The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-03-06
FOURTEENTH LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
The Deliberations and Doings OF the Law
makers told In Letters.

| hhkeIs lOid Ia LetteTs
Special Correspondence Ne,o Nortt-West.
FORTY-SEvENTH DAY.
HELENA, Feb. 27.-In the Council to-day
q number of reports from committees were
made and disposed Of
Armstrong introduced q bill providing fol
the publishing of the syitdb. Of the Supreme
Court.
Kennedy introduced joint resolution fol-
the
DISTRIBUTION OF STATUTES
among the members of the Legislature
which was passed under suspension Of the
rules.
The bill to buy Webster's Unabridged
Dictionary for all the school districts was
recommitted to the education and labor
committee.
Forbis' bill providing for assessment Of
life insurance companies was passed on third
reading, DeWolfe and Armstrong voting
against the bill.
| D'woLFE's THREE BILLS
relating to public roads, road supervisors,
and read taxes, were passed by vote of ii
to !, Kennedy voting In the negative.
Cotants bill to prevent
| THE BRANDING OF CATTLE
between August / and September and be-
tween November l and May 1,was passed on
third reading by unanimous vote. The bill
excerpts most of Western Montana from the
provisions OF the law.
Greene's joint memorial in regard TO the
| Cheyenne reservation was passed on third
reading.
| APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR.
In the House a communication was re-
ceived from the Governor, announcing that
be had signed III. b. 16, an act concerning
the representation of quartz claims also IL.
B. 50, an act to prevent persons from hunt
ing or shooting within the enclosures of
others without leave; also II. b. 6S, an act
to provide for the support and maintenance
of the Philipsburg fire department; also H.
Ii. SO, az act to amend section SO, article 2,
fifth division Revised Statutes.
The House concurred in the amendments
made by the Council to the
NoTARIEs PUBLIC BILL.
In committee Of the whole the
VALLEY COUNTY
bill received black eye from a vote of IS to
TO recommend that the bill do not pas.
| Much of the day was spent in the discus
sion of Potts bill fixing
| SALARIES FOR COUNTY OFFICERS.
Potts thought the people of the Territory
were Of one opinion as to the allowances
| now made county officers, and that the opin-
ion was that they were entirely too high.
| There was, however, q difference in coun-
ties. In the smaller ones the fees, though
/ high, did not amount to more than q fair
| compensation for the officers. In the larger
counties the case was different. the fees
amo. nting 10 salaries that were unreasons-
bic aud excessive. He bad, therefore, intro
duced the present bill. The system OF
| TURNING FEES INTO THE COUNTY
treasures and paying a salary TO the officers
had been tried in many of the Eastern States,
| and gave general satisfaction. The question
was simply which counties in Montana de-
sired to adopt the plan provided for in the
| bill. He would be glad to see 1t adopted by
all, but If SEINE did not desire 1t, the mem
| bers from the respective counties could have
their constituents exempted.
Holt stated that he was decidedly in favor
of the passage Of the bill.
Nichols desired reduction in the fees of
officials in the county he represented. He
| was aware that he was not elected to his
| present Office because Of personal popularity,
| but was elected OH two issues, and this was
one of them. He hoped TO see the bill pass.
Tingle briefly stated that he was familiar
| with the
ABUSES OF THE FEE SYSTEM.
He had seen it illustrated In Dawson county
and he was emphatically in favor of substi-
tuting salaries instead of fees in the com.
| pensation of county officers.
Hatch said Meagher county had not suf-
fered from the abuses to which the other
| membsrs had referred. He
HAD RECEIVED NO PETITIONS
on this subject from his constituents, nor
| was there any indication that they desired .
| change In the existing law. So far rs
Meagher county was concerned, he should
not ask that the statute be altered.
Taylor stated that his constituent,
HAD NOT ASKED FOR ANY CHANGE
| In the existing order of affairs. He did not
believe the debts of counties were due to the
| system of paying officers by fees. These
debts had been chiefly created by Tie prose
cution Of criminals, and could In large
measure be charged up to the lawyers. He
| thought this law In any event should not go
into effect until the terms of the present eff
| cials had expired. It would be q manifest
| injustice to them.
Biddle thought the two members who had
| just spoken, should not oppose the bill be-
cause their counties did not happen to require
| its passage.
| THE PEOPLE OF CUSTER
| had suffered fearfully from this system of
| fees. Their sheriff drew between $1,000 and
| 50 900 q quarter. This change must come
some time, and il might as well be settled
| nov as any other. The duty of the Legisla-
| ture in this matter was plain. The bill
should be passed without delay.
Fisk stated that this was measure famil-
lar to the public for the past 20 years. 1t had
been discussed at nearly every session of the
| Legislature. IL might be well to salary
COUNTY CLERKS AND TREAsURERs,
| but he thought it impracticable to salary
| sheriffs and assessors. The fees allowed
were frequently unjust, but that was a mat
| ter that lay between the officers and county
commissioners. Some had claimed that in
| Eastern Montana the people had been swin>
| died under the printing law. If such was
the case they could sue and recover as against
| any other swindle.
sheriff In Custer county were strictly legal.
EASTMAN FAVORED THE MEASURE.
Missoula county had a heavy debt and there
was slight prospect of much improvement.
The bill to create the county of Ravalli had
been killed in the Council. Something
should be done TO reduce expenses, and he
heartily endorsed the measure to cut down
| the salaries of officials.
TINGLE DIFFERED WITH FISK
In the matter of paying salary to sherifs
and assessors. Most of the abuses came
through those officers. The total cost of
| assessing Montana last year was about $780,
| 600. He believed IL could be done by con-
tract for $4,000. He failed to see why .
| sheriff could not run his Office on salary as
well as q treasurer. He was in favor OF pay
| Ing good, liberal salaries, but he thought the
people ought to know and fix what those
| salaries should be.