The question being on concurring in the adoption of the resolution, The House concurred. A message was also received from the Senate informing the House that the Senate had concurred in the adoption of the following resolu tion: House concurrent resolution No. 6. Whereas, There is pending before Congress Senate Bill 136, intended, through drastic regulations, to protect passengers upon boats plying on the ocean and the great lakes, which if enacted would virtually put out of business all passenger boat lines operating upon said great lakes; and Whereas, The passenger season on the great lakes is only for three months in midsummer, and steamers are passing and repassing each other at very short intervals, so that assistance is always near at hand in case of accident, the risk of casualities being reduced to a minimum, and is entirely different from the dangers on the ocean; and Whereas, Millions of passengers have been carried and no loss of life has occurred on any of the passenger boats plying on said lakes during the last ten years; and Whereas, Whatever loss of life has occurred in that time on these Jakes, has been upon freight carriers, which operate late in the season, the bulk of such loss occurring during that part of the season, and at a time when passenger and excursion boats are laid up for the winter; and Whereas, Many millions of dollars are invested in said passenger and excursion boats, built under government regulations, inspection and supervision, which under the proposed bills would become almost a total loss, and many thousands of persons be thrown out of employment; and Whereas, If under these conditions Congress should insist on enacting the proposed legislation, we feel that the excursion and passenger steamers of the great lakes should be exempted from the provisions of the bill; therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Legislature of the State of Michigan respectfully asks the Congress of the United States to refuse to enact the proposed measures enumerated above, as applied to the great lakes, and for the reasons contained in the preamble hereof; and be it further Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by the Clerk of the House of Representatives to each of the Senators and Representatives from this state in the Congress of the United States, and they are hereby respectfully requested to oppose, by all honorable means, the enactment of this proposed legislation. A message was also received from the Senate informing the House that the Senate had concurred in the adoption of the following resolution: House concurrent resolution No. 3. Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Secretary of State be and is hereby requested to furnish each member and officer of the Legislature of 1915 with one copy of the Com piled Laws of 1897, together with one copy each of the Public Acts of the regular and special sessions published since such compilation of 1897. A message was also received from the Senate informing the House that the Senate had concurred in the adoption of the following resolution: House concurrent resolution No. 4. Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Auditor General is hereby respectfully requested to submit to this Legislature, at his earliest convenience, a tabulated statement showing, to date, all moneys received by him from non-resident liquor dealers, the source of such receipt, and the number of licenses issued to such non-resident liquor dealers under the provisions of Section 1 of Act No. 291 of the Public Acts of 1909. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS. Mr. Croll introduced House bill No. 7, entitled A bill to amend section 1 of Act No. 49, of the Public Acts of 1885, entitled "An act for the relief of purchasers and settlers on swamp land, and to repeal Act No. 166, Session Laws of 1855 and Act No. 173, Session Laws of 1867, the same being sections 5386 and 5387, Howell's Annotated Statutes," now section 1494, of the Compiled Laws of 1897. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on State Affairs. Mr. Koehler introduced House bill No. 8, entitled A bill to amend sections 1 and 2 of Act No. 91, of the Session Laws of 1839, entitled "An act to provide for the recording of town plats, and for vacating the same in certain cases," being compiler's sections 3372 and 3373 of the Compiled Laws of 1897, as last amended by Act No. 297 of the Public Acts of 1913. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Towns and Counties. Mr. Lewis introduced House bill No. 9, entitled A bill to permit mutual telephone companies of this State, not organized for pecuniary profit, but incorporated under the laws of this State, to own, control, operate, construct, maintain, extend, diminish or vacate their lines and equipment within this State or any municipality thereof, without applying for and receiving from the Michigan Railroad Commission a certificate of public convenience and necessity, as provided for in section 9 of Act No. 206 of the Public Acts of 1913; and absolving such mutual telephone companies so organized not for pecuniary profit, from filing with said commission a schedule of the rates, tolls, rents and charges which it proposes to charge on its lines FIFTH DAY. Lansing, Thursday, January 14. 2 o'clock p. m. The House was called to order by the Speaker. Religious exercises were conducted by Rev. H. J. Simpson, of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, of Lansing. The roll of the House was called by the Clerk, who announced that a quorum was present. Messrs. Empson, James D. Jerome, Koehler, McGraw, Palmer, Pray and Wright were absent with leave. Mr. Stevens was absent without leave. Mr. Schmidt moved that Mr. Stevens be excused from today's and Friday's sessions. The motion prevailed. Mr. Henry asked and obtained a leave of absence from tomorrow's session. Mr. Stevenson asked and obtained a leave of absence for the balance of the week. sence after today's session until Tuesday. Messrs. Sheridan Ford and Culver asked and obtained leaves of ab Mr. Martz asked and obtained an indefinite leave of absence after today's session. Messrs. Newel Smith, to make recommendations for reference of the several parts of the PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS. Mr. Watkins presented Petition No. 1. Petition of Arthur Vandenberg, chairman of special sub-committee in behalf of the Republican state central committee, proposing amendments to the primary election law. Mr. Watkins moved that the petition be printed in full in the Journal. The motion prevailed. The following is the petition: To the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives: Gentlemen:-By direction of the Republican state central committee, I am presenting to you herewith, in the form of a petition, a report unanimously adopted by the committee in session in Grand Rapids December 29, proposing amendments in Michigan's primary laws. We respectfully request that this petition and its subject matter be referred to the proper committee for consideration; and we ask the further privilege of being permitted to appear before such committee at the proper time for hearing. The action of the state central committee-which forms the basis of this prayer-was based upon a report of a sub-committee which considered the entire subject for a period of two months. The report of this sub-committee-unanimously adopted by the Republican state central committee-follows herewith in full: Your sub-committee to which was referred the problem of suggesting desirable changes in existing Michigan primary laws for the purpose of overcoming obvious weaknesses and improprieties, begs leave to report that it has given the entire subject searching consideration; and as a result of state-wide and nation-wide investigations it presents the following conclusions to your committee: In a general way, two basic causes for complaint were considered: (1) The persistent participation of Democrats and other hostile partisans in Republican primaries for the purpose of attempting to nominate weak Republican candidates for office; (2) The lack of opportunity for party counsel under existing primary law. Your committee believes that its present suggestions-all thoroughly in harmony with the primary principle-which will go far toward obviating both of these basic troubles without in any way infringing upon the direct control of party affairs by the party rank and file. For the purpose of present consideration, the committee proposes that its suggestions be applied only to the nomination of candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, auditor general, attorney general and United States senator. It is the committee's thought that the proposed reforms can best be tested in connection with these chief state offices-all of the state offices that are involved in biennial fall elections. The proposals hereinafter detailed should be read in connection with the limitations set forth in this paragraph. Your committee makes the following general advisory suggestions: (1) Biennial fall conventions-now held after the biennial fall primaries for the purpose of nominating candidates below lieutenant gov |