transportation of passengers and freight on different railroads in this State, and shall prohibit running contracts between such railroad companies whereby discrimination is made in favor of either of such companies as against other companies owning connecting or intersecting lines of railroad.

SEC. 2. No railroad corporation shall consolidate its stock, property, or franchises with any other railroad corporation, owning a parallel or competing line; and in no case shall any consolidation take place except upon public notice given of at least sixty days to all stockholders, in such manner as shall be provided by law.

SEC. 3. The Legislature may provide by law for the payment by the counties, townships, and municipalities of this State, of all bonds or other obligations, heretofore issued or incurred in pursuance of acts of the Legislature, by such counties, townships and municipalities severally, for and in aid of any railroad company. Such bonds or obligations shall be paid by the county, township, or municipality issuing or incurring the same, and in no event shall the State pay or become liable for any portion of such bonds or obligations. The Legislature shall submit to the electors of each of said several counties, townships and municipalities, for their decision, the question of payment, together with the mode and manner of the same.

The aforesaid amendment shall be and is hereby submitted to the people of this State at the next general election to be holden on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, 1870, as provided in section one, article twenty of the Constitution; and the Secretary of State is hereby required to give notice of the same to the sheriffs of the several counties of this State in the same manner that he is now required by law to do in the case of an election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor; and the inspectors of election in the several townships and cities of this State shall prepare a suitable box for the reception of ballots cast for and against such amendment. Each person voting at said election shall have written or printed on his ballot the words:

For all the propositions on this ticket which are not canceled with ink or pencil, and against all which are so canceled : For Article 19-a, entitled, "Of Railroads:" For Sec. 1, authorizing Legislature to regulate passenger and freight charges on railroads. For Sec. 2, prohibiting consolidation of competing lines of railroads. For Sec. 3, authorizing the payment of bonds or obligations heretofore issued. Each of said tickets shall be counted as a vote cast for each proposition thereon, not canceled with ink or pencil, and against each proposition so canceled.

The ballots shall in all respects be canvassed, and returns be made as in elections of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The joint resolution was passed, two-thirds of all the members elect voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows:

The House took a recess until this evening at 74 o'clock.

EVENING SESSION.

7 o'clock P. M.

The House met and was called to order by the Speaker.
Roll called: quorum present.

REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES.

By the committee on engrossment and enrollment:

The committee on engrossment and enrollment report as correctly enrolled, signed, and presented to the Governor, the following bills:

A bill to legalize the returns of taxes for the county of Keweenaw, for the year 1869;

Also,

A bill to legalize the returns of taxes for the county of Houghton, for the year 1869.

Report accepted.

E. M. MASON, Chairman.

By the committee on supplies and expenditures:

The committee on supplies and expenditures report the following as the amount of stationery drawn by the committees and officers respectively, of the House, the accounts for which are duly certified to in proper manner, and of which several amounts your committee recommend the payment:

Mr. Cameron moved that the House take a recess until 81 o'clock P. M.;

Which motion was withdrawn.

Mr. Crossman moved that there be a call of the House;
Which motion prevailed.

PROCEEDINGS UNDER THE CALL.

The roll of the House was called by the Clerk, and the following members reported absent without leave: Messrs. O. Clark, Green, Hunt, Hutchinson, Klein, Murray, Plimpton, Purcell, Romeyn, Stockbridge, Wendell, Westover, H. G. Williams and Yawkey.

On motion of Mr. G. G. Briggs,

The Sergeant-at-Arms was dispatched after the absentees. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced Mr. Gay at the bar of the House.

On motion of Mr. Brownell,

Mr. Gay was admitted within the bar, rendered an excuse, and took his seat.

The Sergeant-at-Arms announced Mr. Green at the bar of the House.

On motion of Mr. Seward,

Mr. Green was admitted within the bar, rendered an excuse, and took his seat.

The Sergeant-at-Arms announced Mr. Romeyn at the bar of the House.

On motion of Mr. Stewart,

Mr. Romeyn was admitted within the bar, rendered an excuse, and took his seat.

Mr. Miles moved that all further proceedings under the call be dispensed with;

Which motion did not prevail.

The Sergeant-at-Arms announced Mr. Klein at the bar of the House.

On motion of Mr. Horton,

Mr. Klein was admitted within the bar, rendered an excuse, and took his seat.

Mr. Hurlbut asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Hutchinson, on account of sickness.

On motion of Mr. Cameron,

Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Murray until tomorrow, on account of sickness.

Mr. Brownell moved that all further proceedings under the call be dispensed with;

Which motion did not prevail.

The Sergeant-at-Arms announced Mr. Baxter at the bar of House.

On motion of Mr. Miles,

Mr. Baxter was admitted within the bar, rendered an excuse, and took his seat.

On motion of Mr. Owen,

All further proceedings under the call were dispensed with. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced the Private Secretary of the Governor, who transmitted to the House a message from his Excellency the Governor, in writing.