Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-24
House..

t'short horse and soon curried."
The Hastings & Dakota extension bill, up
on which progress had been ordered to be
reported in the Committee of the whole, but
which had been excepted from the report of
the committee and there left by the adjourn
ment of the House, was, on motion of
Major Bowler of Renville, taken up and re-
ferred to special committee of its friends.
The reference was made by pretty close
vote, Sc to 80, but is undoubtedly a tolerably
fair test of the standing of the bill in the
House.
The general disposition on the part Of the
House seems unqualifedly in favor of the
grant of the extension prayed for-the only
stumbling block to its early disposition in
the manner stated being the question of the
proper protection of the settlers along the
line of the road. These, it is clearly the
wish and purpose of the House to give all
needful peotection, and as the number of
these is comparatively few, the interests of
the road will not be seriously jeopardized by
an early concession Of this point.
During the morning hour, Chairman Camp
bell, of the Judiciary Committee, was kept
busy in explaining the reasons of his COM
mittee's recommendation for the indefinite
postponement of bills. In more than one
instance, the committees recommendation
fell like clap of thunder from cloudless
sky upon members who had committed to its
tender mercies, their pet measures, little
dreaming of the sad fate which was so soon
to overtake them. Some of these untimely
legislative flowers had been carefully nursed
and doated upon !. by their authors for
days, perhaps months and years, until they
had schooled themselves to the belief that
| they had discovered and embodied in their
particular bills, the very panacea for the ills
they were endeavoring to remedy.
| Under these circumstances, the gentlemen
were in no mood to relish the application of
Mr.. Campbell's memorable pruning knife and
wanted to know the why's and wherefores OF
their measures being SO roughly handled.
To each and all, the reasons of the commit
tees action was stated briefly, calmly and
succinctly. In some cases, the bills were
clearly unconstitutional; in others the rem
edy proposed was impracticable and did moi
meet the requirements of the case. In every
instance Mr.. Campbell's dictum was sus
tanned by the House by its refusal to refer
the matter to the committee of the whole, o.
to make other disposition of the bill thar
that recommended by the committee.
i Long familiarity with the duties of chair
man of the judiciary committee, togethe
with a high degree of legal learning, ha
fully qualified Mr.. Campbell for the discharg
of its onerous duties. This is his third con
secutive term, having been first appointed t
the position by Speaker Kenyon in 1876, AM
again by Speaker Gibbs the following yea1
, Each year he has gotten through with larg
, amount of business, and generally discharges
! his duties to the entire satisfaction of th
House. Another thing to his credit may b
here stated, and that is, that he generally cor
tinues to keep well up with the business i
3 hand the close of last session fndin
in his possession no unconsidered bill
while in the Senate committee on the day {
adjournment there we're over 80.
. Now, for the first time in three years, M
. Campbell has asked for a committee cler]
3 This, Of course, was rendered necessary
it the action in the Page matter, which, if tt
investigation is gone into fully, will requi1
= the services of stenographic reporter
get the case in proper shape for presentatio