Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-16
DAKOTA L~EGIsLATuRE.
Thirteenth sessfon...Daalv Repert 81 ths
ProceedinGs OF che Council aud
House OF Representatives.
tn D 2.


GENERAL COMMENTS.
Matters are settling down in both branches
of the legislature and all hands will soon b
deep into tue business Of the session. The
organic .tion has been perfected, rules adopt.
ed and committees appointed and nothing
now remains in the way Of preliminaries.
The talk among members upon the sub
ject of state organization indicates adecid.d
disposition to push the project to its earliest
possible ad, ption. A proposition for a con-
stilutional convention is ever limited at aud
something of this nature may take shape he
fore the session is ended. The fact that il
will require two or three years to perfect q
state organization after the work is begun
creates a disposition to institute proceedings
with That end in view.
J The bill Of which Judge Kuykendall
gave notice in the council yesterday pro
poses to amend the present law 50 as to pro-
vide for the election of one justice Of the
peace and one constable in each election
district of the territory, and to amend the
law which o recognizes these officials as
county officers and permits their election
without reference to their location, and the
convenience of the people Of The county al
large.
There is among the members Of the leg
stature a strong sentiment in favor of the
amendment of the penal codeso as to give
justices Of the peace final jurisdiction in
cases Of assault and battery and other minor
offences in which they are now limited to
a preliminary examination. 1t is urged
that a great deal of expense could be saved
by an amendment of this character.
1t is probable that the subject of court ex.
penses will be taken hold of vigorously and
everything Topped off which in. the es,ima.
ton of economical members can be dis
pensed with. II has been discovered that
court expenses arc the cause of a large pro.
portion of the. indebtedness of counties and
while every n agrees that courts are an
exceedingly necessary institution. they
would be better enjoyed in a cheaper form,
The clerks fee bill is deemed by some to
he excessive.
The election Of an assistant clerk, to be
paid from the territorial treasury, was one
OF the occurrences in the house this morning
which is a departure from past customs.
The general government declines to allow
to territorial legislatures any assistan,
clerks and as they cannot we'll be 1un with.
out such officials an order was
made on the territorial treasury for the
money with which to meet the EXPENSE. w.
u. Precival, of Union county, was the
lucky man. He had previously been nomi.
mated by the republican caucus and went
IN against. an opposition of eight votes. Mr..
Flick, Bloomington county, made a spsech
in behalf oftne election Of j. D. Vaughan,
the Deadwood Times reporter, basing his
claims upon the proposition that six thous-
n voters in the Black Hills would be re-
cognized in the appointment and that their
wishes were untitled to recognition. Mr..
Copeland, of Vermillion, was also pnt for.
ward by the Clay county delegation, but it is
understood that he did not seek the position
in opposition to the decision of the caucus.
One Of the most importan,
items of legislation to come before the ees-
sion Is the reappor.ionment for legislative
purposes under The new United States law.
The subject was opened in both houses to-
day, each body Introducing resolutions for a
joint committee on the subject, the council
resolution calling for a committee Of six and
the house resolution for a committee of nine.
The council committee was appointed, under
a resolution from that body. The house
con mittee has not yet been announced, but
it will probably be headed by Mr. Burbank,
Richland, and will have upon it a Yapk-
:on county man, a Bon Homme county man
lnd Black Hills man.
A move is being made to provide a regis, |
ry law for cities of a certain size. Yank.
on Is understood as favoring the law, and
Bismarck does not seem to be at all ayerse
0 its enactment.