The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-07-25
constitutional Convention,
committee Report it With the Con-
ventiOn
whether or Not There Shall Re a
Clean Sweep OF Officials
And a New Election of County Off,
GERS This Fall,

Yesterdays ProceedinRs,
HELENA, July 24.-The convention wat
called to order at 10 o'clock-the presi.
dent in the chair.
Luce was excused indefinitely on &C
count of sickness.
Durfy presented petition from citi
zens of Deer Lodge county relating tc
sunday law which was read and referred
to committee on miscellaneous subjects
Haskell presented a remonstrauce
against the Conrad clause relating to tax.
able value 100000 in organization Of
counties. The remonstrance was r..
ceived, read and referred to committee on
city, county and town organization.
Dixon, chairman of committee on iudic
larry, reported as follows:
"fourcommittee on judiciary, to whom
was referred resolution No. - is here
with returned, have directed me to re.
port that they have examined the ques.
tion referred and are of the opinion tina,
the enabling act of congress provides 70,
a general election to be held before ad
mission, to fill all the offices, both state
and counties, provided for by the consti.
tuition, but that such provision ia not
mandatory, and that the convention hat
the right and power, in its discretion, tc
provide that all or any state, district o,
county officers provided for by the con
stitution shall be elected at such time
and for such terms as may be prescribed
or to provide that any district or couna,
officers now holding offices under the
laws of the territory, may continue in Of
fee under the constitution until such
time as may be prescribed. Your com
mittee is of the opinion that the whole
matter is within the power of the conven
tion to regulate"
Brown from the committe on city
county and town organization, reported
articles pertinent to this department anc
recommended incorporation in the con
stitutioI; also adverse report on extrac
from proposition 2, relating to Chimes,
labor. The extracts were ordered read
Knowles moved further reading o
same Re dispensed with, but the clerl
stated that there were only few linet
more and the reading was finished. Th'
report was received and extracts were
ordered printed.
Joy reported that part of the commit
tee on city, county and town organization
having in charge resolution No. 8, re
ported the same back, recommending
that it be incorporated in the constitu
tion.
Maginnis offered the following:
"Resolved, That nothing contained il
this constitution shall he so construed a
to deprive the general assembly of powe
to authorize municipal corporations to in
cur such indebtedness as may be neces
sary to procure an ample supply of wa
ter for such municipalities. Provided
such water supply shall be owned ant
controlled by said municipalities and tn
revenues deriv ed from the same be ap
piled to payment Of debts.
A. s. Burns introduced resolution
providing for the establishment of min
ing bureau and Office Of commissioner 0
mines and providing for compensationf
Resolution received and referred to com
mittee on agriculture, manufactures
commerce and immigration.
Myers introduced resolution providing
that no person holding an Office Of prof
under the United States and commission
ed by the president shall, owing to hi
continuance in such Office, be eligible
appointed, hold or exercise an office o
profit. under this state. 1t was receive'
and referred to the committee on mis-
cellaneous subjects.
J,K. Toole moved that convention g
into committee of the whole for consider
alton of general file. Carried.
Maginnis took the chair and section 1
of resolution 1, relating to judiciary, wa
taken up. That part Of the resolution re
ferring to the appointment of judicis
districts, it seems, is proving quite tasl
to overcome, so that all will he satisfied
Collins wanted each county made
district, and if this could not be done b
was willing to divide the counties int
seven or eight districts, but objected
any county being cut up.
Richards opposed this and president v
A. Clarke spoke against the amendmen
of Collins and was in favor of cutting th
districts to 8. He was in favor of havin
seven districts and taking the remainin
money and paying the officers larger sal
aries and thus secur ing better services.
Goddard rose to the rescue of hi
amendment and stated the arrangemen
he had made was the hest and most con
yenient for the judges. No compensa
ton was provided for the judges, so h
thought it only Just and right to pa
Them larger salaries, or at least as larg
as those allowed the judges in Silver Boy
and Lewis and Clarke.
Burleigh moved the committee ris
and report progress and ask leave to s
again. Carried.
Maginnis, chairman of the committe
of the whole, reportt d progress and ash
ed leave to sit again. Granted.
Recess was taken till 2 o'clock. At TIN
session the question of judicial district
was debated. A proposition to give tn
state eight judges was under fire an
several Of the delegates were contendin
that each county should be given judg
No decision in the matter has bee
reached,