496 



INDIANA. 



Voorhees, Democrat, received 57 votes ; Benja- 

 min Harrison, 38 ; Buchanan, 2. In the 



Senate Voorhees received 26 and Harrison 22 

 votes. For the short term caused hy the death 

 of the late Senator Morton, and which Mr. 

 Voorhees had heen appointed by the Governor 

 to fill until the meeting of the Legislature, 

 Mr. Voorhees received in the House 57 votes 

 and Godlove S. Orth 37. In the Senate Voor- 

 hees received 26 and Orth 22. Mr. Voorhees 

 was elected in each instance. 



An act was passed relating to foreign cor- 

 porations doing business in the State, which 

 provides that any such corporation which shall 

 transfer to the United States Court any suit 

 commenced by or against it in a State Court, 

 on a contract made in the State, shall thereby 

 forfeit all right to transact business in the 

 State, or hold real estate, or liens thereon. 

 The object of the law is to limit outside cor- 

 porations to the courts of the State in all suits 

 founded on contracts made under State laws, 

 and prevent the harassing and expensive prac- 

 tice of forcing citizens engaged in litigation 

 with such corporations to appear, with their 

 witnesses, before the United States Court at 

 Indianapolis. 



A Department of Statistics and Geology was 

 created, of which the chief officer is required to 

 be an expert in the sciences of geology and 

 chemistry. His duties are to collect, systema- 

 tize, tabulate, and present in annual reports, 

 statistical information and details relating to 

 agriculture, manufacturing, mining, commerce, 

 education, labor, social and sanitary condition, 

 vital statistics, marriages and deaths, and to 

 the permanent prosperity of the productive in- 

 dustry of the people of the State. The several 

 city, incorporated town, county, and township 

 assessors, trustees, officers of school boards, 

 and boards of health, in their respective cities, 

 towns, counties, and townships, the agents or 

 superintendents of all manufacturing, mining, 

 and mechanical establishments, the managers 

 and superintendents of all corporations, manu- 

 facturing, mechanical, and transportation com- 

 panies and associations, and county superinten- 

 dents of schools, are required to make reports 

 and answer such questions as the bureau may 

 require from them. The chief officer is further 

 required to take charge of the geological cabi- 

 net, museum, chemical laboratory, apparatus, 

 and library, and from time to time, as may be 

 practicable, to add specimens to the cabinet of 

 minerals, organic remains, and other objects of 

 natural history peculiar to the State and to 

 other States and countries. 



Another act requires locomotive engineers 

 to open the steam-whistle when approaching a 

 turnpike or highway crossing at least eighty 

 rods distant therefrom, " and to sound the 

 same continuously until the crossing is passed." 



In the House, resolutions relating to the fol- 

 lowing subjects were voted upon, with the re- 

 sults stated : To indefinitely postpone a resolu- 

 tion congratulating the country on the resump- 



tion of specie payments yeas 50, nays 33. 

 For a reduction of the salaries of Federal offi- 

 cers yeas 90, nays 2. The unconditional re- 

 peal of the specie resumption act yeas 50, 

 nays 40. The repeal of the act exempting 

 United States bonds from taxation yeas 57, 

 nays 34. The repeal of the law exempting 

 greenbacks from taxation yeas 76, nays 12. 

 The abolition of all bank issues yeas 59, nays 

 32. The free and unlimited coinage of gold 

 and silver yeas 85, nays 5. The issue by the 

 General Government of full legal-tender paper 

 money, receivable for all dues, public and pri- 

 vate, in amounts sufficient to meet the wants 

 of trade, or at least $30 per capita yeas 50, 

 nays 40. To prohibit the further issue of in- 

 terest-bearing Government bonds; lost yeas 

 43, nays 45. That Congress take immediate 

 steps whereby the bonded indebtedness of the 

 Government shall be paid off as fast as it shall 

 become due, according to agreement yeas 84, 

 nays 4. 



An act was passed providing that the rate of 

 interest, in cases in which the parties do not 

 agree, shall be six per cent., but may be taken 

 yearly or for a shorter period or in advance ; 

 and no agreement to pay a higher rate shall be 

 valid, unless the same be in writing signed by 

 the party to be charged therein. By and in 

 such cases it shall not be lawful to contract for 

 more than eight per cent, per annum. When 

 a higher rate of interest than six per cent, is 

 contracted for, the contract will be void as to 

 the usurious interest contracted for; and in an 

 action on such contract, if it appear that in- 

 terest at a higher rate than six per cent., or in 

 case of a written contract a higher rate than 

 eight per cent., has been directly or indirectly 

 contracted for, the excess of interest over six 

 per cent, will be deemed usurious and illegal ; 

 and in an action on a contract affected by such 

 usury, the excess over the legal interest may 

 be recovered by the debtor whenever it has 

 been reserved or paid before the bringing of 

 the suit. 



An act was passed to protect the miners of 

 Indiana from the many accidents incident to 

 coal-mining. It provides for better ventilation 

 and other means of safety. A mine-inspector 

 will be appointed by the Governor, and he 

 must be a practical miner of twelve years' ex- 

 perience. Also an act abolishing coroners' 

 juries was passed. 



Seven important amendments to the State 

 Constitution were agreed to in 1877, by a ma- 

 jority of the members elected to each of the 

 two Houses of the Legislature. The Legisla- 

 ture at this session, by a similar majority, 

 agreed to the same amendments. An act was 

 also passed providing that these amendments 

 should be submitted to the electors of the State 

 for ratification or rejection, at an election to be 

 held on the first Monday in April, 1880. The 

 law providing for the submission of these 

 amendments to the electors of the State enacts 

 that "the Secretary of State shall procure 



