An act to amend section 3 of chapter 7 of act No. 243 of the session laws of 1881, as amended by act No. 56 of the session laws of 1883, being an act to revise and consolidate the laws relating to the establishment, opening, improvement and maintainance of highways and private roads, and the building, repairing and preservation of bridges within this State, House bills No. 212 and 308 (file No. 302), entitled An act to provide for the purchase of land and the erection of buildings for the use and benefit of the Michigan Asylum for the Insane at Kalamazoo, and to make payment for the same out of the surplus moneys in the hands of the treasurer of said asylum, Also, House bill No. 420 (file No. 317), entitled An act for the identification of convicts, Also, House bill No. 346 (file No. 355), entitled An act to provide for the completion and furnishing of the State House of Correction and branch of the State prison at Marquette, in the Upper Peninsula, and to make an appropriation therefor, Also, House bill No. 814 (manuscript), entitled An act to authorize the city of Big Rapids, in the county of Mecosta, to borrow money to be used in the construction of bridges across the Muskegon river and in building and grading the approaches thereto, and to issue their bonds therefor. ROBERT Y. OGG, Chairman. Report accepted. COMMUNICATIONS. The Speaker announced the following: Hon. D. P. Markey, Speaker House of Representatives: SIR-Permit me through you to express to the honorable body over whom. you preside, my most heartfelt thanks for their expression of respect paid by them to the memory of my late husband, and to assure you that the kind words contained in their resolution are a source of comfort which I cannot but acknowledge, and for which I beg of your honorable body to accept the sincere thanks which I offer in return. Kalamazoo, Mich., May 22, 1887. Very sincerely, The communication was laid on the table. MRS. CHAS. E. STUART. GENERAL ORDER. On motion of Mr. Chapman, The House went into committee of the whole on the general order, 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 bills: 1. Senate bill No. 213 (file No. 145), entitled A bill to amend section 8, of act No. 203 of the public acts of 1877, entitled "An act relative to dividing townships and villages into election districts and to provide for the registration of electors in such cases.” 2. Senate bill No. 254 (file No. 75), entitled A bill to amend section 2, chapter 53, of the compiled laws of 1871, relative to disorderly persons, as amended by act 136 of the public acts of 1883, approved May 31, 1883, Have made no amendments thereto, and have directed their chairman to report the same back to the House, and recommend their passage. The committee of the whole have also had under consideration the following bills: 3. Senate bill No. 11 (file No. 5), entitled A bill for the requiring of a civil license in order to marry, and the due registration thereof, and to provide a penalty for the violation of the provisions of the same. 4. House bill No. 321 (file No. 389), entitled A bill to amend section 1 of chapter 7, as amended by act 52, session laws of 1883, section 20 of chapter 9, section 4 of chapter 11, as added and amended by act 245, session laws of 1879, approved May 31, 1879, of act No. 62, of the session laws of 1875, entitled "An act granting and defining the powers and duties of incorporated villages," approved April 1, 1875, being sections 2847, 2942, and 2973, of Howell's annotated statutes, and to add one new section to said chapter 11, to stand as section 12, Have made sundry amendments thereto, and have directed their chairman to report the same back to the House asking concurrence therein, and recommend their passage. The committee of the whole have also had under consideration the following bill: 6. House bill No. 233 (file No. 391), entitled A bill to protect fish and preserve the fisheries of this State by regulating the meshes of nets and the use of fishing apparatus, prohibiting the fouling of the waters and destruction of fishing grounds by the refuse of manufactures or other debris, and to repeal all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with or contravening the provisions of this enactment, But not having gone through therewith, have directed their chairman to report that fact to the House and ask leave to sit again. J. W. SPENCER, Chairman. Keport accepted and committee discharged. The first and second named bills were placed on the order of third reading. On motion of Mr. Perkins, The House concurred in the amendments made by the committee to the third and fourth named bills, and they were placed on the order of third reading. On motion of Mr. Perkins, Leave was granted the committee to sit again for the consideration of the bill. Mr. Hosford moved that House bill No. 31 (file No. 262), entitled A bill to carry into effect section 12 of article 15 of the constitution, relative to the holding real estate by corporations, Be made the special order for Thursday, May 26, at 2:15 o'clock P. M., Which motion did not prevail, two-thirds of all the members present not voting therefor. Mr. Herrington moved that the House take a recess until 7:30 o'clock p. m. Which motion did not prevail. On motion of Mr. Haskin, The House adjourned. Lansing, Tuesday, May 24, 1887. The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was called to order by the Speaker. Prayer by Rev. Mr. Franklin. Roll called: quorum present. Absent without leave: Messrs. Kelley, J. W. Robinson and Wood. On motion of Mr. H. Watson, Leave of absence was granted to Mr. J. W. Robinson indefinitely. On motion of Mr. Hunt, Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Killean for the day. Or motion of Mr. Haskin, Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Kelley for the day. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS. No. 1265. By Mr. Webber: Petition of 37 business men of Ionia city in favor of House bill 296, relative to the freight on railroads. Referred to the committee on railroads. No. 1266. By Mr. Washburn: Petition of Edwin Crane, E. S. Ferguson and 38 others of Lenawee county, asking for the passage of House bill 430, relative to the fish shutes. Referred to the committee on fisheries. No. 1267. By Mr. Cannon: Memorial of citizens' meeting of Saginaw City. On demand of Mr. Cannon, The memorial was read at length, and spread at large on the journal, as follows: Resolved, That the Citizens' committee be directed to present to the House of Representatives, now in session at Lansing, the following memorial: To the Honorable, the House of Representatives of the State of Michigan: The People of the City of Saginaw in mass convention assembled respectfully, but most earnestly, protest against the passage of any measure, either by original bill or by amendment to our charter bill, now pending before the House of Representatives, having for its object either the present or future consolidation of our city with the city of East Saginaw. And as we are without direct representation in your House and dependent wholly upon the generous efforts of those upon whom we have no legal claim, we avail ourselves of this method of presenting for your intelligent consideration some of the many reasons that impel us to appeal to the justice of your Honorable Body. First, Where the business center is established is in fact the real citythe business center of the two cities are