Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-02-12
ALTURAs DIVISION BILL.

HS"shS CNcI
witnessed in the Legislative halls Of
Idaho was the recent free-for-all
combat over the Alturas division bill. |
Volunteers were on hand in great
numbers, on both sides, fighting in
the lobby, and the regulars in both
houses fought with do-or-die deter
mination. The bill passed the house |
several days ago by = respectable ma
jority, after many tough oratorical
battles and rough and tumble pariia-
mentary slugging, with Hoyle and
Marquis of Queensbury rules dis
pensed with, as we'll as Jefferson's,
Cushing's and Roberts manuals. The
bill as first introduced was for cut
ting off 300 square miles of western
Alturas, to be organized as = new
county under the name of Elmore.
Amendments were afterwards added,
giving a strip of 750 miles of eastern
Alturas to Bingham, and slicing off
another county, named Logan.
Rocky Bar is to be the temporary
county seat of Elmore, and Shoshone
the county seat of Logan temporarily.
We have not seen copy of the bill,
but are informed that Logan county
takes in Bellevue. The Statesman
says action on the bill was delayed
several days in the Council on one
pretext and another, the opposition
hoping to kill it by the delays until
the expiration of time. Burkhart, of
Alturas, the Speaker of the House,
and Clough, Joint Councilman of
Custer and Lemhi counties-who was
President of the Council-were both
opposed to the bill, and used their
positions to advantage In frustrating
the divisionlsts. As the time for ad-
journment drew nigh excitement ran
higher and higher. A vote for a sus-
pension of the rules to get the bill
out of its regular order failed. The
vote stood eleven for the suspension
of the rules and seven against, SO the
motion for suspension was lost, not
: being sustained by two-thirds vote
Starting in on Wednesday the Coun-
. Gil held continuous session. They
sat through Wednesday night and
portion of Thursday, when some
n pressing business was taken up ane
e dispatched. Early Thursday evening
Il large crowd filed every nook ant
o corner of the Council chamber, ant
S the U. S. Marshal was present witt
e regiment of deputies. The fina
p act is thus described by the States
e man:
is "When -, midnight, was reached
is Speaker Burkhart, of the House, ad
O. journed that body, and he with som
'r others left the House, while major
'f ty, objecting to the adjournment, re
o, NAMED, elected Wheeler, of Bing
IN ham, temporary chairman, who wa
as sworn in by District Attorney Wilso
ID acting as Notary Public, and too
,e his seat with his six-shooter on tn
sy table beside him amid the shouts {
the people in the gallery and tn
lobby, and went right on grindin
c. out legislative grists, and sendln
to messages to the Council, which latt'
ny Mr.. Clough finally refused to recos
Us nize, refusing also to sign any bill
ne that were passed by the Hous
10 Then the fight began in earnest
he Mr.. Clough raped loudly on h
desk and declared the Council a
Dir iourned, and started for the doc
o- Mr.. Taylor rose and cried out:
ct object" Mr.. Mayhem moved tn
as the Council proceed to elect Pres
,st dent, pro tenn, the vote resulting
ire the choice of S. F. Taylor, who to-
in tho chair amid load and long cont
lse ued cheers.
is The members composing the n
EN- nority withdrew, after which
nal Council proceeded with its busin'
! is in rapid manner. Finally the
ZEN vision bill was reached and pass
al and after being enrolled was oil
ith signed by the presiding officers a
BILE the Governor, all of which was gre
ub- ed with resounding cheers. ot'
a bills were passed, both houses c.
be- tinuing in session until all necess
the business was transacted when u
ex- adjourned, the weary legislators Sc
as ing much-needed sleep after tt
kill long watch and period of e1cis
low toll. I'm
'Vef course depressed, claim that the
ceedings after twelve were lie
md claim that they will seek red
die. in the court, The friends OF the