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sider as blanks for the purposes of this report, said blanks to be filled by this House.

All of which is respectfully submitted,

WM. B. HALL,

S. H. WATTLES,

R. W. STEELE,

J. B. WASSON.

Accompanying the foregoing report came the following communication from R. C. Jordan, Territorial Auditor:

Gentlemen of the Committee:

ОМАНА,
September 30, 1858..

858.}

I have drawn up a short bill amendatory to the act approved March 16, 1855, making slight alterations in sections 25 and 26 of that act. The bill as amended makes the salary of the Auditor fifteen hundred dollars per annum, of the Treasurer one thousand dollars per annum.

As these amounts are payable in territorial warrants, which are now selling at from 30 to 40 cents on the dollar, no one can, with any reason, object to the amount, when I inform you that in the Auditor's office in particular, the whole work from the beginning in 1855, has to be gone over, and a new set of books opened in regular order, and the compensation for one year would not be equivalent to the amount of work to be performed.

The Treasurer wishes me to state to you that inasmuch as he is under bonds to the amount of $25,000, and the labors of his office to be increased by the passage of the new revenue bill, he should be entitled to $1,000 per annum.

Yours, respectfully,

R. C. JORDAN,

Territorial Auditor.

Accompanying the foregoing report came also

H. B. No. 18, "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act creating the offices and defining the duties of Territorial Auditor, Treasurer and Librarian,' approved March 16, 1855."

On motion of Mr. Young,

The bill was referred back to the same committee, with instructions to report a bill entire within itself, without reference to any former act, on Wednesday next.

Mr. Rankin moved that the Committee on Ways and Means be instructed to report back,

H. B. No. 6, "An act for tho collection of the revenue," in order that the same might be printed.

Lost.

Mr. Gwyer moved that the committee be instructed to report the bill back with any amendments they might recommend, and that its consideration be made the special order of the day for Thursday next. Carried.

C. B. No. 16, “An act relating to oaths and acknowledgments,"
Was read first time.

Mr. Clayes moved that the bill lie on the table.
Carried.

Mr. Clayes moved to adjourn,

Carried, and

The House adjourned at 11 3-4 o'clock A. M.

TUESDAY, October 5, 1858.

House met at the usual hour.

Prayer by the Chaplain.

Journal read and approved.

Mr. Daily presented the petition of Wm. A. Taylor and others asking a charter for a ferry across the Missouri river at a point in Nemaha county.

Mr. Daily, on leave, introduced,

H. B. No. 19, "A bill for an act to authorize Wm. A. Taylor, his heirs and assigns to keep a ferry across the Missouri river at Saint Deroin,"

Which, was read first time.

Mr. Fleming, on leave, introduced,

H. B. No. 20, "A bill for an act regulating ferries,"

Which was read first time, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Stewart gave notice of a bill to repeal certain portions of an act approved January 26, 1856, relative to a civil code.

Mr. Marquette, on leave, introduced,

H. B. No. 21, "A bill for an act to make legal the collection of taxes for the year A. D. 1857,"

Which was read first time.

Mr. Marquette moved that the rules be suspended and the bill read a second time by title and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Lost.

Mr. Young gave notice of a bill providing for the taking up and disposal of estrays.

Mr. Doom, on leave introduced,

H. B. No. 22, "An act entitled an apportionment law,"
Which was read first time, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Hall from committee on accounts and expenditures reported a bill entitled, "An act regulating the salaries of the Territorial Auditor and Treasurer," as a substitute for H. B. No. 18, "An act to amend an act creating the offices and defining the duties of Territorial Auditor, Treasurer and Librarian, approved March 16, 1855."

On motion of Mr. Briggs,

The report and substitute recommended were adopted by the House. Mr. Daily moved that the rule of this House prohibiting legislation on special laws, be indefinitely suspended.

On which the ayes and nays were called.

Ayes-Messrs. Bramble, Collier, Davis of Cass, Daily, Doom, Fleming, Marquette, Noel, Roeder, Seymour, Stewart, Taffe, Young.-13. Nays-Messrs. Briggs, Cassell, Clark, Clayes, Dean, Gwyer, Hall, Lee, Mason, Norwood, Steele, Steinberger, Wasson, Wattles.-14.

Lost.

Mr. Noel from the Committee on Engrossing and Enrolling Bills reported,

H. B. No. 13, "An act to authorize citizens to view the public records," as correctly enrolled.

On motion of Mr. Hall,

The House now took up,

H. B. No. 18, "An act to regulate the salaries of the Territorial Auditor and Treasurer."

Bill read first time.

On motion of Mr. Mason,

The rules were suspended and the bill read second time by title. Mr. Mason moved to fill blank in section one, by inserting "eight hundred."

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Mr. Dean moved to fill same blank by inserting
Mr. Clark moved to insert one thousand."
Question first had on motion to insert “
Lost.

