The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-03-04

HELENA, M. r., Feb. 27, 1855.
In the Council, Chessman pre-
sented a petition from citizens of Hell
ena, asking the Council to restore
the section IN the militia bill strick-
en- out by the House, providing that
each company shall receive $500 from
the Territorial treasury.
! Notices of bills were given as fol-
lows: @
By DeWolfe, to amend the stat
utes in: relation to the collection of
|; the poor tax.
By Kennedy, in relation to iudi-
gent persons brought into the Terri
tory or taken from one county to
another.
Chessman introduced a bill to
amend the city charter of Helena.
Armstrong introduced bill re-
quiring the Supreme Court reporter
to prepare and publish in the paper
having the contract for the Terri
torial printing Il syllabus of each de
cisiOn OF the Supreme Court within
thirty days of its rendition.
Kennedy introduced resolution
for the distribution of copies OF the
statutes to each member of the I.elyis-
lative Assembly. Under a susren-
sion of the rules the resolution was
placed on its final passage and passed
by unanimous vote.
Chessman introduced another bill
for the relief Of the captors of Con.
Murphy.
Mitchell raised the point of order
that under the rules five days. notice
was required after the defeat of u
bill before Introducing one of SIM
liar nature, and the bill was with
drawn.
BILLS PASSED IN THE COUNCIL.
The billiLtroduced by DeWolfe. to
authorize county commissioners to
aword contracts for keeping roads in
repair.
Forbis' bill to regulate assessment
life insurance companies passed in
the Council, having. previously
passed in the House.
A bill introduced by Cotant, to pre-
vent the branding OF range cattle at
certain seasons of the year, was
passed.
The bills introdu ,ed by DeWolfe
concerning road taxes and road ST.
pervisors. were both passed. Also,
the memorial of Greene concerning
the Cheyenne Indian reservation.
In committee of the whole, the
Council considered the House bill re-
lating to contagious and Infectious
diseases among domestic animals
and Texas cattle, or the "cow doc
tor" bill. Those who expected the
Council to kill this bill were lisap-
pointed.
The few changes made We're rather
in the interest Of the cattle men. The
exemption of 81 900 worth of stock
from the special tax levied by the
bill, to cover the case, of farmers and
others owning few cattle or horses
and deriving no particular benefit
from the bill, was cut down to $500.
No answer has been made to the
argument of Baldwin in the House
against the bill, in which he charac-
ter,zed it as class legislation, the
burdens of which ought to be borne
by the class solely benefited. In fact,
the stock men repeatedly stated
earlier in the session, while preplr-
ing their bills, that the expenses of
their measures We're to be borne by
tax on themselves. But this DILL
provides for paying their COW doctor
q salary of So 900 year and all tray
elliDg expenses out Of the general
fund of the territorial treasury, a sal
ary greater than the Governor
orjudges of the supreme court receive.
The revenue collected by the special
tax on stock goes into special fund
to be paid back to the stock men
themselves for their cattle that die of
disease or are killed 10y order of the
veterinary surgeon.
The injustice OF this is seen when
it is considered that the entire stock
interest paid into the Territorial
treasury last year about $l4 100, while
there was paid out of the treasury for
the benefit of the same Interest the
sum of $4,000 IN bOunties for t. q
killing of wild animals.
THE FoRB1s BILL
The special committee will not re-
port until next week. They will
present majority and minority re-
ports. The majority nave prepared Il
Which removes games
except pool and billiards from lower
floors. 1t prohibits all percentage
games. 1t leaves the question Of
license to he regulated by the license
law. The substitute prepared by the
embodies substantially the
views expressed by D.Wolfe. 1t
prohibits all public gambling and
houses, and is in fact the
Forbis bill with the sections lett out
that have given rise to so many oh.
ectiOns.
THE HOUSE.
Another new county scheme has
come to grief. The bill for the coun-
" of Valley introduced by Fisk was
adversely e!yIecomEended in committee
Of the whole. This would form
county ont of parts of Jefferson,
Meagher and Lewis and Clarke, with
Townsend rs its county seat.
The Fergus county bill was favora-
bly, recommended.
The House has spent most Of T.
lay in considering Potts bill to limit
he compensation of certain officers.
This provides for paying county ot1i-
,ers by salary, and for paying the
'ees Of the offices into the county
reasury.
New Offer.