protest on Sec. 5 of Art. 4 of the constitution of the State of Michigan, which reads as follows:

Sec. 5. Senators and Representatives shall be citizens of the United States, and qualified electors in the respective counties and districts which they represent. A removal from their respective counties or districts shall be deemed a vacation of their office.

The protest was ordered entered on the Journal.

Senator Lawrence entered a formal protest against the calling and recording of the name of John L. Preston as Senator from the 21st district, on the ground that since the adjournment of the regular session of the Legislature, Mr. Preston has been appointed to a federal office, basing his protest on Sec. 6 of Art. 4 of the constitution of the State of Michigan, heretofore quoted.

The protest was ordered entered on the Journal.

The President announced that a quorum of the Senate was present. The President announced the following communication from the Secretary of State:

DEPARTMENT of State, Lansing, Mich., March 22, 1898.

Hon. Thomas B. Dunstan, President of the Senate:

Dear Sir-I have the honor to transmit herewith certified copy of the proclamation of the Governor convening the Legislature in extra session.

Respectfully yours,

SAMUEL A. KENNEDY,

Deputy Secretary of State.

The President directed the Secretary to read the Governor's proclamation convening an extra session of the Legislature.

The proclamation was then read by the Secretary, as follows:

GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION.

To all whom it may concern, greeting:

By Sec. 6 of Art. 5 of the constitution of the State of Michigan it is provided that the Governor shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

By Sec. 7 of the same article he is given the power to convene the Legislature on extraordinary occasions.

By Sec. 11 of Art. 14 it is made the duty of the Legislature to provide an uniform rule of taxation.

By Sec. 12 of the same article "all assessments hereafter authorized shall be on property at its cash value."

These provisions have been a part of the fundamental law of the State since 1850.

In violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of these provisions of the constitution, laws have been passed from time to time by which railroad companies, express companies, telegraph and telephone companies now owning, according to their sworn returns, at least one-third of the prop

erty of this State, are required to pay only about one-twenty-sixth of the taxes levied for State, county and municipal purposes, leaving their just proportion of supporting our schools, asylums and other public institutions, and defraying the public expenses, to fall upon the farmers, laborers, manufacturers and other property owners of the State.

Taxation has, in many parts of the State, become in the nature of confiscation, the amount levied being greater than the property taxed can be made to produce.

I regard the situation as extraordinary and one that demands an immediate remedy which can only be given by the Legislature.

It is the duty of the Governor, under his oath of office, to see that the constitution of the State is obeyed and the laws faithfully executed, and to submit to the Legislature, from time to time, his views upon existing mischiefs so that a remedy can be provided.

In obedience to this duty I hereby call the Legislature of the State to meet in extraordinary session, on Tuesday, the twenty-second day of March, 1898, at noon of that day, to consider the question of the taxation of railroad companies, express companies, telegraph and telephone companies, and such other matters as shall be submitted by special message. Given under my hand and the great seal of the State of Michigan, at the capitol, in Lansing, this eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-second.

[GREAT SEAL]

H. S. PINGREE.

I, Samuel A. Kennedy, Deputy Secretary of State of the State of Michigan, do hereby certify, that I have compared the annexed copy of a proclamation issued by the Governor, convening extra session of the Legislature with the original now on file in this office and that it is a true and correct transcript therefrom, and of the whole of such original. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the great seal of the State of Michigan, at Lansing, this eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight. [L. S.] SAMUEL A. KENNEDY,

Deputy Secretary of State.

Mr. Moore offered the following concurrent resolution:

Resolved (the House concurring), That the two houses meet in joint convention at 2:30 o'clock p. m. today, for the purpose of receiving any communication the Governor may be pleased to make;

Which resolution was adopted.*

Mr. Barnum offered the following resolution:

Whereas, Protests have been entered against the right of Senator Geo. G. Covell of the 27th district, Senator Arthur D. Hughes of the 15th district, and Senator John L. Preston of the 21st district, to retain and occupy their seats in this Senate, therefore,

Resolved, That the President of the Senate be and is hereby authorized and directed to appoint a committee of five Senators to investigate the right of said three Senators to retain and occupy their respective seats, and that said committee, when appointed, is hereby authorized and directed to make such investigation and report the facts and their findings to this Senate. Said committee is hereby authorized to subpoena witnesses and secure such evidence as is deemed necessary to a proper investigation of the question hereby referred to them;

Which resolution was adopted.