Question had on motion to insert “
Carried.

"five hundred."

one thousand."

eight hundred."

Mr. Steele moved to fill blank in section two, by inserting "four hundred.

Mr. Clark moved to fill same blank by inserting "six hundred."
Mr. Briggs moved to insert "five hundred."

Question first had on motion to insert "six hundred."

Lost.

Question on motion to insert "five hundred."

Lost.

Question on motion to insert "four hundred."
Carried.

On motion of Mr. Clayes,

The rules were suspended and the bill now read a third time.

The bill was then passed and the title agreed to.

On motion of Mr. Mason,

The House now proceeded to business on the Speaker's table.
H. B. No. 17, "A bill to organize Cuming county,"

Was read second time, and

On motion of Mr. Mason,

Referred to Committee on County Seats and Boundaries.

Mr. Collier from Committee on Judiciary reported,

C. B. No. 2, "A bill for an act to license the sale of malt, spiritous and vinous liquors in the Territory of Nebraska," with sundry amendments thereto.

On motion,

The report was received.

Mr. Steinberger moved to postpone further consideration of the bill until Friday next.

Lost.

The following message from the Council was received:

Mr. Speaker:

COUNCIL CHAMBER,

Oct. 5, 1858.

}

I am instructed to inform your honorable body, that the Council has passed C. B. No. 33, "A bill for an act to locate and establish a territorial road from Nebraska city to Salem," and the concurrence of the House is requested.

S. M. CURRAN, Chief Clerk.

Mr. Steele moved that the House now go into Committee of the Whole, for the consideration of

C. B. No. 2, "A bill for an act to license the sale of malt, spiritous and vinous liquors in the Territory of Nebraska."

Carried.

The House went into Committee of the Whole, Mr. Steele in the Chair. The committee having risen,

Mr. Steele reported that the committee had had the bill under consideration and recommended its reference to a special committee of three, with instructions to report a new bill at some future day.

The report having been received,

Mr. Clark moved the appointment of a special committee of three in accordance therewith.

Carried.

The Chair appointed on such committee

Messrs. Clark, Daily and Collier.

On motion of Mr. Mason,

The House now adjourned at 12 o'clock M.

WEDNESDAY, October 6, 1858.

House met at the usual hour.

Prayer by the Chaplain.

Journal read and approved.

Mr. Wasson gave notice of a bill for a charter for a ferry across the Missouri river at Wyoming, in Otoe county.

Mr. Mason, from Committee on Judiciary, reported,

C. B. No. 34, "Joint Memorial and Resolution relative to a Homestead," without amendment, and recommended its passage,

Which bill was then read third time and passed.

On motion of Mr. Fleming,

The title of the bill was so amended as to read: "Memorial and Joint Resolution relative to a Homestead."

Mr. Mason, from Committee on Judiciary, to which were referred House Bills Nos. 1, 2, 7, 10 and 15, Bills for a Homestead Exemption act, submitted the following report:

"The undersigned, to whom were referred various Homestead Exemption Bills have carefully examined and considered the same, and would respectfully report the accompanying substitute for the consideration of the House, and recommend its passage:

Your committee would further state, that in addition to the ordinary reasons and arguments in favor of the wisdom of legislative action protecting the homesteads of families from forced sale and execution, the peculiar situation of the people of this Territory, and their present circumstances, urge this policy upon us, with a force which we can not resist, animated as we are by a desire to subserve the public good. But one year ago, everything around us rejoiced in the sunlight of prosperity and success. Enterprise was conducting our people through a thousand avenues, illuminated with the brilliant torchlight of hope, to individual and national wealth.

The conquest of the wilderness went on like the work of magic; civilization was fast rearing her altars on the camp ground of the savage, and on every hand abounded the certain indications of thrift and contentment. But suddenly a cloud came upon the prospects of our people, and the gloom of midnight succeeded the brightness of noon day. A financial revulsion without parallel in the history of our country has entirely deranged the affairs of our people; and the ruin of thousands of our citizens is inevitable unless they are upheld and sustained by the helping hand of legislation.

The home of the settler, the scene and the result of his hardship and toil, must go to swell the fortune of the merciless speculator and heart-" less and foreign money lender, unless the law, armed with justice, shall say to the avaricious and grasping creditor, "Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther." And unless this is done, I fear a spiritless inaction will succeed to and take the place of that tireless energy and persevering industry which has hitherto characterized our young and vigorous population.

Our people are not responsible for this state of things; no human sagacity could have averted the evil. It came upon us like an avalanche, and has swept away the prospect which encouraged our individual efforts, and abated the ardor of enterprise which guaranteed our suc

cess.

Your committee is clearly of the opinion that a liberal Homestead Law is more loudly called for by the wants of our people than any one other act of legislation. The passage of such a law would not only relieve our own citizens from their present embarrassment, but would

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