AFTERNOON SESSION. 2:00 o'clock P. M. The Senate met and was called to order by the President. Roll called: a quorum present. The Senate resumed business under the On motion of Mr. Read, SPECIAL ORDER. The Senate went into committee of the whole on the special order, Mr. Rankin in the chair. After some time spent therein the committee rose, and through their chairman, made the following report: The committee of the whole have had under consideration the following bill: Senate bill No. 183, entitled A bill making an appropriation for the support of the State Agricultural College, to pay the expenses of the State Board of Agriculture, to erect a new hall, and for repairs and other improvements at the State Agricultural College, Have made sundry amendments thereto, and directed their chairman to report the same back to the Senate, asking concurrence therein, and recommend its passage. Report accepted and committee discharged. F. H. RANKIN, Chairman. Mr. Baxter moved that the Senate concur in the amendments made to the bill by the committee. Mr. Waterbury called for the yeas and nays. The amendments were concurred in, by yeas and nays, as follows: Edsell, Markey, Packard, Waterbury, 12 Mr. Perrin moved that the bill be recommitted to the committee on Agricul tural College, and appropriations and finance, jointly. Mr. Burch called for the yeas and nays. The motion did not prevail, by yeas and nays, as follows: On motion of Mr. Jenny, Mr. Wm. Cook, The bill was placed on its immediate passage. The bill was read a third time, and pending the taking of the vote thereon, Mr. Freeman moved that there be a call of the Senate; Which motion did not prevail. The bill was then passed, a majority of all the Senators elect voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows: Mr. Adair, YEAS. Rankin, Taylor, Pending the announcement of the vote, Mr. Read moved that Mr. Osborn be excused from voting; Which motion did not prevail. Mr. Osborn then voted as recorded above. Title agreed to. Mr. Baxter moved that the bill be ordered to take immediate effect. Which motion did not prevail, two-thirds of all the Senators elect not voting therefor. By unanmious consent Mr. Nelson offered the following resolution: Resolved, That when the Senate adjourn it be to 7 o'clock this evening, for the purpose of receiving the final report of the committee of investigation of State University. Which was adopted. Mr. Perrin moved that the rules be suspended, and the committee of the whole be discharged from the further consideration of Senate bill No. 91, entitled A bill to amend section 2952 of the compiled laws of 1871, relative to life insurance companies transacting business within this State; Which motion prevailed. On motion of Mr. Perrin, The further consideration of the bill was indefinitely postponed. Mr. Read moved that the Senate adjourn; Which motion prevailed, and the President announced that the Senate stood adjourned until this evening at 74 o'clock. EVENING SESSION. 7:30 o'clock P. M. The Senate met and was called to order by the President. MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE. To the President of the Senate: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SIR, I am instructed by the House to transmit the following bills: 1. House bill No. 553 (printed No. 239), entitled A bill to consolidate Wenona, Banks, and Salzburgh, to be known as the city of West Bay City; 2. House bill No. 148 (printed No. 132), entitled A bill making an appropriation for the current expenses of the State House of Correction for the years 1877 and 1878; 3. House bill No. 306 (printed No. 251), entitled A bill to vacate the township of Lincoln in the county of Midland, and to incorporate its territory within the township of Hope in the county of Midland; Which have passed the House by a majority vote of all the members elect, and by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elect been ordered to take immediate effect, and in which the concurrence of the Senate is respectfully asked. Very respectfully, The first named bill was read a first and second time by its title, and referred to the committee on State affairs. The second named bill was read a first and second time by its title, and referred to the committee on State House of Correction, and appropriations and finance, jointly. The third named bill was read a first and second time by its title, and On motion of Mr. Morse, The bill was laid on the table. The President also announced the following: To the President of the Senate: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Lansing, March 27, 1877. SIR-I am instructed by the House to transmit the following bills: 1. House bill No. 254 (printed No. 118), entitled A bill to amend sections 10 and 12 of chapter 268, compiled laws of 1871, being compiler's sections 8135 and 8137, relative to the State Reform School; 2. House bill No. 3 (printed No. 104), entitled A bill to amend section 71 of chapter 130 of the compiled laws of 1871, enti tled "Primary Schools," being compiler's section 3641; Which have passed the House by a majority vote of all the members elect, and in which the concurrence of the Senate is respectfully asked. Very respectfully, DANIEL L. CROSSMAN, Clerk of the House of Representatives. The first named bill was read a first and second time by its title, and referred to the committee on State Reform School. The second named bill was read a first and second time by its title, and referred to the committee on education and public schools. The President also announced the following: To the President of the Senate: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SIR, I am instructed by the House to transmit the following concurrent resolution: Resolved (the Senate concurring), That there be printed for the use of this House and the Senate, 1,000 copies of the lecture on "Heredity," delivered by Dr. Theodore A. McGraw, in this Hall, Thursday evening, March 8th, Which has passed the House by a majority vote of all the members elect, and in which the concurrence of the Senate is respectfully asked. Very respectfully, On motion of Mr. Baxter, DANIEL L. CROSSMAN, Clerk of the House of Representatives The concurrent resolution was referred to the committee on printing. The joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, on the University, submitted the following report: The joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on the State University, to whom was referred the following preamble and concurrent resolutions, introduced into the House January 12, and concurred in by the Senate January 17, viz.: Whereas, A defalcation, extending over a long period of years, and embracing quite a large sum of money, has been discovered in the management of the chemical laboratory of the State University; And whereas, The Regents of the University in their "statement of certain needs of the University of Michigan," which they have published and placed in the hands of the members of the Legislature, have invited, and generously offered every facility for the most thorough and exhaustive investigation, either of the defalcation itself, or of their mode of treating it; therefore, Resolved (the Senate concurring), That the committees on the University of the Senate and House of Representatives be and they are hereby instructed, jointly, to make a thorough and exhaustive investigation of said defalcation and of any and every subject-matter connected therewith, which in their judgment may require investigation, to the end that said committees may report to their respective Houses whether any, and if so what legislation is needed, and that said committee sit with open doors; Resolved, That said committees have leave to sit during the sessions of tho Senate and House of Representatives, and be empowered to administer oaths, compel the attendance of persons and the production of papers, and to employ a stenographer to take and transcribe the testimony at a compensation not exceeding ten cents per folio; Beg leave to submit the following as their report: Your committee appointed under the foregoing resolutions, as directed by them, entered upon the task imposed, and have continued in the prosecution of it for more than two months, laying aside other important and pressing duties, |