over two and a quarter miles apart, separated not only by the Saginaw river, but by natural conditions that will forever preclude their growing together; and if placed under one city government, one must sooner or later yield to the other, to the irreparable loss of those whose permanent investments have made the city-a result that necessarily must be followed by a ruinous reduction of all real estate values in the city that loses its entire business-a fact that is abundantly proved by the condition of the property in what was formerly South Saginaw. The consolidation of that village with East Saginaw, both on the same side of the river and under circumstances naturally less unfavorable, having wholly destroysd it as a business center. Second, Since the first organization of the two cities they have been separate and distinct municipalities, and all business and investments therein have adjusted themselves to this condition. Each has, and of necessity must continue to have its separate system of water works, gas works, electric lights, and sewage system. Our school system has been the pride of our people, built up and maintained in a most liberal manner, and to deprive us of its control or subject it to the control of any other than those who built it up and are interested therein, would be an act of gross injustice. Third, Some twenty years ago our people, in order to preserve their investments here threatened by a removal of the county seat, built a county jail at an original cost of $30,000, and the ultimate cost of $60,000, including interest actually paid on the loan-and recently, under a similar threat, our people have built a court house for the county of Saginaw at a present cost of $100,000, upon which we will have other larger sums of interest to pay. The wisdom of this large investment has been amply shown by the rapid growth of the business of our city, and the substantial business improvements and investments since then; all of which would be lost to us by consolidation. Had we supposed that there could be any future question of our retaining our separate identity as a city, our people would never have assumed these burdens, imposed upon themselves only that they might be permitted to pursue their own course in peace, without being subordinated to the condition of a ruined suburb of another city. Fourth, We have our own railroad, telegraph and express systems, with stations and offices established with reference to our business and the accommodation of our people; all of which will be subject to change under the readjustment of business that would necessarily follow consolidation. Fifth, It is a conceded fact that private business establishes itself at the point where the public business is transacted-in a city, where the city offices are kept, and the public disbursements are made-in short, where the city government is established; and it is equally certain that the city government would be located, and the city business all transacted where the larger population of the east side would be accommodated. Under the assurance that our city had passed the period of danger by which its early growth had been materially checked-and believing that good faith warranted us in assuming that our city was no loager to be vexed with a threat of a removal of the county seat, or by our forcible consolidation with East Saginaw, which in our neliberate judgment would be still more disastrous, our people have made large business investments here, all which would be ruined by consolidation with another people, superior in number, and whose business interests, because of locality, are naturally in rivalry with ours. Sixth, Consolidation would result in one central post office with some system of delivery, by messengers or otherwise, of mail for our people, which would reach them from two two ten or more hours later than at present. Under the best system of delivery that could be maintained we could not expect more than two mail deliveries a day, where we now have fourteen mails each day arriving and departing from our business centre, a changed condition that would of itself be ruinous to any business carried on here in competition with business on the east side of the river, having prompt mail facilities. Moreover the people of a large section of country around our city receive their mail matter here, and have thereby contracted business relations with us, to the mutual profit of each. Under consolidation these people would have to go to the central post office for their mail, and their business would be lost to us and diverted to the east side of the river, as would be the case with all business flowing from business with the departments of the city government, all which would speedily result in such diversion of business as to destroy the value of our business property, and in the ruin not only of those who have put the savings of a life-time into such property, but in like manner destroy the market value of every homestead in the city; as our property would be removed, so to speak, from the business center of the city, its value would decrease in proportion to the distance, therefrom. Seventh, In order to make our homes desirable and valuable, and to retain our independence as a city, and to establish our business center as now located, we taxed ourselves and have paid $100,000 to the J., L. & S. R. R. Co. in aid of its road, and to induce it to establish and maintain its principal depot and offices at our business center; and upon the faith thereof our people have made their investments here, that would be ruined by consolidation. To the same end, and to preserve our business, and our investments made in building up the city, and to put at rest the question of consolidation, as well as that of the removal of the county seat, a result that would follow consolidation, we have built, as before stated, for the county a jail and a court house at a total cost to us of over $160,000. This large sum we believe was wisely expended if we can be permitted to enjoy its benefits, unvexed by any scheme of consolidation that would surely deprive us of them; and we are prepared to make further similar sacrifices for the public good if we are permitted to enjoy what we have paid for, and what rightfully belongs to us. Eighth. While it is certain that the genéral public good, and especially the conditions of the public health of our city, will be promoted by including within our city limits, subject to our control, that portion of Carrollton knows as Florence, as its contiguity and situation make it naturally a part of our territory, and the only praticable outlet for sewage to the river from a large part of our city, and while we understand the question of so including it was, by all parties interested, left to be determined by your special committe appointed to personally examine the locality, and now that such ex amination has been made, and we are content to abide by their decision, and the sense of justice of the House of Representatives, we protest coupling with it the condition of consolidation, which would deprive us of the advantages we now rightfully possess. We show to you that our city debt is only $251,000 for which we have valuable permanent public improvements of the value of nearly four times that sum; that the debt of East Saginaw is out of all proportion larger than ours —that the river will always compel the maintenance of two separate systems |