. Watkins asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Lockwood for to-morrow forenoon.

On motion of Mr. Cady,

The House adjourned.

Lansing, Thursday, March 12, 1874.

The House met pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by the Speaker.

Prayer by Rev. Mr. Sisson.

Roll called quorum present.

Absent without leave, Mr. Eggleston.

PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS.

By Mr. A. Walker: Petition of E. B. Ward, S. R. Mumford, Mise L. A. Morgan, Miss J. E. Miller, and 21 others of Detroit, in favor of female suffrage; Also: Petition of V. T. McGillicudy, C. D. Childs, Miss Fanny Thompson, Mrs. M. F. Andrews, and 50 others of Detroit, for the same purpose;

Referred to the committees on elections and State affairs, jointly.

By Mr. Bartholomew: Memorial of the Michigan State Womans' Suffrage Association;

Referred to the committees on elections and State affairs, jointly.
The following is the memorial:

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, in Special Session convened:

The executive committee of the Michigan State Woman's Suffrage Association, at their meeting held at Kalamazoo February 10, 1874, voted to memorialize your honorable body, at your special session now being held.

We beg leave to represent to you that the object of this Association is to secure, in a legal way, the enfranchisement of the women of the State. They are, as you well know, already recognized as citizens of the State according to the laws of the United States. They are now taxed for all purposes of public interest as well as the men. But they are not represented in the Legislature, nor in any branch of the State government, thus affording a great example, and an unjust one for women, of taxation without representation, which our fathers declared to be tyranny; and which is contrary to the genius of our republican institutions and to the general polity of this commonwealth.

Women are also governed, while they have no direct voice in the government, and made subject to laws affecting their property, their personal rights and liberty, in whose enactment they have had no voice.

We therefore petition your houorable body, that in preparing a new Constitution, to be submitted for adoption or rejection by the people of this State, you will strike out the word male from the article defining the qualifications of electors; or if deemed best by you, will provide for the separate submission of an article for the enfranchisement of the women of Michigan, giving them equal rights and privileges with the men.

By thus taking the lead of the States of the Union, to more fully secure the personal rights of all the citizens, you will show yourselves in harmony with the spirit of the age and worthy to be called pioneers in this cause, as you are already most honorably accounted pioneers in your educational system, which affords equal and impartial advantages to the population of our State irrespective of sex or condition in life,-thus aiming to elevate the entire people to the highest practicable plane of intelligence and true civilization. By order, and in the name of the Michigan Woman's Suffrage Asssociation. L. H. STONE, Corresponding Secretary. MRS. A. H. WALKER, President.