The President announced as such committee:

Messrs. Barnum, Merriman, Thompson, Hadsall and Loomis.

Mr. Westcott offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Senate grant to the Justices of the Supreme Court, during the special session, the use of Room "J," on the Senate side of the capitol, being the room heretofore occupied by the sergeant-at-arms,. and that Room "E" is hereby assigned for the use of the sergeant-atarms;

Which resolution was adopted.

Mr. Moore offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the President of the Senate be and he is hereby authorized to grant space on the floor of the Senate chamber for three stenographers for the purpose of making a full report of its proceedings. Which resolution was adopted.

Mr. Barnum offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to wait upon the House of Representatives and inform that body that the Senate is now in session and ready to proceed with business;

Which resolution was adopted.

The President appointed as such committee:
Messrs. Barnum, Wagner and Mudge.

Mr. Blakeslee offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the President appoint a committee of three to wait on the Governor and inform him that the Senate is now in session and ready to receive any communication he may desire to make;

Which resolution was adopted.

The President appointed as such committee:
Messrs. Blakeslee, Holmes and Youmans.

The President announced the following communication:

Cassopolis, Mich., July 23, 1897.

To the Hon. Thomas B. Dunstan, President of the Senate:

Sir-Owing to the fact that my private business demands my entire

time and attention, I hereby tender my resignation as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate and respectfully ask that it take immediate effect. Yours very respectfully,

A. N. ARMSTRONG.

Mr. Latimer moved that the resignation of Mr. Armstrong as Sergeantat-Arms of the Senate be accepted;

Which motion prevailed.

Mr. Colman moved that the Senate extend a vote of thanks to Mr. Armstrong for his very efficient services as Sergeant-at-Arms at the last regular session and also for his assistance in opening the special session; Which motion prevailed by a unanimous vote.

Mr. Holmes moved that Moses Parshelsky, the present First Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms, be elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Armstrong;

Which motion prevailed, a majority of the senators voting therefor by yeas and nays, as follows:

Mr. Moore moved that Rollo C. Barnum, the present messenger to the Sergeant-at-Arms, be elected first assistant, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Mr. Parshelsky as Sergeant-at-Arms;

Which motion prevailed, a majority of the Senators voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows:

Mr. Colman moved that Hezekiah Sweet, the present Chief Janitor, be elected to the position of Second Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms, to fill the

vacancy caused by the appointment of Rev. C. C. Miller to a clerkship at Washington, D. C.

Which motion prevailed, a majority of the Senators voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows:

Mr. Westcott offered the following resolution: Resolved, That rules 6, 7 and 8 of the Senate rules be and the same are hereby amended, so as to read as follows:

Rule 6. The secretary shall appoint as assistants in the performance of the duties required of him, an assistant secretary, a bill clerk, a proof reader, a financial clerk and a messenger, each one of whom shall be subject to the orders of the secretary and to summary removal by him. on failure to properly perform the duties assigned them, such removal and the reasons therefor to be reported forthwith to the Senate. In case of inability of the secretary, from sickness or other cause, to perform the duties of his office temporarily, the assistant secretary shall be charged with the responsibility of the secretary and shall perform bis duties.

Rule 7. The secretary of the Senate shall make a list of all bills, resolutions, reports of committees, and other proceedings of the Senate. Those referred to the committee of the whole, and not made a special order, shall constitute the general orders, and be considered in the order of their reference, unless the Senate or committee of the whole shall otherwise determine.

He shall prepare and place on the desk of each Senator a list of the business under each order of business, whenever in his judgment there is a sufficient amount of business on hand to warrant the printing of such list; and as soon as may be after the first 50 days of the session he shall prepare a calendar of all bills and joint resolutions introduced, with their history up to that date. As soon as may be after the announcement of the standing committees of the Senate, he shall have prepared a directory which shall show a list of the Senators, with number of the district of each, his county, home postoffice, Lansing address, nativity and profession or occupation; a list of counties, showing Senators representing the same; a list of standing committees of the Senate, showing membership thereof; a list of special committees; the assignment of committee rooms; a list of officers and employes of the Senate; and such other matter as he deems advisable.

Rule 8. He shall each day make a file of all bills and joint resolutions ordered to a third reading, and they shall be placed on such file in the