Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-01-15
The Legislature.
Tenth biennial session.
FRIDAY, Jan. 3.

The Legislature.
Tenth biennial session.
FRIDAY, Jan. 3.
COUNCIL.
A 1emonstrancc from Gl0 citizens
OF Ska9it county, against having
the court removed from LaConner
t. Mt. Vernon was submitted to
the Council. Also a Petition from
Douglas county, relative to leloca-
ton of the county seat and asking
leave TO vote thereon at next election.
Petitions flom several churches
were also submitted against high
license laws and in favor of prohib-
ition.
Jacobs introduced 81. TO amend
the law regarding roads, bridges and
! ferries.
Ferguson introduced G. Il. 50,
providing for erecting outbuildings
on the Capitol grounds, passed
ii. j. "a, Hills habitual drunkard
act, passed.
II. H. los, requiring the prospec-
tive groom to pay fee for marriage
license and relieving the preacher of
the necessity of settling for it,
passed.
III. B. 40, the court bill stalled
on the amendment changing the dis
trict from Sprague to be added to
Ritzville. 4 committee of confer
ence, Isaacs and Reavis, was APP
appointed.
The Council went into Committee
of the Whole on the Penitentiary
bill, Mr. Reavis in the chair, and
considered it in sections.
A large number of bills were re-
ported upon this morning.
Dunbar called Wells of Adams to
the Chair as he said he was not feel
ing we'll. After number of peti-
ticns upon local matters had been Of
fered the standing committees made
their reports.
The fr,t bill considered was that
of redistricting the Territory into
judicial districts and fixing the time
at which courts shall be held. The
bill was interlined all through with
amendments, the work of the COM
mittee yesterday. 1t passed.
Knowles bill, defining The dis
tncts for the election of county COM
missioners of Lewis county, favor
ably reported. passed.
House bill rs, providing for the
appropriation of $4,000 for sinking
artesinn wells in Adams aud Frank
lin counties was reported without
recommendation
Wells said he was interested in
the bill and called Dunbar back to
the Chair. He then moved for sus-
pension of the rules under which the
bill might go to final passage. The
motion prevailed and he entered
upon long aud interesting argument
in its favor to tho effect that should
the experiment of artesian wells in
those two said counties prove sue
cessiul in finding water, then the
land would be taken up by men who
could sink other wells, and the
whole section would be reclaimed.
If it was not successful the eXper-
iment would discover 10 the people
what lay in the earth beneath, and
that information would be valuable
enough to repay the sum expended.
. Lewis said that he might not have
spoken on this subject but for the
several newspaper warnings against
the delegation from Seattle and
King, who were alleged to have Il
large number of secret schemes con-
cealed about their persons. He
wanted the members to beware now,
how he was about to entrap them.
He was in favor of this appropria-
ticn. lie agreed that the matter
was not local one; that the posi-
bic reclamation of large part Of
the Territory was worth trying for,
and the scientific information to be
gained in any event by drilling the
wells, was equal in value to the mon
ey expended. He didn't know
whether the bill was in it's best
shape or not, and would leave it to
the gentleman from Adams as to the
ACCESSIBILITY of pushing it to a pas
sage now.
After further discussion the vote
for suspension of the rules was
reconsidered and the bill recommit-
ted.
The Committee on Agriculture had
recommended tho passage of Dun
bars joint memorial, praying Con-
gress for the forfeiture of the North
ern Pacific land grants, between
Wallula and Portland.
1t was read third time and Nun
day rose, and said. that as this was
very important matter in which lie
people Of the whole Territory were
Interested, he thought the memorial
did not 60 far enough, and said he