The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-16
The Governors Salary.

Tile Governors Salary.
Some Of the monopolist papers are
still harping on the charge Of the Press
that the statement in the Anti Monopoly
! Address in reference to the Governors
salary was false.
| In letter to the Press some time
since We proved that an appropriation
bill passed the Senate and the House
with an appropriation in it of 81, 600 for
the Governor salary, instead Of $4,000
as heretofore and that the Journals of
the two Houses showed no amendment
of the bill in that particular. Thereupon
the St. Paul Press replied that while it
admitted that there was no record of any
amendment in either House whereby the
appropriation was reduced from 1000
to $4,000, nevertheless it was so amend
ed in the Committee Of the Whole of the
House Of Representatives.
A correspondent of the st. Paul Dis
patch set this subterfuge at rest in the
following style:
"These are the facts;
l. The Senate passed the appropria-
ton bill, S. F. No. 260, on the I'd Of
March, with an appropriation Of $4,000
for the salary of the Governor. This is
conceded by the Press. :,
2. On the same day tile bill went to
the House (see page of House Journal,
March 20) with an appropriation in it of
of $4,000.
3. On the same day, page of House
Journal,) the bill was read the first and
second time, and referred to the COM
mittee of the whole.
i. On March 4, (see House Journal.
page 28.l the bill was considered in COM
mittee Of the whole, and reported back
with recommendation that it pass.
There is no report of any amendment.
The form of report where bill is amend
ed In the committee of the whole is,
The committee Of the whole reported
back the bill Uith amendments, and
recommended that it do pass as amend
ed. But IN this case there is no such
report. The bill therefore came back
without amendment.
5. But even if the committee of the
whole had amended the bill that amend
ment would have to be concurred in by
the House before it could take effect. No
such action was had. The journals
show that the report of the committee,
whether it embraced an amendment or
not, whatever it was. twas not adopted
but the bill was laid on the table.
6. On the 9th of March the bill was
considered in the House. (see journal,
page s.. As the whole question turns
on the action then had. we quote the en-
tire record. 1t is as follows:
MIR. Crandall moved to take up s.. +. No.
260 and to consider the same it being the
special order for this hour, which motion
prevailed. Mr.. Crandall offered the follow
ing amendment TO the bill:
Reduce the appropriation for auditor and
land commissioner $500; engineer and night
Waterman 5000; executive contingent fund
$500; appraising, selecting and selling State
lands one thousand dollars
''Mr. Metcalf moved to amend the amend
ment by striking out engineer and night
Waterman 5000"
''Mr Crandali accepted the amendment.
"The question being taken upon adopting
the amendment as amended it was adopted
Except the following words which wars.
stricken out: Engineer and night watch
man $500; executive contingent $780, ap-
praising and selling State lands 81 ,G0O.n
"Mr. Morse in the chair S. F. 200. A bill. &c.
was read the third time and put upo., its
final passage-yeas, 50; nays, none. '''a
The bill then went back to the Senate
and the Senate concurred in the House
amendment, and the bill passed.
If that appropriation was reduced
from $4,000 to $1,000 where and when
was it so reduced! Ihave .-iven the
whole record. Every one knows who
knows anything, that if the bill was
changed by some officious clerk such a
change is not an act of legislation. The
only evidence of what was done in the
Legislature is to be found in the journal
of the two houses. If clerk can make
or unmake laws to suit his views of pro-
priety. there is no necessity for Legis-
lature; Sam. Nichols and Charley
johnson might just as well come TO st.
Paul next winter and run the whole
thing. ~ sbeS
But Notwithstanding this clear dem
onstration that the Press is wrong. it
will persist IN its lies and its abuse to