The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1889-08-10
THE CONy:.. TION.
Synopsis of Proceedings of the Cons;itu
tiOn Makers of Montana.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2-Convention me
at 10 a. m. Carpenter offered the fo
5 lowing substitute for section 49, whic
: was adopted Private property sha
{ not be taken or sold for corporate debt
OF a public corporation, but the legisl;
o tive assembly may provide by law fo
:. the funding thereof and shall provid
$ by law for the payment thereof, includ
ing all funded debts and obligations, b.
/ assessment and taxation of all privat
| property not exempt from taxation
: within the limits of the territory owe
I which such corporations respectivel,
have authority. Robinson's substitut,
, restricting railroads from issuing passes
and making it criminal in an officer tt
, accept such courtesy, was laid on the
table. Warren presented the following
resolution addressed to the president OF
the United States:
; WHEREAS, The laws of the United States pro
vide tor the collection of a duty upon imported
lead ores, and, under ruling of ,he treasury de
, partnent, Mexican lead ores are admitted free o
duty, when the value of their silver contents eX-
ceeds the value of their lead contents: and
WHEREAS, The prosperity of Montana and the
Wel1are or It's people depend largely upon the
lead mining industry, which the present rulin.
is fast destroying.
WHEREAS. The claims of cur lead ore produc
ers to obtain the protection guaranteed them Ey
law here has been carefully and extensively pre-
sentea to the treasury department., and the treas
i:ry department has made no decision OF the
question presented, and the uncertainty caused
! BY this delaE N rendering such decision is al
most rs detrimental to interests as an ad-
verse decision would be, and as onr producers
have no authority Or statutory right to become
parties to SUIT tG have the justice of our claims
decided h5 the G0urt
Sow, therefore, it is the sense of this conven.
tlon that We, having always advocated the pro
lection Of American industries call the attention
Of TIE president OF the United Stats to the Fact
that the ruling of the treasury department de
prives great industry of the protection accorded
| by law, and works great hardships upon tens of
thousands OF American workingmen, and re-
| quest him to take such measures as Will secure
an enforcement of the law by the treasury de-
| partment.
At the afternoon session the conven-
tion resolved itself into committee of
the whole for the consideration of prop
osition 10, on legislative departments.
! Middleton's motion that the house of
representatives consist of 30 members
instead of 50 was carried. After several
other minor amendments We're adopted
the committee arose and recommended
the passage of the proposition. The
convention then took up the report and
IN the midst OF a long discussion on the
motion to make the senate consist of u
instead of 16 members, the convention
adjourned.
SATURDAY, AUGUST ;. Convention
called to order at 10 II. IN. Judge Dixon
presented two reports of the judiciary
committee, who reported that no action
be taken in regard to Indian reserva-
| tions, as the convention had no author
ity to act: also that communication be
printed as received from General Ruger
and considered as part Of the constitu-
ton, Report Of committee on ordi-
nances was submitted and ordered
printed. Marshall submitted propo-
sition relating to public lands. which
was read. 1t recommends the classiti-
cation of the lands granted to the state
1t divides them into the following
classes,
sold but leased 2d.-imber lands, which may
be sold, or the timber thereon, Mn.,er proper
laws. I'D Agricultural lands, which may be
sold or leased under regulations of laws. 9Th
Lands within corporate limits of any incOrpu-
rated town or city, or within mile of such linn
lis, worth more than $50 acre, which shall not
b" -old in lots larger than five acres, and not
more than half of them shall BE- sold by 1863. 40
lands shall be leased for iess :han $40 an acre.
and the lease shall not extend over five years.
Marshall's proposition was ordered
printed and will be considered with
proposition %. Bickford offered the
following substitute for section l, prop
osition No. %:
Section /. All the public lands of the state are
held in tynst for all the people: and none of such
land nor any estate or interest therein, shall
ever be disposed OF except Ia pursuance OF ger
eral laws providing for such disposition, I'M
less the full market va!Ee of TIE es:t interest
di,posed OF to be a$teTtain"d in such iiianntr
may be proviGed by law be paid or safely Sc
cured to Inc state nor shalt any lands which TIE
state holds by grant from the United States TN
aiy case i'll which the manner of disposal and
minimum price are 80 rescliDedj be Gispo; Of
EXCEPT in the marHcr and for at least the price
prescribed in the -ra.iu thereof, without the Goa
sent of the United States.
The substitute was ordered printed
tion with proposition %. The PROPOSE
tion to increase the number of state
senators from 16 to II came up for con-
sideration. An animated discussion of
the question followed and numerous
motions were made and voted down
The proposition Of one senator for each
county was finally adopted. A motion
was made to reconsider and lay on the
table. Carried by vote of 36 to 30.
Adjourned to p. mMonday.
MONDAY, AUGUST Convention as
sembled at p. m. Collins, chairman of
the finance committee, reported on reso-
luton No. 26, offered by Maginnis, al
lowing municipalities to incur indebted
ness for water supply. 1t was read
and adopted. The same committee re-
ported on Browns resolution prohibiting
an increase or reduction of salaries of
county officers, recommending that sal
aries be fixed for all county officers and
that the fee system be abolished; also
that the resolution in question be refer
town organizations: adopted. PROPOSE
ton No 10, legislative departn Q 1t, came
up under the order of unfinished busi
ness, and Burleigh moved that it be
adopted as part of the constitution of
Montana. The ayes and noes were called,
resulting, ayes 80, noes q, absent IL,
paired 2. and the proposition was adopt
ed and referred to the engrossing, revis-
ion and phraseology committee. Propo-
sition %, miscellaneous subjects and flu
ture amendments, came up for final ac-
ton, and after several amendments were
adopted the proposition passed by an
unanimous vote. At the evening session
the convention went into committee of
the whole on proposition 33, ordinances,
with Kennedy in the chair. Several
amendments were adopted, the commit
tee arose, reported progress and asked to
sit again; carried. The convention re-
sumed, the chairman reported, and on
motion the convention adjourned,
TUESDAY, AUGUST G. Convention met
at 10 a. no. J. r. Toole, chairman of the
committee on mining and water, to
whom was referred memorial No. l, re-
lating to importation of lead ores from
Mexico. reported the same back and
recommended that it be laid on the
table. This report provoked a lengthy
discussion, the motion to lay on the table
being defeated. The memorial was then
referred to select committee of five.
Section 4 of proposition 26, relating to
taxation, revenue, ETC., was considered
and defeated, by vote of ayes q, noes
40. Proposition 80, on military reserva-
tions, was taken up. the rules suspended,
the matter considered in convention in
stead of committee of the whole. and the
proposition passed by unanimous vote.
At the afternoon session proposition "A.
on municipal corporations and offices,